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      John Fekner – Detective Show – Bio Editions Book Release

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      The latest release from UK publishing house Bio Editions is a photography book from John Fekner, entitled ‘Detective Show’. Featuring a foreword by legendary art critic, Carlo McCormick, the title explores the formative steps of street-art-as-installation, transporting readers back to 1970s Queens, New York, and shining a light on an era of authentic, artistic freedom.Detective Show maps the conception and creation of a strikingly unique outdoor urban art event organised in 1978, spanning the breadth of an unloved park in Jackson Heights, Queens, NYC. Contributors included Fekner himself, Don Leicht, and numerous acclaimed artists, including Richard Artschwager and Gordon Matta-Clark.Fekner ultimately decided to invite those he shared studio space with in the P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center to join him in hiding works across the park, including Richard Artschwager, Gordon Matta-Clark, Len Bellinger, Don Leicht, Frances Hynes, Claudia DeMonte and Karen Shaw among others.Envisioned as a ‘beyond the visible’ hide-and-seek art game of sorts, with visitors given clues and urged to seek out the works strewn across the concrete expanses or even hidden among the trees, Fekner’s objective was simply to create thoughtful interaction with surroundings through art, to the benefit of the public, young and old alike. The end result, he hoped, would provide what he thought of as ‘the magic of discovery by happenstance’.Careful to ensure that the painted and sculpted contributions worked in harmony with the space, Fekner notes he “had to place some restrictions on the artists – no monumental stuff that might disturb the park.”Interspersed between photographs documenting the scope and joy of the show, artists fondly recall a period of artistic freedom that felt unencumbered by the trappings of commercial art.“It’s hard to remember what an exciting and different time 1978 was in the art world. It was pre-PR machines, hype, mega-money, business plans,” notes DeMonte.“For a few weeks in the spring of 1978, about two hundred kids were exposed to original artwork in their own backyard, by some of the most renowned artists of the day,” adds Dave Santaniello, “and that experience changed their perception of their environment forever.”Fekner himself was particularly pleased by the low-key nature of the show’s impact: “The Detective Show was quite unlike current street art festivals with their spectacular large murals, bright colours and street fair atmosphere.“The show was quiet and removed; distanced from the usual New York art world locations and audiences. Extremely low key, it was a temporary art installation about subtlety, nuance, and the magic of discovery by happenstance.”Many of the artists involved in the show have since gone on to become revered names within the contemporary art world, some were renowned before they took part, and others went on to teach, or lead ‘ordinary’ lives. This only serves to further act as tribute to a show that was created with solely the art and those who would experience it in mind, a great unifying cause for creators that urged others to look for beauty in hidden places.In notable contrast to today’s large scale mural-style street art festivals, this 84-page book charts an ideologically-pure reinvention of the urban landscape for the benefit of all, made without corporate sponsorship or underlying motives.Like the show itself, the book – which includes numerous lovingly-printed photographs documenting the event, flyers, newspaper clippings & other ephemera, and written recollections by many of the artists themselves – is a love letter to the innovation of art within public spaces.Two editions of the book, including those featuring limited-edition prints, will be available from 5pm on 1st December 2022.In addition to the first Edition of 450, Bio will also release a special edition of 78, signed by John Fekner. These are sold along with a limited edition gicleé print with silkscreen varnish, signed and numbered by the artist.Detective Show will be available to order via Bio Editions’ website. Photography courtesy John Fekner / Bio Editionswww.bioeditions.com More

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      BACKW12DS – 12 Year Anniversary Group Exhibition

