Ian Strange – “SUBURBAN” Multidisciplinary Project
Se avete una televisione avrete sicuramente presente il classico stereotipo delle case americane, giardino, steccato, garage a casa su più piani, chi non ha sognato di viverci? Sono proprio loro il centro dell’ultimo progetto firmato da Ian Strange, SUBURBAN.
Il progetto nasce come un indagine visiva sull’iconografia che circonda la casa in questo particolare momento di crisi economica, con il suo lavoro Ian Strage articola il suo rapporto conflittuale contrapponendo i suoi sobborghi australiani con quelli degli Newyorkesi degli Stati Uniti. Influenzato profondamente dal suo vivere in questi particolari quartieri, l’artista ha impiegato due anni e mezzo in giro per gli States, creando un corpo di lavoro che reagisce allo stereotipo della casa di periferia e della periferia nel suo complesso, la periferia come casa ma sopratutto come luogo isolato rispetto al resto della città, è questo suo progetto ne è la giusta reazione.
Insieme a volontari ed ad una troupe cinematografica nasce il progetto nella sua interezza, otto opere fotografiche su larga scala, alimentate da audio e video installazioni, insieme a veri e propri frammenti accuratamente selezionati dagli edifici originali utilizzati duranti i suoi viaggi, daranno vita a questo interessante show all’interno del NGV Studio a Melbourne a partire dal 27 Luglio fino al 15 Settembre.
In attesa di offrirvi un approfondito recap dello show basta chiacchiere, schiacciate play e godetevi lo spettacolo, ne vale davvero la pena.
Delivering his largest and most ambitious project to date, Australian born, New York based artist, Ian “Kid Zoom” Strange presents SUBURBAN, a multifaceted photography, film and installation exhibition opening at the National Gallery of Victoria on July 26.
Since recreating a full-scale replica of his childhood home inside Cockatoo Island’s Turbine Hall in Sydney, 2011, Strange has continued his ongoing investigation of suburbia. For the past two years Strange has travelled across the East Coast of the United States working with a film crew and volunteers in Ohio, Detroit, Alabama, New Jersey, New York and New Hampshire to create, photograph and film eight site specific interventions incorporating suburban.
Suburban presents eight large-scale photographic works, a multi-channel, surround sound video installation along with carefully selected fragments of the original buildings that Strange has saved and re-presents as both sculptural objects and social artefacts.
On the exhibition, David Hurlston, Curator of Australian Art, National Gallery of Victoria, said, “We are excited to be able to present this ground-breaking exhibition of work by Ian Strange. From his early work as a street artist in Australia he is now a noted contemporary artist with a developing international standing. Strange is fast becoming recognised, both locally and internationally, for his distinctive practice and, in particular, for this new and unique body of work.”
Cinematic in both tone and scale, SUBURBAN investigates the iconography surrounding the family home and its place in the current economic climate. Through the work, Strange articulates his own conflicted relationship with suburbia he experienced growing up in the Australian suburbs, juxtaposed with living in New York City and the United States.
“This project has been all consuming for the past two and a half years of my life”, said Strange. “I wanted to create a body of work that reacted to the icon of the suburban home and to the suburbs as a whole. The suburbs have played an important role in shaping who I am as a person and an artist. The suburbs have always been home, but I have always found suburbia isolating. SUBURBAN is my reaction to that.”
NATIONAL GALLERY OF VICTORIA
The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Federation Square
NGV Studio, Ground Level
Melbourne, Australia
