Eléonore Joulin casts humble foods in a fresh light with her gastronomic collection of ceramic goods. From her studio in Brussels, the artist layers crinkled cabbage leaves into a vegetal dwelling and twists a long sausage into a sculptural, worm-like shape. She outfits many forms with a bulb and cord, turning a wedge of blue cheese or a big pickle into a functional design.

Most works begin with experimentation as Joulin explores the possibilities of a particular metallic oxide or other chemical compound. “For instance, titanium is unstable and iron is very coloring and the combination of (those) two oxide(s) gives a wide range of beige to brown, which was the start of exploring the texture of bread,” she shares. This specific research is on the artist’s mind at the moment as she searches for the proper glaze for a French brioche.

If you’re in Paris, stop by La Corvée after June 7 to see Joulin’s sculptures in a group show. Otherwise, find more of her designs on Instagram. You might also enjoy these grain-based designs.

“Cabbage House”

“Morbier cheese”

“Sausage”

“Big Pickle”

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Fare Meets Function in Eléonore Joulin’s Gourmet Ceramic Lamps and Vases appeared first on Colossal.

In 1802, Italian sculptor Antonio Canova produced a marble sculpture known as “Venus Italica,” notably commissioned by Napoléon Bonaparte and intended to replace another Venus statue at the Louvre in Paris. Among numerous other historic statues and artifacts at the Museum of Art and History in Geneva, the “Venus Italica” provides the foundation for an artistic intervention by Belgian artist Wim Delvoye.

As part of an ongoing program called carte blanche XL, MAH invited the artist-curator to reimagine the institution’s displays, asking the fundamental question: “How does one make sense of the abundance of objects, documents, artifacts, and all the evidence of artistic and practical activities that form the cultural sedimentation of the place?” Delvoye’s response came in the form of The Order of Things, a large-scale exhibition in several of the museum’s galleries.

Installation view of ‘The Order of Things’ (2024)

Delvoye is known for his inventive use of materials, painstaking craftsmanship, and experimentation with technology. He often traverses the blurry boundary between traditional art methodology and today’s digital realm. For this show, the artist was tasked with selecting objects from the collection, including items that may not have been recently highlighted, and building connections between past and present.

Throughout the exhibition, Delvoye tugs on themes of protection—intrinsic in a museum’s mission—in pieces like “Rimowa Classic Flight Multiwheel 971.70.00.4,” a metallic rolling suitcase, or a series of velvet-lined, bespoke carriers like “Case for Moped,” which perfectly fits a motorized bike. And in a series of embossed aluminum works, he draws on artifacts like a 16th-century engraved steel morion, or helmet, in “Untitled (Engraved Helmet),” which depicts an elaborate metallic hard hat.

Delvoye also plays with irony in both written and visual language, like in “La peur du vide,” or “the fear of emptiness,” in which the shell of a vintage race car sits among arrangements of historical armor. And in more than one instance, classical sculptures like “Venus Italica” are transformed into ball tracks, a pun on the idea of “historic marbles.”

The Order of Things continues through June 16. See more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

Left: “Rimowa Classic Flight Multiwheel 971.70.00.4” (2013), embossed aluminum, 74.5 x 52 x 26 centimeters. Right: Detail of “Ball Track Venus Italica” (2023)

“Untitled (Engraved Helmet)” (2017), embossed aluminum, 14 x 23 x 29 centimeters

Installation view of ‘The Order of Things’ (2024), gallery of Vénus Italica, Musée d’art et d’histoire de Genève. Photo by Stefan Altenburger

“La peur du vide.” Installation view of ‘The Order of Things’ (2024), gallery of armor, Musée d’art et d’histoire de Genève. Photo by Stefan Altenburger

“Le juste retour des choses.” Installation view of ‘The Order of Things’ (2024), Musée d’art et d’histoire de Genève. Photo by Stefan Altenburger

“Case for Moped” (2004), aluminium, laquer, felt, Peugeot Vogue moped, 70 x 175 x 115 centimeters, 100 kilograms

“Nautilus” (2017), laser-cut stainless steel, 72 x 68 x 32 centimeters

Installation view of ‘The Order of Things’ (2024), Entrance hall of Vénus et Adonis, Musée d’art et d’histoire de Genève. Photo by Stefan Altenburger

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article In ‘The Order of Things,’ Wim Delvoye’s Playful Installations Reimagine a Museum’s Historical Collection appeared first on Colossal.

