Monumental Classical Figures and Graffiti Converge in New Murals by PichiAvo

“Venus del Mitreo” (2023), part of a project with Museo de Muralismo Contemporáneo de Mérida, Mérida, Spain. All images © PichiAvo, shared with permission

PichiAvo (previously) continue to scale multistory buildings from Ontario to Tahiti, recently painting a series of vibrant new murals. Known for combining figures from Greek mythology with spraypainted tags synonymous with graffiti, the Valencia-based duo often work in vibrant jewel tones, especially warm pinks and violets shadowed by cool blues. Rendered in a style evocative of ancient marble statues, classically idealized portrayals of deities like Mercury and Venus are intertwined with contemporary street art. For a recent project back in the pair’s hometown, the god of wine, Bacchus, hoists a bunch of grapes on a wall of the aptly named Mythic Hotel.

During extensive travels, PichiAvo have found ways to adapt what they call “urbanmythology,” especially as it relates to specific locations. A diptych on two buildings in Paea, Tahiti, taps into a Tahitian legend about the prince of neighboring Paparā and the prince of Paea’s son fighting for control of the land in a javelin duel, thus determining the borders between the two communities. And taking the theme of the wall indoors, an ongoing body of work they call Diaspasis turns raw plasterboard into a canvas, emphasizing crumbled edges as if it has been chiseled and removed from architecture.

If you’re in Montréal, you can stop by PichiAvo’s new solo exhibition titled Three Graces at S16 Gallery, which runs June 15 through July 9. Find more on the artists’ website, and follow updates on Instagram.

 

“Mercury and Psyche” (2022) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

“Mercury and Psyche” in progress

“Bacchus” (2022) at the Mythic Hotel in Valencia, Spain

Javelin murals (2023). part of ONO’U, Paea, Tahiti, French Polynesia

Detail of a mural in Tahiti

Photo by Bruno Lopes, courtesy of Underdogs Gallery, Lisbon

Photo by Bruno Lopes, courtesy of Underdogs Gallery, Lisbon

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 Monumental Classical Figures and Graffiti Converge in New Murals by PichiAvo appeared first on Colossal.

from Colossal https://ift.tt/TlfoZzW
via IFTTT

The Mountaintop Christ the Redeemer Statue Cradles the Moon in Rio de Janeiro

All images © Leonardo Sens, shared with permission

Since the early 20th century, the massive Christ the Redeemer statue has stood at the tip of the Corcovado mountain, spreading his arms and overlooking Rio de Janeiro. Scaling nearly 40 meters from the base of its pedestal to the top of the figure’s head, the art deco sculpture is a landmark in Tijuca National Park and a busy destination for tourists. Brazilian photographer Leonardo Sens has also set his sights on the cultural icon in recent years, hoping to catch a glimpse of the moon perfectly nestled within Christ’s hands.

After three years of observing celestial patterns and tracking the satellite’s position, Sens successfully captured the sought-after shot on June 4. According to PetaPixel, he positioned himself on Icaraí Beach, which is about seven miles from the statue, and photographed the moon just as it passed behind the figure, who appears to hold the glowing orb in his outstretched palms in an act of divine alignment.

Sens frequently documents the skies and natural landscapes, and you can find more of his work on Instagram.

 

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 The Mountaintop Christ the Redeemer Statue Cradles the Moon in Rio de Janeiro appeared first on Colossal.

from Colossal https://ift.tt/2ONJpLb
via IFTTT

Enigmatic Figures Are Frozen in Time in Hans Op de Beeck’s Lifelike, Monochromatic Sculptures

“Hélène” (2023), MDF, polyester, and coating, 90 x 142 x 110.5 centimeters. All images © Studio Hans Op de Beeck, shared with permission

Seated on the floor with an arm resting on her knee, an exhausted boxer recovers from physical exertion in Hans Op de Beeck’s newest life-size sculpture, “Hélène.” Coated in the artist’s signature shade of gray, the work captures the interplay of light and shadow to reveal subtle folds of fabric, padding, and the figures’s physical features. “Op de Beeck has always paid special attention to the moment when we let go of our social roles and daily worries and surrender to a moment when we are nobody and nowhere for a while,” a statement says, “when we slip into the unknown of the subconscious.”

