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    Ceramic Mosaics Mend Cracked Sidewalks, Potholes, and Buildings in Vibrant Interventions by Ememem

    
    Art

    #mosaics
    #public art
    #street art

    May 13, 2021
    Grace Ebert

    All images © Ememem, shared with permission
    Throughout his home city of Lyon, Ememem is known as “the pavement surgeon.” The artist repairs gouged sidewalks and splintered facades with colorful mosaics that he describes as “a poem that everybody can read.” Intricate geometric motifs laid with pristine tiles hug the cracks and create “a memory notebook of the city. It reveals what happened, the life in these public places,” he tells Colossal. “Here cobblestones have been picked up and thrown. There a truck from the vegetable market tore off a piece of asphalt…”
    Ememem’s first mosaic dates back 10 years when he found himself in a damaged alley in Lyon. At that time, he already was working in ceramic and translated that practice to revitalizing the outdoor area. Since 2016, he’s been consistently filling potholes and other divots throughout France. “It’s a succession of a lot of places and reflections, experiments I did before. I had done similar things, with other techniques, other supports, and finally, when this one emerged, I knew I found something that I was going to keep doing for the rest of my life,” he says.
    If you’re in Paris, you can see some of Ememem’s newest interventions around the Grand Paris Express in Saint-Maur-Créteil through August 31. His work also will be at Spraying Board in Lyon on June 2 and included in a group show at Florian Daguet-Bresson opening June 8. You can find an extensive archive of his patched projects on his site and Instagram. Check out these guerilla pothole mosaics by Chicago artist Jim Bachor for similar street mendings. (via Jeroen Apers)

    For Société du Grand Paris
    Left: Lyon (2021). Right: Paris (2020)

    Grand Paris Express
    Mycosis on the Môle de Sète
    Right: Rue Bollier

    #mosaics
    #public art
    #street art

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    Candid Murals by Street Artist Escif Cleverly Respond to Political Issues and Current Events

    
    Art

    #humor
    #murals
    #public art
    #site-specific
    #street art

    May 13, 2021
    Grace Ebert

    “Espoire” in Lozzi, France. All images © Escif, shared with permission
    Street artist Escif (previously) utilizes muted color palettes and straightforward motifs to convert walls around his home city of Valencia and other locations throughout Europe into perceptive ruminations on capitalism, politics, and society. He paints sparse scenes and objects with ties to their environment and current events, often relying on humor and wit to convey an underlying message. Although the Spanish artist has spent much of the last year in his studio working on drawings with his two-year-old son, some of his more recent artworks include a brick shattering an already damaged window, a military officer armed with a vaccine like a bazooka, and a touching tribute to the late street artist Hyuro, who died last November.
    Escif just completed a series in Corse and is headed to Lithuania and northern Italy in the next few months, which you can follow on Instagram. Shop available prints on his site.

    “Aguja” in Valencia
    A tribute to the late artist Hyuro in Valencia
    “Break” in Charleroi, Belgium
    Left: “Low Cost” in Valencia. Right: “Brote”
    “Underground” in Barcelona

    #humor
    #murals
    #public art
    #site-specific
    #street art

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    A 15-Meter-Tall Squirrel Rests on Its Bushy Tail to Peer into a Chongqing Botanical Garden

    
    Art

    #animals
    #installation
    #public art
    #squirrel

    April 30, 2021
    Grace Ebert

    “Shiny Squirrel” (2021) in . All images courtesy of Studio Florentijn Hofman, shared with permission
    The oversized animal menagerie by Florentijn Hofman that includes a fox, octopus, and reclining bunny now has a new member. The Dutch artist recently completed a 15-meter-tall squirrel caught peeking into a botanical garden in Chongqing, China. Covered in 16,500 metal discs and propped up by its extraordinarily bushy tail, the cheerful creature waves at the visitors indoors and even flashes a peace sign with its paw.
    “Shiny Squirrel” was commissioned by Hongkong Land Chongqing and produced with Art Depot. Check out Hofman’s Instagram to see photos of the playful installation in progress.

    #animals
    #installation
    #public art
    #squirrel

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    Trompe L’oeil Textiles Billow Across Murals by Rosie Woods in Iridescent Ripples

    
    Art

    #fabric
    #murals
    #public art
    #spray paint
    #street art
    #trompe l’oeil

    April 29, 2021
    Grace Ebert

    “Veils of Knowledge” at Grenoble Street Art Festival in France. Photo by Andrea Berlese. All images © Rosie Woods, shared with permission
    As if lifted by a breeze, oversized ribbons and bunches of fabric float across the trompe l’oeil murals by London-based artist Rosie Woods. The gleaming, prismatic textiles sway and subtly twist into folds and ripples in the spray-painted works. Through the flowing movements, Woods explores the fluid, ever-changing nature of the human experience by synthesizing abstraction and realism. She explains:
    I often wonder what my soul would look like if it manifested itself as an object I could see and touch on this earth.  My artwork today looks to express the depth, growth, and complexity of the mind as well as its ability to encompass both light and dark spaces emotionally. I’d like to think you can “feel” my artwork with your eyes.
    Woods translates her massive, lustrous textiles to smaller canvases, which she sells in her shop. Although she’s sold-out at the moment, you can watch for upcoming releases on Instagram, where she shares a variety of process shots and news on where she’s headed next.

