Category Archives: London

Banksy new mural in London

March 17, 2024 butterfly

Elusive artist Banksy unveiled a new mural in Finsbury Park, North London on Saint Patrick’s day. Located in Hornsey Road, a social housing area, the council recently pruned a massive mature cherry tree, as part of their regular maintenance, and left it looking miserable.

Before Banksy mural – image courtesy of the artist

Using a pressure hose or fire extinguisher, Banksy painted a cascade of green colour on the façade of the nearby building, creating a trompe l’oeil effect. At the bottom the mural Banksy used a stencil to paint a lifesized person holding a pressure hose next to it. When stepping back, it looks like the tree is bursting to life.

Banksy’s attention to detail is noticeable with the green colour palette matching the one used by Islington Council for signs in the local area. This also helped him act unnoticed despite the bright green colour.

This fire extinguisher technique is a favourite amongst graffiti artists as it enables to cover large surfaces high and wide quickly without the need of a ladder or scaffholding.

Mural by Russian artist 0331© in Moscow, 2012

Local residents expressed joy and pride to the addition of this major cultural element to their streets.

Listen to the podcast on BBC with James Peak and Patrick Nguyen here

Placement and timing are key. A celebration of the green colour (perfect timing with Saint Patrick’s day), combined with a celebration of nature and the springtime season in full bloom.

Update 20.03.2024

Street art is ephemeral by nature.

The mural did not last long in its original state. Three days after unveiling the piece, the wall has received some white splash paint, as well as a little addition with a brick signature character by Ronzo. Can you spot it?

London, Shows

CUTE Exhibition at Somerset House

January 11, 2024 butterfly

A major new exhibition exploring the irresistible force of cuteness in contemporary culture will be opening at the Somerset House in London from 25 January to 14 April 2024 .

Starting of with the celebration of the cat, to the influence of the japanese culture of cuteness ‘Kawaii’, CUTE brings together contemporary artworks, including new artist commissions, and cultural phenomena such as music, fashion, toys, video games and social media.

From emojis to internet memes, video games to plushie toys, food to loveable robotic design, cuteness has taken over our world. But how has something so charming and seemingly harmless – adorable, doe-eyed animals, chubby-cheeked babies, flowers, hearts, stars, sweets and other such romantic motifs – gained such traction?

Examining the world’s embrace of cute culture and how it has become such an influential measure of our times, the exhibition will seek to unravel cuteness’ emotive charge, revealing its extraordinary and complex power and potential.  

Contributing artists include Mark Leckey, Sean-Kierre Lyons, Aya Takano, Mike Kelley, Karen Kilimnik, Nayland Blake, Cosima von Bonin, Hannah Diamond, Ed Fornieles, Juliana Huxtable, Rachel Maclean, Julien Ceccaldi, Paige K. B., Isaac Lythgoe, Alake Shilling, Wong Ping, Liv Preston, CFGNY, Ram Han, Maggie Lee, Bunny Rogers, Flannery Silva, Andy Holden, plus Somerset House Studios artists Chris Zhongtian Yuan, Sin Wai Kin and Sian Fan.

The exhibition will also feature a games arcade for all ages and will spotlight and celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of cute’s most iconic and ubiquitous figures, Hello Kitty, in partnership with Sanrio.

London

Limited Edition Art Wrapping Paper for the Big Issue

November 17, 2023 butterfly

Get the Holiday season wrapped up in style and create a social-echo at the same time by snapping up some exclusive wrapping paper, designed by a collection of the country’s best contemporary artists !

Since 1991 the Big Issue is helping homeless and disadvantaged people earn an income and reintegrate into mainstream society.

Internationally acclaimed artists have partnered with the street newspaper to create exclusive, highly collectableone-of-a-kind limited edition designs: Stanley Donwood, Aida Wilde, David Speed, Victoria Topping, Patrick Hugues, Alma Singer, Augustine and Bridgeland, Andrew Millar.

Signed and unsigned versions of the designs are available.

All the profit from these wrapping papers goes directly back to The Big Issue to give people living on the margins a hand up.

Order yours online here

London

Pandora ‘Loves unboxed’ immersive pop up with UK artists

November 10, 2023 butterfly

British artists Hisham Echafaki, Renin Bilginer, Eve De Haan, Makiko Harris and Phoebe Boddy have been collaborating with international jewellery brand PANDORA for a new immersive experience in London launching ‘Loves Unboxed’ holiday campaign.

Collaboration with artist Hisham Echafaki

Situated on the South Bank, near Tower Bridge, the ‘Art of Loves’ pop-up, which will be open to the public from Thursday 9th – Sunday 19th November, has been designed to look like a huge Pandora jewellery box, welcoming everyone who walks through its doors into an art installation which celebrates different interpretations of ‘Loves’.

Guests who visit the activation will not only be able to view the artists’ installation, but will also have the opportunity to create their own piece of art, via a bespoke interactive platform. After creating their own artwork, guests will then have the opportunity to showcase their designs on digital screens which will surround the exterior of the pop up, or print their designs off as personalised wrapping paper for a loved one. The pop-up will become London’s largest digital gallery of ‘Loves’, transforming the digital art created inside the pop-up into 8 by 3 meters digital canvases.

Art Fair, London

London: Frieze Sculpture

October 10, 2023 butterfly

In parallel to the much-anticipated Frieze London week ( 11-15 October 2023), which celebrates its 20th year anniversary this year, Frieze Sculpture returns to London Regent’s Park, until 29 October, 2023.

The free exhibition curated by Fatoş Üstek features features 21 leading international artists whose works will be situated throughout The Regent’s Park’s historic English Gardens.

The participating artists are: Ghada Amer, Leilah Babirye, Sanford Biggers, Jyll Bradley, Catharine Czudej, Ayşe Erkmen, Yuichi Hirako, Suhasini Kejriwal, Tony Matelli, Louise Nevelson, Temitayo Ogunbiyi, Zak Ové, Li Li Ren, Hans Rosenström, Tomas Saraceno, Yinka Shonibare, Josh Smith, Amy Stephens, Holly Stevenson and Hank Willis Thomas.