Remap 3 – Street art project from Athens

If there is one country that needs a push right now, it has to be Greece. Remap, an international contemporary art platform open and free to the public, could just what Greek people need to hopefully put a smile back on their faces.

ReMapKM’s main purpose, which is held bi annually in the area of Kerameikos-Metaxourgeio in Athens, in tandem with the Athens Biennial, is to goal is to create an alternative platform for the production and experiencing of contemporary art within the urban context.

The REMAP event is in third edition this year runs until the 30/10/11 which a multitude of shows and events. Read the full program.

Big names include APSET, BOOHAHA and RTMone & SIVE and these artists have come up with an installation made of human faces expressions with alongside them, a made up ladder which is supposed to lead them up to the sky where they can free their minds. The reference here is easily spottable: the need for city inhabitants to escape the sometimes tough urban jungle. Some photos of the installation are included below and are courtesy of montana-cans.com website which sponsor the paint for the event.

Fragile, a new show by Dan Baldwin at Gallery 8

We have had to wait for three years but it is now upon us – “Fragile”, the new solo show by Dan Baldwin is opening tomorrow to the publich at Gallery 8. We hear that the artist will explore the concepts of mortality and beauty. As always, the new works by Dan Baldwin promise to be distinctively colourful defying categorisation as figurative or abstract, real or imaginary.

For those not so familiar with Dan Baldwin’s works, expect encompassing ceramics, silkscreen prints, resin, acrylics, spray paint and found objects carefully mixed together and resulting in complex and intricate pieces. It is also worth to point out that most of the objects in his uses have been collected since he was a child.

Big City | Art-Pie
Big City

The show will present another set of large-scale acrylic works where the artist continue the exploration of symbolism and narrative. By contrast, the artist has also developed a series of abstract canvasses which are devoid of any motifs but instead explore further his fascination with colour harmony. In comparison to others in the exhibition, these works evoke a positive response in the viewer but still ask us to consider the uncertain and short-lived nature of human happiness.

Sacrilegium by Dan Baldwin | Art-Pie
Sacrilegium – click to enlarge

A large proportion of the show will be dedicated to a series of delicate ceramics, a medium with which the artist has started to experiment further in recent years. Now working with a Sicilian pottery workshop, the artist is creating increasingly elaborate urn-like vessels which are representative of death and the fleeting nature of our existence. The most ambitious to date is perhaps “Sacrilegium” (2013) which is adorned with a real human skull cast in clay as well as 20% pure gold paint, crucifix, cherubs and an antique Russian bear figurine. These motifs increase the funerary connotations of the object, making it appear fragile in more ways than one.

But Dan Baldwin’s exploration of new mediums in his art does not stop here. He has also developed a series of large-scale tile paintings for the exhibition. “The Picnic” (2012), for example, is made up of 96 tiles overlaid with several glazes and precious metals. The dreamlike scene is filled with juxtapositions of life and death, innocence and corruption; children play with a severed head whilst Mickey Mouse dances with a skeleton. In a final act of ‘iconoclasm’ the artist smashed the tiles before assembling them, to demonstrate their fragility

The Picnic | Art-Pie
The Picnic

What – “Fragile” the new solo show by Dan Baldwin
Where – Gallery 8
When – 20/9 till 5/10/2013 (private view on the 19/9)

Project Mighty and Napoleon by Adobe

The last few years have seen the rise of digital art. Devices such as Ipads have been at the forefront of this and some artists already master the new medium.

Adobe could be taking this a bit further with their new projects Mighty stylus and Napoleon ruler. These two pieces of hardware are designed to work with Adobe’s touch and tablet apps. Project Mighty is a pressure sensitive stylus, and Project Napoleon is a small ruler that projects straight lines onto the tablet for more precise drawings. 

Watch the video below to get a better understanding

Street art by Ben Eine

Ben Eine has been back in London and we could not hope better than seeing a new piece enhancing some wall in London.

This time you can see his work on the wall of the London Graphic center on Mercer street, London.

It reads :
Oranges and Lemons say the Bells of St Clements
Pancakes and Fritters say the Bells of St peters
Two sticks and an Apple say the Bells of Whitechapel
When I grow rich say the Bells of Shoreditch

Bruce French at Scream gallery, opening night

With the new body of work, French embraces modern technologies, and although each image is drawn from life and inspired by the people and events he observes, he uses his iPhone and iPad to maintain the visual diaries that form the basis of his oeuvre.