Amidst the cobblestone streets of Chinatown in Prato, Italy, typography has become a bridge between worlds. Beatrice Murphy, a student in the Master’s Course in Graphic Design at Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) Firenze, developed her thesis project by examining and dissecting the bilingual signage of Prato’s Chinatown. Her project aimed to not only reveal numbers and data but also instances of human connection and diversity.

Beatrice Murphy, IED Firenze Master Student

Through a series of booklets and graphic materials, Beatrice transports us into the bustling streets of the neighborhood and its storefronts. Each page of her graphic research offers a glimpse into the soul of her hometown, capturing the daily rhythm of life in photographs and an archive of insights and infographics.

In Prato’s Chinatown, tradition intertwines with innovation and Chinese typography converges with the Italian language in dazzling displays of visual creativity. Beatrice categorized and transcribed more than 90 bilingual store signs, adopting a taxonomic font-based system. Her project is intended to illuminate the intricate dance between these two distinct cultures, celebrating the richness and complexity of Prato’s multicultural identity.

Beatrice Murphy, IED Firenze Master Student

The booklets are bound together by a symbolic red thread—a nod to Prato’s textile heritage—inviting readers to contemplate the interconnectedness of cultures and how diversity enriches our collective experience.

In this graphic exploration of language, signage, and cultural exchange, Beatrice hopes to remind us of the power of human connection and the beauty of diversity in our increasingly interconnected world—a narrative that speaks to the universal longing for understanding and belonging.

Beatrice Murphy, IED Firenze Master Student

Graphic design has transcended its traditional boundaries, becoming a powerful tool to promote inclusivity and diversity. As the media landscape continues to evolve, so does the responsibility of graphic designers to ensure that their work reflects and embraces the richness and complexity of human experiences.

Beatrice Murphy created her work through the Master’s Course in Graphic Design at IED Firenze. Now in its 13th edition, the program works with international students every year to develop unique narratives and study visual languages in a global setting. It hopes to offer a sensitive space for students to communicate their perspectives on important social matters and engage within the current landscape of the graphic design community.

To learn more about the Master’s Course in Graphic Design at IED Firenze, visit ied.edu.

Beatrice Murphy, IED Firenze Master Student

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article IED Firenze Graphic Design Student Explores Cultural Fusion and Exchange Through Bilingual Signage in Prato’s Chinatown appeared first on Colossal.

Textile design and the visual language of quilting shine through in Sarah Helen More’s paintings. Her kaleidoscopic works pair various geometric and botanical motifs in patchworks of flat graphic color. Emitting a joyful, meditative energy, the vivid compositions directly tie to the artist’s childhood memories and experiences.

Growing up in Portland, Oregon, and Houston, More was exposed to her mother’s quilting practice and her father’s vast geology collection, and she fuses the two in her works, as organic imagery melds with stripes and bold blocks of color. Now inspired by her daily walks around her home in Seattle, the artist often begins with a photograph or sketch before translating the patterns to the canvas. “My work has always been a place of solace for me—a place where I ruminate on life events and escape into an abstract reality that brings comfort and exhilaration,” she adds.

More has some paintings available through Garvey|Simon, and you can find more of her practice on Instagram.

“Sweetie”

“167th and Division”

“Gravitron Zipper”

“Hide and Seek”

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Kaleidoscopic Paintings by Sarah Helen More Pulse with Vibrant Energy appeared first on Colossal.

The Taipei City-based studio Pan Pan Hua is preserving local heritage by recreating the historic details unique to the region’s built environment. “Through years of research, we have found that the mosaic tile, once thriving in Taiwan, ceased production nearly half a century ago. Neither tile factories nor construction material suppliers offer similar products anymore, resulting in a gradual loss of Taiwan’s architectural identity,” a statement says.

After documenting dozens of examples around the country—find these on Flickr—designers created digital patterns and began to reproduce the colorful motifs. Handcrafted in small batches, the tiles are a labor-intensive ode to Taiwan’s vibrant history of design.

Visit the Pan Pan Hua website for information on purchasing the tiles, and be sure to check out the studio’s Instagram, which is a trove of architectural gems.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article A Taipei City Design Studio Is Recreating Historic Mosaic Tiles Found Throughout Taiwan appeared first on Colossal.