    “Veils of Knowledge” at Grenoble Street Art Festival in France. Photo by Andrea Berlese
    “Veils of Knowledge” at Grenoble Street Art Festival in France. Photo by Andrea Berlese
    “Veils of Knowledge” at Grenoble Street Art Festival in France. Photo by Andrea Berlese
    Woods working at Grenoble Street Art Festival in France. Photo by Andrea Berlese
    Photo by Daniel Vaughan
    Photo by Daniel Vaughan

    #fabric
    #murals
    #public art
    #spray paint
    #street art
    #trompe l’oeil

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    Monumental Murals of Anatomical Creatures by ROA Celebrate Puerto Rico’s Biodiversity

    
    Art

    #animals
    #murals
    #public art
    #Puerto Rico
    #street art

    April 26, 2021
    Grace Ebert

    Red Tail Hawk in Humacao, November 2018. Photo by Edgardo Santiago, image courtesy of Taller 2C1, shared with permission
    Belgian street artist ROA (previously) has been touring Puerto Rico painting his signature monochromatic menagerie around the island. Depicting both native creatures like parrots and seahorses and invasive species like lionfish, the massive pieces celebrate the region’s biodiversity and the biologists and conservationists working tirelessly to preserve it. Many of the murals are anatomical and juxtapose life and death, a recurring theme in ROA’s body of work and one that’s apparent in his most recent rendering in Isla de Cabras. Spanning 160 feet, the massive artwork positions a plump, wrinkled manatee alongside a lengthy skeleton.
    The ongoing project has produced 15 murals so far and is a collaboration with Elegel Group. You can find out more about the impetus behind each animal on Instagram. (via Street Art News)

    Manatee in Isla de Cabras, April 2021. Photog by Four Two Photography
    Puerto Rican Parrot in Utuado, July 2019. Photo by Edgardo Santiago, image courtesy of Taller 2C1, shared with permission
    Octopus in Playa Escambron, July 2019. Photo by Edgardo Santiago, image courtesy of Taller 2C1, shared with permission
    Lionfish in Naguabo, June 2019. Photo by Pedro “Huck” Rosa, image courtesy of Taller 2C1, shared with permission
    Seahorse in Playa Escambron. Photo by Edgardo Santiago, image courtesy of Taller 2C1, shared with permission
    Snail in Aibonit, January 2019. Photo by Edgardo Santiago, image courtesy of Taller 2C1, shared with permission
    Monkey in Naguabo, November 2018. Photo by Edgardo Santiago, image courtesy of Taller 2C1, shared with permission
    Lizard in San Juan. Photo by Edgardo Santiago, image courtesy of Taller 2C1, shared with permission
    Tortuga. Photo by Edgardo Santiago, image courtesy of Taller 2C1, shared with permission

    #animals
    #murals
    #public art
    #Puerto Rico
    #street art

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    Candid Moments Captured in Vintage Photos Are Magnified in Mohamed L’Ghacham’s Murals

    
    Art
    Photography

    #found photographs
    #murals
    #public art
    #street art

    April 13, 2021
    Grace Ebert

    “Confinamiento” (2019), Cheste, Valencia, Spain. All images © Mohamed L’Ghacham, shared with permission
    Whether depicting a birthday party or a child’s first steps, the expressive murals by Mohamed L’Ghacham (previously) enlarge sincere, unposed moments into monumental celebrations of everyday life. The Moroccan artist recreates vintage photographs as wall-sized artworks in locations across Europe that portray a woman readying for bed or the chaotic minutes before a family portrait at a massive scale.
    L’Ghacham tells Colossal that his relationship to the original images has evolved in recent years from a simple juxtaposition of the site and the quiet, unassuming beauty of the domestic scenes to a more complex understanding. “Those first murals were done in abandoned, demolished places or simply on the outskirts of cities and public spaces. The impact of seeing an image of this type painted with a technique closer to classical painting than graffiti in such spaces created a concept by itself for me,” he says.
    Today, the Barcelona-based artist sources reference photographs and home videos from neighbors and city archives to connect more directly with the local culture. While his style is unchanged—L’Ghacham continues to use loose brushstrokes and layers of muted tones to achieve the vintage aesthetic—the streetside works reflect those living nearby. “I think (the murals) can be very symbolic and that many people can feel represented even if they are not necessarily the protagonists portrayed,” he says. “Until now my intention was to pay tribute and give visibility to situations that we all live in and that maybe sometimes we find it hard to value.”
    Starting next month, L’Ghacham will be traveling around Europe for a few projects and has a solo exhibition at PDP Gallery slated for this summer, which will be comprised of the smaller paintings he’s been sharing on Instagram.

