‘All on a Mardi Gras Day’ Follows Big Chief Demond Melancon as He Creates His Beaded Suit for the Annual Celebration

“Who are the Indians? This is the old stories that were told to me. The slaves ran away through the routes in the Underground Railroad, and the Indians gave them refuge in different spots. So the Mardi Gras Indians pay homage to them,” says Big Chief Demond Melancon at the opening of “All on a Mardi Gras Day.” The short, intimate documentary, directed by Michal Pietrzyk, follows the artist as he prepares for the annual celebration, which involves painstakingly beading the vibrant suit he’ll wear during the festival.

Melancon, who we spoke with last spring as he worked on an ongoing portrait series, is a leader of the tribe of the Young Seminole Hunters in New Orleans, the city where he was raised. Much of Pietrzyk’s film centers on place and community, describing how gentrification has pushed the artist out of his neighborhood and how his role as Big Chief turns him into a sort of father figure to some of the younger members.

“All on a Mardi Gras Day” also reveals Melancon’s immense sacrifice for and dedication to his art, from waking up before dawn and retiring well after midnight to living in a neighborhood with cheaper rent so that he can afford the beads, feathers, and other materials he needs to create his suits. As the celebration nears, he sequesters himself at home for fear of missing the parade, which once happened when he was detained by police.

Although a centuries-long tradition, Melancon is quick to point out that being a Black Masker, the name he prefers to Mardis Gras Indian, continues to hold relevance today. “Because of not being able to participate in Mardis Gras originally, we made a carnival for ourselves. We made Black Masking. You can’t forget. You can’t forget because of the injustices that are still going on, so when I put my suit on, when I sew my suit, I’m sewing my suit in rebellion to that,” he says.

After showing at several festivals, “All on a Mardi Gras Day” has garnered numerous awards and nominations. Watch the documentary on Pietrzyk’s Vimeo, and find out more about Melancon and his work on Instagram.

 

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Inspired by the Industrial Age, Giant Gears Conduct ‘Rolling Bridge’ Along an East London Channel

All images © Thomas Randall-Page

Cody Dock, a Victorian-era industrial site along the River Lea in east London, is in the midst of a monumental facelift as part of a masterplan to transform the space into a creative hub. A new bridge by architect Thomas Randall-Page connects pedestrians across a recently re-flooded channel, but this is no 19th-century relic. Nodding to its industrial surroundings through the use of weathered steel and bent oak, “Cody Dock Rolling Bridge” has the distinction of being the first of its kind to roll on its axis to make room for passing boats.

Seven years in the making, the design for the crossing was inspired by early mechanisms that could be powered by hand. Gear teeth wrap the frame, and when operated by a set of manual levers, the entire structure passes along tracks on the sides of the channel. Using materials “in their raw untreated state, the aesthetic is more influenced by the area’s maritime and shipbuilding past, traces of which are dotted throughout the area,” Randall-Page told Dezeen.

“Rolling Bridge” is part of PUP Architects’ multifaceted plan to transform the once-derelict site into a pedestrian-friendly, artistic community, and it was a finalist for the 2023 Bridges Awards. Find more projects by Thomas Randall-Page on his website.

 

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Sho Shibata Captures the Beastly Snow-Covered Trees of Japan’s Hakkōda Mountains

All images © Sho Shibata, shared with permission

A few years back, photographer Sho Shibata traversed the frozen landscapes of Aomori’s Hakkōda Mountains documenting the otherworldly formations that cover the slopes. Heavy, icy snow cloaks the countless trees that populate the region, morphing the arboreal vistas into frigid hoodoo-like characters. “This is my favourite place to visit when it is cold like this because it transforms into a wonderland,” Shibata says. “When I first saw them, I actually thought there were lots of snowmen. What’s incredible is how they all look so similar. They look like snow monsters, like they are ghosts.”

Rising to 5,200 feet, Hakkōda is a popular ski destination in the winter, when temperatures plunge and dry, powdery snow blankets the volcanic peaks. “I moved from mountain to mountain. Temperatures got as low as -8 degrees Celsius while I was up there,” he said. “This meant I was able to capture walkers on their journey.”

In addition to the frosty specters shown here, Shibata published a book of black-and-white photos showcasing the area near his home in the Tsugaru region. You can find more of his work on Instagram. (via Spoon & Tamago)

 

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An Adorable Hand-Crafted Totoro Collection Celebrates the Studio Ghibli Icon

All images courtesy of Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten

The iconic round-bellied Totoro of Studio Ghibli’s (previously) My Neighbor Totoro stars as part of a broad array of new collectible ephemera paying homage to the anime icon. Created by teams of craftspeople connected to Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten, the series translates the fluffy, two-dimensional character into adorable wooden sculptures made of camphor, the tree Totoro occupies in the film. Paired with textiles, ceramic works, and paper boxes all featuring the character, the collection follows the highly anticipated opening of Ghibli Park late last year, giving fans of Hayao Miyazaki another opportunity to enjoy his beloved animations.

