Explore Art on Colossal https://www.thisiscolossal.com/category/art/ The best of art, craft, and visual culture since 2010. Tue, 20 May 2025 16:00:41 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/icon-crow-150x150.png Explore Art on Colossal https://www.thisiscolossal.com/category/art/ 32 32 Descend into ICA SF’s New Space for Masako Miki’s Otherworldly ‘Midnight March’ https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2025/05/masako-miki-midnight-march/ Tue, 20 May 2025 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.thisiscolossal.com/?p=455595 Descend into ICA SF’s New Space for Masako Miki’s Otherworldly ‘Midnight March’Miki's mixed-media sculptures hint at a life force inside.

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Huddled together like birds of a feather or standing resolutely on their own, Masako Miki’s vibrant, playful sculptures come to life at the Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco. Whether standing on spindly legs, seated on the ground, or suspended from the ceiling, there is a sense of movement and energy in the room, as if each characterful object could walk or roll away at the slightest provocation.

Miki’s solo exhibition Midnight March is now open at ICA SF’s new exhibition space, The Cube, which activates a former bank building as a site for non-traditional exhibition presentations. The Japanese artist sets her mixed-media pieces, which incorporate materials like wool, bronze, wood, ink, and watercolor, into a darkened, starry interior in which each vibrant, cartoonish individual appears to glow.

an abstract, colorful, soft sculpture in a darkened gallery installation, with legs as if the form is dancing
“Umbrella’s Whispers” (2025), wool on XPS foam, walnut wood, 48 1/2 x 14 x 14 inches. Photo by Nicholas Lea Bruno

Largely abstract in their nebulous forms, felted textures, and colorful patterns, Miki’s sculptures often hint at a life force inside. A single eye peers from a blue shape in “Enchanting Pine Tree Reaching Clouds” or human-like legs extend to the floor in “Umbrella’s Whispers.” We begin to realize that we’re being observed as much as we are observing.

Midnight March helps us understand deeper aspects of Miki’s ‘othered’ figures and recognize difference as a positive force, even as we are unsettled by it,” says an exhibition statement.

The indigo sky throughout the exhibition complements Miki’s two-dimensional works, which she calls Night Parades, welcoming visitors into an experiential context. The artist says, “I hope that my works generate the kind of curiosity and empathy that enables us to come together.”

Midnight March continues through December 7 in San Francisco, and you can explore more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

a horizontal, blue composition of abstract creatures and human features, including a wolf, closed eyes, moon shapes, and more
“Midnight March (Blue and Red Violet)” (2025), watercolor on paper, 44 5/8 x 63 1/2 x 2 inches. Photo by Phillip Maisel
soft sculptures in a darkened gallery installation, with a suspected piece in the foreground depicting two closed eyes
Foreground: “Watcher with Continuous Eyes” (2018), wool on XPS foam, 18 x 56 x 16 inches. Photo by Nicholas Lea Bruno
a cloud-like, abstract sculpture on spindly legs with blue cloud shapes like polka dots and a single eye
“Enchanted Pine Tree Reaching Clouds” (2024), wool on XPS foam and walnut wood, 32 x 23 x 15 1/2 inches. Photo by Phillip Maisel
a sculpture of a cartoonish coyote or wolf, standing on a ball
“Fox Delivering Messages” (2025), patinated bronze, 15 x 11 1/2 x 5 inches. Edition of 4 plus 2 artist’s proofs. Photo by Nicholas Lea Bruno
a cloud-like, abstract sculpture on spindly legs with a colorful pattern and a single eye
“Ancient Tree Witness” (2023), wool on XPS foam and walnut wood, 76 x 48 x 42 inches. Photo by Steve Ferrera
a sculpture of a cartoonish cat waving a fan
“Awa-dancing Cat Leading the Crowds” (2025), patinated bronze, 15 1/2 x 13 x 7 inches. Edition of 4 plus 2 artist’s proofs. Photo by Nicholas Lea Bruno
a horizontal, blue composition of abstract creatures and human features, including a wolf, closed eyes, moon shapes, and more
“Midnight March (Blue and Deep Gray)” (2025), watercolor on paper, 44 5/8 x 63 1/2 x 2 inches. Photo by Phillip Maisel

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Ubiquitous Objects Transform into Ambient Soundscapes in Zimoun’s Installations https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2025/05/zimoun-installations/ Mon, 19 May 2025 18:02:08 +0000 https://www.thisiscolossal.com/?p=455514 Ubiquitous Objects Transform into Ambient Soundscapes in Zimoun’s InstallationsThe artist frequently references the tension between chaos and order in his works.