In 1887, an African-American man named Matthew Henson was hired by U.S. Navy engineer Robert Peary to accompany a team of explorers to be the first to navigate to the Geographic North Pole. On April 6, 1909, after several failed attempts, Henson was the first to arrive with the help of Inuit guides, but Peary—whose records were later interrogated and found to contain discrepancies—was credited with the achievement for a century.

And then there’s Andrea Motley Crabtree, the U.S. Army’s first female deep-sea diver and the first African-American female deep-sea diver in any branch of the country’s military service. While lauded as a trailblazer, she recounts a 21-year career marred by prejudice and considerable racist and misogynist hazing.

Figures like Henson and Crabtree appear often in Tavares Strachan’s multimedia installations and sculptures (previously). His ongoing series The Encyclopedia of Invisibility first came to fruition in 2018 as a 2,400-page book, containing 15,000 entries on subjects omitted from the Encyclopedia Britannica—an authority on history.

In his recent large-scale, immersive exhibition Magnificent Darkness with Marian Goodman Gallery in Los Angeles, Strachan positioned The Encyclopedia of Invisibility like a nucleus around which all other installations revolved. He even included a “pocket” edition of the book on a bespoke acrylic stand that doubled as a container for a pair of white gloves.

In one installation, “Matthew Henson (Hunter’s Shirt Stacked with Football and Spear)” stands adjacent to “Andrea Crabtree (Potter’s Shirt Stacked with Diver’s Helmet),” both homages to their respective subjects, situated like timeless totems in a desert-like expanse. In another arrangement, busts of legendary African queens like Amanirenas, Moremi Ajasoro, and Makeda—the Ethiopian name for the Queen of Sheba—are carved from marble. Adorning the works with real, flocked hair, Strachan venerates both ancient historical figures and Black hair itself.

“Encyclopedia of Invisibility (Pocket Guide)” (2024), leather, gilding, archival paper, lucite box, and stand, 9 1/4 x 12 1/8 x 10 inches (overall). Photo by Elon Schoenholz

Another series of busts, Inner Elder, continues the theme of connecting past to present by merging modern names with those from deeper in history. “Inner Elder (Biko as Septimius Severus),” for example, pairs South African anti-apartheid activist Bantu Stephen Biko with a laurel wreath crown redolent of Roman Emperor Septimius Severus, who was born in what is today Libya and ruled from 193 to 211 C.E. And “Inner Elder (Nina Simone as Queen of Sheba)” depicts the musical icon wearing a gilded crown as her face parts to reveal the queen, who dons a modest head wrap.

A new work composed of neon, “There is a Light in Darkness,” draws on the words of writer James Baldwin from his 1964 collaboration with the photographer Richard Avedon:

One discovers the light in darkness, that is what darkness is for; but everything in our lives depends on how we bear the light. It is necessary, while in darkness, to know that there is a light somewhere, to know that in oneself, waiting to be found, there is a light.

Strachan often focuses on dualities and contradictions inherent in history, stemming from whose narratives have been told—or whose have been overlooked—and who is doing the telling. As time passes, African-American heritage is increasingly in peril as significant sites and structures are at risk of loss or redevelopment.

Only 2 percent of the 95,000 entries on the National Register of Historic Places focus on the experiences of the Black community. By contrasting dark and light, whether literally as skin tone or metaphorically in terms of knowledge and access, Strachan emphasizes the importance of bringing unrecognized or erased histories to the fore and plumbing the past to better understand our present.

Find more on the artist’s website.

“Jah Rastafari with Rice Field (Stacked with Pineapple, Shield, and Football)” (2023), ceramic, rice field installation, 110 1/4 x 59 x 59 inches. Photo by Elon Schoenholz

Left: “Makeda (A Map of the Crown)” (2024), marble, flocked hair, 19 3/8 x 16 1/2 x 12 3/4 inches. Photo by Elon Schoenholz. Right: “Inner Elder (Biko as Septimius Severus)” (2023), ceramic, 39 3/8 x 23 5/8 x 23 5/8 inches. Photo by Jonti Wilde

Installation view. Left: “Matthew Henson (Hunter’s Shirt Stacked with Football and Spear)” (2023), ceramic, 78 3/4 x 35 3/8 x 15 3/4 inches. Right: “Andrea Crabtree (Potter’s Shirt Stacked with Diver’s Helmet)” (2023), ceramic, 70 7/8 x 35 3/8 x 15 3/4 inches. Photo by Elon Schoenholz

Installation view of Tavares Strachan, ‘Magnificent Darkness,’ at Marian Goodman Gallery, Los Angeles, 2024. Photo by Elon Schoenholz

