All posts tagged: Israel

BSA Film Friday: 01.18.19

BSA Film Friday: 01.18.19

January 18, 2019

Our weekly focus on the moving image and art in the streets. And other oddities.

Now screening :
1. Tats Cru on the Houston Wall in NYC
2. Broken Fingaz Crew In Mexico: “Si Desaparezco Rompe El Cochinito”
3. Lee Quinones, Brooklyn Studio Visit. December 2018
4. Lili Brik // 12 + 1 Project // Contorno Urbano Foundation. Barcelona

BSA Special Feature: Tats Cru on the Houston Wall in NYC

New York graffiti heroes the Tats Crew have endured – and withstood – and prevailed – during the onslaught of Street Art during the 2000s and 2010s. Writers of an important narrative of city life as it continues to evolve, the Bronx trio of Bio, Nicer and BG 183 continue to keep it real – and have been going hard with style this week on the famed Houston/Bowery Wall this week. We are honored to catch them at work, especially when Martha is in the mix and it feels like family, like community – with friends and writers stopping by to catch a tag or tell a story. This little bit of homemade footage is just a taste of how its done…big game writing with New York at the center.

Broken Fingaz Crew In Mexico: “Si Desaparezco Rompe El Cochinito”

Israeli Street Artists / graffiti writers Broken Fingaz Crew are rocking their Dad Hats and 90s skater style in this new vid of a spraycation in Mexico. Slow pans of local faces with character give a real flavor for the location, and the BFC are maturely observant of their host culture, incorporating a street portrait among the motifs that reference Mexico – aside from the shout out to their hometown of Haifa. Later on AB&B with their lady friends they practice still lifes and figurative painting by the pool.

Lee Quinones, Brooklyn Studio Visit. December 2018

Of course we felt lucky as hell to spend time with Lee Quinones in studio to talk about where he’s at right now and his preparation for a solo show. This small collection of footage featuring his wit and wisdom proved to be a jewel in this new year so far. See the full interview here:

Lili Brik // 12 + 1 Project // Contorno Urbano Foundation. Barcelona

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Street Cats in Tel Aviv With Natalie Kates: 14 From 2014

Street Cats in Tel Aviv With Natalie Kates: 14 From 2014

December 31, 2014
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Happy Holidays to all of you charming and sparkling BSA readers!
It’s been a raucous sleigh ride with you and we thank everyone most sincerely for your support and participation this year. A sort of tradition for us at the end of this December we are marking the year with “14 from 2014”. We asked photographers and curators from various perspectives of street culture to share a gem with all of us that means something to them. Join us as we collectively say goodbye and thank you to ’14.
1231
Natalie-Kates
Curator Natalie Kates has organized and presented site specific art exhibitions as well as represented Street Artists and collected their work as well.  She also has a great sense of style and some incredible shoes. Ms. Kates’ familiarity with the street art and contemporary art scene is only superceded by her unbowed enthusiasm for the work she presents and her commitment to a sense of community and collaboration. For the last day of 2014, Natalie shows us an image she shot on its very first.

“I have been all over the world documenting, producing and collecting art. For a holiday gift my husband took me to Israel.

To my surprise Tel Aviv has a thriving street art community, with artists creating beautiful works in all forms from wheat-pasting to stencils.  This photo was taken on New Year’s Day 2014 as I was making my way to breakfast in the charming Neve Tzedek neighborhood and saw this street cat having his breakfast too, with the stencil work by DeDe as a perfect backdrop!”

~ Natalie Kates

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DeDe. Tel Aviv, Israel in the Neve Tzedek neighborhood. (photo © Natalie Kates)

 

 

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Please note: All content including images and text are © BrooklynStreetArt.com, unless otherwise noted. We like sharing BSA content for non-commercial purposes as long as you credit the photographer(s) and BSA, include a link to the original article URL and do not remove the photographer’s name from the .jpg file. Otherwise, please refrain from re-posting. Thanks!

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Dede Discusses New Site-Specific Stencil Series In Tel Aviv

Dede Discusses New Site-Specific Stencil Series In Tel Aviv

July 28, 2014 ,

“Site-specific” is a term employed by some Street Art conceptualists often today, but the relevance of location to the piece on the street may not be as clear to the viewer as the artist would have intended even when it is the product of a high-minded process for selection. This is not the case in Tel Aviv where Street Artist Dede is taking “site-specific” quite seriously in a new series of pieces where a stenciled view of a city scene appears precisely where this view can also be observed with the bare eye.  By producing this visual double-take, the location and stencil placement instantly invoke a closer examination and consideration of just what is being called into view, and perhaps to ask why.

