Feedback release: CANVAS | OUT OF BALANCE
London | October 22, 2020 – March 25, 2021
THE LINE Contemporary Art Space

ITSLIQUID Group, in collaboration with YMX Arts, is proud to share the great results of OUT OF BALANCE, second appointment of CANVAS International Art Fair 2020 that took place in London at THE LINE Contemporary Art Space, from October 22, 2020 to March 25, 2021.

The concept of OUT OF BALANCE deals with the fact that the world in which we live shapes our identity and personal evolution inevitably. Everyday we meet and deal with a multitude of different identities and roles: we face the public life creating and adapting our social identities; our body and aesthetic tastes modify and are modified by our physical and sexual identities; our whole being evolves as well as contemporary cultures and modern cities do. We invited artists to explore the concepts of Entropy, Disorders, Obsessions: entropy is conceptually defined as the measure of the level of disorder in a changing system. Starting from this fascinating concept, each person can be considered as a changing system, as the same as for a specific culture, city or country, until the whole universe. These continue changes find in the inevitability of evolution their measure of order.

Especially in this time, the exhibition concept is deeply actual: the challenging times we are living force us to lose our balance and to reshape our identity, the public life and environments. This vision is well explained by Marco Ronga‘s painting titled “A(e)ntropy”, that is inspired by the fragility of environmental sustainability: the title combines the words Anthropia, that belongs to humanity, and Entropy, the measure of disorder. In his painting the figures cannot escape from the prison of their own lifestyle, just like animals put in a cage. However, a message of hope and safety is represented in “Corona virum (crown of men)”: in this work the “crown of men” become for Ronga a metaphor for human solidarity that faces the danger of the abyss. Through her video artwork “The wood”, the italian Karin De Ponti reflects on a universal emotion of human being: the fear. We have all tough days in our lives when we lose our hopes and we can’t see things for simply what they are. We are caught by fear, that comes from either ourselves or from the outside. Fear changes and disempowers us. The author suggests that we can find a solution to recreate a inner balance only when we take care of the messages of our souls, our inner voice, the voice of love and heart.

Confirming once again his collaboration with ITSLIQUID Group, Timo Frank presented the third part of the trilogy Floating/ Falling/ Impact. His work, that was chosen as icon of the exhibition, focuses on the expression of the body in a single moment. It’s the first moment of contact of a falling body but there is no movement, no relation to speed or falling height. Spectator decides for himrself: is this moment real or is it a constructed reality? And does this matter if everyone has each own perspective? Among our artists, Alexandra N. Winterberg, the creator behind “Hoffnung”. Her work’s aim is to develop new perception horizons and perspectives with a possible termination of the familiar. Her beautiful work was born by some questions, which the artist asked to herself, as: “what keeps us in balance? What do we consider as balanced? What help us to feel balanced?” Disorder, fragility, the need of focus and clarity let us feel the necessity of balance. In sharing this feelings with others people, we need to find words for these kinds of emotional states; of course these words are not the same for everybody but are important beacuse in that convey the energy. So Winterberg decided to cut some of these words in fragments and collaged them on canvas in an unreadable way. Seeing the work, we spontaneously try to recreate the hole word; however the author’s message is that we have to accept that what is unbalanced for us, could be balanced for others.

Born in Beirut amid civil war and political instability, Dana Hassan presented “Wall Calls for Peace”, that definitely explains her idea that Art has to be not just a merely aesthetic but also a powerful force for positive change, especially when it touches on complex subject matters that engage with global communities and make a strong impact. Her artworks capture universal concerns and aspirations of people and communities, in an effort to contribute to peace and reconciliation, inspiring a message of hope. “Wall Calls for Peace” is part of a series of artworks that Dana developed to retrace the collective memory of her city Beirut. The three-dimensional collage delves into Beirut’s cut and torn urban areas in an effort to reignite this nostalgic feeling, sentimental desire, and remembrance of particular places, times, and people from the past. The video work titled “Twelve”, directed by Helena Schultheis Edgeler, explores the microcosm of human existence and the macrocosm of extrasensory realities. The work shows the idea of a human reality symbolized by the crystal mask held in twelve different ways by twelve people, that create their individual way of being in the same time frame. Harmonious coexistence of different realities, within their own time cycles, is an expression of a meaningful totality.

During the opening at THE LINE Gallery we had also the honor to present the launch of the new fashion collection called “x by nessuno”, designed by Leslie Roth. Recycled cashmere cardigans, with add-ons such as vintage buttons, appliques, and embellishments are the ingredients in the X by nessuno collection. It was made by hand stitching pieces of ripped, reassembled for a fresh look. X by nessuno integrates the fragmentation of diverse origins by honoring details while enhancing its unique finishes and color combinations. “Humanopolis” is Jose Ignacio Hernández Larburu‘s photographic project that aims to rehumanize the city, recovering the initial destination for which it was built and making citizens see that they are at it service. For this, the work shows the interconnection of man with the city, using the metamorphosis of the body with the landscape of the city. Terms like origin, growth and evolution are common for people and cities. Sociocultural changes in cities reflect the historical values of the territory, that is identity. People have to recognize their individuality but at the same time their global condition by integrating themselves into the public space; indeed a body has no meaning without a space, and space without a body does not have it either. There has always been an analogy between the constitution and structure of the city and that of man: a city must has a head as well as nerve centers, it must be able to breathe widely and have an adequate arterial system. The brain and the heart as fundamental parts of the urban fabric would be represented by the cultural center and the public square. Accepting this point of view, architecture could be considered as urban expression and the body as human expression, that influence each other.

