coming soon: the exhibition of AFFECT Module II artists at the gorgeous l’atelier-ksr project space in kreuzberg [13 – 19 september].
more details coming.
berlin wanderings [lichtenberg]
artists-in-residence | affect module ii
just in case you wanted to know a bit more about the other six artists I’m spending nearly every waking minute collaborating with during these last several weeks – you can read more about them and their brilliant work now on the AFFECT website.
[josé cori]:
josé cori was born in freiburg, germany in 1989. he studied both visual arts and aesthetic at pontificia universidad católica de chile, in chile [2008-2013]. he focuses mainly on installation and painting, and now lives and works in berlin.
[rune bosse:]
[bio-poem] if i was a plant, in the summer of 1987. sprouting between the forest and the beach, on southern zealand in denmark. then i would grow, become interested in growing. later in life through being moved and moving, collect nourishment from different soils and places, play with, and on, the different grounds. i would learn and seek inspiration in my natural surroundings. it would be a trigger in my work. both thru questioning the world, how is it put together? and the possibilities of assembling it in new ways. I often would find myself confused and not sure of where i was going, then locating the starting point or origin, would make it possible to create a line and see a connection, it would give me direction knowing the nature of things. maybe from two thousand and nine till eleven putting my roots in the royal danish academy of fine arts and afterwards taking part two and a half year in the institute for spatial experiments lead by olafur eliasson in berlin. still playing with things that grow.
[kathryn gohmert:]
kathryn Gohmert [1983] is from the united states. she received her ba in art from the university of texas at austin before relocating to the uk, then china. in the last six years, while based mainly in shanghai, she has been working throughout china in a succession of studio spaces that include the songzhuang artist village in beijing and 696 weihai lu in shanghai. her range of mediums now include illustration, video, mixed media, installation and performance art. She is currently based in berlin.
[jol thomson:]
despite years of university educations, along with all the accrued debts, he still cannot specifically name more than five types of trees [of which he assumes there must be many many others]. and while preferring not to align himself with a specific nation, he anyways profusely enjoys maple syrup and “the great outdoors,” though not enough to know the systematic classifications or taxa of the types of things that might be “out there.” while waisting his time reading and thinking about things he could never fully comprehend, he becomes occasionally bored and resorts to making sounds into volumes, rhythms and patterns – or he goes swimming – or he just stares off into deep space. . . recently, upon trying to decide whether his capacity to remember was getting better or not, he realized he simply couldn’t recall how it was in the past anyways, quickly forgot the whole endeavour, and got to the task of rearranging a collection of favourite stones kept on and around his working table.
aviv benn:
aviv benn [b.1988,] is a tel-aviv based artist. through direct, expressive paintings and while using a scope of visual language ranging from street to folk art, aviv explores in her work imagery from classical painting and folk art – referencing often the symbols of skulls, masks and self portraits – alongside the investigation of “inner worlds,” as can be seen most recently in her latest series, dealing with the concept of death anxiety. benn’s thick oil paintings often combine “direct” materials primarily used in street art – xerox transfers, black and white prints and [of course] spray paint. aviv holds a bfa from the bezalel academy of arts and design in jerusalem, where she graduated with honors in 2013. she is mainly based in tel-aviv and jerusalem.
[alice bucknell:]
alice bucknell is a visual artist, writer, researcher and thinker based in chicago, il. her practice is located at the intersection of art, aesthetics, and social spaces. her anthropological research takes up the social authority of public/installation art and the production of art spaces [i.e. artist collectives] in the urban environment as a platform for both knowledge production and sharing. as a visual artist she considers topics of memory and commemoration; the phenomena of nostalgia, embodiment, and affect; in addition to the aesthetics of atmosphere and [be]longing. She considers her art practice to be an additional form of fieldwork. she is currently investigating the role of contemporary art in constructing new narratives of social experience within both the built and imaginary environments of detroit and berlin, paying particular attention to the ways in which visual and performance artists can [re]activate the space and politics of emptiness in the modern cityscape. this experiential-experimental project, taking the form of both a publication [upcoming, 2015] and a website, also explores the ways in which abandonment and urban voids have in turn become aestheticized; the relationship between history, fantasy, memory; and the productive and hazardous possibilities that shape these changing social, spatial, and visual dialogues.
