Tag: Art 2017

Opening on Friday, November 3rd, 2017, is an exhibition of Giovanna’s art entitled  Allegories, at Solo Arte, which runs through until November 24th.

Renowned for her immersive installations, Giovanna uses the open-air and gallery spaces at Solo Arte to present a range of her pieces, large and small. Some are standalone pieces, such as The Unbearable Lightness of Being, which sit in the small park adjacent to the landing point. Others are elements from larger installations, such as Circe from Il Folle Volo and also seen in Line, found in the piazza next to the bar, The Desire and The Bird from Flash Back / Flash Forward, which can be found in the small courtyard to the rear of the art space and Sirens from Il Folle Volo, as they float over the central canal.

The two largest pieces on display sit at either end of the canal, but the best way to appreciate the art on display is to follow the paths around the gallery space, starting at the park and then walking down to the main gallery building, then cross the canal to explore the other gallery building and the outdoor spaces.

Unlike the majority of Giovanna’s installation, there doesn’t appear to be a central theme to the exhibit – other than the name – but what is on display offers an intriguing glimpse of Giovanna’s significant talent in constructing thought-provoking and visually stunning pieces of 3D art.

The exhibition officially opens at 15:00 SLT, with music by DJ Faby.

SLurl Details

• Solo Arte (Casvian Caye, rated: Moderate)

Featuring six levels to descend through, and presenting a community take on Lewis Carroll’s  classic tales, Out of the Looking into the Madness offers visitors to The Dirty Grind Independent Artist Community the opportunity to join Alice on her adventures, which comes with a twist of Halloween about it.

The journey starts up in the sky on an autumnal platform. A path indicated by a hand-written sign points the way towards a sloped bridge formed by a book open at the illustration of a certain tea party. The bridge leads to a neighbouring platform. Here the adventure proper starts, with and invitation to jump down the proverbial rabbit hole.

Doing so will take you into the adventure proper – but don’t expect a traditional journey through scenes from Carroll’s tales as seen through the artists participating in the build. What you will find is a more imaginative ride featuring compositions which present the spirit of the tales in a unique format.

The first destination is inside a vast vessel with chalk illustrations of Alice and more on the walls, floating chess sets, time pieces, chairs and more, presided over by the Cheshire Cat and the Caterpillar. A translucent path spirals downwards to a funnelled point, a sign daring you to carry on down. And this is how you progress through the various settings – by dropping down holes, or following airborne walkways, passing through various settings, most – but not all – of which offer a particular take on Carroll’s tales.

I offer the caveat because one of the levels is distinctly non-Alice in tone: a row of spooky shops sitting close to a giant tree of skulls and a horse-drawn hearse. Other twists can be found a well – such as in the Queen of Heart’s hall.

Elsewhere, you can find your way to the tea party, rich in symbolism, and eventually to a garden again celebrating the Queen of Hearts, but with another twist on the Halloween theme. Alongside of this is a separate walled garden; this offers both an imaginative route down to ground level (just follow the instructions on where to stand), and the chance to ride a hot air balloon. Should you take the former, do take the opportunity to explore The Dirty Grind if you haven’t previously done so. If you take a ride on the balloon, I do recommend your heed its warning, I’d wear this, if I were you, when it offers you a package to wear…

With art displays, live music on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, The Dirty Grind always makes for an enjoyable tarriance, and Out of the Looking Glass into the Madness offers a cleverly seasonal twist to a childhood tale, making it a more than worthwhile visit.

SLurl Details

• Out of the Looking Glass into the Madness (Fender, rated; Moderate)

I don’t know how many souls I have.
I’ve changed at every moment.
I always feel like a stranger.
I’ve never seen or found myself.
From being so much, I have only soul.

This is the opening stanza of Fernando Pessoa’s lament about our relationship with self, I don’t know how many souls I have, the first two lines of which serve as an introduction to Theda Tammas’ Dissected Soul, now on display at Split Screen, curated by Dividni Shostakovich.

The poem examines the idea that throughout our lives, we never really know precisely who we are. Are we ever really just one person? Or are we an amalgam of experience and reaction – reaction to what we’re feeling, the environment around us, the situation we are in – and the way in which those around us perceive us at that point in time? And how are we affected by the masks we willingly wear according the circumstance – the parent, the lover, the work colleague, the confidante, et al? How do they affect our perception of who we might be – or who we think we are? Is it possible that throughout our lives, the only one who knows the mystery of who we are is God?

Against this backdrop, Theda presents an intriguing series of sculptures reflecting this idea of multiple selves. They are fractured, dissected, even presenting one face whilst holding aloft another. Through them wind red lines – heart lines perhaps, a reflection of the time we are given in life. Curling around these lines are strings of barbed wire; a metaphor, possibly, for the blades and sharpness of life which can so easily cause us to change our perception of self and step further away from really knowing ourselves. Central to all of this is a shattered heart, seat of the soul, further echoing the idea of dissected self, broken by our confusion over who we really are.

Given that Second Life is a place which allows us to wear whatever mask we choose and express ourselves in so many different ways, the lament perhaps has special significance; just how many of those masks we use within Second Life, the identities we adopt, further distance us from our core self – or soul?

Dissected Soul, is a fascinating, thought-provoking piece, both questioning who we are and presenting a new facet on the discussion of Second Life and identity.

SLurl Details

• Split Screen landing point (LEA15, rated: Moderate)

“We are chased by evil throughout our lives.” Federico Sosa (TheBDKX) states in introducing Dementophilia, his new exhibition at The Vordun Museum and Gallery. “Devils we try to hide, and slowly eat us up from inside, draining our strength. The worst of all evils. Ourselves.”

Dementophilia is described as “an abnormal, obsessive attraction towards insanity, and it is the perfect title for this exhibition. Located in the rear hall of The Vordun, it features eight paintings and eight sculptures, together with a large central mixed 2D and 3D element – the Vortex. Together they personify the darker imaginings from the depths of the mind

The eight images and eight statues are paired, the statues physical manifestations of the paintings, brought forth by the vortex bursting forth from the rear wall of the hall. Each painting / statue represents a creature – or is that an elemental aspect, a beast if you will, of our psyche? In addition, each painting is partnered with a description of the demon it represents:  Enktrik, Zatrunnya, Beltaka, Fenniaq; Nelikaw, Trezykoy, Melkyze, Yiennak; each description reads as the writings of an unsettled mind – and what mind wouldn’t be unsettled seeing creatures such as these rising from the subconscious.

Thus, entering the hall is akin to entering those thoughts beneath our reasoned consciousness; a place where our personal devils reside; parts of our being alien and terrible – yet playing a vital role in forming our personality, again as Federico notes: “Locked inside, they can heal our wounds. Out in the open they reign. Beasts from within. Beasts of love and Pain. Beasts that are on the loose, fighting against the external consciousness.”

Within this exhibition, these beasts have been named, their nature understood, suggesting their keeper is long familiar with them. Their presence speaks to that battle with an “external” consciousness, a mind acutely aware of their existence. A mind willing to make them manifest – or, perhaps, a mind succumbing to their dominance. It is down to us to decide which.

Dementophilia is intriguing in both its concept and interpretation. As manifestations of darker thoughts and desires, they capture the unreality of the subconscious. As pieces of art, they offer an abstract hint of demons from the realms of Hieronymous Bosch.

I did find myself wondering how much deeper the impact of the exhibit might be if presented in a more tailored environment / setting and with an appropriate Windlight, but nevertheless, it still makes for a thought-provoking visit.

SLurl Details

• The Vordun Museum and Gallery (Rated: Moderate)