Liu Bolin Camouflages Himself in Popular Kenny Scharf Mural
On June 21, world-renowned Chinese contemporary artist Liu Bolin will camouflage himself into a popular Kenny Scharf mural for his first live painting/ performance piece in the United States. The work will mark the first time Liu Bolin will collaborate with another contemporary artist. Kenny Scharf's colorful, spray-painted Houston Street mural has received an incredible amount of both attention and accolades since it went up on the corner of Houston and Bowery in Lower Manhattan on December 10, 2010.
"Bringing together two of the most influential contemporary artists of our generation, both who truly represent their cultures, is an important moment in New York City’s art world” explains Marc and Sara Schiller from Wooster Collective. "We're thrilled that this once in a lifetime project has come together and can't wait to see the results."
The performance was conceived by the New York based curatorial group Wooster Collective, and Eli Klein Gallery who is bringing Liu Bolin from China. It is supported by Goldman Properties, the owner of the property and longtime supporters of public art throughout SoHo.
Tony Goldman is pleased to announce the Inside Out Group Action: "Lakota, Dakota Nation" at the Houston/Bowery Mural Wall.
This is the sixth project at this historic wall after the Kenny Scharf spray paint mural; it will be presented on June 23, 2011. The Inside Out Group Action: "Lakota, North Dakota" will highlight the Standing Rock and Pineridge Native Reservations — some of the most important Native American reservations whose impoverished and forgotten communities have suffered unspeakable hardships. The Lakota, Dakota Nation group action is to show that the people in this community are still struggling to hold onto their native way of life.
Community leaders work with their people to teach their traditions, history, and ceremonies - knowledge which is critical to their collective survival. The Inside Out Project "Lakota, Dakota Nation" is intended to shine a light on this rich culture, for which they are fighting daily.
Inside Out is a large-scale participatory art project that transforms messages of personal identity into pieces of artistic work. Everyone is challenged to use black and white photographic portraits to discover, reveal and share the untold stories and images of people around the world.
The INSIDE OUT project is a creation of the artist JR, recipient of the 2011 TED Prize.
Initially expected to be the next SoHo or West Village, the Lower East Side is getting an F as a shopping destination. Since February ... several other apparel shops, including trendy In God We Trust, have given up on the Lower East Side. Others, such as accessories purveyor Bag and fashion boutique Convent, have announced their imminent closures. Businesses complain that landlords, anticipating completed developments, have been jacking up rents, though several construction projects are still stalled with recession-related woes.
The influx of nightlife has only driven up rents, making the area even less appealing for emerging boutiques. In the past 18 months, asking prices in the neighborhood have jumped, increasing 20% following recession-related drops. Now, asking rents on prime streets range from $100 to $150 a square foot, while secondary areas are closer to $65 a square foot, according to brokers.
“If I was a landlord, I'd want to fill the block with cool local stores so the foot traffic is cool—we don't need another NoLIta or SoHo,” said Julie Noyce, In God We Trust's general manager. “The Lower East Side has always been for artists and rock 'n' rollers — if you get rid of that local flavor, then it's just Steve Madden and a bunch of bars.”