[daniel almgrenrecén:]
daniel is working as choreographer, performer, movement coach, workshop facilitator and project manager. he is systematically problematising choreography as creative practice by looking in to the fields of education, management, architecture and design thinking. daniel holds a ba in choreography from sndo at the amsterdam school of the arts and has also studied theology and drama. since 2011 he is through his work exploring the notions of home that have so far resulted in the experiential works native realm in 2012 and near that place in 2013.
book sprint | AFFECT module ii
our first publication, trial-by-fire-style.
all the joys and frustrations of the book-making process performed in a single day.
this “book sprint” project was facilitated by john holten, co-founder of berlin-based publishers, broken dimanche press. see more of john’s work here.
the birth of a book in images:
This entry was posted in related, workand tagged on August 11, 2014.--
skill exchange | agora collective, images
the idea behind the skill exchange workshop, led this weekend by the individual artists collectively making up AFFECT’s current artists-in-residence group, was that each artist had a very specific technique / methodology which had been purposefully developed in their life, becoming fine-honed to the point of near superpower level.
with the ultimate design of passing on unusual skills to strangers and thereby empowering them, each artist devised the details of the specific workshop they felt most masterful and capable in leading.
topics included how to successfully avoid conversation on airplanes, traveling backwards at top speed, composing haikus, nordic rope-tying techniques [survival], how to successfully avoid paying rent, the art of climbing trees like a ninja assassin, and the ancient dutch technique of expertly cloning plants.
my tree-climbing workshop.
my tree-climbing workshop.
my tree-climbing workshop.
plant-cloning workshop by rune bosse.
haiku-writing workshop by jose cori.
how to avoid conversations on airplanes by alice bucknall.
skill exchange workshop | agora collective | sat, 26 july [today]
it’s today! hope to see you, 6 – 9 pm, at agora for the AFFECT module ii SKILL EXCHANGE workshop. join us this gorgeous saturday afternoon to learn how to rescue people from drowning, climb trees, avoid paying rent, clone your plants and more…
see our listing on artberlin.de here for more information.
skill exchange | agora collective [sat, 26 july]
the second edition of AFFECT: agora’s program for collaborative artistic practices is pleased to invite you to partake in the first collective event developed by the current artists in residence: alice bucknell [us], aviv benn [il], daniel almgrenrecén [se], josé cori [de], jol thomson [us], kathryn gohmert [us], rune bosse [dk].
right at the beginning of the “contextualizing” phase of the program, facilitated by diego agulló, the recently arrived participants have been learning from one another specialized skills, abilities and super powers — such as the world famous texan tree-climbing technique, how not to pay your rent, northern rope survival – just to name a few…
on the occasion of “AFFECT PRESENTS,” an event format developed by agora to celebrate the presence of their new residents, the artists decided to extend the dynamics of this introductory phase of the program and share it with an open audience in a series of short workshops accompanied by virgin smoothies.
join us in a day of mutual exploration and skill exchange.
when: saturday, 26th july
time: 6 – 9 pm
where: agora collective
mittelweg 50, berlin-neukölln
[AFFECT is conceptualized by agora collective e.v. and module ii is moderated by fotini lazaridou hatzigoga, facilitated by diego agulló, sarah lewis, yves scherer, john holten, judith lavagna and coordinated by paz ponce.]
www.agoracollective.org/affect
feel free to join & share the event on facebook here.
fotini lazaridou | interview | affect module ii
this is a great interview with the the talented moderator of our current AFFECT module ii project, fotini lazaridou, [who has also worked with projects in china off and on for the last few years].
creative beginnings | affect module ii
we’ve had a productive day here in the workspace of AFFECT’s top floor full of creative discourse, multi-disciplianry inspiration, and the early developments of the concept and structure behind what will be some spectacular final work.
also being undertaken at the moment is the collective formation and release of two publications, under the brilliant guidance of john holten from renegade publishers, broken dimanche press.
see the photo documentation below for proof that artists [and their egos] from different disciplines and countries are not only able to work together within a shared space, but even live to tell about it … while producing something nice along the way.
more is coming soon. in the meantime, please enjoy this ridiculously short video of performance artist, daniel almgrenrecén, helping us warm up between sessions.
also be sure to take a look at the FUEL ARTISTIC EXCHANGE project if you haven’t yet [20% there already].
artist dinner | affect module ii |
and we’re off to a great start so far … being courted with a delicious meal at agora collective’s cozy downstairs cafe is a dangerous thing to get used to, but its a wonderful way to get to know the creative minds that will be working closely together for the next ten weeks.
after touring the building and spending a relaxed evening talking with the organizers, artists, writers and facilitators in agora’s gorgeous garden, it’s clear that the people here have all come together to develop something striking and original in this space during these next few months. looking forward to getting started.
fuel artistic exchange | goal met [17 days left]
so as of yesterday evening, berlin time, the kickstarter goal set for the campaign funding my current artist residency in berlin has been met! unbelievable!
an enormous amount of gratitude goes to every single person that has been a positive part of this project so far: the amount of encouragement, support and love that’s been shown to me – sometimes in unlikely and unexpected places – has been very touching and i’m very grateful.
and now, as my ongoing project with AFFECT module ii is now fully funded, i am very excited to begin customizing the personal rewards chosen by my backers, and start sending them on to their final destinations.
if you still want to be a part of the action, and are worried that you’ve missed all the fun, rest assured: there are a few rewards still available – from original and limited edition artwork to personalized, handwritten haikus – there are 17 days to go during which you can still be a part of this project while its live [the image below can take you to the || FUEL ARTISTIC EXCHANGE || page on kickstarter’s website].
have a lovely weekend and stay tuned.
affect module ii | agora collective, berlin
i am proud to announce my upcoming participation in module ii of AFFECT, agora’s program for collaborative artistic practices, in berlin to begin very soon.
fellow participating artists include: jol thomson, rune bosse, josé cori, aviv benn, alice bucknell, daniel almgrenrecén
the residency runs 11 july – 20 september for a total of 10 weeks], and is hosted in agora’s collective workspace inside berlin’s neukölln district.
i will be adding to the blog regularly during this time, keeping it up-to-date with news, images and updates on this project as well as details on its eventual exhibition and publication.
stay tuned for details – much more is on the way.
