Presentation of project for sculpture in public space by Wilfrid Almendra
Sariev Contemporary and Vaska Emanouilova Gallery are pleased to invite you to
Presentation of project for sculpture in public space by Wilfrid Almendra
13 - 21 June 2019
Opening: 13 June, 6 pm
Vaska Emanouilova Gallery, 15 Yanko Sakazov blvd., Sofia
Wilfrid Almendra is a French-Portuguese artist who lives and works in Marseilles, France. This year, he is the first resident artist selected to participate in Sariev+Markov Artist Residency – a project in the framework of the initiative Sariev+Markov Sculpture Projects, which started in March. The initiative aims to give opportunity to professional artists selected by established curators to produce a sculptural work in the sculpture foundry Markovstudio, Sofia and present it in public space in collaboration with Sariev Contemporary in front of larger audience. This will not only increase the presence of art in the city, but will also emphasize its role in fostering attitudes and developing dialogue with the audience. Vaska Emanouilova Gallery is partner of the educational part of Sariev+Markov Sculpture Projects and co-organized a one-day workshop with students, which Wilfrid Almendra held at the end of March in the form of a long passage from the central part to the most northern quarter of Sofia – Trebich.
Working with various materials, Wilfrid Almendra creates works in which the harmonious eclectic of forms and matter originates from the deep observation, analysis and experience of the artist. Almendra is interested not only in the physical but also in the social and cultural origin of the materials. In his works, they express economic and class relationships, historical motives, political and cultural peculiarities of architecture, etc. Within the frames of Sariev+Markov Artist Residency, the artist creates a new work, the sculpture "VLZ310 Later", whose name is borrowed from a model of a mower embodying the consumer dream for home and garden as a personification of happiness in the suburbs. The work itself will be placed and opened in the urban environment in Sofia in September 2019.
Within the frames of the presentation at Vaska Emanouilova Gallery, the audience will be able to get acquainted with the drawings and sketches showing the artist's thought process as well as with documents and texts about his work. They will also be able to see a short film that shows the whole process of creating a work, the motivation of different people to support art projects in the public space and footage from the workshop that took place in March.
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The event is part of the initiative Sariev+Markov Sculpture Projects of Sariev Contemporary and Markovstudio, which is realized in partnership with the “Art and Public Space” program of Vaska Emanouilova Gallery, branch of Sofia City Art Gallery.
The visit of Wilfrid Almendra in Bulgaria is at invitation of Sariev Contemporary, as part of Sariev+Markov Sculpture Projects.
Sariev+Markov Sculpture Projects is a joint initiative of gallery Sariev Contemporary and Markovstudio, which aims, through various activities (residency, educational module consisting of artist talks and lectures, workshops, open doors studio, as well as exhibitions and collaborations with public institutions) to establish a field for creating and presenting sculptural projects for the public space, as well as an environment for discussion and development of such projects, in Bulgaria and abroad.
The first projects within Sariev+Markov Sculpture Projects are realised in partnership with French Institute, Sofia Municipality, Sofia City Art Gallery and its branch Vaska Emanouilova Gallery, Open Arts Foundation. The project is funded by the Culture Programme of Sofia Municipality.
More info about the project and other events within its program here
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Wilfrid Almendra's recent solo exhibitions include Clark House, Bombay (2018); Centre Bastille, Grenoble (2018); Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2017); Fogo Island Arts, Canada (2016); Chelles art center, Paris (2014); Passerelle art center, Brest; Fondation d’Entreprise Ricard, Paris and Parc Saint Léger art center (2013). His work has been included as part of many international group shows, including „Singing stones“, Dusable Museum, Chicago, USA (2017); „Souvenir du XXIème siècle“, Paris (2016); „MuThe Other Sight“, CAC Vilnius (2015), „Let’s Play“, part of Playtime, biennial Les Ateliers de Rennes; „The Brancusi Effect“, Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna; „Parapanorama“, Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2014); „Fieldwork“, Marfa gallery, Texas, USA; „Vue d’en haut“, Centre Pompidou, Metz, (2013); „Skyscraper: Art and Architecture Against Gravity“, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; „Prestige“, Culture Communication Center, Klaipeda, Lithuania (2012); „Making is Thinking“, Witte de With, Rotterdam (2011); „Perpetual Battles“, Baibakov Art Projects, Moscow; „Retour vers le futur“, CAPC, art center Bordeaux (2010).
More about Wilfrid Almendra here
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The “Art and Public Space” program of Vaska Emanouilova Gallery, branch of Sofia City Art Gallery, aims to draw attention to the understanding of art in public space as well as to its social and cultural mission.
More information here