Aleksander Hardashnakov is a Toronto-based artist who c0-directs The Loon, Parker Kay is a Toronto-based artist and writer who works across a number of disciplines to explore ” the systems and structures that operate within art, architecture, and communication theory.” And Brittany Shephard is a video artist who also founded and directs exhibition platform The Table in Toronto.
Veins of Gypsum Mortar ran at Ashley Berlin between July 17 to August 1 2015. Artists Viktor Briestenskyand Adam Shiu-Yang Shawinvited several other artists to show with them in a dimly lit room full of shadows in the space formally known as Other Projects. The title presents an altering thought that the part (mortar) that holds and seals things (gypsum) together is maybe the things themselves: too, or instead of. Gypsum is a material found present in chalk, alabaster and other forms of plaster. Many of the works in the small internal room seem as though they have swallowed chalk.
Leslie Kulesh‘s piece, ‘T.A.H. Temporary Autonomous Home (Survival Pillow Set)’ (2015) is made and therefore protected with PET film, a transparent polyester film which blocks the following waves: thermal, micro, and electro magnetic -as the materials list on Ashley Berlin’s website describes. There are two pillows. They are very close to each other, held together by a strap that makes them sit back to back. The foam pieces on their insides are visible – each granule.
On to one of the stone walls in the room Berlin-based artist Marco Bruzzone sticks soft, barbecue-sized marshmallows into the shape of a ‘T’ or a cork-screw or a drill and its called ‘get out fast’ (2015). Andrea Lukic shows three short recent videos -including the haunting ‘Christine Nicole’ (2014) -all wrapped up in in a square monitor, which is all wrapped up in transparent plastic and is also a place for Parisian artist Antoine Renard‘s piece of ground beef (‘untitled’, 2015) to sit.
Artist and co-founder of New York’s Tomorrow Gallery,Aleksander Hardashnakov shows several small drawings pasted to the walls and interior piping, Adam Shiu-Yang Shaw’s ‘Yucca Rose’ and ‘Beyond Quartzite’ are also on the walls, coming out like small cliffs on a bigger cliff face. Viktor Briestensky presents some masks, which also come out from the wall – or the weird melting shadow shape carved into the wall directly behind them. For ‘untitled (hood)’/ ‘untitled (mask)’ 2015 Briestensky swaps facial features for metal grates and eyes for silver foil goggles.
With no press release to speak of Veins of Gypsum Mortar is instead made up of casts, hollow things, lamps, lighting and things used as padding or stuffing -marshmallows included, maybe. **
This will be a fourth solo show for Amsterdam-based Balema, titled Cannibals, at the Berlin Gallery. While she hasn’t released any information about the themes or particular medium of the show, we can probably expect more found-object sculptural installations that have graced her previous exhibitions.
Meanwhile, Softer Than Stone And Sick In Your Mind opens at Croy Nielsen’s Apartment space, with Bajagić and Hardashnakov joining forces for the shared exhibition. As with Balema, there is no official information released yet about the exhibitions, which is all the more reason to check it out for yourself.