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Objects often regarded as fixtures of modern life—cardboard boxes, glass cups, and plastic jugs, to name a few—become generative materials in the soundscapes of Swiss artist Zimoun (previously). Connected to small, direct-current motors, wires and strings strung across installations of these unassuming items rattle and twirl to create continuous, ambient noise.

Zimoun frequently references the tension between chaos and order in his works, particularly as it relates to the relationship between the individual elements and the larger composition. For a recent project for Rewire in The Hague, for example, the artist tethered piano strings to 24 polyethylene tanks in one room and to 36 water containers in another.

While the basic construction was the same, the way the vibrating wires interacted with the vessels affected their timbre. “Each of the spaces sounds distinctly different, even though the same principle was applied throughout. Both deep, bass-like sounds and very varied, constantly changing overtones can emerge,” the artist says.

Exploring the possibilities of such simple materials is at the core of many of Zimoun’s works, as he shifts our perspective on their uses and functionality. Appearing animate, each object becomes an instrument in its own right, as the kinetic, often frenetic, movement of the machines transforms a wood-slatted door or metal barrel into a sonic apparatus.

It’s worth poking around Zimoun’s website to explore the breadth of the installations and their subtly varied sounds. The artist has several exhibitions planned for later this year and throughout 2026, so follow the latest on Instagram.

cardboard boxes rattle
black balls spin in glass cups on a white floor

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‘Wonder Women’ Celebrates the Dazzling Figurative Work of Asian Diasporic Artists https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2025/05/wonder-women-art-of-the-asian-diaspora/ Thu, 15 May 2025 17:26:18 +0000 https://www.thisiscolossal.com/?p=455373 ‘Wonder Women’ Celebrates the Dazzling Figurative Work of Asian Diasporic ArtistsTwo major exhibitions culminate in Kathy Huang's new book highlighting groundbreaking work made by women and nonbinary artists.

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In February 2020, curator and gallery director Kathy Huang met artist Dominique Fung—a month before the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down. Their conversations, which continued throughout quarantine, served as an impetus for what would become Huang’s Wonder Women exhibitions at Jeffrey Deitch.

During their chats, Huang and Fung lamented “the uptick in violence against Asian American communities, particularly against women and the elderly,” Huang says in the introduction to her forthcoming book, Wonder Women: Art of the Asian Diaspora.

a vertical, simplified portrait of an Asian woman with long black hair, with a dark shadow on one side of her face
Mai Ta, “mirror image” (2022)

The two also found it difficult to pinpoint when the last major exhibition had been staged that thoughtfully presented Asian artists, and neither could think of an instance where women and nonbinary artists had been the focus. Both of Huang’s exhibitions and her new book are the fruit of that desire to highlight the remarkable spectrum of figurative work being produced within the Asian diasporic community today.

A response to racism against Asians exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Huang conceived of the shows that went on view in 2022 in New York and Los Angeles as a means to highlight the incredible, groundbreaking work made especially by women and nonbinary artists.

Forthcoming from Rizzoli, Wonder Women shares a similar title to a poem by Genny Lim, which follows experiences of Asian women through the lens of a narrator who observes their everyday routines and considers how their lives relate to hers.

Huang expands on this view in her approach to showcasing the work of forty artists, each represented through at least four pieces and a personal statement. These artists “subvert stereotypes and assert their identities in places where they have historically been marginalized,” Rizzoli says.

Sally J. Han, “At Lupe’s” (2022)

Artists like Sasha Gordon or Nadia Waheed explore identity through sometimes fantastical self-portraiture, while others highlight family, community, and colonial or patriarchal systems in the West. Some address Asian myths, legends, and visual culture, like Fung’s exploration of antique objects or Shyama Golden’s otherworldly scenes in which hybrid human-animals interact with nature or urban spaces.

Wonder Women will be released on May 20. Order your copy from the Colossal Shop.

Shyama Golden, “The Passage” (2022)
Chelsea Ryoko Wong, “It’s Mah Jong Time!” (2022)
Nadia Waheed, “Bolides/ 852” (2022)
Cover featuring a painting by Sasha Gordon

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Esaí Alfredo’s Oil Paintings Merge Mysterious Narratives with ‘Miami Vice’ Noir https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2025/05/esai-alfredo-paintings/ Thu, 15 May 2025 14:45:57 +0000 https://www.thisiscolossal.com/?p=455311 Esaí Alfredo’s Oil Paintings Merge Mysterious Narratives with ‘Miami Vice’ NoirCinematography and a sense of wonder play central roles in large-scale, enigmatic oil paintings.

