It´S Simply Beautiful, a reflection on the concept of beauty
Cajastur sponsors the exhibition opening on 27th July at the LABoral Centre for Art and Creative Industries
Five artists from around the world invite a reflection on the concept of beauty in today?s world, defined by globalisation and transculturalism, in the exhibition It?s Simply Beautiful, organised by LABoral Centre for Art and Creative Industries as part of its summer programme.
The exhibition is sponsored by Cajastur, a local savings bank on the Centre?s Board of Trustees. For years, Cajastur has been supporting art creation and dissemination in both traditional and cutting-edge forms.
It?s Simply Beautiful opens on 27th July and will include works by five artists selected by the curators Peter Doroshenko and Jérôme Sans. The local artist Carlos Coronas (Spain), Dzine (USA), Surasi Kusolwong (Thailand), Mark Titchner (UK) and Fabien Verschaere (France) will all create site-specific pieces for LABoral Centre for Art and Creative Industries (rooms 1A and 1B, lobby and platform rooms).
CONCEPT
The world is currently experiencing major cultural shifts. A tendency that has brushed off to one side the concept of beauty in visual arts. The exhibition will demonstrate the cohesive vision of artists and their commitment to exploring new and active roles for artists in society, raising questions such as: What is beauty? Is beauty important in our everyday lives? Can beautiful artworks raise visitors spirits?
LIST OF ARTISTS
Carlos Coronas (Aviles, 1964). Site-specific installation
Strangely enough, the whole of the work of this Asturian born artists ?all wires, sockets, neon lights and cables suspended over the exhibition space, from wall to wall? is related with painting. Indeed, his body of work is marked by his close relationship with this medium, to the point of being accurately defined ?notwithstanding the appearance of installation- as post-painterly painting or as painting made through other means. In Coronas? works, neon provides the light, the wires draw lines and contours, and sheets of colour, wood or vinyl make up the background. And all without any pigment, canvas, pencils, paintbrushes, wax, oil or watercolour. Painting?s traditional elements, but without paint.
Dzine (Carlos Rolon, USA, 1970). Site-specific installation
Based in Chicago, this former graffiti artist currently works mostly in the field of mural painting. Creator of an experimental record company, Rolon collaborates with renowned international DJs. His work is located on the border dividing painting from music, playing with abstract forms and biological references vibrating with intense colours. Dzine explores visual energy to release a unique rhythm, subverting traditional notions of perspective and pictorial planes. His work consists of a particular sensorial fusion of evocative paintings and soundtracks expressly created to accompany them.
Dzine has exhibited his work in SCAI, Tokyo; Chicago Cultural Centre; The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Newcastle. Palais de Tokyo, Paris; and the Contemporary Museum of St. Louis.
Surasi Kusolwong (Thailand, 1965). Site-specific installation
This artist creates installations and performances recalling archetypal scenes of life in his country, such as local markets and massage parlours, alluding to the stereotyped views of Asia held in the West. Kusolwong satirizes modern consumerist society, inviting the public to actively engage in his personal reflections.
His work has been seen at the biennales of Istanbul, Lyon and Busan, at the Rooseum Center for Contemporary Art in Mälmö, at the Ikon Gallery in Birmingham and at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris.
Mark Titchner (Great Britain, 1973). Site-specific installation
The work of Mark Titchner explores the tensions between the various (religious, scientific, or political) systems of beliefs. His sculpture installations are provocative hybrids of new ideologies and systems of thought with others, already obsolete and superseded. His cynicism-free confrontation of conflicting ideologies allow spectators to draw their own conclusions while questioning our blind faith in science and our submission to authority.
In 2007, Titchner was shortlisted for the Turner Prize. His work has been exhibited at Tate Britain, London; DeAppel, Amsterdam; Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol; and the Royal Academy of Arts, London, among other venues.
Fabien Verschaere (France, 1975). Site-specific installation
Since his childhood, Fabien Verschaere has been painting and drawing a sort of illustrated diary on a daily basis. In his work, Verschaere has developed a cynic personal imaginary reminiscent of fairytales and of the worlds created by Hieronymus Bosch and Brueghel. His drawings, paintings and sculptures are peopled by knights, princesses, angels and demons, ghosts and all kinds of monsters, conceived by the artist as an expression of reality vis-à-vis the utopia of our surrounding world.
Verschaere?s work has been exhibited at the biennales of Montreal, Prague and Lyon; at the Nuit Blanche, Paris; at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Lyon; and at the Pecci Museum, in Prato.
CURATORIUM
Peter Doroshenko
Director of The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Newcastle. He was former director of SMAK-Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst, Ghent, and of Inova - Institute of Visual Arts, Milwaukee. Has curated important exhibitions of internationally acclaimed artists, including Michaël Borremans, Candice Breitz, Maurizio Cattelan, Sam Durant, Meschac Gaba, Kendell Geers, among others. Since 1999 is guest professor at the Glassell School of Art in Houston, Universität für Angewandt Kunst in Vienna, Ateliers in Amsterdam, Jan van Eyck Academie in Maastricht and the Whitney Independent Study Program in New York.
Jérôme Sans
Director of Program, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. Together with Nicolas Bourriaud was co-founder and co-director of the Paris acclaimed Palais de Tokyo. Until 2003 was Adjunct Curator of the Institute of Visual Arts of Milwaukee, and is associated curator of Magasin 3, Stockholm. Has curated many international exhibitions, including the Danish Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, and the biennials of Taipei and Lyon. As a writer and art critic has published works on Daniel Buren, Heidi Slimane and Araki, and collaborates with several specialised journals.
DATES AND VENUE
The exhibition It?s Simply Beautiful runs from 27th July through 15th October, at Rooms 1A and 1B at LABoral Centre for Art and Creative Industries. Apart from both rooms, measuring approximately 2,000 square metres, the show will also occupy the lobby and the Platform Rooms, which will be completely transformed by the site-specific works created by the above mentioned artists.
THE IT?S SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL NIGHT
27.07.07. From 9 pm, at the LABcafé
Live music programme
8-bit Music (Yes, Robot, Glomag, Bubblyfish and Rabato, with visuals by Entter), Varon Dandy, Barbara Morgenstern, Ada and Komatsu DJ, with visuals by Lateralideas and Fiumfoto.
Creative drinks by ?La maleta del loco?
Coinciding with the opening of the ?It?s Simply Beautiful? exhibition and the closing of the ?Chiptunes, 8bit music? workshop, LABoral Centre for Art and Creative Industries has planned a very special evening with live performances of artists Yes, Robot (Spain), Glomag (USA), Bubblyfish (Korea) and Rabaro (Spain), who after closing the workshop they are leading, will offer live performances with visuals by the group Entter (Spain).
Apart from those live performances, the LABcafé will also host: Varon Dandy presenting their new CD, and the German artists Barbara Morgenstern (Berlin) and Ada (Cologne). The former will present her pop themes, while the latter will showcase part of the new material to be released this summer. Also present will be Hector Sandoval who, behind his alter ego Komatsu DJ, will display his refined music selection. Lateralideas (Madrid) and Fiumfoto will be looking after the visuals.