    “Pillando el globo” (2019), Mataró, Spain. Done in collaboration with Ivan Floro
    “Matança do porco” (2019), Figueiró Dos Vinhos, Portugal
    “Indoor II” (2019), Schiedam, Netherlands
    “Dormitorio III” (2019), Mantova, Italy
    “La Fondue” (2019), Crans-montana, Switzerland
    “Family portrait” (2020), Wevelgem, Belgium
    “El dormitorio de Aina” (2020), Torrellas, Spain

    #found photographs
    #murals
    #public art
    #street art

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    150,000 Hearts Representing Lives Lost to Coronavirus in the UK Line the COVID Memorial Wall in London

    
    Art
    History
    Photography

    #COVID-19
    #health
    #heart
    #memorial
    #public art

    April 12, 2021
    Grace Ebert

    All photos © Henri Calderon for Colossal
    Nearly 500 meters of small, red hearts will soon cover an expanse of concrete facing the River Thames in London. Now dubbed the National COVID Memorial Wall, the poignant display publicly commemorates the 150,000 lives lost to the coronavirus pandemic in the United Kingdom so far. Each heart represents one victim, with short messages of grief, love, and remembrance scribed by loved ones in their centers. It takes about ten minutes to walk by the entirety of the project, which serves as a staggering reminder of the virus’s devastation.
    Coordinated by COVID-19 Bereaved Families For Justice, the two-meter-high wall is situated between the Westminster and Lambeth bridges, opposite the Houses of Parliament. According to The Guardian, Matt Fowler helms the ongoing project, which he began a few weeks ago by painting 15,000 hearts on the facade. His father died from the virus last April. “When you see all the hearts and think what each one represents, it’s absolutely frightening,” Fowler says.
    Organizers still are raising money for supplies to complete all 150,000 hearts—although official government statistics currently reflect 149,000 deaths, which is the largest loss in Europe—that volunteers will continue to paint to account for all victims. Talks are also in the works about preserving the memorial to ensure that it’s a permanent fixture in London.
    This past weekend, photographer Henri Calderon captured images for Colossal that document the memorial’s progress, which you can see below.

    #COVID-19
    #health
    #heart
    #memorial
    #public art

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    The Wound: JR’s New Anamorphic Artwork Appears to Carve Out the Facade of Florence’s Palazzo Strozzi

    
    Art

    #anamorphosis
    #black and white
    #installation
    #public art
    #street art
    #trompe l’oeil

    March 23, 2021
    Grace Ebert

    “La Ferita” (2021), 28 x 33 meters, Palazzo Strozzi, Florence. Image courtesy of Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, shared with permission
    French artist JR unveiled an imposing artwork at Palazzo Strozzi in Florence last week that mimics a massive gash in the institution’s Renaissance-era facade. Spanning 28 x 33 meters, “La Ferita,” or “The Wound,” is an anamorphic collage that appears to reveal the iconic artworks housed inside the building, in addition to a stately courtyard colonnade, exhibition hall, and library. Exposing different parts of the interior as the viewer shifts position, the artwork is in response to the lack of accessibility at cultural institutions since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Completed alongside a team of 11 in two months, the site-specific piece was constructed 30 centimeters in front of the 15th Century ashlar facade with a metal structure and 80 panels of Dibond aluminum. It features JR’s signature photographic style—similar projects were installed at Williamsburg’s Domino Park, the Louvre, and the U.S./Mexico border—and includes a mix of real and imagined elements, including black-and-white renderings of Botticelli’s “Primavera” and “Birth of Venus” and Giambologna’s “The Rape of the Sabine Women,” in addition to prominent spaces like the Istituto Nazionale di Studi sul Rinascimento.
    “The Wound” is layered further with references to art history, from its use of the trompe l’oeil technique that grew in popularity in the 1500s to its evocation of ruinism, an 18th Century style that portrayed ancient architecture “as testimonials to a glorious past in a dramatic reflection on the fate of mankind,” a release says, noting that Palazzo Strozzi will not be preserving the piece beyond its initial construction.
    Follow JR’s monumental works on Instagram, and shop lithographs and books chronicling his projects on his site.

    #anamorphosis
    #black and white
    #installation
    #public art
    #street art
    #trompe l’oeil

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