show cover image

Oct 15 – Oct 18, 2014

Frieze London 2014

The stand will present three artists—Jacin Giordano, Olivier Millagou, and Naufus Ramirez Figueroa—whose work is inspired by rituals and a so-called “primitive” aesthetic. Displayed on the walls, five to seven of Giordano’s “Masks for Hunting” (2014)—wild visages made from bright wools, acrylic, and empty canvas stretchers—will contrast with the neutral tones and simple form of Millagou’s pebble Necklaces (2013), which are inspired by traditional Hawaiian leis. Video documentation Figueroa’s performance, Bird (2013), in which he decorates his body with feathers, will be presented on a flat-screen monitor.

Working with humble materials often associated with craft or arte povera—yarn, feathers, rocks—these artists create works that eschew formal and conceptual readings in favor of anthropological, historical, or psychological interpretation.Whether it is Giordano wrapping yarn, Millagou stringing beads, or Figueroa pinning feathers to his own flesh, all of these artists make things by hand in a straightforward manner. As a result, a sense of earnest imperfection unites their work even across diverse mediums.

The stand will highlight the role of ritual (invented and observed) in the work of three contemporary artists. Appreciated on their own, Giordano and Millagou’s objects appear functional and spiritual, but mysteriously so. The context of Figueroa’s performance—a somber rite in which he pins feathers to his arm and then plucks them off—will make it easier to imagine what ceremony might involve donning an elegant rock necklace and what culture would design a frightful mask.

show image
show image

Olivier Millagou

Tiki (x 6), 2014

Plùtre, sable et socle émaillé / Plaster, sand and enamelled pedestal

Dimensions variables

show image

Jacin Giordano

Long Painting 16, 2013

Laine et acrylique sur toile
Yarn and acrylic on canvas

46,5 x 196 cm

show image
show image

Jacin Giordano

Harpoon for hunting rainbows (big body, little white head), 2012

Yarn on tree branch
Laine sur branche d’arbre

236 x 30,5 x 35,6 cm

show image

Jacin Giordano

Shredded Painting , 2018

Acrylique sur toile / Acrylic on canvas