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Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

It could be a scene you otherwise would have overlooked, but somehow now it is elevated by the fact that the artist has taken the effort to cut and spray a stencil here and probably did so with purpose. It’s a highly effective method of sharpening our focus and we’re glad that it has brought Yoav Litvin to BSA today to share his recent interview with Dede about the series as well as to discuss his views on life in Israel during this time of intensified conflict with Palestine. Yoav also shares his photos from these new site-specific installations as well as other examples of the artists’ stylistically eclectic offerings.

 

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Belonging, Territoriality and Healing in Israel: An interview with Dede

by Yoav Litvin
 

Whenever I visit a city, I try to dedicate time to venturing on the streets in search of art as a way of assessing the local and current creative vibe. By chance, I was in Israel when the most recent violent conflict erupted between the Israeli army (the IDF) and Hamas in the Gaza strip. During my two-week long visit there, I spent countless hours arguing against violence and for peace and reconciliation; against the powerful interest groups and for the people.

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Dede. Close up. (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Together with Dede, a local street artist, I walked through various neighborhoods in Tel Aviv in search of art. Seeing the beautiful and at times chaotically colorful walls, I once again felt the positive and potentially healing power of art, even more so in this dire context of war. I have always believed street art can represent a creative, non-violent form of rebellion. It can serve to challenge the powerful, the violent and the selfish and offer an unfiltered, free and raw voice- from the people to the people! As composer and playwright Jonathan Larson epitomized in his famous quote: “The opposite of war is not peace… it’s creation!”

Here I talk with Dede about his current series of site-specific stencils, and how these may reflect some of the realities in this troubled town and part of the world. Additionally we see his most recent large-scale murals, which revolve around relevant issues of belonging, displacement and escape.

Yoav Litvin: What’s your thought process behind these site-specific installations?
Dede: I began this ongoing site-specific series of stencils at the end of 2013. It stems from many thoughts/ideas on technique and the ways in which we are exposed to street art today. Importantly, I was very much influenced by a text written by the cultural critic Walter Benjamin, The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction and its ramifications on our modern way of life.

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Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Yoav Litvin: Why did you choose the locations you did?
Dede: Every location has its own reasons, each attempting to focus attention on an important issue within our modern urban reality. These include the housing crisis in Israel, urban development and restoration of historical landmarks/buildings.

Yoav Litvin: There is a long-standing conflict surrounding territory in Israel. Do your site-specific installations address it? How?
Dede: There is always conflict on territory/resources, perhaps everywhere in the world but I see it clearly here in Tel Aviv. Just like in any capitalist society, real estate here is bought and sold in accordance with personal interests and therefore can be controversial in a community. For example- see my stencil of the tower that was built in Neve Tzedek in Tel Aviv (below). The rest of the neighborhood is only two stories high and many residents were against the construction of such a tall building- there were petitions and protests but eventually those with money won out. Land is expensive and Tel Aviv is prime real estate in Israel. There is a constant increase in housing prices and this is making Tel Aviv a city exclusively for the wealthy.

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 Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Yoav Litvin: I had a lot of fun shooting these stencil installations, trying to capture the art together with its subject. Are you trying to create a dialog between artist and documenter? How do you view street art documenters within the scene, especially with the central role of the Internet, social media and photo sharing?
Dede: Documentation is extremely important for street art, because of this art form’s inherently ephemeral nature. However, seeing a photograph can never replace the feeling of standing in front of a piece and personally experiencing it. Documentation conveys the idea as best as possible without experiencing it first hand. In this series of stencils, documentation is a central theme.

Stencils are regularly cut based on photographs, and this series was sprayed at the location the pictures were taken. Thus, the photographer has a central role in capturing both subject and the art it conveys. My notion was to challenge the documenter and in turn, the viewer of the photo. This work was intended for an audience that relies on social networks for its street art consumption.

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Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Yoav Litvin: How has your art evolved since last we spoke? Is it becoming more personal or do you feel you are reaching out to the public with relevant issues to the community?
Dede: This is a question I ask myself all the time. Honestly, I cannot really say what has changed in my art. I let my art lead me, and do not try to lead it. I feel I am trying to evolve in both realms you mention, focusing on my personal style, but also my interaction with the community, both locally and globally.

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Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Yoav Litvin: I find street art to be an excellent device for an artist to communicate with the surrounding communities. Do you try to appeal to a strictly Israeli audience in Tel Aviv? How do you engage the Palestinian  population, for example in neighboring Jaffa?
Dede: Street art engages everyone everywhere, especially today in the age of the internet. As an artist in Tel Aviv, Israel, I am aware that my art reaches Palestinians as well as Israelis. In fact, I often correspond with Palestinian artists, and am pleased when they enjoy, interested and/or are emotionally touched by my work. I feel my work is a personal reflection that appeals to people everywhere, not just Israelis, Palestinians or any other category of people.