A range of dualities are at the core of Op de Beeck’s practice, such as wakefulness and sleep, motion and stillness, or life and death. “Danse Macabre,” for example, juxtaposes the playful, nostalgic motif of a baroque carousel with skull ornamentation and a spectral skeleton in a long dress, symbolically examining the cycle of life and relationships between the present and the past, vitality and mortality, and joy and horror.

Op de Beeck’s monumental sculptures (previously) often focus on a central, heroic figure, like “The Boatman” or “The Horseman,” below, which depict lithe, enigmatic figures who appear about to embark on adventures. Undergirding these depictions is a sense that, while the characters appear to be on the move, they are simultaneously frozen in time.

 

Detail of “We were the last to stay.” Photo by Blaise Adilon, © Biennale de Lyon 2022

At the Biennale de Lyon in 2022, Op de Beeck’s immersive installation “We were the last to stay” invited viewers into an alternate reality containing the remnants of a mysterious, perhaps apocalyptic, event. Devoid of people, the scene is of a small community where residents may have sustained a simple way of life. Every surface is coated in gray, with chairs overturned and homes vacated. Visitors, inherently colorfully dressed and lively, activated the installation by highlighting stark contrasts between presence and absence.

Op de Beeck also references the tradition of vanitas, a genre of still-life painting popularized during the Dutch Golden Age that relied on symbolism to show the fleeting nature of life, the certainty of death, and the futility of pleasure, wealth, or glory. Nestled somewhere between reality, dreams, and imagined adventures, the artist leaves interpretations open: Has something happened to petrify the world? Will it always stay this way? As if turned to stone, “The Horseman” will eternally peer over his shoulder, just as “Hélène” will continue to rest.

See more of Op de Beeck’s work on his website and Instagram.

 

Detail of “Hélène”

“Gesture (laurel wreath)” (2022), polyester, polyamide, and coating, 55 x 54.5 x 20 centimeters

“Danse Macabre” (2021), installation of steel, aluminum, wood, polyester, polyamide, polyurethane, PVC coated nylon, plaster, and coating, 11 x 11 x 6.5 meters

“Gesture (bird)” (2022), polyester, polyamide, and coating, 37 x 45 x 20 centimeters

“Gesture (dandelion clock)” (2022), polyester, polyamide, silk, metal wire, and coating, 14 x 53 x 21 centimeters

“We were the last to stay” (2022), mixed media immersive installation, 790 × 240 × 136 centimeters. Photo by Blaise Adilon, © Biennale de Lyon 2022

Visitors to “We were the last to stay”

Detail of “We were the last to stay.” Photo by Blaise Adilon, © Biennale de Lyon 2022

“The Horseman” (2020), polyester, steel, polyamide, brass, coating, and bronze, 215 x 92 x 243 centimeters

Details of “The Horseman”

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 Enigmatic Figures Are Frozen in Time in Hans Op de Beeck’s Lifelike, Monochromatic Sculptures appeared first on Colossal.

from Colossal https://ift.tt/Wph6dky
via IFTTT

Immersing Viewers in Galactic Phenomena, ‘Beyond the Light’ Revels in the Intersection of Art and Science

All images © ARTECHOUSE, shared with permission

How do we perceive light? Immersing viewers in a 360-degree view of the cosmos, Beyond the Light at New York’s ARTECHOUSE meshes artistic expression, technology, and scientific discoveries to explore how light travels through space and time. The cinematic experience utilizes cavernous architecture and screens featuring the highest resolution currently available to present a collaboration with NASA, artistically rendering data captured by the James Webb Space Telescope into radiant, psychedelic visuals.

ARTECHOUSE saw the potential to use state-of-the-art equipment to portray galactic phenomena that is typically invisible to the naked eye. “We believe that art, science, and technology can come together to offer a fascinating experience, and this exhibition is a perfect example of the convergence of these worlds,” says co-founder Sandro Kereselidze. “Conceptualized through many in-person and virtual sessions with NASA’s team of scientists and specialists, this exhibition takes science and data that already exists and brings it to life artistically in a way that’s never been done before.”

Beyond the Light continues in New York City through the summer and will open at ARTECHOUSE’s Washington, D.C., location in the fall. Find more on its website.

