All posts tagged: Munich

Elisabetta Pajer, BSA Wishes And Hopes For 2019

Elisabetta Pajer, BSA Wishes And Hopes For 2019

December 27, 2018

As we draw closer to the new year we’ve asked a very special guest every day to take a moment to reflect on 2018 and to tell us about one photograph that best captures the year for them. It’s a box of treats to surprise you with every day – and conjure our hopes and wishes for 2019. This is our way of sharing the sweetness of the season and of saying ‘Thank You’ to you for inspiring us throughout the year.

Today’s special guest:
Elisabetta Pajer, Curator of Imago exhibition at Munich Museum, cultural manager, founder of laNori Management

The image I choose for the 9th edition of the BSA End of The Year Tradition is the mural Lagrangian by artist Addison Karl. The artwork was painted in July 2018 in Munich for the MUCA Museum.

The engagement I have with the artists I work with sometimes raises challenges that immediately become a dialogue. This helps us find solutions and pushes both sides to get out of the comfort zone. The surface where this artwork was executed was irregular and pretty hard to paint on. However, this project triggered a very interesting conversation with Addison ending in this beautiful artwork.

The powerful piece represents a man looking at the horizon. It translates for me into a metaphor of hope, challenge, and strength.  May the ‘good’ challenges, a feeling of hope and strength be with us all in 2019.

Artist: Addison Karl

Title: Lagrangian

Size: 40m x20m

Location: Munich, Germany

Date: July 2018

Photo Credit: @AddisonKarl

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Street Artists At Munich Museum Present the Portrait, “IMAGO” Curated by Elisabetta Pajer

Street Artists At Munich Museum Present the Portrait, “IMAGO” Curated by Elisabetta Pajer

July 18, 2018

From cave carvings in Angoulême in western France 27,000 years ago to your daily, perhaps hourly selfie on a cell phone today, our desire to depict the figure is as much a reflection of the artist and their times as it’s sitter.

A new show at MUCA Munich (Museum of Urban Contemporary Art) opening today invites 30 primarily Street Artists to choose a significant reference portrait of any historical time, country of origin, or artistic movement and interpret their inspirations into a portrait.

Whether drawing influences from Vermeer, Courbet, or Lucien Freud, each artist ultimately represents their own life experiences in their choice of subject and the technique of portrayal. Perhaps that is why curator Elisabetta Pajer has asked each of the artists to give us a statement with their work to help put it into context. Pajer tells us that she looks at the collection of works and the statements create a ‘harmonic mosaic’ of these figurative and written testimonies.

“These artists have sought out inspiration from many mediums that portraiture finds itself interpreted within,” says Pajer. “Taking their themes and inspiration from classical paintings, sculpture, film, theater, photographer, interactions, culture, religion, and science. Exhibiting a great understanding of the complexity of self-reflection with art as the catalyst.”

We’re pleased to be able to present some of the artists and their own words here.

Andreas Englund

Andreas Englund. Tripping. IMAGO. MUCA Munich. (photo courtesy of the artist)

TRIPPING
Media: Oil on canvas
Size: 116 x 90 cm
 
-Statement
“I chose to tribute my artwork to the ‘‘Portrait of a smoking man’’ by Anders Zorn 1860-1920 – Swedens most internationally acclaimed artist. Born in my home region and very inspirational when it comes to his sketchy technique. By doing my own version of this masterpiece with my superhero, I have learned more about ‘‘the great Zorn’’ and his technique.”

Martha Cooper

Martha Cooper. Futura 1983. IMAGO. MUCA Munich. (photo courtesy of the artist)

FUTURA 1983
Media: Archival pigment print
Size: 50,8 x 76,20 cm
 
-Statement
“This is a 1983 photo of Futura, a legendary New York City graffiti writer, with a classic can of Krylon spray paint. Thirty-five years later, Futura is still spray painting and I am still taking photos of graffiti writers.”

Icy + Sot

Icy & Sot. Under The Water Light. IMAGO. MUCA Munich. (photo courtesy of the artists)

UNDER THE WATER LIGHT
Media: Stencil spray paint on canvas
Size: 91,5 x 123 cm
 
-Statement
“This portrait is part a series we created reflecting on the relationship between human and nature. Nature plays a big role in human lifespan, but nowadays people have distanced from nature. With this work, we want to show humans closer to nature and pay a tribute to it.”

