Toulouse : Creve Hivernale Exhibition @ Frigo
Initially planned for 4-5-6 December, an exhibition called ‘CREVE HIVERNALE / COPS31 / MARKER V’ in Toulouse has been extended to 11-12 -13 December with a grand finale on 30 December in support of La Cimade (not for profit organisation helping refugees and homeless people).
Located in the ‘Frigo’, 378, route de Launaguet, the show explores notions of homelessness and the Syrian migrant crisis that has been affecting Europe. The exhibition features a series of live performances, murals, photos, testimonies, dialogue between habitants, in-habitants, the visible and in-visible, installations and interventions.
Participating artists include anonymous artivist < + + , Fred Calmets,A4Putevie, photographer Balint Pörneczi, screenprints and Tshirts by Cleangraphics and more…
To dissolve the incessant influx of refugees in the Calais’ Jungle, French government has been dispatching migrants via private jets to various CRA (retention centers) in France, Toulouse being the largest one (see here).
#CREVE HIVERNALE plays on the term ‘Treve hivernale’ which indicates the temporary period during which housing expulsion notices are suspended in the cold months of winter. ‘Creve’ also means ‘to have a cold’ and /or ‘die’.
Photographer Balint Pörneczi, winner of the Zoom 2015 prize at the Salon de la Photo in Paris, has been accompanying and documenting migrants through their journey in Europe.
Upon entering this massive industrial freezing warehouse nicknamed ‘Le Frigo’, we are faced with a series of photos in the outskirts of Toulouse and La Rocade depicting the precarious living conditions of the Syrian migrants. This aims to create a dialogue and wake up call with locals as they recognise the areas and drive past oblivious on a daily basis.
In the main space large black and white portraits pay tribute to migrant families and their difficult journey through the Hungarian borders to get to a safer place.
Toulousan artist A4Putevie created an immersive experience with a large scale mural with rainbow coloured fighter jets and temporary shelters. Sleeping or frightened figures are appearing ghostly, cut out in mattresses,while being overlooked by an observation tower. Nearby stands a children treehouse, symbol of safe heaven, looking very fragile and on the brick of collapsing. Inscriptions on the wall reveals messages about surveillance, losing freedom rights, and an increased fear and manipulation of the mind.
#MATELAS / Mattress Piece of furniture used by people to lie down, element of comfort, often linked to a bed. Comes from the arab word ‘matrah’ .
#CABANE / HUT, seasonal housing construction serving as temporary shelter.
Anonymous artist and long time activist <++ pays tribute to the less fortunate with his infamous series of hanging visible /invisible totem figures, from camouflage to reflecting versions. Like a scene after a war explosion, layers of feathers (symbol of peace), broken mirrors (distorted reality), dirt, and faded tulips are juxtaposed on mattresses, surrounded by candles.
The use of #TULIPE represents capitalism speculation and over consumerism, in reference to the Tulip mania
In parallel to the installations, <++ did a couple a live painting performances and created a cabane for people to discuss, share experiences and enjoy some tea.
A mural by Fred Calmet & Kegrea shows an upside down bird surrounded by men with protective clothes and masks.
Further down an installation using found objects recreate a raft, depicting the fragility of the current situation.
View the full set of pics here
CREVE HIVERNALE / COPS31/ MARKER V
GRAND FINALE ON 30 DECEMBER
OPEN / FREE ENTRY
From 15:00 to 00:00
Le Frigo, 378, route de Launaguet – 31140 Launaguet,
next to Toulouse
Streets: Banksy in Calais
After Dismaland, Banksy continues to hightlight the migrant crisis and horrific living conditions of Syrian refugiees in the Jungle of Calais by painting a portrait of Steve Jobs, reminding us that he is the son of a Syrian migrant. Steve Jobs is depicted carrying a travel bag with his iconic mac computer. Further messages say “NOBODY DESERVES TO LIVE THIS WAY!”
Additional murals and messages have been painted in the camp and the city center of Calais. The others pieces are showing a stenciled young girl and her telescope, a text piece which reads “Maybe This Whole Situation Will Sort Itself Out” and a piece showing a refugee raft inspired from the “The Raft of the Medusa” by Géricault and dubbed “Maybe We Are Not All In The Same Boat”. On a side note, this is the first ever time Banksy paints in France.
Pictures on www.banksy.co.uk
Paris: Brandalism – 600 ad takeover denouncing the hypocrisy of COP21 Climate talks
Over 600 artworks critiquing the corporate takeover of the COP21 climate talks were installed in advertising spaces across Paris this weekend -ahead of the United Nations summit beginning Monday 30 November.
