All posts tagged: GEC

“Money & Followers” Heralds the Thinking Artists on the Street in Turin

“Money & Followers” Heralds the Thinking Artists on the Street in Turin

June 10, 2023

Turin, Italy remains a hotbed for free thought and experimental art in public spaces. Despite so many inroads toward capitalizing on the radical movement of street art in recent years, this part of Italy has been fertile soil for the ornery, complicated, political, and eclectic artistic impulses that first drew us to this scene. A summer show of street art veterans and more recent talents at the newly germinated NISBA Studio may be staking positions that have gotten lost in a scene sometimes awash with commercial brands and self-dealers. The studio calls itself an “observatory on contemporary society, a strategic place,” and says it is a venue and platform “within which connections are born between enthusiasts, visitors, collectors, companies, public and private administrators.”

Turin’s historical significance as a vital hub for Italian, European, and Egyptian art, including the influential Piedmontese Baroque art movement and its vibrant urban art scene, adds prestige to the city and perhaps gravitas to its opinion on the evolution of the street art scene. Its position in the development of the “urban art” scene across Europe has also had an impact, with names like Blu, Ericailcane, Alice Pasquini, Ozmo, and Lucamaleonte coming to mind.

ELFO. Money and Followers. Nisba Studio. Torino, Italy. (photo courtesy of Nisba Studio)

Using an ironic phrase that is a currency in the pinched views of a social media world, the exhibition “Money and Followers” is mounted in an inclusive space with no political affiliation, say organizers, welcoming all. The show features new works by Sten Lex, the renowned Roman duo who pioneered an innovative “halftone” stencil art. At the same time, Sam3 captivates with visually striking, black anthropomorphic figures that convey a fantastical vision. Elfo, representing an Italian avant-garde in graffiti and urban art, presents his on-point technically low-fi cultural lambast. Gec explores participatory public art and societal themes through web-based production, while BR1’s impactful posters delve into tackle themes of integration, identity, migration, and globalization.

BR1. Money and Followers. Nisba Studio. Torino, Italy. (photo courtesy of Nisba Studio)
SAM3. Money and Followers. Nisba Studio. Torino, Italy. (photo courtesy of Nisba Studio)

SABATO 10 e DOMENICA 11 GIUGNO 2023
DALLE ORE 14 ALLE 20
NISBA STUDIO
Via Po 25 (interno cortile)
Torino

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BSA Film Friday: 03.24.23

BSA Film Friday: 03.24.23

March 24, 2023 ,
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Our weekly focus on the moving image and art in the streets. And other oddities.

Now screening:
1. BR1 & GEC – Fieno e Asfalto (Hay and Asphalt)

2. Ai Weiwei – Studio Visit – Via Design Boom

3. Amy: Beyond the Stage Mural – Via The Design Museum

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BSA Special Feature: BR1 & GEC – Fieno e Asfalto (Hay and Asphalt)

Ready to witness an unauthorized intervention like you probably haven’t seen before? Italian artists BR1 & GEC take on the streets of the “Barriera di Milano” area of Torino with a bale of hay and dodge pedestrians and cars along the way. This action-packed adventure culminates in the final occupation of a parking spot, leaving people bothered and perplexed.

This performance isn’t just about having fun; there are layers of meaning, too- the paradox of the presence of a vital material necessary for city folks’ food production is comical in this context. However, the harsh response from people driving cars in the city is not quite as endearing. From exploring the relationship between natural and artificial landscapes to the rampant consumption of resources in urban centers, these artists touch on various current issues. At the very least, you think of the different uses of public space we take for granted and the rediscover activity that would be perfectly acceptable in rural areas. You may also say it is a form of resistance toward the modern world.

As you watch the calm and grounded progression of the wheel through city streets, you may consider the relationship between the artwork and the public space. The two artists often make ephemeral interventions in the urban context, and this is one more way to act spontaneously and without permission. With one simple, if not easy, performance, the viewer may consider the various symbolisms uprooted in the collective consciousness.

BR1 & GEC – Fieno e Asfalto (Hay and Asphalt)

Ai Weiwei – Studio Visit – Via Design Boom

“I choose things that I am not familiar with, which I can learn from, and which present me with a challenge.”

Amy: Beyond the Stage Mural – Via The Design Museum

To celebrate the anniversary of Amy’s birthday and the launch of the exhibition Amy: Beyond the Stage, a large-scale mural was hand painted on Camden High Street.

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GEC: Floral Video Surveillance System in Torino

GEC: Floral Video Surveillance System in Torino

March 23, 2023

Today we look at an installation of cartoon flowers in Torino, Italy, that the artist hopes will raise awareness among people that we are being watched in public spaces more and more every day.

GEC. “SISTEMA FLOREALE DI VIDEOSORVEGLIANZA 2023”. Turin, Italy. (photo © GEC)

This public art project titled “Floral Video Surveillance System” is a temporary installation currently on display in the flowerbed of Largo Cibrario, San Donato. The piece comprises six hand-cut and painted cardboard flowers with an electronic eye of a camera at the center. The artist named GEC says that the aim is to reflect on the pervasive presence of technology in everyday life in a playful yet thought-provoking way.

GEC. “SISTEMA FLOREALE DI VIDEOSORVEGLIANZA 2023”. Turin, Italy. (photo © GEC)

The artist says the artwork has already attracted a lot of attention from passers-by, sparking conversations about the increasing use of technology in our lives. Although the installation is temporary, it became even more so when people began taking some of the flowers home. The artist sees its disappearance as a natural part of the public art process, where the installation becomes a public artwork and is no longer solely the artists. Too bad there wasn’t a streaming video nearby to catch the action.

GEC. “SISTEMA FLOREALE DI VIDEOSORVEGLIANZA 2023”. Turin, Italy. (photo © GEC)
GEC. “SISTEMA FLOREALE DI VIDEOSORVEGLIANZA 2023”. Turin, Italy. (photo © GEC)
GEC. “SISTEMA FLOREALE DI VIDEOSORVEGLIANZA 2023”. Turin, Italy. (photo © GEC)

This is the latest iteration of GEC’s project called “Floral Video Surveillance System” (“Sistema floreale di videosorveglianza”). Another series of video flowers is at the Museum of Urban art in Torino.

Gec, Sistema floreale di videosorveglianza, 2016. Courtesy of the artist and MAU – Museo di Arte Urbana, Torino.

SISTEMA FLOREALE DI VIDEOSORVEGLIANZA

Quartiere San Donato, Torino

Acrilico su forex

Dimensioni ambientali

2023

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