Elad Lassry, White Cube Hoxton Square, 23 September-12 November 2011

Last week I had a pleasure of attending the preview of the exhibition of Elad Lassry exhibition in White Cube Gallery in Hoxton Square in London. It is his first solo exhibition in London. Elad Lassy was born in Tel Aviv in 1977 and currently lives and works in Los Angeles, his work has been shown in many international exhibitions such as in Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Elad Lassry works mainly with film and photography, the subject matter of his art is pop and visual culture and the nature of the perception of image in the present world. He portrays still and motion pictures such as landscapes or animals. When looking at his photographs one cannot escape wondering about the story and history behind the picture. All his photographs are of the precisely same dimensions, no bigger than a magazine page. The theme of his pictures are banal and somehow random, however representing the range of different colours, materials and surfaces. Photographs are framed in a way which extend the object from the photographs into spaces outside of them, which was especially impressive on the perfectly white walls and with the very bright lightning in the White Cube gallery. This created the impression  of seeing object and the image at the same time, which deliberately challenges the way by which art is presented visually nowadays.

                                                                                        

Exhibition presents also few sculptures: two cabinets and eight foot long panel. At first glance sculptures are merely functional objects, however details such as wooden eggs make them become representations of functional objects from the other world.

Exhibition will opened until 12of November 2011.

Hong Kong film week in London

Hong Kong film week in London took place between 12-16^th September 2011 under the Think Asia Think Hong Kong, to promote the cinema industry of Hong Kong. Five movies were screened for free in the centre of China Town in London; Overheard 2, IP man, Echoes of the Rainbow, Love in a Puff and Beast Stalker. This event was extremely popular and even though I tried to book my ticekts very early I only managed to get places for two films: Ip man and Love in a Puff, which was a perfect combination as the first movie is a historical drama and the second one a romantic comedy showing a modern life style of young people in Hong Kong.

Ip Man was released in 2008, it is a story based on the life of the grand master of Wing Chun, a style of kung fu, it is set in the city of Foshan and takes place during the Sino-Japanese War. This authentic story shows Ip man as a man of incredible character, caring about the others and determined to achieve the perfection in his passion- martial arts. Story about love and the sadness of war which was accompanied by a beautiful music and incredible martial art choreography together make a very good and moving film.

Another film, Love in a Puff is based on anti-smoking law which bans smoking in all indoor areas, which was implemented in Hong Kong in 2007. Because of the ban the office smokers take their cigarette breaks in the street and have the opportunity to meet the others. This is how Cherie, a sales girl in Sephora, met Jimmy. They gradually become closer to each other, leaving their old friends behind and sharing cigarettes in different places in Hong Kong. This film was full of jokes and small talk between the characters, their night strolls and car rides, in the city which is so unknown to me and the city which I might never have a chance to visit. Yet after 1,5 hours in the cinema I felt like I have been there and I wish I could come back!

3rd Brazylian Film Festival of London, 6th-7th of September 2011

While I was wandering around Covent Garden one afternoon, my friend asked me to pick up Evening Standard for him. When I was looking for it next to the tube station, I also picked up Covent Garden newspaper, where I read about the upcoming London Brazylian Film Festival. Some would say that I heard of it by chance, but I am sure that I would find out about it sooner or later- I visited Brazil last year and since then I have been fascinated by Brazilian culture.  Right after finding out about the festival I booked the tickets for the opening night and also took part in the competition in which I won a pass for all of the festival films!

Brazilian Film Festival has taken place for 15 years, all around the world, in cities such as London, Madrid, Barcelona or New York. 3^rd edition of the festival in London promoted contemporary Brazilian cinema abroad. Apart from that, the festival also included Crystal Lens Award ceremony for the Best Feature Film chosen by the audience.

The opening ceremony took place at BAFTA (British Academy Film and Television Arts) on the 6^th of September. Together with my friends we first joined a drink reception, which was also attended by stars such as Rolling Stones   guitarist, Ronnie Wood. After the drink reception all the guests joined the screening of Claudio Torres’ film Man from the Future, which had its premiere in Brazil the same week.  Film was about a lonely scientist who traveled in time into his past and tried to fix the mistake of his youth, which as he believed, was the reason for his unhappy life. This however complicated and confused his life even more. Funny and light comedy shows that perhaps it is better to leave things as they are and face the problems in our lives because they are and will always be a part of everyone’s existence.