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In an iconic 1979 episode of Saturday Night Live, Steve Martin and Bill Murray shuffle onstage dressed like tourists. Peering out beyond the camera—and thus behind us—they repeatedly ask, “What the hell is that?” Stoking our curiosity and never divulging what “that” really is, yet preventing us from ever seeing it either, the answer is left entirely to our imaginations. Beyond the duo’s characteristic absurdity, we’re enticed to consider the endless possibilities of the unknown, just out of frame.

For Miami-based artist Esaí Alfredo, the confines of the cinematic screen and a sense of wonder play central roles in large-scale, enigmatic oil paintings. Male figures stand facing the distant horizon, observing dark plumes of smoke or, in some cases, events only they can see.

a painting of a male figure standing on a playground slide at night, looking out into the distance
“The Wait” (2025), oil on canvas, 50 x 72 inches

Alfredo draws inspiration for his palette from Miami Vice, specifically the rich pastels and glowing contrasts evocative of the show’s stylized, 1980s New Wave aesthetics. Bright pink and teal complement the deep blacks of nighttime.

“I allow myself to play with colors and lighting situations that appear surreal or impossible,” he tells Colossal, sharing that the choice of hues serve as tools for telling stories. He adds, “My biggest influences in terms of color have been old movies, science fiction, theater, and the cinematography of films by Steven Spielberg and Alfred Hitchcock.”

Alfredo also likens his paintings to screenshots or freeze frames, as if plucked from an enigmatic, longer narrative. His sketchbook contains countless renderings, including drawings of settings and characters akin to storyboards for a movie.

Once he translates a basic sketch into a color study, Alfredo translates the idea to photographic compositions involving real people and various objects. “Once I have all my reference photos ready, I compose an image on my iPad to see how the painting will turn out. The rest is painting,” he says, leaving enough room for the inevitable improvisation.

a wide horizontal painting of trees illuminated pink at night, with a mysterious illumination in the distance near the horizon
“La Playa Lucia” (2025), oil on canvas, 10 x 20 inches

A suite of new paintings titled STARLESS that Alfredo recently exhibited with Spinello Projects at EXPO CHICAGO are “snapshots of a larger story I’m still uncovering,” he says. Otherworldly magentas and teals envelop figures in a variety of natural landscapes, beneath a sky devoid of celestial objects. Instead, mysterious objects fall from above, and the characters react to the phenomena with wonder, fear, and confusion. “I love capturing those moments when we feel powerless and can only observe for a moment before taking action,” he says.

Find more on Alfredo’s website and Instagram.

a painting of a male figure looking out at smoke along a distant horizon at night
“The Theme Park” (2025), oil on canvas, 72 x 96 inches
a teal-and-black painting of a male figure in profile with his head bowed down and his hands at his chest
“Moon” (2025), oil on canvas, 24 x 24 inches
a painting of a male figure standing in a boat at night, looking away from the viewer toward a plume of black smoke
“The Everglades” (2025), oil on canvas, 72 x 96 inches
a painting of a male figure standing in profile at night, illuminated blue against a deep pinkish-blue horizon
“Antonio” (2025), oil on canvas, 40 x 60 inches
a detail of a painting of two male figures at night, standing together and looking toward something just out of the frame
Detail of “Near the Military Base”

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Floral Quilted Portraits by Maria A. Guzmán Capron Cultivate Care and Love https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2025/05/maria-a-guzman-capron-garden-portraits/ Wed, 14 May 2025 18:53:11 +0000 https://www.thisiscolossal.com/?p=455290 Floral Quilted Portraits by Maria A. Guzmán Capron Cultivate Care and LoveIn 'Solo Pienso en Volver a Verte,' Maria A. Guzmán Capron welcomes viewers into a lush garden of care and compassion.

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For thousands of years, flowers have been a rich source of symbolism. Dating back to the Ottomans, floriology, or the language of flowers, blossomed in the Victorian era when a bouquet functioned as a nonverbal code. The delicate sweetpea, for example, might have been given as a thank you to a particularly generous host, while buttercups would tell the recipient that the sender thought them childish and immature.

