Still from Journal by Mariana Vassileva, courtesy the artist and DNA Galerie

Transition Detail from Nezaket Ekici's performance video shot with iPhone Miranda Gavin

Almagul Menlibayeva, The Aral Beach 2, 2011 Duratrans print in lightbox 36 x 48 in. (91 x 122 cm) Edition of 3. Still courtesy of the artist and Priska C Juschka Fine Art

East is West: Three Women Artists runs until 15 February at the Lasalle College of the Arts in the Earl Lu Gallery, Singapore. This wonderful exhibition – more to come in a later post  - introduces three women artists from outside Western Europe who now live in Berlin. Curated by Dr Charles Merewether it features Mariana Vassileva (Bulagaria), Almagul Menlibayeva (Kazakhstan) and Nezaket Ekici (Turkey).

Some of the work explores the subject of women as well as cultural differences that lie within their countries of origin and between national boundaries. Integral to their practice is performance that is recorded and subsequently shown as independent work, invloving both themselves directly as the subject, as well as others.

The Roaming Eye took some iPhone photos (see below) and stayed at the exhibition for a couple of hours watching four video works by each of the three artists and absolutely loved the show. Of course, of the twelve video works, ranging from a couple of minutes up to 24 mins or so, there are favourites including Ekici’s performance piece Veiling and Reveiling, Menlibayeva’s Transoxiana Dreams and Vassileva’s Journal.

What was so refreshing for The Roaming Eye was the way the conceptual and the technical merged to produce beautifully articulated and visually engaging works that were strong and often, profound. Sometimes, one aspect is foregrounded at the expense of the others, but this was not the case here. The videos also demonstrated a level of maturity and depth that may have something to do with the women’s ages – all are in their 40s – as well as their particular cross cultural experiences and artistic educations.

It is so nice to get away from the UK and the often London-biased exhibition scene and familiar styles of works that are – at times – dominated by certain institutions, such as the Royal College of Art. Look out folks, it’s going to be costing £25,000/year for international students to do the two year Masters in Photography – that’s a huge investment and is, if we are honest, not just about the art and the critical forums that the RCA provides for its students, but also about the brand and its status.

There’s nothing wrong with this and there are undoubtedly some exciting visual artists and photographers that have emerged from the RCA and its photography Masters. But art and photography should, in The Roaming Eye’s opinion, be discovered by looking outside the usual remits and circles and seen in different environments and countries as house styles do tend to emerge and sometimes works gets repetitive, stale and becomes uninteresting. More images from the show in a later post, there’s a lot to cover. One other point, light from outside spilled inside and it compromised the bottom right-hand corner of the screen where Menlibayeva’s work was projected, as the blinds behind the glass door were not fully closed.

See over for more photos…

Still from Will You Dance For Me by Ori Gersht

I’m super happy today to report that Ori Gersht’s first solo museum show This Storm is What We Call Progress opens to the public today at the Imperial War Museum in London. I’ve yet to see the show but there’s no excuse to miss it as it runs until the end of April. See below for videos from the lovely Ori (I know him as both a friend and as a visual artist) talking in his inimitable fashion about his work.

There are also two boxed book sets available at £40 and £250, see below for details. I am just about to reserve one for myself  - the £40 one I hasten to add. Take a look at the videos below, read over for more about the show from the press release and head over to the museum. Then buy the box set – you won’t be disappointed. And, with a design by SMITH, the entire package looks like it has been both beautifully and sensitively produced.

Ori Gersht: This Storm is What We Call Progress from Photoworks on Vimeo

Artist Book: Ori Gersht from Photoworks on Vimeo

Ori Gersht: This Storm is What We Call Progress 

Imperial War Museum, London

25 January – 29 April 2012

A significant new exhibition of work by the Israeli-born, London-based artist Ori Gersht shows in partnership with Photoworks at the Imperial War Museum, London.

Co-curated by Photoworks Head of Programme, Celia Davies, This Storm is What We Call Progress is Gersht’s first major solo show in the UK and presents new photographs alongside two recent filmworks each reflecting personal experiences shaped by the Second World War.

Gersht’s work often deals with conflict, history and geographical place. The works in this show each disguise dark and complex themes beneath seductive, beautiful imagery.

Will You Dance For Me a new filmwork developed in association with Photoworks, depicts an 85-year-old dancer rocking back and forth in a chair, slowly recounting her experiences as a young woman in Auschwitz. Her punishment for refusing to dance at an SS officer’s party was to stand barefoot in the snow, and she pledged that if she survived she would dedicate her life to dance.

The two-screen film Evaders explores the mountainous path of the Lister Route, used by many to escape Nazi-occupied France. The film focuses on the ill-fated journey of Jewish writer and philosopher Walter Benjamin, whose own words give the exhibition its title. This presentation of Evaders will be the film’s first UK showing.

The photographic work Chasing Good Fortune examines the shifting symbolism of Japanese cherry blossoms which came to be linked with Kamikaze soldiers during the Second World War.

Artist Book: Ori Gersht,  (£40) a boxed set of three hardback volumes and a softback text by Robert Rowland Smith, has been published by Photoworks to accompany this exhibition. Also available as a Limited Edition collector’s  set (£250) – a run of 150 specially boxed and signed with two signed and numbered prints.

Ori Gersht is represented by Mummery + Schnelle

Plus, The Roaming Eye has fallen in love with Sri Lanka; its people, the diversity of the landscape, the warmth and the organised chaos. And, despite the huge challenges facing many people in aspects of economic, social and political life – people still smile. Smile, because you can and it’s free.

So, do spread the word about the second biennale and set it as a date in your calender. The Roaming Eye will be chatting with one of the directors Annoushka Hempel this week and will be visiting the festival for two days in February. Back to some photo news round ups for the next post.

With a tag line: “Appreciating erotic art for a worthy cause” the inaugural Art Erotica exhibition opens tomorrow and runs until 27 January at The Gallery in Cork Street. Proceeds will go to the sexual health charity FPA. 

There will be talks and discussions throughout the ten-day show, including tomorrow’s breakfast event with exhibition organiser Kathryn Roberts who will life the lid on the behind-the-scenes goings on and the selection process.

PR about the event: “Art Erotica is a new event in the London art calendar that will present a long-overdue, high-profile opportunity to exhibit for artists producing work in the erotic genre. Brought to you by the organizers of the Cork Street Open Exhibition – a respected international event, founded four years ago – Art Erotica will benefit a selected charity and will be juried, with submitted work carefully and rigorously chosen for exhibition by a panel drawn from leading figures in the UK art world.

“Most mediums, including painting, photography, digital art, sculpture, drawing/graphic art, mixed media/construction and original prints are eligible for entry.”