crocheted room by olek at tony's gallery, london
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'I do not expect to be a mother, but I do expect to die alone' by olek
all images courtesy tony's gallery
olek: I do not expect to be a mother, but I do expect to die alone
tony's gallery, london, UK
on now until march 23rd, 2012
designboom has received images of the new crocheted installation by poland-born and new york-based artist agata olek (olek).
the show, 'I do not expect to be a mother, but I do expect to die alone', for tony's gallery in london is her first solo exhibition
within the UK. the artist, known for her public fiber art, sculpture and inflatable works, has designed a sculptural,
mixed-media environment entirely through crochet for the gallery space in the camouflage motif typical to her style.
the concept for the installation is primarily text-based, as olek has recreated her personal SMS text and e-mail messages
upon the varied surface space available in the apartment space she has fabricated. in addition to the crochet-written works,
olek has fashioned a bedroom scene containing domestic objects entirely covered in fiber. the exhibition is a physical realization
of her experience of recently relocating to the UK.
'it is not just another apartment installation; it is the reflection of life, love, trust and lust in current times. it is the progression of
my life as a woman, as a female artist put together through text messages, emails and personal objects and experiences…
blood, sweat and tears and cum camouflaged with the sparkle of my colourful cheeky humour, as we all do when carrying
on with our lives.' -agata olek
installation views
detail views of two figures within the installation space
detailed view of a shopping cart, covered in knit asking 'so we r over?'
additional view of a knitted bowl executed in the artist's trademark bright camouflage pattern
process image of olek constructing the work for tony's gallery
olek crocheting a cover for a crib
the artist and her work
Bealondoner tells you all about it in french!! http://www.bealondoner.com/fr/blog/nadege/olek-expose-ses-uvres-en-crochet-a-londres
It’s amazing – like a mixture of Tracy Emin and the textile sculpture explored by Louise Bourgeois and other feminist artists in the 1970s.
I love that you can find this kind of art exhibited in London at a time when so much of the art on sale no longer challenges but repeats the status quo. I recently stayed in a serviced apartment in London really close to the Whitechapel Gallery and visiting it was such an exhilarating experience. I don’t normally find it easy to find the more obscure galleries though – great website!