Maria A. Guzmán Capron (previously) references the timeless expressions of flowers for Solo Pienso en Volver a Verte, which opens this week at Lyles & King. Translating to “I only think about seeing you again,” the solo exhibition comprises the artist’s signature textile portraits of opulently patterned fabrics in a layered patchwork. Soft and plump with batting, the quilted characters are each unique, although Capron sometimes uses the same secondhand material on several pieces.

a textile portrait of two women in vivid, patterned fabrics
“Déjame Llevarte”

Encircled in hand-dyed fabrics, the figures in this body of work are often doubled or conjoined, as in the embracing women of “Otra Vez” or the two-faced subject of “Echa de Pedacitos.” Love, warmth, and protection feature prominently, as hands grasp for one another or emerge as a three-dimensional gesture. Capron envisions these layered, hybrid forms as a way to visualize the various identities, experiences, and memories within all of us.

The artist also stitches and screenprints a wide array of flowers on faces, garments, and throughout the lush surroundings. Sometimes abstract and often indeterminate, the blooms share stories and messages of desire that might be unspeakable or better communicated through a symbol of affection. Tending to love in all of its forms is the thread that runs through each work, as Capron welcomes us into a world in which compassion and care are the most beautiful gifts.

Solo Pienso en Volver a Verte runs through June 21 in New York. Find more from Capron on Instagram.

a textile portrait of two women in vivid, patterned fabrics
“Otra Vez”
a textile portrait of a woman in vivid, patterned fabrics
“Echa de Pedacitos”
a textile portrait of a woman in vivid, patterned fabrics
“Para Que Me Mires”
a textile portrait of a woman in vivid, patterned fabrics
“Te Dejé Quererme”
detail of a textile portrait of a woman in vivid, patterned fabrics
Detail of “Y Comencé”
a textile portrait of abstract figures framed by blue leaves
“También Allí”
a textile portrait of a woman in vivid, patterned fabrics
“Algo Escondido”
detail of a textile hand on vivid, patterned fabric
Detail of “Otra Vez”
a textile portrait of a woman in vivid, patterned fabrics
“Y Comencé”
detail of a textile hand on vivid, patterned fabric
Detail of “Te Dejé Quererme”

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Recycled Materials Draw Attention to Ocean Plastics in Ana Brecevic’s Assemblages https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2025/05/ana-brecevic-plasticum/ Wed, 14 May 2025 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.thisiscolossal.com/?p=455292 Recycled Materials Draw Attention to Ocean Plastics in Ana Brecevic’s Assemblages"I live along the Atlantic coast, where I collect marine waste that inspires and feeds into this body of work," Brecevic says.

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As the climate crisis worsens around the globe, its effects are no more apparent than in our oceans and the communities that rely on them. Delicate coral reefs, for example, face stresses from not only rising sea temperatures but the residue of human presence—plastics, castoff fishing equipment, and other waste.

Warm water is typically the culprit in coral bleaching events, characterized by algae leaving the organisms and turning them a ghostly white. The algae provides a food source and helps to protect the coral from disease, but when it goes, the host is left much more vulnerable. For Ana Brecevic (previously), this phenomenon inspires work that draws attention to this urgent issue.

cut white material, draping off the edge of a wooden table, in the shape of coral

Her recent series, Plasticum, reflects on the ever-growing problem of plastic pollution in the earth’s oceans while contrasting the beauty of marine ecosystems with their vulnerability to human impact. The artist meticulously cuts silhouettes of bleached corals and gorgonians—also known as sea fans—and ornaments them with baubles reminiscent of debris.

“I live along the Atlantic coast, where I collect marine waste that inspires and feeds into this body of work,” Brecevic says. “Everything is made from recycled paper, upcycled fabrics, and natural dyes.”

The artist describes Plasticum as “a quiet echo of a reality slowly settling in,” where microplastics and waste continually threaten underwater habitats and biodiversity. She says, “Through this work, I hope to spark questions about our connection to living ecosystems and what we choose to see—or overlook.”

Find more on Brecevic’s website and Instagram.

a framed artwork made of cut material in the shape of coral
Photo by Marion Saupin
a framed artwork made of cut material in the shape of coral
a detail of a framed artwork made of cut material in the shape of coral
a framed artwork made of cut material in the shape of coral
a detail of a framed artwork made of cut material in the shape of coral
Photo by Marion Saupin
a detail of an artist's hands working on cut material in the shape of coral
Photo by Marion Saupin
a detail of an abstract, dark blue, textured sculpture

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Paola Grizi Adds New Meaning to ‘Literary Figures’ in Emotive Bronze Sculptures https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2025/05/paola-grizi-bronze-sculptures/ Wed, 14 May 2025 14:16:02 +0000 https://www.thisiscolossal.com/?p=455269 Paola Grizi Adds New Meaning to ‘Literary Figures’ in Emotive Bronze SculpturesReliefs of eyes, noses, and mouths peer outward like knowledge and stories personified.

