Although summer is the quietest time in the arts calendar, we are currently busy preparing the next show due to open on the 11th of September, featuring Peter Ibruegger. For his first solo show entitled ‘The desire of Impermanence’, Peter invites us into his intimate universe where delicate drawings morph into wallpapers, tiled surfaces and tapestry. Dancing the line between fine art and design, his new body of work includes conceptual tiles inspired by the artist’s mixed German and Chinese heritage, shown alongside illustrations and collages, as well as new developments of the self-sucking Neurotic Narcissism project. Split between the ground and basement spaces of the gallery, the work is sure to cause a stir, with Peter dancing between the lines of beauty, repellence and desire.

This show is part of the London Design Festival ’08 programme.

It is random, it is dynamic and exciting, it is a signature, where the whole idea and programme is all about. It is interesting to know it is for sale afterwards to make the next one moving on in next year calendar - not bad ah? Anyway I look forward to one done by a British architect - excuse me, Zaha not count by origin I was told. By such principle if it is real, what you guess the next highly possible candidate to be appointed? i bet David Adjaye.

And wondering if the design by MVRDV would happen at the end? By the way, some suggest it could be an idea for 2012, err….

Pavillion open from 20 July to 19 October. Further detail, please check:

http://www.serpentinegallery.org/2008/03/forthcoming_summer_2008serpent.html

Image courtesy: We-ef Lighting

A flashy new gallery for contemporary art and culture in Moscow launched on 12th June, transforming a 1927 bus garage designed by Constructivist architect Konstantin Melnikov into a new venue for contemporary art.

We are commissioned in partnership with PJC Lighting as the lighting architect to strategise and design the lighting masterplan, from the inception of the project, launch party and the forthcoming retrospective Ilya Kabakov exhibition. The full completion of the space in 2009 will provide a fantastic venue for interesting and bright ideas for Russian culture and education. Having such a large space — 85,000 square feet — also allows for exhibiting massive pieces such as the Kabakovs’ Red Wagon (1991), described as an “iconic piece” that has never been shown in Russia.

The building is owned by the government and has been leased to the Federation of Jewish Communities in Russia. It has been under restoration since 2002 and has now been converted into an art gallery by London architect Jamie Fobert whose other projects include the Frieze tent in Regent’s Park in 2005 and 2006.

The burglary also creates a difficult situation for us - the emergency corrogated metal cover installed has a beautiful color with reminiscent yellow on one side resemble to Great Arthur House in the estate. In other words, WE LIKE IT. It was briefly in our consideration that this cover could be an interesting alternative for replacing the shattered glass…at least it is a new significant piece in the history of EXHIBIT.

Anyway, we would like to thank all our friends and neighbours who have showed their considerate sympathy towards this incident, and the residents who had witness and report to police the burlary. Special thank to Dan, who had given us an professional morning report.

It’s been a long awaiting date since we have been planning and organizing this wonderful event as part of the official launch of a community group, Golden Lane Record. Finally the nostalgic scenery, The Golden Lane Estate Market Day, has come to live on 19 July. Huge thanks to Bev, Clare, Geke, Bas, Tim, Buffy, Joan, and Wendy from the Estate Office.

This One-Day event is so successful that we received over 50 requests of stalls from the residents within 2 weeks, and over hundreds of visitors from different background came to this jumbo sale and enjoy a fantastic afternoon of goodies hunting. Afterall we have received numerous positive and supportive opinion, and hopefully the next one will be up running soon.

Alongside the Market day showing the inaugural exhibition of Golden Lane Record, a first glance of record of audio and visual history collected from the local residents, friends and Channel 4 that reflect the 50 years life of our dynamic urban village.

Image courtesy: Patricia Niven, Yanki, Geke

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Golden Lane Estate (1957-1962, grade II listed in 1997), EXHIBIT is hosting a launch exhibition for a community group, Golden Lane Record, formed by a group of Golden Lane Estate residents.

The inaugural event will introduce their first record of audio and visual history collected from the local residents, friends and Channel 4* that reflect the life in this dynamic urban village. The project follows and expands on the works created by the last two Golden Lane Estate exhibitions for the London Architecture Biennale 2004 and 2006. With the on-going collection of photos and other media, a wider and complete dialogue will be presented in audio and visual experience about the diversity, living and working in the estate.

* Image Courtesy: Resident Joan Flannery. Special thanks to: Wendy Giaccaglia of Golden Lane Estate Housing Manager, Nicholas Moore-Searson, Tim Crocker, Helen Dudley and Avi Grewal of Channel 4.

Divination, at Brunswick Gallery 21 - 28 June 2008.

These Living Walls of Jet, at Ceri Hand Gallery 4 July - 2 August 2008.

And my most anticipate - her solo exhibition at the Transition Gallery
12 Sept - 5 October 2008

Graduated at the Royal College of Art in MA Painting 2005, Mimei’s work is strongly characterised with a visual distinction in exploring the unstoppable proliferations of natural systems through luminous paint and baroque excesses of brush-marks. Dialogues are set up between meticulous construction and chaos- between control and the point of tipping beyond control. Neon meets earth; colours flip from naturalistic to the artificial, tuned to the frequency of a hyper-world.

Don’t miss out this opportunity if you are in the invitation list. Well, luckily I am in the list.

Above: Title: 1444. ink on paper. 2008

Below: Twin Face Constellation. Oil on canvas. 2008

In the Friday Late Commission at V&A, The Art of Confession, guest curators BAD IDEA magazine explored and celebrated the modern idea of confession with interactive exhibits, performances, celebrity authors, new media evangelicals and publishers investigated the future of personal storytelling.

ContainerPLUS has been invited to create four confession booths attended by four mysterious characters, all trained thoroughly in their East London studio, to relieve you of your sins. Also on show is the ‘Tell All Printing Press’, developed in conjunction with BAD IDEA especially for the evening. A perplexing machine of boxes containing trapped shadows of bizarre automata receives visitors’ secrets in one end and spits out a publication featuring the anonymous results at the other end, produced by BAD IDEA editors using their contribution and distributed on the evening.

After all, I wonder what the print looks like if Mr. Tim Burton was traped long enough….

Images courtesy: Patricia Niven

Aug 2008

For Empty Space Projects 13, CITIES PROJECT, the installation in the basement gallery was supposed to be a playful juxtaposition and manipulation of three neon lights reading ‘Made in UK’, ‘Made in Hong Kong’ and ‘Made in Chna’; their sizes corresponding to the local manufacturing cost in these cities. However, this play with economic power has ruptured and altered its meaning, as the piece of ‘Made in China’ was shattered upon arrival. The unpredictable accident cast a light on a fragile and vulnerable side China has to confront on its path as emerging super nation.

According to Lam Tung Pang, he became aware of this fragility through his experience of natural disasters that struck China this year, resonating strongly with the recent memory of the devastating earthquakes in the Sichuan Province.