Between 7^th and 10^th of September 2011 Odeon Covent Garden hosted screenings of ten feature films and nine shorts Brazilian films. Very much impressed by the Brazilian film City of God, I wanted to discover something more about the Brazilian culture and cinema. I managed to see Beyond the Road by Charly Braun, a Brazylian and Uruguayan production, which was about the Argentinian boy and Belgian girl travelling together through beautiful landscapes in Uruguay and meeting people who seemed to be lost in time. Another film which I saw- Boca do Lixo by Flavio Frederico was set in Sao Paulo in 1950s and touched upon recurring themes in well-known Brazilian films: street gangs, drugs and prostitution. It is nevertheless the last film which I saw, The supreme Happiness (A suprema Felicidade) by Arnaldo Jabor,  which will stay in my mind for a long time. It is the story of a middle class family in Rio de Janeiro in late 1950s, looking for happiness which also uncovered an amazing friendship between teenage Paulo and his grandfather.

The audience at Odean Covent Garden was a mix of locals, Brazilians living abroad and tourists. The festival presented a set of inspiring and moving films and made me more familiar with Brazilian culture and cinema. Brazilian Festival was a great way to promote evolving Brazilian cinema and it surprised me in a very positive way.

For more information see:

http://www.brazilianfilmfestival.com/index.html

Mark Rothko in Whitechapel Gallery

From 9th September till 26th of February 2011 Whitechapel Gallery in East London shows exhibition Rothko in Britain. Every good exhibition makes a visitor who came with little knowledge about the artist and his art leave with a feeling of astonishment over artists life and familiarity with her/his work. For me, every impressive exhibition made me rediscover the artist yet again and become truly absorbed by the art and especially by artist's life. Rothko’s abstract paintings made a very big impression on my while visiting the permanent exhibition in Tate Modern last week. However only this small and narrow in its focus exhibition in Whitechapel Gallery encouraged me to engage more deeply with artists biography and the relationship between American and British artists. Mark Rothko was born in 1903 in Latvia and in 1910 together with his family emigrated to New York. In New York Rothko has been taught by such admirable persons as Max Weber and Arshile Gorky. Later on, his work evolved into the style known as Abstract Expressionism, being dominated by colour and light.

Rothko in Britian in Whitechapel Gallery revisits Mark Rothko’s exhibition shown in Whitechapel Gallery exactly 50 years ago. Alongside Rothko’s painting Light Red Over Black (1957) it displays original letters, photographs and reviews from 1961 exhibition. It uncovers how precise Mark Rothko was in giving directions concerning for example lightning and distance between the paintings. As different reviews describe, the effect was incredible and audience truly thrilled and impressed. Original letters also reveal artist's attitude towards Europe and European art, shedding a light on the relationship between British and American art at the time.

Exhibition in Whitechapel Gallery in 1961 presents itself as fundamentally important in connecting British and American art. Although one can only imagine now how wonderful 1961 Rothko’s exhibition was, Rothko in Britain is surely an invitation to see Rothko’s incredible paintings on the permanent exhibition in Tate Modern. Possibly, Rothko's positive experience from displaying his art in Europe led him to the donation of the Seagram murals to the Tate Modern. This gesture is marked by the sad event of artist's tragic death. His art including Light Red Over Black, arrived in Britain on 25 February 1970, the very same day that Mark Rothko committed suicide.

Saatchi Gallery: The Shape of Things To Come: New Sculpture & Richard Wilson’s installation 20:50

Saatchi Gallery at King’s Road in London is one of these places that every art admirer has to visit. Currently the gallery shows an exhibition The Shape of Things To Come: New Sculpture, displaying work of 20 international artist who work with different kinds of materials. There is no any curatorial theme as such, visitor can simply appreciate the sculptures set in spacious and bright rooms of the Saatchi Gallery. This exhibition, fully devoted to contemporary sculpture, turns its attention to the process of the creation of art. Sculptures differ between each other, one can find anything from pieces of rocks, bodies made of clay or my favourite- Dirk Skreber’s Untilted (Crash 1) and Untilted (Crash 2) showing a car in the moment of a car crash which turns attention into the collision forces. Exhibition in the Saatchi Gallery made me reflect upon the contemporary sculpture and made me wonder whether exhibited work truly reflects the essence of a "new sculpture."

For pictures from the exhibition see:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13560207

Exhibition will be open till 16th of October 2011.

However, what mostly impressed me while visiting the Saatchi Gallery was Richard Wilson's permanent installation. It is the only permanent installation in the Saatchi Gallery. Richard Wilson is one of the most significant contemporary British sculptors. His art is largely inspired by engineering and construction work. He represented Britain in the Biennales in Sydney, Yokohma,a Sao Paulo and Venice. 