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In the emotional bronze and terracotta sculptures of Paola Grizi (previously), faces and hands merge with pages of books and manuscripts. Handwriting slides off the leaves onto skin and reliefs of eyes, noses, and mouths peer outward like knowledge and stories personified. Many of her works are scaled to sit on interior surfaces, while others, like “Inner Motion” or “Looking Ahead” take on monumental proportions.

Grizi currently has work permanently on view at Marciano Contemporary in Paris, Bel Air Fine Art in Luxembourg, and Gallery Van Dun in Oisterwijk, The Netherlands. This summer, pieces will also be included in a presentation at Gallery Maner in Port-Aven, France. See more on the artist’s website.

a large bronze sculpture of a book with a face in relief on one page
“Looking Ahead,” Casart Edition, bronze, 120 x 110 x 20 centimeters
a sculpture of a woman's face and hand merging with the pages of a book or manuscript
“Background,” Casart Edition, bronze, 32 x 12 x 15 centimeters
a large bronze sculpture of a book with turning pages and a face in relief on the top left
“Inner Motion,” Casart Edition, bronze
a bronze sculpture of a book with two faces in relief, about to kiss
“Kiss,” Casart Edition, bronze, 35 x 37 x 20 centimeters
a bronze sculpture of a book or manuscript with a woman's face and hand peeking out from inside
“Boundless,” terracotta
a bronze sculpture of a book with part of a woman's face in relief on the left page
“Composition,” Casart Edition, bronze, 30 x 35 x 25 centimeters
a sculpture of a book with a face in relief on the left page
“Multiple Lectures,” Casart Edition, bronze, 35 x 30 x 20 centimeters
a clay sculpture in progress against outdoor greenery
Work in progress in the artist’s outdoor studio

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Metaphysical Interactions Unfold in Moonassi’s Surreal ‘Mind Illustrations’ https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2025/05/moonassi-ink-drawings/ Mon, 12 May 2025 18:00:00 +0000 https://www.thisiscolossal.com/?p=455128 Metaphysical Interactions Unfold in Moonassi’s Surreal ‘Mind Illustrations’The artist constructs dreamlike worlds in which figures commune and explore.

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Through ink on hanji paper that juxtaposes deep blacks with delicate cross-hatching, surreal scenes unfold in the drawings of Seoul-based artist Moonassi (previously). Through the dramatic use of chiaroscuro and simple yet elegantly delineated faces, hands, and limbs, the artist constructs dreamlike worlds in which figures commune and explore.

Moonassi’s use of meok, a traditional Korean inkstick ground with water against a stone to produce a liquid, results in a deep black medium achieved through a meditative process. He refers to his work as “mind illustration,” delving into the emotional and psychological bonds between pairs, small groups, and otherworldly surroundings.

an ink drawing on paper of a figure wearing black clothing, crouched in front of a giant hand, holding their hands over another tiny figure who is also crouched and protecting another figure who is even smaller yet
“Meme” (2024), ink and acrylic on Hanji, 130.3 x 193.9 centimeters

Recent pieces like “Same difference” explore dualities like opaqueness and transparency, weight and lightness, and unity and individuality. Moonassi’s compositions are often intrinsically introspective, as the figures interact with others that may or may not be versions of themselves or figments of their own imaginations.

Repetition and scale play significant roles in the artist’s work, like in “Meme,” in which a central figure crouches onto the ground and gently cups another tiny figure in their hands, who in turn does the same. At some point, it dawns on us that the main figure is also framed by enormous hands, akin to an otherworldly Matryoshka nesting doll. Moonassi’s scenes challenges our senses of perspective, presence, care, and the spiritual world.