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      Melbourne’s premier urban contemporary art gallery Backwoods welcomes you to celebrate the end of their 12th year in Collingwood, with a group exhibition featuring over 40 Australian and International artists, across multiple mediums of painting, drawing and sculpture.DAVID ‘MEGGS’ HOOKE
      Over the past 12 years, Backwoods has fostered bold and recognisable voices in contemporary graphic art.BACKW12DS presents artists from the gallery’s formation, present and future.AL STARKFeaturing: Taj Alexander, Charlotte Alldis, Simon Beuve, Robert Bowers, Evie Cahir, Morgana Celeste, Gabriel Cole, Dave Court, David Cragg, Noni Cragg, James Dodd, Rachael Edwards, Broken Fingaz, Matthew Fortrose, Lotte Frances, Helen Gory, Ellie Hannon, Ileigh Hellier, Georgia Hill, Jesse Hogan, David ‘Meggs’ Hooke, Kyle Hughes-Odgers, Jill Kempson, Adam Kinninmont, Tommy Lhomme, Leili, Fintan Magee, Jasmine Mansbridge, Brendan  Monroe, Daniel O’Toole, Mic Porter, Resio, Josh Robbins, Elliott Routledge, Liam Seear-Budd, STABS, Al Stark, Jacqui Stockdale, Masatomo Toi, Ben Totty, Hiroyasu Tsuri & Jason Woodside.KYLE HUGHES-ODGERSThe exhibition runs from November 25 – December 18ELLIOT ROUTLEDGE25 Easey Street, Collingwood, VIC, AUSTRALIAJAMES DODD More

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      “Melody of the Soul” by Natalia Rak in Rome, Italy

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      Natalia Rak has created large-scale paintings since 2011, in the form of beautiful murals, commissioned from around the world. She has been focusing on female-centric imagery while using a rich and glowing palette, giving a breath of fresh air to the street art scene she is part of.In 2012 she received a degree from the Academy of Fine Arts of Łódz, where she further explored Art through its history, as well as discovering the work of classic and modern illustrators. In studying Natalia’s work you can recognize the influences from folklore tradition and fairy tales. The colours highlight the spiritual strength of these tales, giving them a surreal touch.Her art has been exhibited throughout Europe in cities such as Dusseldorf (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), and Strasbourg (France). Also, she has been featured in many group shows from all over the world and has participated in some of the most prestigious street art events, such as POW! WOW! (USA), Art Scape (Sweden), Mural Festival in Montreal (Canada), Blink(USA), Memorie Urbane (Italy). Her standout work for the Folk on the Street festival in Bialystok “Legend of the Giants” was included in the series “Sztuka Ulicy – Street Art” issued by the Polish Post.Natalia excels in a variety of media, from paper and canvas to brick and concrete, building a vast body of work filled with complex symbolism, different sort of allegories and profound love for Nature, that helps the observer to evade reality.A mural was made between the alleys of Rome, for the Street Art For Rights festival. The inspiration came from Agenda 2030-collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet. Rak’s artwork was inspired by the 15th one- “Life of land”. Focusing on managing forests sustainably, successfully fighting desertification and stopping biodiversity loss and driven by the extreme necessity for human beings to re-establish a deep connection with Nature.Take a look at more images below and check back with us soon for more updates. More

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      A Mural by Reka in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

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      James Reka is a young contemporary Australian artist based in Berlin, Germany. His origins lie in the alleyways and train lines of Melbourne’s inner suburbs where he spent over a decade refining his now-emblematic aesthetic. His figurative work has come to represent the beginnings of a new style of street art: clean, unique and not necessarily on the street (much to his mother’s joy).Surrealist, abstracted creatures emerge from the depths of Reka’s mind, communicating through strong lines, dynamic movement and bold colours. These figures haunt the laneways over four continents, clambering up brick walls and giving the urban environment a literal fresh coat of paint. Their personalities mirror those of their often-decrepit metropolitan context, opening a dialogue between the viewer and their surroundings.The wall was made in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.See more images below and check back with us soon for more updates. More

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      La güerita, 2022 by Ana Barriga in Plasencia, Spain

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      Ana Barriga is a Spanish artist. She lives and works in Madrid. Her works attempt to balance reason and emotion, capturing the energy that arises from their intersection. Barriga tries to focus on the shared environment between artists and children, using elements such as children’s toys, colourful decorative objects and other items used in everyday life. Her approach to her subjects is filled with irony, humour and playfulness from which unpredictable and new situations that don’t fit the rules emerge.The eighteen meters high wall was painted in Plasencia, Spain.The project collaborated with Invasion Street Art Festival, Misterpiro and Jaime Urdiales.See more images below and check back with us soon for more updates.Invasion Street Art Festival. Foto: Andy Solé More

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      “A Famous Milanese Renaissance Girl, with Red Brushstrokes, Pixel and a Pointer” by Ozmo in Milan, Italy.