Swoon

Swoon. Thalassa. IMAGO. MUCA Munich. (photo courtesy of the artist)

THALASSA
Media: Screenprint on paper with coffee stain and hand painting with collage mounted on board
Size: 123 × 138 cm
 
-Statement
“The name Thalassa is Greek word for ‘‘ocean’’, a primordial incarnation of the sea that is not often personified. Thalassa is said to have given birth to all tribes of fish in the sea. She is the pull of the sea that comes from inside the salt water in our blood. ‘Thalassa was originally created for New Orleans. It was the months after the Deepwater Horizon exploded in the Gulf in 2010, and this body of water that I’d loved since I was a child was in peril. As I drew Thalassa surging up from the water I felt her rising like a wake up call, one reminds us of our inseparability from the sea. When I stand in front of the ocean, the word that always appears first in my mind is “mother”. For me there is no mistaking the sense that the sea is our first mother.’ ”

Borondo

Gonzalo Borondo & Diego Lopez Bueno. Selfie Elvis II. IMAGO. MUCA Munich. (photo © Blind Eye Factory)

GONZALO BORONDO & DIEGO LOPEZ BUENO
SELFIE ELVIS II
Media: Acrylic and plaster on wood – Plasma TV 50’’- Video on loop – 16:9 Digital – Color
Size: 7 panels each – 120 x 70 x 1 cm + 1 TV
 
-Statement
“Inspired by several passport photos found within the Marseilles “Marché aux Puches” (FR), Borondo and Lopez Bueno have designed an installation project with the title “Selfie Elvis II”. Imagination is the basis of the multimedia work with self-portraits of a man recalling the contemporary “selfie”. There are dozens of frames describing human aspects and obsessions. They have been digitally elaborated and assembled in a video by López Bueno. Borondo portrayed Elvis with acrylic on wood and applying gypsum, then scratched with sharp instruments. Faces appeared by subtraction, the absence tells about an ancestral and intangible dimension, wondering about its existence. Is Elvis looking at himself or us in that picture? And what about our images, do they look like us or they are just our dreams? Elvis is not there, Elvis is still there.”

Addison Karl

Addison Karl. Kamassa. IMAGO. MUCA Munich. (photo courtesy of the artist)

KAMASSA
Media: Bronze, edition 1 of 10
Size: 30,48 x 20,32 x 15,24 cm
 
 
-Statement
“Portraiture in context to sculpture and form – referencing the masterpieces from both European Classical and Neoclassical time periods. From a culture l mirror of taking inspiration from Gods and Goddess of the ancient world, my sculpture’s subject is focused on a contemporary Chickasaw Elder. Using portraiture as a means of Cultural Preservation but equally re-appropriating classic sensibilities of art history to a Native Cultural narrative. “

 

Various & Gould

Various & Gould. Trigger (Rokhaya Diallo). IMAGO. MUCA Munich. (photo courtesy of the artists)

TRIGGER (ROKHAYA DIALLO)
Media: Acrylic on canvas
Size: 200 x 140 cm
-Statement
“Our portrait of Rokhaya Diallo refers to an iconic work by Nikide Saint Phalle: The artistically revised film still “Daddy” shows the artist pointing a gun directly at the viewer. Even almost 50 years later, her eye and the muzzle of her rifle leave no doubt that she is serious about it. Anyone who sees the work feels immediately like coming into the firing line.
In our painting, the French journalist and film maker Rokhaya Diallo takes the place and – freely recreated – also the pose of Niki de Saint Phalle. Thus, an early feministic, vigorous artist of the twentieth century is followed by a modern, committed internet feminist with no less strong verve than her predecessor. Both women are even the same age at the time of the illustration. Only instead of the rifle, Rokhaya Diallo relies on her very own “weapon”, the hashtag. At first glance, it may seem more harmless than a rifle, but in times of #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo it can be an even more powerful tool.”

 

Fintan Magee

Fintan Magee The Removalist. IMAGO. MUCA Munich. (photo courtesy of the artist)

THE REMOVALIST
Media: Canvas and acrylic on wall installation
 
-Statement
“The portrait has been ripped off the canvas and dragged across the ground and projected onto the wall. The artist has destroyed the canvas and made the portrait ephemeral, rendering it worthless and unsellable. The work comments on the commodification of artwork and the uneasy and paradoxical relationship between artist and the financier of his artworks. With street art becoming increasingly commoditized and contributing to gentrification this work doesn’t aim to make any grand statements on how art should or shouldn’t be produced, only highlight the illusionary, absurdist and contradictory image the art industry presents of itself.”