I love painting in Jaffa, and during your last visit we walked through an abandoned building in Jaffa in which I and friends painted. Local residents are very positive and appreciate street art. I wish art could bridge all gaps between peoples here and everywhere.

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Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

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Dede. Jaffa as seen from Tel Aviv. (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Yoav Litvin: One cannot discuss Israel today without addressing the current violence. Has it affected your art? How so?
Dede: The situation here is very complicated and disturbing. It is a conflict that has been going on for years. This conflict has affected my art and inspired me to create in many ways. I love Tel Aviv, but during wars it is a difficult place to live in. One of the central themes in my works is the need to escape to a safer place, whether in the physical or emotional realm. This stems from different motivations; mental, social and political. I do not believe any citizen should live in a state of fear anywhere, and my art conveys these notions.

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Dede and Latzi collaboration. (photo © Yoav Litvin)

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Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

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Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

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Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

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Dede’s studio. (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Interview written, edited and translated by Yoav Litvin. Mr. Litvin is the author and photographer of the recently published book Outdoor Gallery – New York City by Gingko Press.

For more information regarding Yoav Litvin click HERE. For more information regarding Dede, click HERE

 

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Please note: All content including images and text are © BrooklynStreetArt.com, unless otherwise noted. We like sharing BSA content for non-commercial purposes as long as you credit the photographer(s) and BSA, include a link to the original article URL and do not remove the photographer’s name from the .jpg file. Otherwise, please refrain from re-posting. Thanks!
 
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Bazel Gallery Presents: Alice Mizrachi “Windows of Love” (Tel Aviv, Israel)

July 10, 2013

BAZEL GALLERY presents ALICE MIZRACHI
in her solo exhibition,
“WINDOWS OF LOVE”
“Windows of Love,” presented by Bazel Gallery, features select works by artist Alice Mizrachi that explore and celebrate the many facets of love.

Alice paints the simple exchanges of love she glimpses while people-watching and depicts them in her paintings as snapshots, to share that fleeting moment of connection we feel when we are witnesses to love. Whether it’s the love of a father and child, friends, lovers, love for animals, nature, home or the love of self, Alice encourages us to notice that love, in all its multidimensional facets, is often felt as recognition.
“There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open hearted vision of people who embrace life.” – John Lennon

Opening Reception: Thursday, July 11, 2013 from 20:00-22:00
Closing Date: Sunday, August 4, 2013
Bazel Gallery
1 Hashlah Street, Tel Aviv, Israel

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200153452058320&set=a.1325425655000.2040491.1211650373&type=1&theater

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The New Face of Tel Aviv Street Art

The New Face of Tel Aviv Street Art

April 24, 2013 ,

As more cities join the world Street Art scene, thanks largely to an enthusiastic youth culture sharing images across the Internet and handheld devices, you see new artists popping up on the street almost daily. While there certainly is a developing global visual vocabulary on walls that is influenced by high profile international stars, you will still hear the local voice steering the Street Art conversation as well.

For Tel Aviv, known by many as a vibrant party city that never sleeps, the interest in Street Art has been high and there has been a blooming scene in the last five years that mimics some of those international styles even as it clearly is developing it’s own local aesthetic.

Klone . Latzi (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Today we feature new images from local artists in Tel Aviv by a photographer and scientist from New York who lived for a while in this city on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline. An urban wanderer who pokes through fences, over walls, and along small  streets on the hunt for what’s new, Yoav Litvin says he “views the urban environment as the perfect melting pot between humanity and nature, history and modernity, life and death.” We talked to him about his recent explorations in the city and asked him to talk about his observations in this snapshot of a growing scene.

Brookyn Street Art: What captured your attention about the Street Art scene in Tel Aviv?
Yoav Litvin: It’s in your face! While walking in Tel Aviv, especially the city’s southern parts, it was impossible to ignore; very diverse and colorful Street Art and graffiti are everywhere.

035 Crew (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Brookyn Street Art: Many of these shots are in abandoned buildings. For some photographers it is like an adventure discovering these sorts of spaces covered with art. What is it like for you?
Yoav Litvin: There’s a lot of character in abandoned buildings; the crumbling walls, the colors, the decay, the piles of rubble, the scattered tools or buckets of paint, the puddles of water, the beautiful imperfections. Every new space one discovers is surprising. You can sense a life history of an abandoned building, now turned bare skeleton. It’s cozy in that sense, it is accepting, non judgmental and unpretentious. On the other hand, it keeps you on your toes with its broken stairs, sharp edges, crumbling floors, stinking trash, used needles and even an occasional inhabitant who surprises you. I find that art works beautifully in such settings, blending and mutually complementing the cracking paint and occasional crevice.

As a photographer I find that abandoned buildings are fun spaces to play with light and composition. Most of these buildings have broken windows and doors, if any, letting in light that breaks, angles and reflects in a symphony of colors, lights and shadows.