Find more on the artist’s website.

an ink drawing on paper of a figure wearing black clothing, halfway in sand and revealing the outline of a face in the sand
“Mineral Wait” (2024), ink on Hanji, 76 × 145 centimeters
an ink drawing on paper of two figures in black garments against a dark background
“Acrobat IV” (2024), ink and acrylic on Hanji, 72.7 x 60.6 centimeters
an ink drawing on paper of four figures in black garments in front of a large, sleeping figure
“Becoming Nature” (2024), ink and acrylic on Hanji, 72.7 x 60.6 centimeters
an ink drawing on paper of two figures in black garments
“The feeling aligned for us” (2024), ink and acrylic on Hanji, 130.3 x 190.4 centimeters
an ink drawing on paper of two figures with their heads above the surface of rippling water
“Rippled and sparkled” (2024), ink on Hanji, 130.3 x 193.9 centimeters
an ink drawing on paper of a figures in black clothing, arranging pieces of a broken head on the ground
“Feeling Kintsugi” (2024), ink and acrylic on Hanji, 72.7 x 60.6 centimeters

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‘Level Up’ by GAFFA Transports Us to an Uncanny Parking Garage https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2025/05/gaffa-level-up/ Mon, 12 May 2025 15:30:00 +0000 https://www.thisiscolossal.com/?p=455100 ‘Level Up’ by GAFFA Transports Us to an Uncanny Parking GarageThe interdisciplinary collective challenges our perception of society and physical space.

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When you think of an orange safety cone, you might imagine rows of the small reflective objects placed around temporarily parked vehicles or, say, next to potholes. But on a stroll through GAFFA’s recent exhibition, Level Up at Kunsthalle Arbon, the everyday sight took the form of an unmissably imposing, monumental structure.

GAFFA is a collective founded nine years ago by Wanja Harb, Linus Lutz, Dario Forlin, and Lucian Kunz. Through a signature blend of humor, irony, and an interdisciplinary approach involving zines, collages, photography, sculpture, and installation, the group challenges our perceptions of physical space, history, and society.

In their sometimes absurd installations, GAFFA often brings the outdoors in, like importing a beach chair and umbrella into a concrete room or constructing an enormous brown slug that slid across a gallery floor. In Level Up, traffic serves as the primary focus—both its symbols and the fine line between regulation and chaos.

GAFFA transformed the Swiss art gallery into a parking garage containing an extra-long stretch limo, an entry ticket, orange cone, and double-arrow directional sign. We don’t know to whom the car belongs or where they are.

Viewers are transported into a kind of Alice in Wonderland experience where the scale of everything feels befuddling and incongruent. The car, though life-size, is made of cardboard, and the yellow sign is an oil painting.

“Underground garages and parking garages are places we usually only notice in passing,” the gallery says in a statement. “They are purpose-built ‘non-places’ to which hardly anyone pays attention, yet they have their own aesthetics: the strict geometry of the parking spaces, the rhythmic movement of the barriers, the seemingly random arrangement of the holes on a parking ticket.”

Anyone who has driven into a large garage knows the anxieties of a gate not opening when it’s supposed to or the ticket machine not working. Within the large yet controlled space of the Kunsthalle Arbon, Level Up begged the question: how does one get out of here? Explore more on the collective’s website.

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Gregory Euclide Explores the Anthropocene in Verdant Mixed-Media Collages https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2025/05/gregory-euclide-assembled-lands/ Mon, 12 May 2025 13:34:01 +0000 https://www.thisiscolossal.com/?p=455081 Gregory Euclide Explores the Anthropocene in Verdant Mixed-Media CollagesEuclide’s mixed-media collages investigate nature through the lens of human experience.

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Smeared, flattened, and rough around the edges, Gregory Euclide’s mixed-media collages explore nature through the lens of human experience. Organically meandering outlines suggest shallow reliefs; foraged prairie botanicals complement human-made materials; and abstracted landscapes emerge from drawings, photographs, ripped paper, paint, and more.

“The artist tears and layers these elements to build a new pictorial space which more accurately resembles the way he takes in the land,” says a gallery statement for Assembled Lands, Euclide’s solo exhibition opening later this week with Hashimoto Contemporary.

“Torn: Double Sun” (2025)

Breaking down his observations of nature into its fundamental parts, Euclide merges overviews of trees, shrubs, meadows, and the horizon with the intimate details of leaves or branches. One might approach his subject matter through the lens of the Anthropocene, which describes our present era of accelerating changes to the environment due to humans’ unrelenting impact.

Each collage (previously) merges recognizable forms and terrain with abstract shapes and compositional spirals or whorls. The effect toys with perception and our understanding of relationships between flatness and depth, land and sky, and nature and ourselves.

Assembled Lands runs from May 17 to June 14 in New York City. See more on the artist’s website.

“Washed Up On The Beach 2” (2025)
“Plat Map” (2025)
“Torn: Silhouette” (2025)
“Random Invader Memory” (2025)
“Torn Landscape Spun” (2025)
“Torn: Forest Silhouette” (2025)

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