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      Born in Pontedera, Italy Ozmo made his first steps in the comics world, but since early 90s he soon moved his focus on writing and painting. In short time his tag would have become one of the most famous and respected ones in the Italian graffiti scene. A special reportage dedicated to Ozmo on ‘Aelle’ – the most famous urban culture underground mag in Italy – will consacrate him as one of the leading figure in the national underground writing scene.Ozmo is now based in Paris. He returns to Milan, the adopted city that has welcomed him in the most decisive years of his artistic career, and he does so symbolically bringing home a masterpiece of Italian Renaissance art: The Lady with the Ermine of Leonardo da Vinci which has been in Poland for two centuries.To dominate the view of the Milanese architecture of Corso XXII Marzo, ready to attract and direct the gaze of passers-by, from now on there will be, in fact, A famous Milanese Renaissance girl, with red brushstrokes, pixel and a pointer, a monumental reinterpretation and recontextualization of the Leonardesca Lady, unchanged in its beauty and elegance of the fifteenth century, but enriched by the journey that, through the centuries, led her to be reborn under the gaze of an artist of today, to relive in the homage that Ozmo makes to the city and its history.It is precisely in Milan, in fact, that Leonardo da Vinci creates some of his most famous masterpieces, capable of changing Italian portraiture. In this context of research and innovation, of artistic and cultural ferment, his Lady with Ermine was born.The project continues the conceptual and aesthetic path undertaken many years ago, which holds together the link between the artist and the historical, historical-artistic and cultural Italian tradition, and his ever-living desire to actualize it.  A famous Milanese Renaissance girl, with red brushstrokes, pixels and a pointer, is enriched with new artistic elements and new points of reflection.With tools typical of the computer world, such as pixels and pointers, but made with brush and spraypaint, Ozmo conceals, highlights or changes elements of the original work, bringing it into contact with the current era and the languages recognized by today’s society. With a red sign that runs along the surface, Ozmo consolidates the link between the pictorial intervention and the architectural context, and harmoniously binds all the artistic elements, giving the city a new public work.The mural  has been realized with the support of the association Street is Culture and the social cooperative of EST – Enosteria sociale , which, in a public housing in the center of Milan, recovers people from difficult contexts, and  it does so by integrating itself in the environment through the art and work. It’s precisely his mission, to bring art where it is not usable, to give life to the collaboration with Ozmo. The realization of the work was curated by Annalisa Ferraro, with the collaboration of RiparTIAMO ApsTake a look at more images below and check back with us soon for more updates. More

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      Artist Interview: Tania Marmolejo

