Art Basel has "art" in its name, but fashion is just as much a part of the celebration. Fashion is the art we live in, an outward expression of our inner selves. So what happens when the medium we use to express our emotions becomes flat, preconceived, status-quo?
"When daily gestures are repeated endlessly, aesthetic monotony all around assails you," reads a press release. "The dress you wear for the upcoming party is visually trite and your dreams are in the hands of the most trashy commercial product packaging; it's time to get a move on and find crumbs of authenticity."
New York artists Daniel González and Anna Galtarossa have teamed up to bring the true energizing spirit of originality to life in their eye-catching, sensually immersive exhibit titled CRIMINAL AESTHETIC FASHION AT THE SKYSCRAPER CLUB. We caught up with them via email to learn more of their plan to transform the Diana Lowenstein gallery into a living nightclub complete with art you can try on yourself.
How did the concept for "CRIMINAL AESTHETIC FASHION AT THE SKYSCRAPER CLUB" come about? Was this something the two of you considered singularly then decided to bring about together?
Anna Galtarossa: When we start a new project we put on the table several things: ideas, wishes, visions, ... Then it is usually Daniel who does the synthesizing. He has a Pop and surreal side to him and he can come up with the coolest titles!
Daniel González, Juliet & the Forbidden Games Shoes, performance, Studio La Città, Verona, 10th October 2013 from Daniel González Project on Vimeo.
You've worked together in the past as Chili Moon Town Tour Productions. Why is this a partnership that works?
A.G.:: We work well together because we're very different and very similar. Sometimes I think we are two opposite sides of the same artist! But most of all we work very constructively together because we fight and we laugh, and we can do both very intensely. This allows us to challenge each other, transform, and survive it all!
Who is a good example of a "fashion criminal?"
Daniel González: A Fashion Criminal is a contemporary person fed up with daily routine, feeling almost faint for the usual commercials selling the worst product on sale. This Fashion Criminal wants to feel alive once more, breathe profoundly and get moved by a soundtrack or a movie. Politically incorrect, anticonformistic, tries to be a main character in contemporary society, fighting against flattening emotions and beauty.
Where do you find the "crumbs of authenticity" in your life?
D.G.: Everywhere. I mean, you should be able to look at all the surroundings as if it was the first time ever, only in this way we can recognize the beauty of authenticity all around us.
How specifically will you create the vibe of a nightclub in the gallery?
A.G. : Mixing life and art. Making art with life of course, but never leaving life out of the final work.
We push the spectators; inspire them to interact with the artwork. You can dance with it, try it on, be flooded and transformed by the lights. With the materials we use, their colors, the lights and sounds, we create a place where you relax and/or get excited as you enter instead of making you tense like a museum would.
D.G. : Thanks also to the collaboration with VANITY project the gallery will become an uncommon surreal space, where you appreciate art all around you and sparks of that will remain fixed upon your nails.
What mediums and materials did you work with in putting this together?
A.G. : So many! My main contribution is going to be dancing mechanical skyscrapers that also carry disco lights on their tops. Daniel will bring a series of wearable sculptures and sequinned banners. He will also "dress" the exterior of the gallery.
What is/are the piece(s) you're most proud of in this collection?
A.G. : I'm sorry but my upbringing prevents me from feeling proud about anything I do! I'm not sure there are things I would prefer over others. What makes me happy is seeing the whole show pulled together and the atmosphere it brings about.
What ideas and feelings do you hope people leave the exhibit with?
D.G. : We only dare to give the possibility to feel reality from another point of view. The feelings and consequences of our show are not considered in our project.
Is there anything else you'd like to say or mention that I didn't think to ask you?
D.G.: Don't forget to be inside the things each instant like the last, do your life yourself.
"Diana Lowenstein Gallery Presents Daniel Gonzalez & Anna Galtarossa: Criminal Aesthetic Fashion at the Skyscraper Club" is now open, with special extended viewing hours through Saturday, Dec. 7, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Exhibit runs through Jan.25.
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