The Totoro objects will be available through a lottery opening on March 1—find details on how to join on the Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten site. Watch the video below  and visit Spoon & Tamago for more insight into the process behind the collection and an upcoming opportunity to view a live demonstration.

 

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Surreal Interactions and Enigmatic Narratives Unfold in Vibrant Murals by WAONE

“Transcendental Moment,” Cluj-Napoca, Romania. All images © WAONE, shared with permission courtesy of Sapar Contemporary

Enigmatic characters sprout blossoms from their torsos, wear instruments for hats, or hitch a ride on a tiger’s back in the surreal murals of Ukrainian artist Vladimir Manzhos, a.k.a. WAONE. Drawing inspiration from religious iconography, history, and botany, his mysterious narratives often touch on themes of ecological apocalypse, cosmology, and duality. Uncanny interactions between people and an array of objects like plants, books, and anthropomorphized objects portray fantastical creatures or seismic events.

Based in Kyiv, WAONE travels around the world to participate in festivals and complete large-scale, collaborative commissions that highlight the complex relationship between humans, the environment, and the world we’ve made. A new mural in New York City’s Ukrainian Village gathers dozens of the artist’s colorful personalities and esoteric symbols together in one 48-foot-long composition. Backed by the colors of the Ukrainian flag, “From Legend to Discovery” marks the one-year anniversary of Russia’s war and highlights Ukrainians’ resiliency, courage, and their hope for victory.

“I keep painting, keep drawing, keep sculpting exactly the same way as before (February 24). Just one difference—there is no more doubt about what I’m doing; now I’m sure that everything I did in my practice before was right. Now everything that I do became completely conscious,” WAONE says. Find more work of his work on his website and Instagram.

 

“Statics and Dynamics of the Plant Kingdom,” Fort de France, Martinique island

“From Legend to Discovery,” New York City. Photo by Mike Vitelli, courtesy of Sapar Contemporary and The Standard, East Village

“Tectonic Shift,” Paris, France, in collaboration with Back to School Project

“From Legend to Discovery.” Photo by Mike Vitelli, courtesy of Sapar Contemporary and The Standard, East Village

“Curious Botanist,” Versailles, France

“Curious Botanist,” Versailles, France

“Transcendental Moment”

Detail of “Statics and Dynamics of the Plant Kingdom”

 

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Knight Foundation Funds the Future of Art With Grants for South Florida Artists

Work by 2022 Knight New Work winners (clockwise): Cynthia Cruz, “Do you believe there is life on other planets” from AI, AI, and I (ongoing); Jen Clay, “Eyes of the Skin” (2022); Madeline Gannon working with Quipt (2018); Roxana Barba performing (photo by David Narbecki); A MUD Foundation visitor engaging with XRHub, the metaverse experience of the 2021 exhibition Media Under Dystopia 2.0; Detail from Anthony “Mojo” Reed II’s “OVERtown: Our Family Tree” mural, commissioned by MoCAAD

Digital transformation has become the language we use to challenge the status quo, experiment, and reach new audiences. For artists and art organizations, it’s the next frontier. That’s why Knight Foundation awarded a total of $500,000 to winners of the Knight New Work challenge. It’s an effort to accelerate the integration of technology with the arts to offer communities greater access and foster meaningful connections between people and place.

Knight New Work (KNW) 2022 supports South Florida-area artists working in all genres who use technology in their practices to create, disseminate, and enhance the way art is experienced. From their work in interactive performance to immersive installations, the winners, who represent the area’s rich diversity, are creators who push the boundaries of art through technology.

Headquartered in Miami, Knight Foundation has made investments in the arts that have been instrumental in the city’s evolution as an international hub for art and culture. Grants totaling more than $40 million—which include the KNW 2022 awards—were announced in December 2022, bringing the foundation’s total investment over the past 17 years to more than $200 million. This steady-state funding has led to a significant increase in the sustainability of local arts organizations and attracted hundreds of millions of dollars more in grants from many other sources.

When we invest in music and museums, in poetry and performances, we are investing in the fiber that strengthens our communities. Really good art inspires and explains, ennobles, and challenges and helps us understand and connect to a place, and to one another. Integrating technology keeps all that relevant. —Victoria Rogers, Knight Foundation Vice President of Arts

Knight Arts has a geographic focus on eight cities where the Knight brothers owned and operated newspapers: Akron, Charlotte, Detroit, Macon, Miami, Philadelphia, San Jose, and St. Paul. With an intentional strategy to be the second- or third-largest funder of arts institutions and the number-one funder of artists and emerging organizations, Knight aims to make art fully accessible throughout each city.

To learn more about Knight Foundation’s arts program, visit kf.org/arts.

 

KNW 2022 Winners

Roxana Barba: In My Center, a Cyborg Seed
Barba’s interactive performance immerses audiences in a sci-fi myth around the rebirth of a cyborg, a hybrid between machine and organism. It will be presented in co-production with FUNDarte at Miami-Dade County Auditorium On.Stage Blackbox.

Jennifer Clay: Eyes Of The Skin
Clay’s video game uses textiles and stop-motion animation to explore anxiety, depression, and the concept of being “lost in the woods.” In an immersive installation at Locust Projects, textile sculptures will be shown in concert with the projected video game, which can also be downloaded.

