advent calendar 2016 - part 1 (1 - 6 December)

We have launched our first ever advent calendar feature on our instagram and here is the summary of the first few entries:

Day 1: Arebyte @arebyte recommends Gretchen Andrew's @nexttopanimatedgifmodel work for her current show HOW TO HOW TO HOW TO, which reflect on the idea of Internet-based learning; a culmination of sharing knowledge through various YouTube videos. The project is self-reflective but also socially reflective where we see an advance in collective learning and cooperative discourse. 

Day 2: Calvert 22 @calvert22foundation recommends Polish photographer Michal Slarek, one of the artists currently exhibiting at the 2016 New East Photo Prize Exhibition. The photo featured is from the series Alexander, which documents Macedonia's pride in its mythic, though often forgotten, history, particularly through it Gretchen Andrew s connection to Alexander the Great. Michał is the winner of the 2016 New East Photo Prize, which celebrates photography from Eastern Europe, Russia & Central Asia; presenting unique perspectives on an under-represented region. 

Day 3: Pi Artworks @piartworks recommends Memory Coils by Maria Berrio @mariaberriostudio. American Histories, curated by New-York based Alexandra Schwartz, brings together 9 US-based artists who explore cultural histories through figurative works on paper. Their work reflects their own diverse heritages & influences while speaking more broadly to the array of international cultures that make up the United States. The exhibition spotlights how artists examine & synthesize such themes through a personal lens. During this time of political discord over issues of tolerance, these artists offer crucial voices in favor of pluralism & acceptance. Image courtesy of the artist and Praxis Gallery, New York.

Day 4: Vitrine @vitrinegallery recommends Basel-based, Manchester-born artist Clare Kenny @clarelkenny. The image featured is an installation view taken from her current solo exhibition, ‘Enough rope to hang ‘emselves’, Clare reflects on the themes of family & memory. Informed by personal viewpoints & experiences, especially her upbringing & family history, Kenny’s work explores the intersection between personal & collective memory. For this exhibition, the artist takes a family story regarding her grandmother, who spent much of her life working in a rope factory, as the catalyst of constructing an installation & a body of work.

Day 5: PM/AM @pm______am recommends British visual artist Mat Chivers @matchivers. His presentation uses a range of media to explore relationships between environmental phenomena, the fundamental materials that constitute the world, and the contemporary production technologies that we use to understand & interact with them. Image shown is Harmonic Distortion, 2016.
Statuario di Altissimo and Nero Marquina marble.

Day 6: IMT @imtgallery recommends Danish artist Lotte Roser Kjær Skau's work. @lotteroser makes a dedicated gif every Christmas for IMT. The one above is a still from last year & is very in keeping with her on going series 'United We/I Stand etc.' More details here.

Follow us on Instagram to receive the latest #adventcalendar entries in the upcoming days.