LONDON, Jan 11 — A new Lazinc gallery in London’s Mayfair is preparing to open its doors this week with a behind-the-scenes exhibit of the acclaimed French street artist JR.
GIANTS — Body of Work will focus on a series of 3D outdoor sculptures JR created for the 2016 Rio Olympics, depicting athletes executing the recognisable motions of Olympic sports such as diving, high jump and swimming.
The exhibition will feature studio plans, drawings and prototypes the artist used to create his works, from studio conception to outdoor installation. Beyond private studio visits, this will mark the first time the artist’s Giants series has been seen in such a way, with a collection of mixed media works each encompassing preparatory notes, photography and architectural drawings.
Outside the new two-story gallery, located at 29 Sackville Street, a brand-new, large-scale GIANTS work is being created on the building’s exterior featuring an image not used in the earlier Giants works.
TED Prize-winner JR is behind a number of recent high-profile works, including a 70-foot installation on the US/Mexico border in Tecate and a film with Agnès Varda that won the best documentary prize at last year’s Cannes Festival. He currently has another behind-the-scenes-style exhibit running in Berlin entitled The Wrinkles of the City, Instanbul — Body of Work.
Lazinc, which has collaborated with JR previously, was created through a joint partnership between contemporary art specialist Steve Lazarides and art collector and retail expert Wissam Al Mana, and has other spaces including the Lazinc Banksy Print Gallery on London’s Southbank.
Giants — Body of Work runs from January 12 - February 28. — AFP-Relaxnews
