ProArt Gallery Announces ‘Street Art Without Borders’ Exhibition

ProArt Gallery, the gallery that celebrates innovative art and collectibles, today announced that it is holding an exhibition titled ‘Street Art Without Borders’ that will showcase the artworks of over 12 international street artists from March 9th to March 31st, 2011 at the ProArt Gallery located at Palm Strip Shopping Mall on Jumeirah Beach Road. The exhibition will open with a gala reception at ProArt Gallery on March 9th, 2011 from 19pm to 22 pm.

In recent years there has been an increasing interest in an ephemeral and viral form of art that is marking urban settings around the world, and has developed a flourishing sub-culture all its own. Now though, street art is going mainstream. Auctioneers, collectors and museum directors are scrambling to learn urban art vocabulary and develop positions on the big street art issues.

Tatiana Faure Director of ProArt Gallery explains, “There is as yet no simple definition of street art. It is an amorphous beast encompassing art, which is found in or inspired by the urban environment. With rebellious undertones, it is a democratic form of popular public art probably best understood by seeing it in situ. It is not limited to the gallery nor easily collected or possessed by those who may turn art into a trophy.”

Considered by some a nuisance, for others street art is a tool for communicating views of dissent, asking difficult questions and expressing political concerns. Its definition and uses are changing: originally a tool to mark territorial boundaries of urban youth today it is even seen in some cases as a means of urban beautification and regeneration.

“Whether it is regarded as vandalism or public art, street art has caught the interest of the art world and its lovers of beauty and this is why we feel Dubai would benefit from greater exposure,” Ms. Faure adds.

This exhibition is quite significant as it will showcase for the first time in Dubai such a diverse collection of street artworks from around the world. Artworks from household names such as Britain’s most celebrated and enigmatic graffiti artists Banksy, American Richard Mirando aka Seen often referred to as the “Godfather of Graffiti”, Los Angeles based French artist Thierry Guetta aka Mr Brainwash, and Vitaly Rusakov aka Mizer the renowned Russian urban muralist.

Contributing to the impressive lineup will be a premier showing of works by the upcoming French artist Gwenael Salaun, whose improvised and innovative paintings are reminiscent of the late Jean-Michel Basquiat. The Brittany born artist originally who was a club DJ by trade, decided to permanently switch off his spinning decks and solely devote himself to art by opening his own workshop in 2002.

However, it soon becomes apparent that Salaun never really left his clubbing heydays, his artwork has all the markings of a DJ’s rhythmic mixing and sampling with images being distorted, juxtaposed and assimilated into a hazy blur of media. It’s a celebration of chaos. “The recordings of our environment are sampled through into different forms, to which I collect and filter this cultural residue and use it as the foundation that forms the background to my art”, says Gwenael Salaun.

The artworks of Salaun have been part of solo and group exhibitions throughout Europe & North America including London, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels and New York.

Other artists to be featured during the exhibition include The London Police which consists of 2 notorious English geezers whose iconic black and white figures are often found acting out on the walls and cities around the globe. Speedy Graphito whose pioneering urban art uses pop cultures iconography to bring across a message always steeped in irony. Others include the New York based collective of artists Faile, Mau Mau, and Evil Dr Revolt. Local artist Saif B.Chilmiran will be adding some Emirati flavor to the international mix with select works.

For further details, please visit ProArt gallery located in Palm Strip Shopping Mall, F 21, Jumeirah Beach Road, Opposite Jumeirah Mosque from 10am – 9pm Saturday toThursday or call +9714 3450900. For further information about ProArt Gallery, please send an email on info@proartuae.com