“Inner Elder (Mary Seacole)” (2023), ceramic, 35 3/8 x 23 5/8 x 23 5/8 inches. Photo by Jonti Wilde  

“Encyclopedia of Invisibility (2 Walls)” (2024), ink, paint, acrylic medium, mixed media, collage work on Sintra panel, 142 x 239 1/8 inches. Photo by Elon Schoenholz

“There is a Light in Darkness” (2024), blue neon, yellow neon, and synchronized audio, 90 1/2 x 91 1/4 x 3 1/4 inches. Photo by Elon Schoenholz

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Merging Past and Present, Tavares Strachan Wrests Light from Darkness in His Expansive Installations appeared first on Colossal.

Lush with material textures, Stefaan De Croock’s portraits have no identifying attributes. The Belgian artist (previously) puzzles together fragments of wood or marble into figures with distinctive postures and presences but no facial features. Anonymity can lend itself to universality, De Croock believes, and he strives to pinpoint the experiences and stories that touch many lives.

Using reclaimed materials, the artist finds that dings, scratches, and evidence of wear add to the histories of each piece, while speaking to a sense of timelessness that runs through his work. “The materials hold something magical. They possess a certain spontaneity, impossible to recreate. They show an amazing imprint of everything that ever happened to them. You can ‘see’ time,” he said in a statement.

If you’re in Brussels, you can see a collection of his portraits on view through July 13 at Nosbaum Reding Gallery for In Limbo. Otherwise, explore more of the artist’s work on Instagram.

“PORTRAIT R IV 24” (2024), recycled wood sculpture, 33.46 x 21.26 inches

“PORTRAIT F VII 24” (2024), Taj Mahal marble, 20.87 x 36.61 inches

Left: “PORTRAIT R II 24” (2024), recycled wood sculpture, 70 x 40 centimeters. Right: “PORTRAIT L I 24” (2024), recycled wood sculpture, 90 x 53 centimeters

“PORTRAIT R IV 23” (2023), Patricia Verde marble and wood frame, 72.44 x 55.71 inches

“PORTRAIT R V 24” (2024), recycled wood sculpture, 39.37 x 21.26 inches

“PORTRAIT G I 23” (2023), Carrara marble and wood frame, 100 x 64.57 inches

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Weathered Wood and Marble Visualize Time Passing in Stefaan De Croock’s Poetic Portraits appeared first on Colossal.

In The Narrators, artist Tang Shuo inserts himself into the stories of his native Boulder Hill by painting himself as the protagonist. He envisions life as a sweaty worker hunched over a field of weeds or a child angling to capture a butterfly. Like previous bodies of work, the pensive series takes the divide between memory and fact as a starting point and how that tension arises within his small village on the edge of Guilin, China.

Working in deep, shadowy palettes with a signature flatness, Shuo creates an ensemble of characters in his likeness. All wear the same rolled pants and long-sleeved shirts and have dark hair that pools at the shoulders. This resemblance allows viewers to similarly cast themselves in the roles the artist has as an exercise in empathy and connection. “I hope viewers can immerse themselves in the stories of Boulder Hill, experiencing the memories and emotions I have encountered,” he says. “I aim for these artworks to evoke resonance and provoke contemplation on personal memories, hometown history, and human emotions.”

The Narrators runs from June 7 to July 13 at Beers London. Find more from Shuo on Instagram.

“Onlooker in the Tree” (2024), oil on linen, 120 x 110 centimeters

“Fire for Warmth” (2024), oil on linen, 170 x 140 centimeters

“The Child Catching Butterflies” (2024), oil on linen, 120 x 110 centimeters

“Weeder” (2024), oil on linen, 160 x 140 centimeters

“Water” (2024), oil on linen, 170 x 140 centimeters

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Tang Shuo Casts Himself as Members of His Small Chinese Village in a New Series of Paintings appeared first on Colossal.

The Bosch Parade, a theatrical and musical art spectacle on the Netherlands’ Dommel River, kicks off on Thursday, June 20. For four days, spectators on the riverbanks can experience a procession of 19 floating, paddling, and swimming works of art in the middle of the historic center of ’s-Hertogenbosch, the birthplace and home of Hieronymous Bosch (1450–1516). The tenth edition of the parade is dedicated to our contemporary demons.