His installation exhibited in the Saatchi Gallery  was firstly created in 1987 and it is entitled 20:50, which is a name of the type of recycled engine oil. At first sight his installation looks like a large construction room, however after spotting a walkway in the middle of the room one starts to think whether the room is divided by the mirrors which reflect the upper part of the room altering the impression of the space. After a while a intense smell of petroleum makes us realise that the mirrors are in fact a lake of oil and it is this perfectly still liquid, which reflects the upper part of the room and symmetrically enlarges its perspective. This complex installation looks very simple and effortless and there is something which makes us stare and admire this weird illusion for as long as we can stand the strong smell of oil. The effect is incredible and makes us experience the space differently. One might say that the illusion is beautiful although paradoxically created by the substance of a very harmful nature. Although installation was created in 1987 its relevance is particularly important nowadays.

Toulouse-Lautrec and Jane Avril Beyond the Moulin Rouge, a must see exhibition

Wandering around London on a hot Saturday afternoon can always bring some surprises! Today after nice walk on the Waterloo bridge I noticed that The Courtlaud Gallery in the Somerset House currently shows a temporary exhibition of one of my favourite artists- Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, I could not miss a chance to see it. I admire Toulouse-Lautrec as an artists and most importantly as a person, since my very good friend gave me as a birthday present a moving biography of this artists, Moulin Rouge, which I recommend for everyone to read. Until 18th of September 2011, The Courtauld Gallery shows exhibition Toulouse Lautrec and Jane Avril Beyond the Moulin Rouge, free entrance for full-time students.

Courtland Gallery is a small museum, but one which exhibits one of the most astonishing artists such as Van Gogh, Renoir, Manet, Seurat, Rubens, Gaugin, Kandinsky and many others. In Courtland Gallery one can admire such famous paintings as The Luncheon on the Grass by Eduard Manet, Van Gogh‘s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear or Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergere.

Exhibition Toulouse Lautrec and Jane Avril Beyond the Moulin Rouge shows an artistic relationship between Toulouse Lautrec and Moulin Rouge dancer- Jane Avril. While most of us recognise Toulouse-Lautrec’s  avangarde posters and paintings, not many heard of  his muse, Jane Avril. Both artists met in Toulouse-Lautrec’s favourite night club in Montmarte, Paris- Moulin Rouge. Jane Avril was one of the stars in Moulin Rouge in 1890s, in fact her fame flourished thanks to series of posters featuring her by Tolouse-Lautrec. They were close friends in 19^th century Paris. Portraits by Toulouse-Lautrec are particularly interesting because they capture Jane Avril not only as a dancer in Moulin Rouge but also as a private person in a completely private settings. Moreover, exhibition reveals that Jane Avril eccentricity perhaps comes from the fact that she was a patient of a mental hospital, suffering from a strange illness which influenced her movements- therefore also her dance in the Moulin Rouge. It has to be remembered that also Toulouse-Lautrec was an extraordinary person, unfortunately suffering from a rare genetic disease. Therefore, both are quite peculiar characters who nevertheless represent the essence of artistic Paris in 1890s. It is a very first exhibition concerning their relationship and I found the theme of this small exhibition and a selection of few but wonderful posters and paintings extremely interesting.

For an introduction to the exhibition see:

http://www.courtauld.ac.uk/gallery/vodcasts/2011/toulouse-lautrec.shtml

The Place, review of Touch Wood and Animal Lost performances

Yesterday I had a chance to view two wonderful contemporary dance performances at The Place in London. The Place is a leading venue for contemporary dance in the UK and it is located nearby Euston Station in London. It offers range of different activities such as dance training, performances in the country‘s busiest dance theatre, and initiatives supporting artists development in their careers.

TOUCH WOOD

I visited The Place to see two performances. First of them,  Touch Wood was a presentation of rough ideas by four different dance groups: Company Chameleon, Shelley Maxwell, Katie Green, Amy Green and Velantina Golfieri. Artists presented fragments of their performances using a space of simple wooden floor and audience as critics, in order to get a feedback as to their evolving performances. I was very impressed by Company Chameleon‘s beautiful and utterly seductive ‘dance with the devil.‘ Artists have proven that additional details and fancy costumes are of no importance compared to great idea, choreography and technique.

