Am 04.09.2014 macht die Ausstellung FREE DUMB halt in Zürich (Perla-Mode, Brauerstrasse 37, 8004 Zürich, Schweiz). Mit Arbeiten des Fotografen Phil America, Moses & Taps sowie Utah & Ether. Ebenfalls in der Ankündigung erwähnt wird das GRIFTERS Projekt, der Besuch sollte sich lohnen! Weitere Stationen der Ausstellung sind Paris und Sofia!
Applying paint on public transport without permission is a senseless occupation: It’s dangerous, illegal and often disliked. At the end of one’s career there is no big prize, no glory, no golden watch. So what motivates these artists to follow their passion?
Freedumb is not trying to give an answer to anything. It is a discovery, a trip into the unknown, a documentation, without a pre-casted opinion. Like the graffiti on public transport, it just is. The photos from prominent artists Taps & Moses, Utah & Ether and Phil America simply show you what’s happening in the painter world underneath you. They just are, and they will be, whether you love it, hate it or don’t care.
Freedumb alludes to the typical, dark Grifters humor. The search for freedom is a central theme in the world of graffiti.
The proceeds of the show will go entirely to support The Grifters that are currently dealing with legal issues.
THE EXHIBITION
The exhibition includes a sculpture, photo prints and a video installation, giving viewers a first hand view of a life outside the rules and limits of both art and society.
The exhibitions will take place in numerous cities across Europe, including Paris, France, Sofia, Bulgaria and Zürich, Switzerland.
Accompanying the artworks will be extensive material from The Grifters archive.
THE ARTISTS
PHIL AMERICA
Phil America (b. 1983) is a Northern California and NYC raised artist and writer. He holds a BA in Psychology with a minor in Philosophy. Phil has worked and lived throughout the US, Europe, Asia and Africa, where he developed his acute attention to a narrative form. He concentrates on individual moments of freedom through various forms and outlets, most recently focusing on the human relationship with both class and race.
TAPS & MOSES
The German artist duo also known as Ernie & Bert, Alias and Topsprayer™, has grabbed the attention after their most recent exhibitions in both the art world and public space. The ever-changing name of this collective was not born out of indecision or marketing but rather to conceal the identities of its members while still defying the unwritten laws of graffiti: anonymity. The pseudonym is the signature that gives the work recognition value. Taps & Moses are well-known for frequently using two colors, substituting their names with it. Recently they have published their first two monographs.
UTAH & ETHER
Danielle Bremner (UTAH) and Jim Clay Harper (ETHER) are mixed media artists from New York City and Chicago. Born and raised in USA, their art and ambitions have taken them across the globe. Their works can be seen on walls and trains spanning across four continents, in cities such as Paris, Milan, NYC, Beijing and Tokyo. Their accomplishments in the graffiti world have garnered them much attention, and they have appeared in different publications. In addition to graffiti, the couple utilize video, photography and social media and have produced both short films, books, magazines and solo art shows.
THE WORKS
The exhibition shows large photo prints, depicting the artist’s relationships with passenger trains and the graffiti that is done on them. Alongside the photo prints, a sculpture designed specifically for the show and a projection of videos made buy The Grifters will be shown.
All works in the exhibition are unpublished and shown exclusively for the first time. All proceeds go to the family of a friend in need.
THE GRIFTERS
The Grifters documents the lifestyle surrounding the youth of today living outside the parameters set by modernity, often in humorous and challenging ways. Started out as a website, they evolved to short film production, limited edition sportswear, signed artist’s photo prints and more.
The underlying idea for the project focuses around the synergy of numerous subjects, including behavioral psychology and sociology, contemporary arts, design science, fashion, marketing, and sales.
EXHIBITION VENUES
PARIS
September 12, 17h
Le Monte-en-l’air
2 Rue de la Mare, 75020 Paris, France
Facebook event
SOFIA
September 4-6, 19h
Zona Cultura
Ulitsa “Konstantin Stoilov” 59, Sofia, Bulgaria
Facebook event
ZUERICH
September 4, 19h
Perla-Mode
Brauerstrasse 37, 8004 Zürich, Switzerland
Facebook event