Creative Open Workshops

I spent a lovely afternoon in the C.O.W Studio today. They were celebrating their 1st birthday, therefore, they held a paper party and opened their studio for drop-in workshops serving with drinks and cakes. The studio is operated by friendly craftsmen and it makes you feel like home. It was quite an enjoyable experience. 

Here are the making of the crafts:

1. Mini print making

2. Polish paper cutting

3. Mini book binding

[ S T A T E ]OF DISREPAIR

Tonight, I went to The Vaults for a special performance called  [ S T A T E ]OF DISREPAIR. It is a series of linked encounters for one person at one time to question the relationship between audience and performer. There were totally 4 performances, each in a separated private booths. The performance in each booths told you different stories or you could perceive different stories inside. Sometimes, you felt like you were part of the stories, sometimes, it seemed like you were stepping into somebody's secret world or you acted as a bystanders. My most favorite pieces are the one by Kate Spence and the one which invited you to think about the meaning of kiss. Overall, this was an impressive live art.

Oriental art exhibition

  © Ahram Kwon

Here is the full list of artists for my exhibition:

Ahram Kwon, Korea

www.ahramkwon.com

Alan Chan, Hong Kong

http://www.alanchankl.com/

Famina Bi, Pakistan

http://www.faminab.co.nr/

 Li-Chu Wu, Taiwan

http://lichuwu.co.uk/

Narges Ipakchi, Iran

http://www.ipakchiart.com/#!__ipakchiart

Date: 13-19 August 2012 

Venue: The Old Print Works, Birmingham

(More information will be released soon)

Group show at Departure Foundation

I went to see a group show at Departure Foundation on Friday. Departure Foundation is a London-based charity supports and promotes contemporary art in the UK. The show is called Boeing Way to Gas Street: Artists from Opposite Ends of The Grand Union Canal. It showcased artists from their Southall Studio and artists around Birmingham. As The Grand Union Canal runs alongside the Southall studios at Boeing Way in London and continues all the way to Gas Street Basin beside the exhibition space in Birmingham, it tends to bring up the linkage between artists from Birmingham and London. As far as I saw in the exhibition, I couldn't feel much connection between the artworks, the space and the title. There was no clear theme and common ground that I can refer to, just as if a degree show which only put different together artworks by different artists. But using an empty office space to exhibit is interesting.

Boyd & Evans's exhibition opening

Yesterday, I went to Boyd & Evans's exhibition opening in Ikon Galley. Although Jonathan Watkins has showed me around the exhibition during the installation period, it's kind of different to view it in another occasion. I found that I would never get bored when I kept looking at the pictures again and again. I could feel the charisma of every pieces of works. There was also a live music performance from Arc Vel. It was quite an enjoyable viewing.

Here are some photos from late night:

More programmes on their website:
http://www.ikon-gallery.co.uk/programme/current/

Louis Vuitton Express

We cannot but admit that Louis Vuitton fully understands what market strategy is and advertises their brand in a smart way. They launched a new project again linking the theme of journey to the brand. This time, they invited American photographer and film maker Todd Selby to board the Louis Vuitton Express for a trip from Paris to Shanghai. The project takes place as a travel log and you can see it from their website. Most of the pictures are really beautiful.
http://www.louisvuittonexpress.com/eng_GB/

                               © Louis Vuitton

My new workplace

It was the second day that I started working in Ikon Gallery as an intern. I work under the Exhibitions Team. However, I still need to handle some admin. work, not really challenging but it's always a starting point for a new-comer. The coming exhibition in Ikon Gallery is Boyd & Evans-Views, it's part of the London 2012 Festival. I met with the artists today, they are really really nice, a sweet couple I can see. They started working together since 1968. It's great to take a first look at their paintings and photographs. I love their paintings more than the photograph. Jonathan said that their paintings are very "british". I didn't feel it, maybe because I'm not a local. But I do think the perspectives and angels in most of the paintings are interesting, as if you can see what the artists saw. 

See more:

http://www.ikon-gallery.co.uk/programme/current/event/597/views/

Goldsmiths Postgraduate Exhibition 2012

Yesterday, I went to London to see the Postgraduate Exhibition of Goldsmiths College. The exhibition showcased works from students studying MFA Fine Art, MFA Curating and MFA Art Writing, but most of the works in the exhibition were by Fine Art students. My most favorite work in the main building is a project called When Platitudes Become Form. It is a new community organising initiative founded in 2012 to build capacity amongst Tamil refugees to understand basic rights; understand local and global economies; identify and eliminate racism; and act for a more just Sri Lanka..London-based artist Christopher Kulendran Thomas re-configures Sri Lanka's contemporary art to raise fund for the enterprise. What are treated as contemporary arts in Sri Lanka and what are those from Western countries? How do arts in Western style affect the context of arts in Sri Lanka or the whole world through globalization?
Popped into another building called Laurie Grove Baths, you can see more works of MFA Fine Art. Laurie Grove Baths is quite a special building in Goldsmiths College. It was previously a swimming pool and was closed in 1991. Goldsmiths still keeps its original interior making it a place for artist studios and events.

Here are some works from the exhibition:

In Paris

Haven't updated this blog for two weeks or so since I have been to Paris for holiday. Except enjoying afternoon tea in tearoom and wandering in the street, I didn't forget to pop into some exhibitions. One of them is Gerhard Richter's "Panorama" in Centre Pompidou. The artist's photography-like paintings attracted my eyes. The exhibition showcases his abstract works from 1980s to now. He disagreed with Marcel Duchamp's proclamations on the end of painting as an artistic medium. He said that "I'm still sure that paintings is one of the most basic human capacities, like dancing and singing, that make sense, that stay with us, as something human."  

More information:

http://www.centrepompidou.fr/Pompidou/Manifs.nsf/AllExpositions/685A3BA543D440FFC125795F0049FA85?OpenDocument&sessionM=2.2.1&L=2