October 6–9, 2016
VIP preview: Thursday, October 6, 3–6pm
Private view reception: 6–9pm
The Old Truman Brewery
Ely’s Yard, 15 Hanbury Street
London E1 6QR
Hours: Friday–Saturday 11am–8pm,
Sunday 11am–7pm
Crossroads Art Show will be launched this October at the Old Truman Brewery in East London, during Frieze week.
Crossroads is a niche fair, with approximately 50 international galleries and special projects that have been handpicked by a team of renowned curators. A fresh, multicultural and accessible fair, Crossroads presents the most current artistic trends in a relaxed and convivial setting. An opportunity to experience the highest quality contemporary art by established and emerging artists, from a multitude of backgrounds and spanning different generations, who share a desire for breaking with the status quo and exploring new realms, new forms and new ideas.
The Artistic Committee of Crossroads is comprised of renowned figures in today’s international art world and it includes artists and curators such as Eva Ruiz, Pablo León de la Barra, Fernando Bryce, Franklin Evans, Cecilia Jurado, Bruno Leitão, Federico Luger, Marta Ramos-Yzquierdo, Manuela Ribadeneira, Aura Seikkula and Octavio Zaya.
A dialogue between cultures, geographies, history, diverse political situations and aesthetics intersect at Crossroads. Alongside the participating galleries the show will offer several special projects, amongst them:
Let’s be ironic!—an original exhibit of works from the Servais Family Collection created by Eva Ruiz and Eva Mansergas
The Middle Field—curated by Bruno Leitão and Marta Ramos-Yzquierdo
Franklin Evans—a site-specific installation
Years by Diango Hernandez—courtesy of Federico Luger
This is not a Restaurant by Argentine chef Martin Milesi
Somewhere else—curated by Fortunata Calabro
Curated by Eva Ruiz and Eva Mansergas, Let’s be ironic! explores the works from the Servais Family Collection by artists who use irony as a tool to arouse new sentiments in their audience. Elmgreen & Dragset approach their socio-political subjects with wit, whilst Carlos Aires addresses the universal theme of disillusionment with sarcasm. The most direct form of irony can be seen in Meyer Peter’s work: a wooden cane carries the logotype of a famous brand of sports footwear followed by the slogan “Just do it.” The Cuban artist Adrian Melis, approaches Spain’s turbulent political situation through a satiricmeme of the Spanish Parliament. The irony shown by a rabbit’s tail presented as a trophy, never ceases to amuse.
The curatorial team formed by Bruno Leitão and Marta Ramos-Yzquierdo presents The Middle Field. Four international independent institutions—Gasworks (London), VideoBrasil (São Paulo), Syntax (Lisbon) and Bar Project (Barcelona)—will offer a perspective on the video creation and video artists that are shown in their venues. Each invited institution will schedule a selection of videos as a one-day programme in a loop screening within the fair. The Middle Field will be a meeting point for discussions throughout the event focusing on the role of the exhibitions and their relevance for video art creation.
American artist Franklin Evans will present a site-specific installation at Crossroads. His work is influenced by the architecture of the space, informing the form and space that he, in turn, will present to the viewer to engage with. His immersive works are built from amassed art supplies and materials found in his studio space—including artists’ tape, bubble wrap, old newsprint, un-stretched canvases and press releases from gallery exhibitions. Evans, who trained as a painter, uses paint to create hyper-realistic, illusionistic effects of layering and wear in these works.
Cuban artist Diango Hernández, who has exhibited at MoMA, Hayward Gallery and Venice Biennale amongst others, will present one of the most historically relevant installations, courtesy of FL Federico Luger Gallery, Milan. Years is a 14 meters long wall made of a numerical representation of the years 1959 to 2008 in rusted steel. The years mark the beginning to the end of Fidel Castro’s government. The piece has been shown in Haus der Kunst, Munich; Mart Museum, Rovereto, Italy and MOSTYN, Wales.
This is not a Restaurant will be the installation of chef Martin Milesi, Founder of “UNA – One Table Experience.” At UNA, Milesi brought his ideal concept to life: Only One table/ Only twelve guests. His vision, which takes place by engagement at St. Pancras Clock Tower, London, will now delight visitors at Crossroads through a journey through Latin American cuisine. Within an installation and screening of Food + Art video loops, three times a day, selected guests will become participants of his concept. A unique sensorial experience.
Somewhere else is a special project curated by Fortunata Calabro and dedicated to the refugee crisis, with works by Juan delGado, a socially engaged artist based in London. delGado has worked extensively on this subject since long before it attained the current media attention. He travelled to Greece, Macedonia, and Calais to record the journeys taken by different refugees. His work does not aim to capture these “invisible” people; rather, his protagonists are the places that these have passed through. While the privileged scene of an art fair might seem an unlikely place to debate such a difficult and sensitive subject, through this project Crossroads contributes to create further awareness on the refugee problem, enabling dialogue and discussions among artists and the public. All profits from the exhibition will be donated to Islington Centre—Refugee and Migrants (London). The project is also supported by Counterpoints Arts (London).
For further information and a full list of participating galleries please visit www.crossroadsart.net.