Sboy . Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Brookyn Street Art: Most large cities have a certain amount of work on the street from international artists with a higher profile. What made you concentrate on just the locals?
Yoav Litvin: I love seeing work produced by internationally well-known artists. But I find that when I walk the streets of any town, I particularly enjoy seeking art that is new and fresh to my eyes, art produced by local artists that are not as well known, many of them incredible talents that have just not had their international breakthrough. As a past inhabitant of Tel Aviv, I especially wanted to pay tribute to the local scene, artists who by nature integrate their city into their art, and their art into their city.

Wonky Monky (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Brookyn Street Art: Street Art can be a good barometer of public tastes and a reflection of the culture that it is part of. Is there anything distinctly Israeli about the work you see represented, whether thematically or stylistically?
Yoav Litvin: From my recent short visit to Tel Aviv, I noticed great diversity in both styles and mediums used. I also noticed graff and street art ranging from simple tags any kid can do, to beautiful murals and elaborate pastes. As far as distinct content, I did notice some politically oriented street art that directly addressed internal Israeli corruption, the ongoing occupation of the Palestinian territories and some social issues.

Other than that, I can’t say I noticed something distinctly Israeli as far as style, but I do blame that on the shortness of my visit- With more time actually spent there, maybe I would be able to pick that up. It’s clear though that just like any urban artists in today’s interconnected world, both their local scene and other artists worldwide influence Tel Aviv-based artists.

Brookyn Street Art: What is your favorite kind of shot as a photographer and when do you know you captured it?
Yoav Litvin: My favorite shot is when I spot something beautiful in good light, and can frame it perfectly so that it somehow relates to its environment in an interesting way. If it includes an opportunity to capture a particularly beautiful instant in time, that’s especially rewarding. When I snap such a shot, I usually just know it.

Raez (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Know Hope . Korse (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Klone . 035 Crew (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Gidi (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Dede . Dioz . Ros Plazma (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Dede . Latzi (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Dioz . Untay (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Dioz . Wonky Monky (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Ros Plazma (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Ros Plazma (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Ros Plazma (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Ros Plazma (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Klone (photo © Yoav Litvin)

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Please note: All content including images and text are © BrooklynStreetArt.com, unless otherwise noted. We like sharing BSA content for non-commercial purposes as long as you credit the photographer(s) and BSA, include a link to the original article URL and do not remove the photographer’s name from the .jpg file. Otherwise, please refrain from re-posting. Thanks!

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This article also appears on The Huffington Post

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Tel Aviv Street Artist Dede Talks About His City and His Work

April 18, 2013
Today on BSA we have a special guest contributor, Yoav Litvin, who is an avid photographer of Street Art and someone who has a true interest in the artists, their stories, and how they create their work for the street. Today Yoav brings us to Tel Aviv, Israel to meet a local artist on the scene there whose style continues to evolve across walls of the city. In the interview Dede tells us about the vibe of Tel Aviv, his journey as an artist, his process, how he sees his work critically in the public sphere and how Street Art can intersect with the political and personal.
 

Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Interview with Dede

Conducted, translated and edited by Yoav Litvin

Yoav Litvin: What is the significance of art in the streets?
Dede: For me, street art began as simply a form that was just there. Over time, it gained more and more significance and has become the central and primary form in which I work. Street art is challenging, surprising, dynamic, honest, exposed and always interesting.

Within the urban space I get the most inspiration and drive to create and produce a dialogue with the surroundings and the passersby. On the walls of Tel Aviv, I can initiate democratic and free debates and express my opinions without the meddling or intervention of a curator or gallery. Above all it is a place that enables me to declare my being in the present, and allows me to take part in creating the dynamic urban texture.

Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Yoav Litvin: How are the current forms of street art a sign of our time?
Dede: In the reality in which we live, street art has new life. In the past, pedestrians would walk the streets and be exposed, via the urban bustle, to information and art. Today people spend more time sitting in front of the computer than walking the streets. With the current culture of sharing and social networks, we can feel as though we are wandering the streets without really leaving home; one can be exposed to street art that is currently produced on the other side of the planet!

This opens up new possibilities, spaces, concepts and statements, making the street art medium even more relevant than before. The statements that emerge from the street reflect the status of the population, its pain, suffering, happiness, etcetera. This enables a dialogue with and between the public in the city and the world; artwork that tackles an issue or problem existing in a certain place can raise awareness around the world.

Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Yoav Litvin: How did you become a street artist?
Dede: I have never been able to call myself a street artist. Though my inspiration and energy definitely come from the streets and returns to them, I believe that regarding the artist, the viewer has to decide for him or herself. Art is a concept that is difficult to grasp, almost abstract. It can be described or reviewed in all sorts of ways and everyone has different opinions about it. I create from a place of internal motivation and that makes it hard to explain; I produce regardless of what “art” is.

