The Density of Light is Gabriel Dawe‘s new show at Lot 10 Gallery in Brussels. This Mexican-born artist uses thread to compose large-scale site-specific installations that capture light and define space in brand new ways. White lights allow the full spectrum of colour, as defined by the threads themselves, to fully express their radiance, and the works, which reflect, diffuse and block the light, take an almost ethereal quality, questioning the interplay of positive and negative spaces. Whether you want to invest the works with symbolic meaning is up to you: depending on your sources, you will be treated to diverging theories about their symbolism and be asked to read architectural, social or metaphysical metaphors into the same pieces. We prefer to see them as they are: stunning reminders that simplicity and skill are the soil in which all aesthetic emotions are rooted.
Category archives: Showtime
The Density of Light
Slow Motion Car Crash
In Jonathan Schipper‘s slow motion car crash installation, a VW Golf collides into the gallery wall at a pace of seven mm per hour. Therefore when you’re watching the installation, its forward movement is imperceptible, yet over the course of the month the car is destroyed. According to the artist, it displays a dramatic inevitability that reflects our own mortality.
The piece was commissioned by Locus+ and AV Festival & was on display @ Locus+ exhibition space in Newcastle upon Thyne from 1st to 31st of March.
Watch the collision in time lapse video: week 1 & week 3
(all images: courtesy Locus+ and the artist)
Gilbert & George @ White Cube
Gilbert & George show their new series London Pictures in all 3 London White Cube galleries plus the freshly opened Hong Kong branch. (Btw, simultaneous shows from the same artist are becoming vastly popular for both Jay & Larry’s emporia: Damien Hirst filled all 11 Gagosian locations at once, Thomas Ruff now exhibits in both London galleries, Gary Hume was at the same time in White Cube Hoxton Sq & Mason’s Yard etc). While it’s maybe not absolutely necessary to see all shows (well, unless you’re buying of course ;-)), as they are in fact variations on the same theme, it’s definitely worth seeing at least one of them.
From the 3 London locations, Bermondsey probably offers the most spectacular setup of these large-grid framed prints – a kind of trademark of the artists. With the help of nearly 4000 newspaper headline posters, Gilbert & George show fascinating, though pretty macabre side of modern urban life. The posters have been stolen by the artists over number of years from newspaper stands, sorted and classified by crimes (Rape, Stabbings, Shot, …), locations (School, Tube…), subjects (Girl, Child, Burglar, Paedo…) etc. and subsequently manipulated and rearranged into large–scale compositions. The result is striking visually (retaining G&G’s punk aesthetics), as well as pretty exciting anthropologically. All in all, ‘though in their seventies, Gilbert and George are as fresh and subversive as ever. Respect!
The exhibitions run till 14 April (Hoxton Sq), 5 May (Hong Kong) & 12 May (Bermondsey, Mason’s Yard).
Might be of interest:
in line with their credo to live their lives as human sculptures, the artists follow number of routines, one of them having a dinner at the same Turkish restaurant most evenings. So if you want to see the grey-suited bastardos in flesh and blood, book a table at Mangal II in Dalston – the chance that they show up is big!
(photos courtesy White Cube gallery)
The Crisis Commission @ Somerset House
From the number of events to be seen @ Somerset house this spring The Crisis Commission, located in the East Wing Galleries, was our favorite. This small exhibition shows new works by heavyweights as Tracey Emin, Yinka Shonibare or Antony Gormley as well as upcoming talents such as Nika Neelova. They were all asked to create pieces on themes and issues related to homelessness. The show will be on display till April 22. At the beginning of May all exhibited pieces will be auctioned by Christie’s, raising money for Crisis, UK’s national charity for homeless people.
Also on display @ the Somerset house: contemporary graphic art fair Pick Me Up (rather disappointing, unfortunately), Mondrian || Nicholson: In Parallel @ the Courtauld Gallery, focusing on the relationship between Piet Mondrian and Ben Nicholson (still need to see this one) and a pretty flowery courtyard installation Out of Sync by London–based Chilean artist Fernando Casasempere.
(Image credits by Mark Bourdillon: Nika Neelova As yet untitled, 2012; Tracey Emin Trust Me, 2011; Antony Gormley Contract, 2011)
Who’s Afraid of Black, Yellow And Red
If you plan to visit the Gallery Weekend in Berlin, which takes place from April 27th – 29th, don’t miss a new project of our comrade Steve Schepens. He and curator Philippe Braem are setting up a pop-up art space in Mitte, showing works from 9 Belgian and Berlin–based artists. Title of the show: Who’s Afraid of Black, Yellow And Red, location still to be announced. Follow @artmachtfrei and be the first to know!
Images credit:
Steve Schepens: BELGIE one two three
Vadim Vosters