 

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 Immersing Viewers in Galactic Phenomena, ‘Beyond the Light’ Revels in the Intersection of Art and Science appeared first on Colossal.

from Colossal https://ift.tt/9ALyIKJ
via IFTTT

An Accessible Treetop Walkway Gracefully Winds Through Norway’s Hamaren Activity Park

Photos by Rasmus Hjortshøj, © EFFEKT

With steep ascents, rocky passes, and branches jutting from the ground, walking and hiking trails are not always usable by disabled people or those with strollers. The Danish architecture firm EFFEKT designed its latest project with this barrier in mind and constructed a winding path with a gradual incline that expands access to the striking treetop views of Norway’s Fyresdal region.

Located at Hamaren Activity Park, the pine walkway slowly scales 15 meters through the lakeside forest before reaching a circular outlook. The construction, built in collaboration with local contractor Inge Aamlid, spans about two meters wide and one kilometer long as it guides visitors along the ascent of the lush Klokkarhamaren hill, which reaches 338 meters at its peak. As the walkway rises, the structural pillars more directly evoke the tall, sturdy trees of the forest, nodding to the surrounding environment and the region’s tradition of pine logging.

Find more of EFFEKT’s projects on its site and Instagram. (via Dezeen)

 

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 An Accessible Treetop Walkway Gracefully Winds Through Norway’s Hamaren Activity Park appeared first on Colossal.

from Colossal https://ift.tt/fZ7a5sw
via IFTTT

Kazuhito Kawai’s Exuberant Ceramic Sculptures Evoke Dollops of Ice Cream and Summertime Nostalgia

“Chungking Express” (2023). All images © Kazuhito Kawai, shared with permission

Coated in countless colored glazes, Kazuhito Kawai’s ceramic sculptures glop and ooze like vibrant, melting mounds of ice cream or sherbet. The vessel, one of the most essential forms in ceramics, provides a starting point for the Ibaraki, Japan-based artist. While he playfully hints at functionality, each piece seems to have a life of its own, sprouting delicate curls redolent of icing and details like drinking straws or umbrellas.

“There are about three to four types of blended clay and four to five different types of glazes, each with countless color variations,” Kawai tells Colossal. He emphasizes raucous colors and a smorgasbord of textures, and a piece can take between three and four months to complete.

After the weeks-long process of molding and layering, firing a sculpture in the kiln becomes a symbolic transformation that Kawai likens to a change in himself. Drawn to clay for its inherent malleability and the physical interaction required between maker and material, he shares that through these works “there is a sense of my inner self being brought out.” As he builds up the surfaces with layers of glaze, the pieces become akin to portraits of his emotions, mixing nostalgia, youthful joy, and hope.

Find more on Kawai’s website and Instagram.

 

“Can you keep a secret?” (2022)

Detail of “Can you keep a secret?”

“IDC” (2023)

Detail of “IDC”

“Aliens” (2021)

“Kasama-Yaki” (2021)

“Moment Scale” (2022)

“SEPHORA” (2022)

“Mikyuki Takayasu” (2021)

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 Kazuhito Kawai’s Exuberant Ceramic Sculptures Evoke Dollops of Ice Cream and Summertime Nostalgia appeared first on Colossal.

from Colossal https://ift.tt/N5rthYL
via IFTTT

Through Metaphorical Illustrations, Owen Gent Unveils Difficult Psychological Experiences

All images © Owen Gent, shared with permission

For Owen Gent, texture and shadow are essential narrative tools. The Bristol-based artist fosters a robust personal practice and works with commercial clients, authors, and various publications to create moody illustrations rich with metaphor. In one work evoking the emotional toll of cancer, trauma, and depression, a figurative silhouette draws back a woman’s hair to survey the surroundings while still protected by the strands. An unsettling piece takes a similarly introspective and psychological approach as black crows circle a subject, one on fire and another grasping at the person’s eye.

Gent tells Colossal that his works begin with analog techniques like painting, and digital manipulation comes later. “It’s a constant push and pull between the two, and I try and be conscious of not losing too much of the original piece when editing,” he says.

Prints are available in Gent’s shop, and his illustrated children’s book That’s Nice, Love is out now. Find more of his work on Behance and Instagram.

 

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 Through Metaphorical Illustrations, Owen Gent Unveils Difficult Psychological Experiences appeared first on Colossal.

from Colossal https://ift.tt/fqMIAbx
via IFTTT