in kind exchange + the stroke of a pen | ifa gallery | brussels

fellow artist from Shanghai days, sergey balovin brings his talent and energy to brussels this afternoon for an experimental happening presented as part of THE STROKE OF A PEN group exhibition during it’s last week at ifa gallery.

sergey has spent the last few years traveling around the world engrossed in his project, IN KIND EXCHANGE.

in a commitment to sustain all his daily needs while strictly avoiding monetary transactions, he has been able to survive exclusively through goods exchanged with people that are excited to trade tangible, useful things to him for beautiful, customized portraits he makes on site.

sergey was trained classically as a painter in russia before setting out on the path he navigates now, as an artist with no use for a monetary system.

I recommend visiting if you are in Brussels then.

THE STROKE OF A PEN | ifa gallery [details]

“ifa gallery showcases a group of artists commissioned for the exhibition, THE STROKE OF A PEN, each artist interpreting the title as he or she sees best, whether figuratively or with more violent overtones.

christophe demaître melts photography techniques and ink with sensuality. zane mellupe explores the importance of line in the landscape with her marble sculpture. christopher paul gill’s collages underline the necessity of freedom of expression, as does susanne junker with her feminist-themed photographs.

kathryn gohmert’s drawings are the expression of the underestimated carnage that took place in baga, nigeria, on the same date of the charlie hebdo attacks. wu junyong and dai guangyu concentrate on the issue of ink in contemporary chinese culture. alexandre ouairy proposes in “blank project” a series of 100 silk-screen prints on art paper, all numbered and signed. the contract signed during their acquisition defines the artist’s moral right toward his artwork.”

more about the stroke of a pen exhibition.

more about ifa gallery.

THE STROKE OF A PEN | ifa gallery | BRUSSELS

i’m excited to announce that some of my recent work - produced during my residency in shanghai last month - will be part of ifa gallery‘s upcoming group exhibition, the stroke of a pen, with work by other talented artists: dai guangyu, christophe demaitre, christopher gill, susanne junker, zane mellupe, alexandre ouairy and wu junyong.

the exhibition runs from 21 february – 15 march, 2015, and you are also very warmly invited to the vernissage on friday, 20 feb, from 5 – 9 pm if you are in the brussels area then.

more about the stroke of a pen group exhbiition.

chinese landscape | tao hongjing

Dutch artist and gallery owner karin janssen has written a short article about some of my favorite shanghai-based artist friends, roland darjes, alexandre ouairy, and stefano ogliari badessa - specifically about the CHINESE LANDSCAPE solo exhibition, hosting the work of good friend tao hongjing  [who plays with the subject of china’s dual identity in his multi-layered way].

karin janssen is a dutch artist and gallery owner who divides her time between london and the netherlands while exhibiting her work and running her project space in hackney.