VHILS

VHILS. Matta. IMAGO. MUCA Munich. (photo courtesy of the artist)

MATTA
Media: Bas-relief carving on plasterboard mounted on metal structure
Size: 181 x 120,5 x 34 cm
 
-Statement

“Resorting to a bas-relief carving technique, applied here to a free-standing structure of plasterboard, this piece is a homage to the work of Gordon Matta-Clark, which became a major influence on me after I first saw it at an exhibition in Portugal, in 2002. Matta-Clark was one of the first artists to look at the urban space as a space of creation and reflection on the human condition in the contemporary times we live in. Those are the considerations I try to translate in my own work too, reflecting about the human condition in the contemporary times we live in.”

Andrea Wan

Andrea Wan. Being Of Light. IMAGO. MUCA Munich. (photo courtesy of the artist)

BEING OF LIGHT
Media: Ink on paper
Size: 50 x 70 cm
 
-Statement

“Fascinated by the lively and dynamic landscape in the paintings of native Canadian Artist Emily Carr, I chose one of her most renown works, Indian Church (1929) as the subject of reinterpretation. Seemingly more accurate than a realistic approach, Carr’s abstraction of nature elements not only communicated to me that nature is vast and subliminal but also ever-changing in form and expression. The white church which stands calmly in the midst of the mystical environment inspired me to personify the subject as a being who is in tune with all that’s around her.”

DALeast

DALeast. FIII. IMAGO. MUCA Munich. (photo courtesy of the artist)

FIII
Media: Acrylic on canvas
Size: 100 x 80 cm
 
-Statement
“A still moment of Fiii standing in the windy land, which is existing inside the transitory gathering of the particles of the magical net.”

IMAGO: A History of Portraits opens today at MUCA Museum of Urban And Contemporary Art. Munich. Curated by Elisabetta Pajer the show runs until November 2018.

IMAGO is a show dedicated to the history of portrait: over 30 artists from five different continents are invited to pay homage and interpret a portrait in their medium of their choice. IMAGO aims to lead visitors through different artistic eras, helping discover the international history and evolution of the portrait.

Artists include:

Jef Aerosol
ASKEW ONE
Borondo
Vesod Brero
Martha Cooper
DALeast
Paola Delfin
Anna Piera Di Silvestre
Andreas Englund
Evoca 1
Ricky Lee Gordon
Hubertus Hamm
Handiedan
Icy&Sot
Addison Karl
Know Hope
Klone Yourself
Fintan Magee
Mario Mankey
Marco Mazzoni
Antony Micallef
Miss Van
Nychos
Sepe
David Shillinglaw
Søren Solkær
Sten Lex
SWOON
TelmoMiel
TWOONE

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Fun Friday 05.04.12

May 4, 2012 , , ,

 It’s Fun Friday!

1. Rene Gagnon at Black Book (Denver,CO)
2. Chris Uphues is Sweet in Chicago
3. Kenji Nakayama at Woodward Saturday (NYC)
4. Mare139 Schools You at Pratt Saturday (NYC)
5. Jorge Rodriguez Gerarda new work in Bahrain (VIDEO)
6. Welcome to Amsterdam by Niels Shoe Meulman (VIDEO)

Rene Gagnon at Black Book (Denver,CO)

Rene Gagnon’s new show “Between Here And All Knowing” opens today at the Black Book Gallery in Denver, CO. The artist’s new work will expand on the personal and the mystic: Dreams and Death.

Rene Gagnon in Brooklyn, NY (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

For further information regarding this show click here.

Chris Uphues is Sweet in Chicago

For his new show “Sunshine Daze” opening tonight in Chicago, IL. Chris Uphues takes his colorful and cheerful heart faces to a new dimension: CANDY. To get your hands on a piece of candy and hopefully a piece of art as well go to the Rotofugi Gallery tonight.

Chris Uphues in Brooklyn, NY (Photo © Jaime Rojo)

For further information regarding this show click here.

Kenji Nakayama at Woodward Saturday

Kenji Nakayama solo show at the Woodward Gallery simply titled “Kenji Nakayama” opens tomorrow in Manhattan:

Kenji Nakayama (Image © courtesy of the gallery)

For further information regarding this show click here.

Mare139 Schools You at Pratt Saturday (NYC)

At the Pratt Institute Exhibition Space, Carlos Mare AKA Mare139 will illustrate, with his work the effect that process and influence have on art:

Mare139 (photo © Jaime Rojo)

For further information regarding this show click here.