Fantasy, Absurdities, and Wonderment
An impressive spectacle that amazes, touches, and connects viewers, Bosch Parade 2024 is the tenth edition of this floating art manifestation in the heart of ’s-Hertogenbosch. As in previous editions, visual artists, directors, and choreographers from the Netherlands and around the world will pay tribute to the timeless creativity and imagination of Bosch. In this all-new fascinating cruise of the ludicrous, nineteen quirky and colorful art objects full of fantasies and absurdities will be shown to thousands of spectators. 

Extraordinary Creations Depict Contemporary Demons
Through floating, bobbing, and wading creations, renowned and emerging artists present their interpretations of the theme of this year’s edition: contemporary demons. Algorithms, data, news reports, social media, hackers, trackers, and influencers rattle like menacing pests at the gates of our existence. What do we have to fear from these tormentors? Do we turn away from them, or surrender? 

During Bosch Parade 2024, artists and creators from far and wide will highlight these contemporary demons in a wondrous spectacle of unique sailing artworks, some of which feature theater, dance, and music.

Lennie Visser, “Evolution of Demons” (2024)

Thespian Lennie Visser, collaborating with designer Jelle Engel, creates singular circus performances with Boost Producties, exploring the boundaries between movement theatre, circus, dance, and visual arts. Visser will perform “Evolution of Demons” at this year’s Bosch Parade.

Chant van Lieshout and MOSs Social Club, “Isteria Archipelago” (2024)

Chant van Lieshout and MOSs Social Club have created a magical archipelago “Isteria Archipelago”, a utopian paradise where deformed fish, amid pollution and decay, work toward a better universe.

Artist rendering of Simone Serlenga and Amy Evans, “The Voyage of the Ship of Fools” (2024)

For centuries, Bosch’s The Ship of Fools (c. 1490–1500) has been a symbol of a flawed human society. Simone Serlenga and Amy Evans used it as inspiration for their installation,“The Voyage of the Ship of Fools”, to deliver a similar social critique of today’s excesses: overconsumption and a constant desire for newer, bigger, and better.

Bosch Parade 2022, SKYPUNCH COLLECTIVE, project Naîad

Garden of Earthly Delights: David Bade & Tirzo Martha

Part of this year’s Bosch Parade is the Garden of Earthly Delights, a summery open-air studio on the waterfront at the Citadel, a medieval fortress in the center of ’s-Hertogenbosch. From May 23 through June 23, you can see and meet artists at work in this breeding ground of artistic fervor, including Curaçao artists David Bade and Tirzo Martha, who collaborated with dozens of volunteers, artists, and students from Curaçao and the Netherlands on an impressive gesamtkunstwerk that will continue to be built from May onwards with the opportunity for attendees of the parade to participate.

To learn more, visit boschparade.nl, and view the 2024 full program.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article The Floating Bosch Parade Makes a Spectacle of Online Life on a River in The Netherlands appeared first on Colossal.

“Flowers are connecting, grounding, uplifting, healing, and worth treasuring,” says Essex-based artist Jessica Saunders, whose delicate stained glass sculptures highlight an array of familiar and beloved blooms. From daffodils and poppies to cornflowers and hydrangeas, her pieces celebrate the cyclical nature of the seasons and the incredible range of specimens in both our backyards and the wild.

For Saunders, inspiration comes from her own garden and walks outside with her dog Bramble, observing the gradual changes in blossoms and foliage throughout the year. She also builds upon stories people share with her about specific flowers that evoke memories of others or places they’ve visited, which can be captured in glass as an everlasting reminder.

Saunders began working with stained glass in 2020 when her partner gifted her a beginners’ guide to the practice. “I immediately fell head over heels in love with the process,” the artist tells Colossal. “It felt natural to use my hands this way, and understanding all the different techniques came easily.” She enjoyed the challenges and possibilities of the medium, intrigued by its colors, textures, and transparency, in addition to its ability to be endlessly recycled.

While preserving personal memories or observations, Saunders is also helping to keep a heritage craft alive. Stained glass “takes time and care; it can’t be rushed,” she says. “Each piece has positive intentions soldered, ground, and burnished into them.”

Saunders is currently working on her Summer Collection, scheduled for release around the solstice in June, which will include honeysuckle, rudbeckia, sweet peas, hollyhocks, strawberries, and more. Find more on the artist’s website, and follow updates on Instagram.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Seasonal Blooms Capture Sunlight in Jessica Saunders’ Delicate Stained Glass Sculptures appeared first on Colossal.