Yoav Litvin: Do you do studio work as well? What is the difference for you?
Dede: I also work in my studio, mostly preparing for work in the street. In the studio I work on sketches, models and tests that I later develop. Sometimes I accumulate work for a series of works to present in a slightly different manner than I would in the street with a different target audience in mind.

Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Yoav Litvin: What is important for you to highlight in your work as a street artist?
Dede: I guess what’s important for me to highlight in my street art is that there is always an alternative; if there is a pressing issue, whether personal or social, you are allowed to stand up and say what you think about it and in so doing bring the issue to the awareness of the public. Laws should not be complacently accepted, but rigorously reexamined. It is important to be thoughtful, critical and form an educated opinion about them.

 

Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Yoav Litvin: What does street art in Tel Aviv reflect about the city’s urban life and about its urban civil society? Which is your favorite neighborhood?
Dede: Something about Tel Aviv made me instantaneously feel connected; I love this city and never get tired of it. It offers infinite walls and workspaces, a fast-paced vibe and a lively young crowd that is very admiring, appreciative and supportive. It is a city that does not represent the rest of Israel, but it has become a place characterized by diverse opinions that interact with and affect the rest of the country. Each neighborhood has its own uniqueness; together the neighborhoods produce a varied and interesting city at any time of day, culturally and in many other respects.

Yoav Litvin: Recount a memorable experience that has happened to you while working on a piece in the street.
Dede: Almost every time I go to work in the street I come back with exciting experiences and stories. One day during a quiet morning when I painted in an open parking lot in the Florentine neighborhood, I was on a ladder and a mom and her little boy approached me from behind. The boy asked his mother what I was doing and his mom responded: “What he’s doing is illegal, but this is his way of expressing himself.” This was a very simple statement and made me realize something unique about my way of life.

 

Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Yoav Litvin: How do you envision the future of street art in general and in Tel Aviv in particular?
Dede: In my opinion it is not possible to predict the future. This art movement plays with and between so many boundaries and stays fresh and always interesting, though, and perhaps because there are many attempts to institutionalize and formalize it or to simply exclude it. Along with its exposure and rapid development, street art is introduced into different parts of the “mainstream”. Some are even commercial even though street art is often illegal and directed against the system. It seems to me that it will take time for the interest in the street art scene to wane.

In my opinion this is just the beginning; street art arrived here in Tel Aviv relatively late, caught on very quickly and is still in its infancy. There are a lot of directions in which it could develop and many artists seek to develop their own styles. Like in any other field we Israelis look at what is happening in the rest of the world and try to bring the unique Israeli context into the mix.

Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Yoav Litvin: Please describe the artistic techniques and materials you favor and why.
Dede: Being a curious person and not very rational, I utilize a variety of techniques. I start thinking of what I want to say or do and where I want to say it and then only how to make it. I work with stencils, pastes, free hand, installations, site-specifics and more. I use paint, spray paint, paper and various industrial materials.

I hope that what eventually echoes out of my work is a path that shows my way of thinking and reasoning with statements that are probably still not completely clear, but will be revealed gradually to both myself and viewer.

Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Dede. Sket . Task (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Dede (photo © Yoav Litvin)

Dede’s Info

Website: http://imdede.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/im.dede

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dedeconfidential/

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Please note: All content including images and text are © BrooklynStreetArt.com, unless otherwise noted. We like sharing BSA content for non-commercial purposes as long as you credit the photographer(s) and BSA, include a link to the original article URL and do not remove the photographer’s name from the .jpg file. Otherwise, please refrain from re-posting. Thanks!

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Fun Friday 11.23.12 – VIDEO Request Edition – Chosen by You

November 23, 2012

It’s the BSA Reader Video Request edition of Fun Friday for all us peeps who are not shopping today. We asked our Facebook friends and fans for their favorite street art related video flicks and give them to you here- in no particular order. Peace out and have a great Black Friday everybody.

1. Vhils in Germany
2. Wild Style Part 1
3. Open Air
4. In Bed with Invader
5. En Masse in Miami
6. Berlin Street Art as Lyrics (Emus Primus)
7. Shai Dahan new Ted Talk “Beyond Borders”
8. TEJN LOCK ON STREET ART – Street Art Sculpture by Tejn
9. Burn – Episode 3
10. Graffiti Verite Part 1
11. Japanese Stencil
12. BLU – BIG BANG BIG BOOM
14. Hanoi Lantern Bearers – Vietnam with The Yok
15. Bomb It

Vhils in Germany

The Portuguese Street Artist at work, produced by Euromaxx, recommended by Crist Graphicart (German language)

Wild Style Part 1

The classic Charlie Ahearn movie as recommended by Nahua Prince Huitzilin

 

Open Air

“In 2006, we created this short for the University of Southern California’s Public Arts Studies Program.