Also happening this weekend:

In Munich, Germany STROKE Urban Art Fair. Click here for more details regarding this event.

In New York City PULSE Contemporary Art Fair at the Metropolitan Pavilion. Click here for more details regarding this event.

In Milan, Italy exiled Chinese artist Dal East solo show “Fever of the Worn Land” is open to the general public at the Urban Painting Gallery. Click here for more details regarding this event.

Jorge Rodriguez Gerarda new work in Bahrain:

 

Welcome to Amsterdam by Niels Shoe Meulman. Video by Adele Renault

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STROKE Urban Art Fair 2012 03 – 06 May (Munich, Germany)

May 1, 2012 , , , , ,

Stroke

Herakut (photo © courtesy of Stroke)

“I’ve wandered around a lot of art galleries thinking: I could have done that, so it seemed only right that I should try. These galleries are just trophy cabinets for a handful of millionaires. The public never has any real say in what art they see.” (Banksy)
For the first time in human history, the majority of the earth’s population is living in urban residential areas. The urban environment and the corresponding lifestyle can be counted amongst the fundamental sources of inspiration for contemporary culture. The historical revolution of visual forms of expression, in which the designs of the everyday streetscape, with its graffiti, tags, tattoos, advertising or graphic design found their sustenance, define the progression of
contemporary art. The urban environment as the literal and metaphorical platform for this development inspires and presents the artists and their work. The URBAN ART FAIR works as a parallel universe to the inflated classical art market of the “rich and beautiful”, driven by aggressive investment strategies, auction houses and the greed for spectacular maximum prices. The goal is to establish an art-entry-market for both: the artist (gallery) and the interested buyer.
Passion and dedication are still more important than business plans and projections. Unbeatable participation costs combined with professional presentation and an uninterrupted passion for the art – this is where we see the starting point fort he world’s first and only URBAN ART FAIR. During the last decade, no other German art show can compete regarding growth and media interest.
Click here for further information regarding Stroke Urban Art Fair.
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A Visit to Stroke02

June 3, 2010

A Danish Street Artist Reports from Munich About Last Week’s Stroke02 Urban Art Fair

by Don John

A piece by Morten Anderson and Sainer (© Don John)
A piece by Morten Anderson and Sainer (© Don John)

Last week I attended Stroke02,  a 4-day art fair for Urban Art that takes place in Munich, Germany. It is held in a former Federal Bank office building that is about 4 stories completely full of exhibitors.

Herakut and Case at work at Stroke02 (© Don John)
Herakut and Case at work at Stroke02 (© Don John)

Herakut and Case (© Don John)
Herakut and Case (© Don John)

I was with the gallery/store called Rocket, where I exhibited together with Lake from Berlin and Johannes König from Munich.  Last year the Stroke festival had 7000 visitors and my guess is that this year was about the same.

Don John and Kid Acne (© Don John)
Don John and Kid Acne (© Don John)

The visitors did not only consist of young people, but also a fair amount of middle-aged visitors. I thought it was great that Stroke had succeeded in reaching out to this segment as well.

A Sainer piece on display (© Don John)
A Sainer piece on display (© Don John)

The fair also featured live paintings from: Case, Herakut, Ma’Claim, Claudio Ethos and Morten Andersen among others.

EVOL creates building facades in his pieces (© Don John)
EVOL creates fascinating building facades in his pieces (© Don John)

ROA created one of his rabbits (© Don John)
ROA created one of his multi-panelled rabbits (© Don John)

All in all I think it was great to participate as an artist, and I think that the visitors got a lot of great art for their 12 euro entrance fee.

This dude in what looks like a dunce cap looks really similar to someone in my nightmares. (© Don John)
This dude in what looks like a dunce cap looks really similar to someone. (ECB, Henbdrik Beikirch) (© Don John)

For all the toy fans here is a sculpture by Biserama (Alexander Becherer) at Stroke02 (© Don John)
For all the toy fans here is a sculpture by Biserama (Alexander Becherer) at Stroke02 (© Don John)

I also grabbed the opportunity to do two paste ups while in Munich; one on Blumenstrasse and the other on Fraunhoferstr.

An outside piece by Don John (© Don John)
An outside piece called “Buzzard Kid” by Don John (© Don John)

www.donjohn.dk
http://donjohnstencils.blogspot.com /
Pics from Stroke02: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48068772@N02/

STROKE02 Website

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