ANIMAL LOST

After the tasting of a bit of contemporary dance during Touch Wood performance, the audience went to the Theatre for the performance Animal Lost created in 2010 by Yossi Berg and Oded Graf dance company from Israel, which performs around the world. Company’s tours in 2011 include: France (Montpellier), the U.K. (London), the U.S. (New York, Portland, North Carolina), Sweden (Stockholm), Switzerland (Lausanne, Basel, Chur, St. Gallen), Dominican Republic (Santo Domingo), Peru (Lima), Slovenia (Ljubljana), Croatia (Zagreb), Turkey (Ankara), Lithuania (Kaunas), Poland (Warsaw), Canada (Vancouver), Italy (Rome, Bari)

For more information about the company visit:

http://yossioded.com/

Animal Lost begins with a strange and powerful poem spelled out to the microphone by a seductive woman who afterwards puts on a horse mask trying to entertain the audience with trivial jokes. She is soon joined by other dancers wearing animal masks who start a pop like, sexual dance to traditional music. The performance unfolds in a very fast pace form this point on- animals undress, get rid of their masks, dress up again and start dancing with duets and trios reflecting animal desires and complicated relationships. Here, when they stop, dancers start to announce their multiple, random identities with a very confessional tone: 'I am Danish dentist and I make lots of mistakes’, ‘I am British I like tea and cake’ , ‘I am gay’, ‘I am a Venezuelan model’… the rest of the performance is full of astonishing dance technique, pop music mixed with sad longing songs, sadness mixed with happiness, screams with laughter, all joined by masks, guitar, water gun, random slogans and most of all coupled with powerful dance. This mixture is hard to describe, surely has to be seen and experienced.

The performance was followed by short interview with the choreographers conducted by the Director of the Theatre, Eddie Nixon.

Asked about the main theme of the performance, Oded Graf revealed that the preparation for Animal Lost started with the question for the artists ‘How would you define yourselves in just three sentences?’ It turned out that while numerous attempts to do that, artists could not get rid of some social cliches and stereotypes. Therefore, the performance rises questions about social and cultural differences, defining and redefining ourselves, stereotyping and the fact that how we describe ourselves does not necessarily show the whole story. It also tries to show how people put masks while interacting with each other. Yossi Berg explained that performance tried to show that even irrelevant, small things can grow to be significant, they can make you feel happy in the particular place and time, which poses a question of how much happiness particular things bring to us. He also related to the animal theme as the one which is suppose to show how people tend to get into someone else's skins and eventually become different people, all connected to the recurring question in the performance of finding ourselves.

Another question asked about why this particular animals have been chosen in the performance. Yossi Berg replied that animals were chosen randomly but it was the ones that do not impose particular stereotypical characteristics which allowed to explore bigger range of the emotions in the performance.

Asked about if the performance is a dark work, Yossi Berg replied that the performance shows the blurring line between the opposites, it shows that human feelings are very close to each other and can change really fast, reaching extreme points and revealing inner conflicts. Oded Graf agreed, saying that the performance shows the whole spectrum of feelings, darkness being only one aspect of them, which shows how hard it is to reach the truth about ourselves.

Eddie Nixon also asked about what is mostly important in the theatre for the choreographers. Oded Graf revealed that what fascinates him the most is exploring something new within the bodies and exploring changing relationships between different people. Yossi Berg answered that he likes to explore the conflicts within a person and appreciates the interaction between actors, space and the audience.

Asked about how is it for them to work together, Oded Graf said that choreographers’ cooperation started when they invited each other for their performances to dance, which made them get to know each other in different roles. It turned into fruitful partnership where both choreographers give each other the confidence to create. He added that the dance company works together as a group, exchanging ideas and going together through the creation process.

Eddie Nixon also asked if they are influenced by the Israeli contemporary dance style. Yossi Berg answered that their work surely is influenced ,but more by what Israel means to them and by their travels, rather than by Israeli contemporary dance style per se.

For me Animal Lost turned out to be a powerful and provocative performance, which by mixing nonesene and truth challenges the way we look at our identity and sexuality. It made me think about universality of human repression, fantasies and most of all human needs, one of them being longing for love.

Asked about future plans Oded Graf revealed that the company prepares a new work in Switzerland, which is going to reflect different perception about change, inspired by choreogrpaher’s attitude towards change in their country as compared to perception by citizens in Switzerland. If the next performance is going to be as excellent as Animal Lost I would surely recommend to see it.

For the rehearsals video of Animal Lost see

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCe68anHm20&feature=player_embedded#