Site-specific installation & Book launch
Friday Sep 13 6-9pm till Oct 5 2024
curated by Erich Weiss
Under the title ‘Run/Ribbon/Rail' ANTONIO MENCHEN presents on the top floor of Saint-Martin Bookshop a site specific mise-en-scene, strategically conceived to seduce us to discover some images selected from the artist’s personal archive.
Conscious of the specific aura of the space and its legendary status as a fashion designer’s workshop, the images forming part of the photographic installation refer in a certain way to the artificial, theatralized world of the fashion industry.
The objects represented on the selected pictures are often objects we identify as belonging to universes that fascinate the artist: cinema, light and sound equipments, machines or vintage luxury design.
The scenography surrounding them is a setting created by the artist to shape our viewing experience. He creates a construction that modifies the space in a platform forcing the viewer strategically to a new kind of perception.
Playing with representation techniques and tricks borrowed from the fiction world of Nouvelle Vague, in the new interior shaped by Antonio, the viewer becomes the actor of a script that seems out of control.
His mixed media construction functions as a subtle minimal machine to set our mind in motion.
With the support of the Spanish Embassy in Belgium and Acción Cultural Española AC/E
BOOK PRESENTATION COLECCIÓN 7
Presentation of the new number (7) of Antonio Menchen’s ongoing series of publications, entitled ‘COLECCIÓN’ - with a text by Erich Weiss.
Since 2021 the artist has self-published together with the Rodolfo Temperley studio four publications with a personal archive of images.Special text contributions were written by Mariano Mayer, Leire Vergara, Beatriz Alonso and Marta van Tartwijk.
Edition : 100 ex.
Number 6 of the series will be presented in Barcelona on 06 September (on the occasion of the opening of M15) at Chiquita Room and in the window of Terranova Bookshop.
It forms part of an exhibition and a performance shaped by the artist and Erich Weiss ; the accompanying magazine is published in collaboration with Chiquita Ediciones and Terranova Editions. The accompanying text is delivered by Spanish curator, editor, and researcher Laura Vallès Vilchez.
Antonio Menchen
Based in Madrid / Graduated in Fine Arts from the University of Madrid in 2007, he attended the Akademie der Bildenden Künste Wien (Vienna, 2012-2013) as a student in the film and sculpture departments and completed his master's degree at Goldsmiths College, (London 2013- 2014).
His latest exhibitions include : ‘Un Escenario especial en perpetua metamorfosis’ Gaviota Madrid 2024 “envés” ethall Barcelona 2023 ; “ojo mano”, Marta Cervera Gallery, Madrid 2023; “Odyssées Urbaines” FIMINCO Foundation, Paris 2023; “difuso y no de oro” La Papelería, Madrid 2022; Salón, in Madrid (together with Asier Mendizabal and Mikel Escobales) 2022; "descripción de un estado físico", Elba Benítez Gallery, Madrid 2021; "laberinto del ramaje", Marta Cervera Gallery, 2021; and "el ojo es el primer círculo" Luis Adelantado Gallery, Valencia 2021. He has an upcoming group show at Centro Botín in Santander and he collaborated in 2024 with Spanish artist June Crespo as performer in her group exhibition at Tabakalera San Sebastián-Donostia.
Erich Weiss
Belgian born artist/curator based in Barcelona. Recent exhibitions as an artist : ‘Rosebud II’ MACBA Barcelona ; ‘Are we dead yet ?’ Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein 2023 ; ’The Old man & the sea & Other books’ Kulturfenster Kassel ; ‘Locus Solus’ Kiosk Gent 2021, ‘Les Bijoux indiscrets’ Gallery Bernhard Bischoff Bern 2020, ‘Rosebud’ Gallery Sofie Van de Velde Antwerp 2019 ;‘The 100% beautiful girl’ Herald Street London 2019;’Nova Zembla in Bikini’ Hans & Fritz Contemporary Barcelona 2019 ; ‘Hunger for life’ travelling performance (Zürich/Berlin/Heeerlen/Mexico) 2015/2017
Projects as curator : ‘Le Grand Jeu’ MCBA Lausanne 2024 ; ‘The Pirate Pavillion' (Dan Perjovschi)Be-Part Waregem 2023 ; ‘Documenta 15’ Kassel 2022, Michel François ‘Panoptikon’ Yarat Art Centre Baku 2022 ; Nils Nova ‘Rideau de Verdure’ Villa Cavrois 2022 ; ‘MofU/Modernism for the Future’ Kaunas/Brno 2021 ; ‘Oasis’ Architecture Museum Tallinn 2021