Amidst the French state of emergency banning all public gatherings following the terrorist attacks on 13 November in Paris, the ‘Brandalism‘ project has worked with Parisians to insert unauthorised artworks across the city that aim to highlight the links between advertising, consumerism, fossil fuel dependency and climate change.
The artworks were placed in advertising spaces owned by JC Decaux -one of the world’s largest outdoor advertising firms and an official sponsor to the COP21 climate talks.Other prominent corporate sponsors of the climate talks such as AirFrance, GDF Suez (Engie) and Dow Chemicals are parodied in the posters -whilst heads of state such as Francois Hollande, David Cameron, Barack Obama, Angela Merkel and Shinzo Abi also feature.
The artworks were created by over 80 renowned artists from 19 countries across the world including Jimmy Cauty, Banksy-collaborator Paul Insect,Escif and Kennard Phillips – many of whom featured at Banksy’s Dismaland exhibition in England this summer (see our coverage here), as well as Aida, Arnaud Liard, AlexOne, Barnbrook, David De La Mano, Fra BiancoShock, Hobz,John Felkner, Ron English, Jon Burgerman, Noel Douglas, Lapiz, Mobstr to name a few.
Joe Elan from Brandalism said, “By sponsoring the climate talks, major polluters such as Air France and GDF-Suez-Engie can promote themselves as part of the solution – when actually they are part of the problem.”
Elan continued, “We are taking their spaces back because we want to challenge the role advertising plays in promoting unsustainable consumerism. Because the advertising industry force feeds our desires for products created from fossil fuels, they are intimately connected to causing climate change. As is the case with the Climate talks and their corporate sponsored events, outdoor advertising ensures that those with the most amount of money are able to ensure that their voices get heard above all else.” The art works were installed on ‘Black Friday‘ or ‘Vendredi Noir’; the most hectic and competitive shopping day of the year.
Other posters called on people to take to the streets as part of the”Climate Games” – the world’s largest disobedient adventure game as well as protesting the “Solutions 21” conference – a large corporate exposition being held at the Grand Palais during the climate talks .
Bill Posters from Brandalism said “Following the tragic events on 13th November in Paris, the government has chosen to ban the big civil society mobilisations – but big business events can continue. The multinationals responsible for climate change can keep green washing their destructive business models, but the communities directly impacted by them are silenced. It’s now more important than ever to call out their lies and speak truth to power. We call on people to take to the streets during the COP21 to confront the fossil fuel industry. We cannot leave the climate talks in the hands of politicians and corporate lobbyists who created this mess in the first place.”
View the full gallery here
London: Paintguide @ Unit London
Unit London is presenting Paintguide, a collaborative exhibition of new works by 60 international painters, as featured on the instagram account @Paintguide.
Curated over the past year, the show is a physical representation of Henrik Uldaden‘s @Paintguide instagram feed to promote emerging international artists. Each week a new artist is appointed as a curator posting works that have inspired them as well as their own pieces.
Participating artists include :Aaron Nagel, Aron Wiesenfeld, Alessandra Peters, Allison Sommers, Amy Sol, Andrew Hem, Andy Espinoza, Anthony Hurd, Anthony J. Waichulis, Audrey Kawasaki , Benjamin Bjorklund, Brad Kunkle, Casey Weldon, Casey Baugh, Conrad Roset, Daniel Ochoa, Dan Quintana, David Kassan, Eric Fortune, Eloy Morales, Erik Jones, Esao Andrews, Greg “Craola” Simkins, Hollis Dunlap, Brandon Holt, Henrik Uldaden, Hsiao-Ron Cheng, Ivan Alifan, Jake Wood-Evans, Jean Paul Malozzi, Jeff Hein, Jeremy Mann, Jeremy Geddes, Jesse Draxler, Joao Ruas, Joel Rea, Julio Reyes, Kai Samuel Davis, Kenichi Hoshine, Kim Cogan, Kit King, Linsey Levendall, Lewellyn, Marco Mazzoni, Martin Wittfooth, Matt R Martin, Michael Hussar, Morten Thyholt, Nicomi Nix Turner, RICO BLANCO, Ryan Hewett, Sail, Sam Wolfe Connelly, Serge Marshennikov, Sean Cheatham, Sverre Malling, Shawn Barber, Tom Bagshaw, Tony Curanaj, and Vincent Xeus.
View the full set of pics here
Paintguide
Until 20 December 2015
Unit London
W1, London
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