This documentary explored the studios and methods of six of the top street artists in America: Faile, Skewville, Mike De Feo, Dan Witz, Espo and Tiki Jay One.” Recommended by Lou J Auguste

In Bed with Invader

H Veng Smith likes this one with Invader.

En Masse in Miami

“At the end of November (2011), the En Masse Art Initiative flew down to Miami to take part of the Miami Art Basel events. With the help of Sodec Quebec and Galerie Pangée, EM teamed up with Scope Art Fair, Fountain Art Fair, Safewalls, Primary Flight and the Found store to create multiple work of art. During 10 days, the team grew exponentially, adding members from all around the globe; Tel-Aviv, Montreal, Brooklyn, Woodstock, Staten Island, San Fransico, San Diego, Miami etc.”  – recommended by Beth Tully

Berlin Street Art as Lyrics (Emus Primus)

Emus Primus and photography of Berlin Street art, set to music. As recommended by Da Andal

Shai Dahan new Ted Talk “Beyond Borders”

The keynote is about my travel into Palestine.  Considering what is going on there –  Being that everyone is talking about the violence, this video can reflect a bit of light on how there are some ways to find peace.  It may not find the sort of wide peace we hope to all gain there, but through the message in the keynote, I hope people can see that Israel and Palestine can share a common beauty: Street-art.” Shai Dahan

TEJN LOCK ON STREET ART – Street Art Sculpture by Tejn

Suggested by Mogens Carstensen

Burn – Episode 3

“The third episode of BURN graffiti video series. Best episode so far! Featuring rolling freight, live painting and more!   As recommended by Beyond The Rail Photography

Graffiti Verite Part 1

“Part 1 of the 1995 Los Angeles graffiti documentary directed by Bob Bryan. Featured artists include Duke, Skept, Tempt, Prime, Mear, Relic, Cre8, and Design9.”

Japanese Stencil

A stencil artist creates a piece as a tribute to Japan in the wake of the destruction it suffered last year. – As recommended by Crist Graphicart

BLU – BIG BANG BIG BOOM

“an unscientific point of view on the beginning and evolution of life … and how it could probably end. direction and animation by BLU.”   This one recommended by Martha Becker

Hanoi Lantern Bearers – Vietnam with The Yok

In Vietnam on a roof. As recommended by The Yok

Bomb It

The full documentary – “Through interviews and guerilla footage of graffiti writers in action on 5 continents, BOMB IT tells the story of graffiti from its origins in prehistoric cave paintings thru its notorious explosion in New York City during the 70’s and 80’s, then follows the flames as they paint the globe.” Recommended by Orson Horchler

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Know Hope Presents: “Others’ Truths” A New Zine Relase and Art Show (Tel Aviv, Israel)

September 11, 2012 , , , , , ,

Know Hope

“Others’ Thruths” a new zine by Know Hope

Release date: 13.9.12

The zine will be released in a special event that will take place on Thursday, September 13th at 20:00

(the exhibition will remain open Friday, September 15th, 12:00-16:00)

at “Studio”, 2 Harakevet St., Tel Aviv

“Others’ Truths”, Know Hopes tenth and newest zine is comprised of a series of drawings, texts and observations collected during the past year.

While working on the zine, Know Hope focused on the idea of ‘truisms’, which are often adopted without questioning; by the use of the image of the flag in his work, Know Hope attempts to research the concepts of patriotism and nationalism, not necessarily from a directly political stance, but from a viewing point of the personal or private human condition in relation to the more general and collective.

“Others’ Truths” is in a way a continuation of Know Hopes research, attempting to understand the current situation that we find ourselves in, being born into a charged reality structured on the foundations of past and outdated morals and values.

The original drawings that were used as pages in the zine will be exhibited during the event. The drawings are composed of Know Hopes repetitive iconography, that are an insight to the human condition, as well as the motif of ‘the flag’ and the relationship between the two.

The zine will be available during the event, and at www.thisislimbo.bigcartel.com and selected stores from Friday, September 14th.

“Others’ Truths” is independently published in an edition of 1000. The zines are soft cover and have 64 b/w pages.

In addition to the zines, sticker packs created specially for the event will be available.

 

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A Visit to La Biennale Di Venezia 2011

June 13, 2011 , , , , ,

ILLUMInazioni – ILLUMInations, la Biennale di Venezia

54th International Art Exhibition

Writer Lea Schleiffenbaum was recently in Venice for the Biennial and she kept an eye out for Street Art for us, but quickly discovered the streets were under water.  With art from 89 countries, however, she found the city to be rich with spectacle and possibility.

by Lea Schleiffenbaum for BSA.

