Category Archives: London

London: Herakut – After the Laughter

June 2, 2012 butterfly

German duo Herakut is back to London for the release of their new book titled ‘After the Laughter’ . To celebrate the launch they also produced a new series of work curated by Shea&Siegler.

Featuring female figures wearing tight shiny catsuit with animal hats, sometimes a horse, a cat, a wolf or squirrels, Herakut masters spray paint to create hyperealist portraits. Looking closer, one can even see the artists reflection in the subject’s eyes.

More pics from the opening here

Further info on the show and book at Shea&Siegler.

Herakut – After The Laughter
May 31st – June 10th 2012
The Gallery, 99 Mount Street, Mayfair, W1K 2TF London.
Curated by Shea & Ziegler in collaboration with Moniker Projects

London, Street

London Streets: Banksy

May 14, 2012 butterfly

In response to the upcoming Jubilee Celebration in June, marking the Queen’s 60-year reign, a new Banksy stencil appeared in Turnpike Lane, North London, featuring a young kid working on a sewing machine. While some of the Union Jack flags didn’t last long, the one on the sewing machine has been screwed onto the wall…

London, Shows

London: Blek Le Rat at Opera Gallery

April 27, 2012 butterfly 1 Comment

Xavier Prou aka Blek Le Rat opened a new exhibition at the Opera Gallery in London. Despite exhibiting all over the world, this is the French artist’s first London exhibition since 2008. With this being his 30 year career anniversary, the new body of work pays tribute to the people that inspired him from his childhood including figures from the Renaissance era as well as people he met during his travels. He also celebrates “Street Art” as in “Arts in the Streets” with his street dancer and musicians.

Many graffiti and street artists joined the frenzy crowd at the private opening including Risk, Remi/Rough, Stik, Ben Slow to name a few.

Fans started queuing overnight for a chance to get one of the 100 free signed prints by Blek. The next morning 300 persons were waiting around the block.

View the full set of pics here

Blek Le Rat
27th April 2012 – 17th May 2012
Opera Gallery
134 New Bond Street
London W1S 2TF

Books, London, Shows, Street, Videos

Paris Opening: Mausolee with Lek x Sowat

April 23, 2012 butterfly 2 Comments

On August 12, 2010, French graffiti artists Lek and Sowat found an abandoned supermarket of 430,000sq. ft in the north of Paris. For a year, in the greatest of secrets they invited forty French graffiti artists to collaborate and create an illegal graffiti Mausoleum.

As the monument is not accessible for safety reasons, Lek and Sowat recreated a few murals and installations in an abandoned apartment to share their experience with the public .

During the two years, they discovered traces of life from squatters that left in a rush. For the exhibition, the artists brought back toys, letters and objects as a tribute to the families living in the Mausolee.

An installation made of found signage on site, staff instructions and reports reminds of the golden days of the supermarket as key role to the community.

The opening was also the occasion to celebrate the release of the book (available here) and a video retracing all the visual process of this adventure.

The stop motion video made of 8000 pictures is now visible online

More info on the project and participating artists at mausolee.net

London, Shows

London: Hypnagogia By ROA

April 20, 2012 butterfly

After portraying large scale monochrome animals in London’s city streets and on derelict buildings all over the world, Belgium artist ROA returns to London for a solo show titled ‘Hypnagogia’ at Stolenspace. The exhibition is held in two spaces, featuring installation work & originals on recycled found-objects, as well as outdoor work across east London.

The title of the show refers to the transitional state between sleeping and awake. ROA explores the ‘interstate’ with his portrayals of sleeping animals, whilst quietly around us the world awakens from a long winter, and the creatures he depicts experience a period of seasonal transition. Interaction plays also a significant part in the artworks as moving panels or drawers reveal another side of the animals, whether an half skeleton or part organ dissection.

To coincide with this show opening will also be the launch of the artist first book ‘Roa: ‘An Introduction To Animal Representation’ by Mammal Press, an hand crafted book featuring ROA’s art around the world through photographs, sketches, and reference material with 2 screen prints enclosed.