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      Tania Marmolejo Andersson is a Swedish-Dominican American artist born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Her work juxtaposes the intimate and personal with the monumental, creating large-scale paintings of ambiguous female facial expressions. She also explores issues of gender and identity as a Scandinavian-Caribbean female artist, using portraiture and physical expression as a means of communicating emotions to the viewer, stimulating a striking empathetic response.Recently, I had the chance to interview Tania to discuss the artistic influences behind her work and her upcoming projects.Rom Levy: When did you know you wanted to be an artist?Tania Marmolejo: Since I was a little girl, I picked up a crayon and found magic.What is the inspiration behind your work?My own experiences as a woman, memories of my childhood and teenage years, thoughts and contemplations on life and the female experience.How does painting as a medium serve your concepts in contrast to the other mediums? Painting in oil allows me to quickly paint my thoughts (i do not sketch beforehand), and at the same time- take my time finishing the work and changing it as I go along and as my thoughts and feelings change.What is the concept in your paintings? Why are women the main subjects of your portraits? And what does the emphasis on the eyes bear?The concept is female life, women are the central figures because I work from my own experiences. The eyes are the vessels for communication. I want the viewer to be “caught” in a stare that won’t let go.Who are the women in your paintings? They are characters that represent feelings, experiences and memories. Not necessarily self- portraits, but there is a lot of me in each character.What can you tell us about your palette? It varies depending on the memory I am portraying, or the feeling I want to express. It can be a cool palette with bits of warmth, or a warm palette with hints of coolness.There are instances where more than one subject is depicted in your paintings, such as a bird or more female characters. Can you tell us more about these paintings?The animals sometimes represent other people, sometimes they are symbols, sometimes they are a little voice…the other female characters can be a mirror image, a friend, a sister. I let the viewer decide.I am interested in the ephemerity of paintings. If you are unhappy with a work, do you tend to destroy it or would you rather put it in storage for a while and alter them at a later date? I store them and alter later. I rarely destroy, though it has happened – so I can move on!As a New-Yorker, how is your relation to the location street culture? I actually don’t have a lot of similarity with the street culture, being more of a “classical” painter, even if my characters can be pop- surrealist in nature. I do have friends in the culture and I enjoy it, but almost feel detached from it as a genre.Did you ever paint a mural or have any interest to do so in the future?I have painted murals in a classic sense (on a wall in a home), but not an outdoor one. It would be an amazing experience to try.Being from various backgrounds culturally, how does that influence your work? My work can be very split in personality, and that comes from my dual Scandinavian- Caribbean heritage. The colors, themes, personalities can be very scandinavian or caribbean, depending on my mood and focus.Describe what a day in Tania Marmolejo’s week looks like?A lot of painting! Always. I am very disciplined and paint many hours a day. I tend to work very hard for several weeks leading up to a show, then I travel far to escape my studio and clear my mind.What is one thing you always need in your studio while working?Music! Though silence is nice too, once in a while. Light- lots of light. Tell us about your upcoming plans?Aside from the solo show at Volery Gallery, which I am very excited about, 2023 is full of solo shows in Asia and Europe, and some group shows too. So I see a lot of my studio walls in my future!Photo credits: B4 Flight More

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      Cheng Cheng Yi “Dragon Summoner” Limited Edition Print – Available November 10th

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      Chinese contemporary artist Cheng Cheng Yi have collaborated with ArtPort for his latest limited edition screenprint entitled “Dragon Summoner”. Dragon Summoner comes in an edition of 25 and measures 70 x 56 cm. The print features Yi’s signature characters that often tell stories about adolescence and the dreams of the young generation.Born in 1985, Cheng Cheng Yi is a contemporary artist from Beijing. Since his graduation from the prestigious Anhui Normal University in 2011, Yi has been constantly honing his technical skills and style, from gentle brush strokes and soft colours to his current unique and elaborate aesthetic, a mix between shape and bold, captivating tones.Skillfully and meticulously executing his works with utmost care and attention to every detail, Yi plays with codes, geometric shapes and silhouettes that remind us of Damien Hirst and Yayoi Kusama, placing the figure of a boy – his own self-portrait – in an urban environment. With the use of a primary palette and monochromatic backgrounds, the artist conveys his vision of the individual living in contemporary society.Dragon Summoner will be available on 10 November 2022, Thursday. 7PM HK Time (7AM NYC, 4AM LA, 9PM Melbourne, 12PM UK, 8PM Tokyo) at ArtPort website.ArtPort is a publishing house established in 2020. ArtPort supplies limited high-quality editions and prints by artists from the new contemporary art wave. Created around the theme of travelling, ArtPort aims to have people on board, offering them a journey through the art world and an easy way to bring it to their homes. Each edition is a unique and exclusive collaboration between ArtPort and leading contemporary artists. More