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Installing The Golden Lion (photo © Lea Schleiffenbaum)

Everything takes a bit longer in Venice. The small, north-Italian city is car-free, the only modes of transportation are so-called Vaporettos—boat-buses—or water taxis, both hard to find and slow. Walking is usually the fastest solution, as long as one does not get lost in the city’s maze of canals and narrow alleyways. I arrive at three in the afternoon—I am here to attend the opening of ILLUMInazioni – ILLUMInations, the 54th Venice Biennial—by the time I get to the apartment I am staying in, it is five. Getting lost or helping others trying to find their way is almost part of the Biennial experience. The best thing to do is to let go, adjust to Venice time, wander, and allow one self to be surprised. In the end getting lost might not be the worst; from the months of June to November every corner, every piazza, and every palace in Venice might hide another national contribution, a Pavilion, or a small exhibition.

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US Pavilion. Allora and Calzadilla performance outside (photo © Lea Schleiffenbaum)

This year’s Biennale is curated by Bice Curinger, director of the Kunsthaus in Zurich and founder of the contemporary art publication Parkett. With ILLUMInazioni – ILLUMInations the Swiss curator set out to explore contemporary art for its inner essence. “Popularization,” she warns, “should not be at the expense of complexity.” Following such rather elitist ambitions in search of value, self-reflectivity, and depth, Curinger turned the 54th Venice Biennial into a serious, well-organized, but rather sober exhibition.  Aiming to connect contemporary art with its pre-modern routs, she decided to include three paintings by old master Tintoretto, the painter of light. The masterpieces are hung in the first room of the Central Pavilion in the Giardini, following Philippe Parreno’s light installation Marque. The exhibition continues with big names, including works by Seth Price, Christopher Wool, Sigmar Polke, and Cindy Sherman. On display are high quality works by high quality artists. Everything fits; nothing is too crazy, nothing very surprising.

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A steady stream of attendees at the Central Pavilion in the Giardini (photo © Lea Schleiffenbaum)

My slight disappointment with the Central Pavilion is softened by a visit to the Arsenale, the second venue curated by Curinger. The pace here is good. Curinger takes her viewers from large-scale installations, to smaller more intimate sculptures, paintings, and photographs. Monica Bonvicini is followed by Klara Liden, Rosmarin Trockel, and Urs Fischer whose candle wax replica of Giambologna’s famous sculpture The Rape of the Sabine Women will slowly burn down as the exhibition continues. Video work interrupts the general flow of the show in regular intervals, giving the viewer a chance to stand still for a moment and watch. Christian Marclay’s wonderful film The Clock stands out especially. Three days later I hear he won the Golden Lion for best artwork—which he fully deserves.

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Promotional still from “The Clock” by Christian Marclay

By far the most interesting concept Curinger introduced to this year’s Biennale is the so-called Para-Pavilion: Pavilions created by artists for artists. It is great to see artists set their work into a dialogue with other artists and cultures. Young Chinese artist Song Dong for example, collected one hundred old doors in Beijing and reconfigured them in Venice inviting African-French artist Yto Barrada, and British artist Ryan Gander to show their work within them. Eccentric as always, Austrian artist Franz West asked a total of 40 artists to fill his Para-Pavilion – a reproduction of his kitchen in Vienna – among them Mike Kelley, Sarah Lucas, Josh Smith, and Anselm Reyle.

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US Pavilion. Allora and Calzadilla performance inside (photo © Lea Schleiffenbaum)

This year’s Golden Lion for best national Pavilion was awarded Germany, for its reconstruction of a stage set by artist and director Christoph Schlingensief. Last year, Christoph succumbed to a long fight against cancer. A Church of Fear vs. the Alien Within was the second part of a trilogy written by Schlingensief following his first round of chemotherapy. Sitting on church benches in a dark candle lit room, visitors become witnesses to an artist trying to deal with life, death, and illness. Video projections of decaying animals, war, and fight sceneries are occasionally accompanied by a Wagner symphony; sometimes the voice of a woman reads aloud from the transcript of the play. It is hard to settle back into Biennial mode after such an intense and engaging installation.

The US is represented by Allora and Calzadilla. Working with former Olympic Athletes that execute choreographed performances on old US airway seats and upside down tanks, the Cuban-American artist duo questions heroic gestures and national self-presentation. Just like the Olympic games, international biennials swing somewhere in between competitive performance and peaceful encounter. Thomas Hirschhorn transformed the Swiss Pavilion into a vibrating Gesamtkunstwerk made of aluminum foil, old magazines, cardboard, and ear sticks. The Crystal of Resistance is a very physical, almost organic installation. Asking what art can do, how it can change the status quo, Hirschhorn engages his viewers in questions of politics, aesthetics, and transience. Hany Armanious’ subtle yet beautiful sculptural installations in the Australian Pavilion present a nice contrast to the many large-scale installations and performance pieces. Armanious casts everyday objects to reconfigure them in poetic assemblages. The French Pavilion stands right in front of the Australian Pavilion, and this year it stars Christian Boltanski, who deals with birthrates, death, and arbitrariness. This year’s choice for the Polish Pavilion has caused quite a bit of turmoil. Rather than choose a local Polish artist, the commissioners invited Israeli artist Yael Bartana to represent the country. Under the title …and Europe will be stunned, the young artist shows a film trilogy that asks Polish-Jews from all over the world to return to their country of origin, which needs them.

