Toulouse: Subcultures @ Espace Croix Baragnon – Part I

April 23, 2016 butterfly 2 Comments

The museum ‘L’espace Croix Baragnon’ in Toulouse is celebrating the underground cultural scene with a new exhibition called ‘Subcultures’. The city of Toulouse is the cradle of many renowned artists from Miss Van, Fafi, Reso, Tilt to dran, but the artistic scene is even more prolific, mixing popular cultures (rock music, punk, goth, hip hop, experimental … sci-fi, comics, movies, skateboarding, tattoo…) revisiting modern art movements (surrealism, Dadaism, pop art, poster-art…) as well as post-modern art forms (lowbrow, graffiti, street art,…)

Curator David Pujol has been observing the local underground culture for several years and presents ‘Subcultures’ featuring 10 established and emerging artists, with their influences and distinctive style on the local and international scene: Amandine Urruty, 100TAUR (covered), A4 Putevie (covered), Mathieu Bourrillon, Nicolas Delpech, Fräneck, Herbot, Kinder K, Arnaud Loumeau and Benjamin Stoop.

Although not listed in the official artists roster, enfant terrible dran (covered) makes several appearances with a brand new canvas and stickers and flyers throughout the exhibition space.

Subcultures - Toulouse

Huge crowds and artists turned out for the eagerly awaited opening including anonymous artist <++ (covered) who also made a live performance.

Subcultures - Toulouse

Through his drawings and sculptural installations, artivist artist A4Putevie (b.1980) illustrates the thirst for freedom within the urban environment, his thoughts and distress about the current politic affairs, war and surveillance society.

Subcultures - Toulouse

Inspired by nature, religious art, Japanese culture and mythology, 100TAUR (b.1982) explores the concept of imperfection, creating a universe populated by fantastic creatures, distorted hybrids humans and animals with a sacred touch. Anthropomorphic fishes are adorned with a golden aura, while his signature character ‘Slug’, symbol of resilience is omnipresent within his compositions.

Subcultures - Toulouse

Kinder K. (b.1984) oil paintings play with medieval imagery and religious iconography to question our faith in life. Her colourful compositions illustrate empowered female characters with an erotic touch, whether Lolitas dancing and being seduced by the devil, or a man-eater she-devil.

Subcultures - Toulouse

Fascinated by video games, Arnaud Loumeau (b.1978) draws kaleidoscopic shapes on paper. Using mathematical precision, patterns are repeated in a loop like in a computer and coloured with marker. Underground illustrator Franeck painted a mural inside the gallery space with a series of small black and white drawings featuring his signature humorous round shaped characters within architectural landscapes.

Subcultures - Toulouse

View the full set of pics here

Stay tuned for the rest of the coverage soon with our Part II

‘Subcultures’
Until 18 June 2016
Espace Croix-Baragnon
24 rue Croix-Baragnon
31000 Toulouse (FR)

London, Shows

London: Ben Eine – Soho Riot

April 22, 2016 butterfly

Moniker Projects have partnered with Lights of Soho for a new London exhibition entitled ‘SOHO RIOT’ featuring street artist Ben Eine by turning his popular 2D neon font into 3D limited edition neon pieces .

‘SOHO RIOT’ is about encapsulating the spirit of Soho amidst a time of gentrification, cross-rail proposals and the closing of cultural institutions such as legendary club Madame Jojo’s. With a neighbourhood caught in the midst of rent hikes whilst trying to keep its dignity, Ben Eine mentions: “Soho is such a vibrant neighbourhood with rich history, characters and memories, I’m happy to attach ‘RIOT’ as a cultural and artistic protest to help keep the core values and community spirit of Soho alive.”
Ben Eine - Soho Riots

Join Lights Of Soho on Tuesday 26 April for a very special in-conversation with Ben Eine where he will discuss his inspirations and his current show. RSVP@lightsofsoho.com

Ben Eine - Soho Riot

Ben Eine – Soho Riot
20 April – 21 May 2016
Lights of Soho
35 Brewer Street
London, W1F 0RX

London, Shows

London: Adam Neate – Heroes

April 11, 2016 butterfly

A selection of new dimensional surface paintings on canvas by Adam Neate are currently on show ‘ Heroes’ at Elms Lesters Painting Rooms until 14th April in London.

Depicting whether a reclining woman by the sunset or runners by the seaside, the artist continues to experiment with the dimensional surfaces on the canvas itself, playing with matte, gloss and textured paints.

View the full set of pics here

Adam Neate – Heroes
Until 14 April 2016
Elms Lester Painting Rooms
London

London, Street, streets

London: Space Invader – Wave 18

Image April 2, 2016 butterfly 2 Comments

French artist Space Invader has just returned to London since 2013 for a 18th wave of invasion. As part of an art commission for the London Games Festival organised by Film London, 12 new artworks have appeared on iconic buildings and streets.

As always location is key, and to celebrate spring, brand new CCTV flowers have popped up across the city, including a union jack one next to the British Film Institute surrounded by four other video cameras .

A pixelated cheeky prince with crown and 3D glasses is flying high above the Prince Charles Cinema in the West End , while the Arts Building in Finsbury Park is adorned with a paint brush waiving invader mosaic.

London Invasion 2016 - Wave 18

Wandering through the Museum of London, visitors can enjoy two new invaders with bowler hats and umbrellas watching each other.

And before looking for the remaining invaders, enjoy a cup of tea in Shoreditch…

London Invasion 2016 - Wave 18

View the full set of pics here

London, Shows

London: Steven Claydon – The Guilded Bough @ Sadie Coles

March 20, 2016 butterfly

For the second exhibition of British artist / musician Steven Claydon at Sadie Coles HQ, ‘The Gilded Bough’ features sculptures, installations and sounds in which the artist examines the notion of the counterintuitive idea that cloaking an object might allow it to be seen more clearly.

Cloaking is a paradox found in the process of scanning electron microscopy, where samples are typically coated in ultra-thin layers of gold before going under the microscope (the conductive material increases the quantity of ‘secondary electrons’ that can be detected from their surfaces). Using gold plating as a material and a metaphor, Claydon equivocates between the surfaces and essences of objects. Gilding becomes a means of scrutinising.

The exhibition’s title refers to James Frazer’s The Golden Bough (first published in 1890), a seminal work of late-Victorian anthropology. Frazer’s understanding of ritual objects – as materials in which some special nature or aura may reside. In The Gilded Bough, objects appear in a variety of real and synthetic forms. Each oscillates between the status of an autonomous vessel and a vehicle for narratives.

By misquoting Frazer’s title, Claydon raises the idea of the alchemical mutations or degradations suffered by cultural artefacts over time. The gilding effect expresses the idea of projecting a potentially deceptive beauty or sanctity or financial worth onto an object. Weaving between the arcane and the technological, Claydon draws unlikely and improbable juxtapositions.

Steven Claydon - The Gilded Bough