Read the full preview

The show runs until the 25 June 2011

Scream gallery | 34 Bruton Street | London W1J 6QX

You will find below pictures of the opening night.

An Old Spanish Church Transformed by Street Artist Okuda

A truly amazing project: a historic church in the Spanish city of llanera was transformed into a skate-park earlier this year by La Iglesia Skate.

The venue called Kaos Temple underwent a radical and colourful transformation at the hands of street-artist Okuda San Miguel.

We previously reported on this artist and pointed out his recognizable style of bright and isometric paintings. The result is astonishing and gives another dimension to the church. We included a few shots of the finished work below.

La Iglesia skate | Art-PieImage credit: Red Bull Media

La Iglesia skate | Art-Pie

Image credits: La Iglesia Skate

Okuda | Art-Pie

Image credits: okudart

llnara church | Art-Pie

Edward Akrout ‘First Impression’ show at Hoxton hotel

Edward AkroutBest known for his roles in high profile TV series and films including; Mr. Selfridge, Midsomer Murders and The Borgias, actor Edward Akrout has kept his talent as an artist hidden from the public eye.

This was until recently, when he presented his debut solo exhibition at Café Royal in March to an enthusiastic crowd of gallerists, collectors and VIPs.

A big step in the art world

Akrout admits that even though he is capable of handling the daily rejection and criticism he faces as an actor, the idea of showing his art to the world terrified him. This autumn Akrout will exhibit a suite of new drawings and paintings titled ‘First Impression’ at The Hoxton, Shoreditch, offering visitors an insight into the world of Edward Akrout.

Emotions and studies in France

There is an unmistakable connection between Akrout’s two chosen disciplines, for as an actor his job is to inhabit different emotional states, and as an artist he has an uncanny ability to capture in only a few strokes of the brush or pen, the fleeting emotions and personality traits of characters he comes across on his travels in London, Paris and New York.

Born to a Franco-British mother and Tunisian father, 32-year-old Akrout grew up in France, studying philosophy at The Sorbonne and theatre at Le Cours Florent in Paris, and then spending time at the National Institute in Bucharest. He left Paris for London when offered a place at the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Akrout’s philosophical and theatrical training is evident in his expressive, psychological studies of the eclectic characters he encounters.

'Blue Man' by Edward Akrout | Art-Pie

WHAT – ‘First Impression’ by Edward Akrout
WHERE – The Hoxton, 81 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3HU | United Kingdom
WHEN – 2 Oct 2015 — 1 Jan 2016

First seen on WSIMAG

Meet Mr Unbound or living UNBOUND

Another shoutout to an artist out there. Today we meet Mr Unbound. Here are his words below. If you are an artist and want to feature on the site, tell me.

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ART-PIE - Mr Unbound“Well, friends, where do we begin? I am you. You are me. We are Mr. Unbound. Excuse my vagueness, I will have to explain a little bit. This whole movement is about living unbound. No, not living as a Nietzsche-esque, morally unattached person, but living unbound as in the world is your canvas and you are biting at the bit to go out and paint it.

People like Shepard Fairey have used art to call you to question everything around you, and I whole-heartedly support that. This, however, is the next step. Now you have questioned everything. And you see it don’t you? All of the messed up, absolute carnage everywhere. You see how mediocre your life is and how screwed up the world is.

So what does this mean for you? You can take it as it is, suck it up, lock yourself in your minuscule office cubicle and never do anything great in your life. Or you can be Mr. Unbound. You can start actually living with your fellow human beings, speaking out against oppression, racism, violence, and standing up for those who can’t stand for themselves. You can face the obstacles and issues in your life. You can choose to live a life full of passion, love, grace, mercy, thought, gratitude, selflessness, action, and purpose.

ART-PIE - Mr Unbound

Look for my art. Watch for the figure soaring through life. You’ll see it and him and you will be reminded to stop living like an unfulfilled zombie and start living like you’ve got nothing to lose, yet everything to gain. People say life is short, yet they do nothing about it. Its time to start squeezing every single ounce of life out of every second you get and
Accept-Charset: ISO-8859-1,utf-not some cliche little project. If it was, it wouldn’t have taken you to this site would it?

Take some time to think on it. Maybe while you’re thinking you’ll give this a shot. Find your passion and live it. Rise up, live spoken, live unbound, and change the world. You’ve struck gold. You are Mr. Unbound.”

Mr. Unbound is the work and vision of American artist Michael Becker.

Visit Mr Unbound website

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