Cynthia Cruz: Ai Ai and I Pt.1
Cruz asks one AI spiritual questions; from the responses, the second AI interprets these words into images in an exploration of whether artificial intelligence can help us answer the hard questions we cannot explain. The work will be developed as an immersive installation that can be experienced in person and online as part of a solo exhibition at [NAME] Publications.

Madeline Gannon: Open Source Toolkit for Creative Robotics
Dr. Gannon will develop three interactive installations investigating the creative potential of robotics to be premiered as a solo exhibition at Florida International University Miami Beach Urban Studios (FIU MBUS) gallery.

Miami Museum of Contemporary Art of the African Diaspora: Then I Heard the Sounds of the World… 
Miami Museum of Contemporary Art of the African Diaspora (MoCAAD) will commission new work by Marielle Plaisir, a French-Caribbean multimedia artist based in South Florida who examines social domination, colonialism, race, and class in relation to African American and Caribbean experiences.

MUD Foundation: Media Under Dystopia 4.0 WASD
The MUD Foundation will explore our digital environment and culture with artworks created by visual artists using the internet and technology as a creative medium. The exhibition will feature Alba Triana, Yucef Mehri, Leo Castaneda, Rodolfo Peraza, Filio Galvez, Ernesto Oroza, Ariel Baron-Robbins, and Vuk Ćosić.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Knight Foundation Funds the Future of Art With Grants for South Florida Artists appeared first on Colossal.

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Mischievous Dogs, Moldy Fruit, and Crustacean Claws Unsettle Sabrina Bockler’s Still Lifes

“Table Manners” (2022), acrylic on linen over panel, 36 x 60 inches. All images © Sabrina Bockler, shared with permission

Two small dogs with long, silky hair stand atop an elegant table, one pawing at a basket of fruit and the other retrieving a fish from a platter. A bowl of strawberries has already been upturned, flowers pulled from their arrangement, a thickly piped slice of cake squashed by careless gluttony. Rendered in acrylic on linen, the still life (shown below) is titled “Decadence and Disaster,” an apt phrase to describe much of Sabrina Bockler’s body of work.

The Brooklyn-based artist relishes in mischief and disruption, painting scenes of opulence destroyed by pets or unsettled by an uncanny, foreboding feeling. Her works often imply a painstaking labor visible only through the resulting decorations, the crustacean towers, perfectly sliced melon, and floral bouquets cascading from their vases. Given the domestic nature of the settings, those preparations are coded feminine and part of Bockler’s broader inquiry into the value of women’s work.

She shares with Colossal that while she references the history of Dutch still lifes, her uncanny, surreal approach asks viewers “to think beyond the traditional aesthetic, creating a sense of chaos within a decorative still life.” Instead, Bockler strives “to encourage a reexamination of traditional gender assumptions surrounding labor and its division. My practice allows me to directly consider the ways my identity and experiences as a woman inform my identity as an artist.”

If you’re in Los Angeles, stop by Hashimoto Contemporary to see “Old Fruit” and “Decadence and Disaster” as part of the group exhibition Potluck running through March 11. Bockler is also currently preparing for a solo show titled Menagerie that opens on May 13 at BEERS London, which will “(draw) on the notion of animals being used as symbols of social power or for decorative purposes.” Find more of her lavish works on her site and Instagram.

 

“Decadence and Disaster” (2023), acrylic on linen over panel, 24 x 36 inches

“Centerpiece” (2022), acrylic on linen over panel, 30 x 30 inches

“Candelabra” (2022), acrylic on linen over panel, 18 x 18 inches

“Summer Solstice” (2022), acrylic on linen over panel, 18 x 18 inches

Detail of “Candelabra” (2022), acrylic on linen over panel, 18 x 18 inches

Detail of “Table Manners” (2022), acrylic on linen over panel, 36 x 60 inches

“Old Fruit” (2022), acrylic on linen over panel, 16 x 16 inches

Detail of “Decadence and Disaster” (2023), acrylic on linen over panel, 24 x 36 inches

“Overflow” (2022), acrylic and paperclay on linen over panel, 16 x 20 inches

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Javier de Riba’s Patterned Floors Establish Vibrant Gathering Spaces for Public Use

All images © Javier de Riba, shared with permission

Catalan artist Javier de Riba (previously) brings the coziness of home outdoors with his ongoing Floors Project. Made possible with the help of the local community, the collaborative endeavor involves painting a specially designed motif onto the concrete or pavers that line walkways and city squares. Each intervention serves several purposes, including adding color to an otherwise gray setting, connecting locals to the artist and each other through art making, and establishing a welcoming gathering space in the midst of an urban environment.

De Riba has completed five of the carpets so far, four in Spain and one in Shenzen, China. He’s traveling to Breda, The Netherlands, this June to collaborate with Blind Walls Gallery on the largest work yet, which will span approximately 400 square feet. Follow updates on the Floors Project on Instagram and Behance, and pick up a print of the vibrant patterns in the artist’s shop.

 

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