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.
year of the horse | 中国新年快乐 2014
happy chinese new year! 中国新年快乐!
wishing you and your loved ones all the adventure, good energy and success the year of the horse has to offer: have a wonderful 2014.
祝你和你的家人们：在新的一年中，万事如意，马到成功.
A GALLERY ON THE ROLL | randian
really happy about randian’s wonderful article on little victories gallery and the artists involved, A GALLERY ON THE ROLL.
This is a project I was involved in with artists, alec von bargen, Cristina Ohlmer, Evgeny Bondarenko, Jordan Kostov, Julian Palacz, Katie Surridge, Lili Chin, Luca Bray, saoirse higgins, Savinder Bual, Shang Cheng Xiang, Stefano Ogliari Badessi, Vittoria de Ferrari Sapetto, and Willy Chyr.
thank you randian for the lovely words.
also see more on the little victories gallery project here.
LITTLE VICTORIES gallery | domus
this article just appeared in italian publication, domus, and explores the art and vision of the little victories project space founders and the exhibitions held in shanghai recently.
see the article below with my own work mentioned near the end.
the online version is also available on the domus site just here.
696 weihai lu | in remembrance
fellow artists and old friends, susanne junker (founder of stageBACK project space), barbara anna hussar and zwolf schnifis are giving a talk at the bavarian rivieratonight – doing their part to keep 696 immortal by focusing their discussion on this special community, formerly located in an abandoned gun factory in shanghai’s busy city center.
to touch on the good memories that still abound for so many people, i’m including below a few images and highlights from an article “shape of the city,” [originally published in 2011] which i discovered today while perusing the talk’s itinerary [thanks to barbara anna husar].
“initially, one may mistake the weihai lu 696 artists community for a government-sanctioned ‘creative cluster,’ like m50, red town [shanghai sculpture space], tianzifang, or beijing’s 798 arts district… what these creative clusters lack, however, is the real sense of danger, experimentation, and freedom that is still present at artist communities such as weihai lu, not to mention the lower rents that allow working artists to afford studio space in the center of the city.”
well put.
artists were evacuated from the area by, ahem, the you-know-what around 3 years ago … about the time this article was written. it is still touching though to see this place referenced fondly by people that used to work in its much-loved walls, as in the case of the former 696 artists speaking in bavaria this evening.
this space, now vacated for some time, still remains an iconic testament for me to both the transformative power of creativity and its ability to unite and inspire communities that choose to work together. the 80 something foreign and local artists that used to make up this community are now scattered all over the city/country/world, each making their work somewhere else now. it was special, but too good to last it seems.
missed but not forgotten: RIP, 696.
A SHOT IN THE DARK | Strictly Studio images
thank you for everyone that came to the little victories solo exhibition to see my recent work, A SHOT IN THE DARK, at strictly designers united last thursday. the one-day pop up exhibition was a nice success. in spite of the high temperatures outside, strictly kept everything cool until late - as usual. thank you strictly team/
special thanks to matthew waddick and savinder bual for their photographs, strictly designers united, and to little victories gallery – and the brilliant artists behind it – for their direction and drive [quite literally, as the mobile space was transported to the cool docks on the day of the show].
strictly is also moving locations soon – support them in their new space, and stay tuned for future projects we may work together on in the next few months.
A SHOT IN THE DARK | Little Victories Gallery | Strictly Designers Studio
thursday, july 25, sees little victories gallery navigating all its attitude and force to the cool docks for A SHOT IN THE DARK, featuring my recent drawings, in the guerilla-pop-up gallery’s exhibition next week.
the little victories gallery has teamed up with the mad genius minds of strictly designers united for this one day solo show, while also celebrating strictly’s last days in its current location with their new location to be announced during the evening.
read the randian article about little victories here.
the opening runs from 7 – 10 pm with djs to be announced soon. entry is free to all.
coming soon | Little Victories Gallery
shanghai’s newest mobile gallery space is artist-powered [literally, as the artist owners will be using their leg muscles to keep the space mobile] and was founded by artists katie surridge, julian palacz and stefano ogliari badessi who met in shanghai through a residency program. the crew of international artists found their inspiration for the showspace through the idea of censorship and its continuous presence in china.
little victories was established in 2013 in shanghai, china with the objective of running a thought provoking exhibition program of dedicated group and solo shows.