Violette Dooley‘s work is based on the reflection that during this first part of the 21st century we have lived in a never ending of visual bombardment in all aspects of the social media. Our senses are overloaded by the mass of information and for this the artist tried to decipher and incorporate her ideas, from literal to pure abstraction. Abstract Expressionism is her passion. She loves using bold vibrant colours to paring down images until the paint speaks for itself. In her art expression of thought and emotion plays a big part. Seeing Regina Kehrer‘s works we can found her idea of Art, as something that give opportunities to change the field of visions. Art can be a pleasure and fountain of encouraging, lifting up, giving new faith, to stay optimistic. She finds motifs of interest both indoors and outdoors, by watching the world around, by reading newspapers, books, watching TV and films. Especially in “Refugees on sea” her vision of art become clear: she thinks about the themes and tries to instill empathy in people.

Through the brilliant and meaningful artworks selected and thanks to the power of Art, OUT OF BALANCE is a valid starting point to reflect about the changes we are living nowadays.

organized by ITSLIQUID Group
curator Luca Curci
gallery manager Massimiliano Gordiani
project manager Francesca Brigandì
project coordinators Amaride Ferrante, Giulia Tassi
collaborators Veronica Piras, Giulia Spagnuolo
graphic designer Marina Caracciolo
supported by HUB Design New York, Tuka Smart printhouse

VENUE
THE LINE Contemporary Art Space
42 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6DR
11:00AM – 06:00PM | Tuesday – Saturday

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COVID-19 Protection Concept – ITSLIQUID Group

The health and safety of our staff and visitors are of predominant importance to ITSLIQUID Group. This Protection Concept governs how we intend to operate after the lockdown has ended, the rules that will be applied inside the exhibition spaces and how these will be implemented in practice. Read more.

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ABOUT US

ITSLIQUID is a web based information platform, founded in 2001 by Luca Curci, dedicated to world wide distribution of information about calls for entries, exhibitions and events at some of the world’s leading art galleries, museums and foundations selected. ITSLIQUID has already built a readership of more than 250.000 qualified subscribers. Among them architects, designers, artists, collectors, art critics, curators, dealers, and other personalities of the International art, architecture and design world. It provides advertising services, press office services for events and projects, articles and specials published on the website, media partnerships services.

During the last 20 years, ITSLIQUID Group has became a cultural hub between creatives, exhibition spaces and art lovers. Among our international partners, Art Now Fair, Art Vancouver, Design Tokyo, INDEX Qatar, INDEX Saudi, The Big 5 Construct Dubai, The Big 5 Construct Qatar, Photo LA Los Angeles and international magazines like Art Style. ITSLIQUID Group supports some of the most important no-profit organizations, like UNFCCC – United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, SSCS – Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, One Tree Planted, The Ocean CleanUp and Plastic Oceans, with the goal to increase public awareness about environmental issues. Click here to find out more.

ITSLIQUID GROUP includes a section dedicated to the organization of international art events, managing exhibitions of painting, photography, video art, installation and performance; it organizes solo and collective shows, art residencies and international contests. Its object is to use new technologies to globalize the language of art, to connect artists working in every part of the world.

ITSLIQUID Group manages a variety of art spaces all over the world; among them THE ROOM Contemporary Art Space in the heart of San Marco Square in Venice and different historical buildings, THE LINE Contemporary Art Space in the London city center and other different partners worldwide. Since its beginning, the group has organized more than 250 events all around the world, involving more than 5.000 artists, in more than 60 international venues in Italy, USA, Canada, UK, Spain, France, etc. Most of the last events have been realized in museums (CCCB – Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona in Spain, NCCA – National Center for Contemporary Arts in Moscow, etc.), galleries and private foundations.

ITSLIQUID is based on fluidity, motion, connection and accessibility. Making things easy to do. Welcome.

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OUR LOCATION

THE LINE Contemporary Art Space

Located in the heart of London, 5 minutes’ walk from Elephant & Castle and Borough station, the Gallery is less than 1 km far from The Shard and TATE Modern and 2 metro stops from London Eye and Big Ben. THE LINE Contemporary Art Space is uniquely positioned at the second floor of Mercato Metropolitano, London’s first sustainable community market for food lovers, which promotes a healthy approach by focusing on artisans and local producers. With its 4800 square feet floor plan and natural light, THE LINE Contemporary Art Space offers inspirations to a new generation of creatives: a wide open space in which to experience contemporary art and where artists, curators and art lovers connect themselves in a unique network by sharing their knowledge and exchanging ideas.