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Arsenale. Klara Liden Trashcans (photo © Lea Schleiffenbaum)

A total of 89 countries are represented in this year’s Biennial, the most of any Biennial so far. Those who don’t have a pavilion in the Giardini or the Arsenale are scattered across the city in one of Venice’s grand houses or palaces. Political statements are followed by aesthetic expressions, rebellious actions by poetic gestures. Of course, Venice is ridiculous, over the top, an incorporation of art-world glam and spectacle. But in between getting lost, queuing, and meeting old friends and acquaintances, one inevitably ends up discovering some previously unknown artists, and sees new work of already loved ones. In the end the visit is always worth it.

~ Lea Schleiffenbaum

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Venice (photo © Lea Schleiffenbaum)

ILLUMInazioni – ILLUMInations, la Biennale di Venezia, 54th International Art Exhibition,

June 4th – November 27th 2011

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Know Hope “Bound By The Ties” Art Installation and Book Release (Tel Aviv, Israel)

March 6, 2011 , , , , ,

Know Hope
brooklyn-street-art-know-hope

From the radio silence and the stirring tides, I am sincerely excited to let you know that I will be releasing my second book titled ‘Bound By The Ties’ next week.
The book is composed of a collection of drawings, writings, photographs and other side-seen moments, some from the recent past, and some from very close to the present.
I sewed, folded and mended, retrieved and recited; tried to understand how we got to where we are now (sunken/sunken/sunken)
This is a book that contains a narrative that speaks of being born into debt, being overwhelmed in a heartbroken world and finding and recognizing eachother in these complexities.
It attempts to document our rituals-how and why they were created. It is a folk tale of some sort, collective memories compiled like a time-capsule, or fireworks in a jar.
So, here are the details:
-The book is independently published in an edition of 1000 and is comprised of 160 full-color pages.
-There is a limited edition of the book that have handmade covers; meaning that they bear hand-sewn drawings, photographs and collages, making no two books the same.
This edition is signed and numbered and is an edition of 75.
-The prices of the books are $35 and $120, respectively.
-The book will be released at an event taking place here in Tel Aviv on March 10th.
The event will include an installation of all the original drawings, photographs and texts used in the book allowing an organic and tactile experience of the books content.
-The book will be available at the event, and on at www.thisislimbo.bigcartel.com the very day after.
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On the Subject of Authority: Berlin Street Art References Golda Meir

February 22, 2011 , , ,

It would be fair to say that the first decade of the the 21st Century didn’t augur jolly good times ahead of us. The nascent century brought enormous challenges worldwide:  There were numerous terrorist attacks; 9/11 in the USA was a transformative event that affected the society at large in ways that have not been previously experienced before.  Other countries such as Spain, India and England suffered their own devastating terrorist attacks during the same decade. There was the big economic crisis in 2008 spurred by the banks and the mortgage collapse in the USA and the subsequent massive layoffs from all sorts of industries and gutting of social programs. Not to mention SARS, bird flu, swine flu, earthquakes, forest  fires, hurricanes, mudslides and tsunamis.

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A wheat paste of Golda Meir in Berlin (photo © Er1cBI41r)

By the time December 2010 arrived we were feeling exhausted from the past ten years. Only two months into a new decade few people could have expected that we would be witnessing radical changes taking place in The Middle East. Who could have imagined that the ray of hope in humanity would come from Tunisia and Egypt.  As the people fill the streets to demonstrate publicly to renounce their leaders, citizens in neighboring countries likewise are openly questioning the power and authority of the leaders in their highest offices.  The urge to speak up and demand in the street – it is as if a giant is awakening. Cries for change are coming from the ordinary citizens fed up with authoritarian regimes and amazingly, we are seeing the last gasps for air from shaken dictators who refuse to give up their lucrative and powerful positions.

From Berlin we received this wheat-pasted Street Art with the hand rendered illustration of Golda Meir. Meir was one of the first female politicians to be the elected as the leader of a government in the modern age, as the fourth Prime Minister of Israel from 1969 to 1974. She understood the perils of power and authority during a tumultuous tenure that saw terrorist attacks and the assassination of 11 Israeli athletes during the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. Interesting that various sources online have this quote attributed to both Meir and Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, two people well acquainted with the topic of authority.

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