NITE STORIES

?Nite Stories" consists of 11 acrylic paintings.
The aim of the project is to capture unusual and unconventional moments of young people's nights out.
Dark backgrounds give the mysterious touch to brightly coloured characters from Mark Hunter's photographs.

Nite Stories are inspired by Soulwax Nite Versions.

Stephen Dewaele agreed to cooperate in this project, and took the patronage over the exhibition.
Music that will accompany the paintings is inspired by the work of those famous Flemish artists.

"In a day and age where everyone takes digital pictures, posed in almost globally similar ways, posted instantly all over the web, it's refreshing to see someone adapt this world to canvas and blow up these little mini-observations of nite-life..." Stephen Dewaele

Representative of the Flemish Government has taken the patronage over the exhibition.

Thursday, June 5th 2008, 8PM
Delta One, Ludna Street 9
Warsaw

Mark Hunter (thecobrasnake) will be my special guest at the opening night.
His photography was my inspiration for this painting series.

Gaspard Yurkievich

Dear Shaded Viewers,

The other day I went to see Gaspard Yurkievich's installation and video at l'Hotel. Today I decided to find out a bit more about Gaspard's shoe obsession.

DP: How did it come about that l'Hotel asked you to collaborate with them and how did it feel being the first fashion designer to show at l'Hotel?
GY: I WAS APPROACHED BY "PARCOURS SAINT GERMAIN" WHICH IS A FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY ART THAT TAKES PLACE IN SHOPS AND RESTARUANTS IN SAINT GERMAIN. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY EVER ASKED A FASHION DESIGNER TO PARTICIPATE. I WAS DREAMING OF DOING SOMETHING IN THE MISTINGUETT ROOM AND ALSO OF MAKING A VIDEO INSPIRED BY A SCENE FROM PABST?S FILM ?LOULOU? STARRING LOUISE BROOKS...

DP: Did you ever sleep in that luxurious bed?
GY: NO BUT SINCE THE EXHIBITION ...AN AMERICAN FRIEND ASKED ME TO BOOK HIM A ROOM AND TO ASK THE MANAGER TO GIVE HIM "A SPECIAL PRICE"...
ACTUALLY I'M PROUDER TO HAVE MADE THE VIDEO AND INSTALLATION IN THIS ROOM THAN TO HAVE SLEPT THERE OR WHATEVER...

DP: Let's talk shoes, you've been designing shoes ever since you were a child, how old were you when you designed your first pair of shoes and what did they look like?
GY:I WAS DESIGNING CARS AND SHOES BUT ONLY IN PROFILE... BUT MORE THAN 20 ON ONE PAGE WITH MANY COLORS.
I WAS VERY YOUNG 5 OR 6, MY OLDER SISTER WAS COLLECTING SHOES AND I WAS FASCINATED BY THIS COLLECTION. I USED TO TRY THEM ON AND COUNT THEM... SHE WAS 16 AND ALREADY HAD MORE THAN 100 PAIRS....

DP: How many pairs are around the bed and can you talk a little bit about your favorite ones?
GY: I NEVER COUNTED BUT AROUND 200 I GUESS. THEY ARE ALL SAMPLES FROM MY SHOE COLLECTION FW 2008/2009. MY FAVORITE ONE IS THE YELLOW/GREEN/BLUE DERBY PAIR WITH A HEEL LIKE A CHRISTMAS GLASS BOWL.

DP: What do you owe your shoe obsession to?
GY: MY SISTER?S COLLECTION...AND THE FACT THAT HEELS WERE ONLY FOR GIRLS AND I WAS FEELING UNFAIRLY EXCLUDED WHEN I WAS KID.

DP: How many shoes do you design in a season?
GY: ABOUT 20 STYLES THEN I MAKE VARIATIONS WITH 3 OR 4 DIFFERENT STYLE HEELS IN 2 OR 3 COLORS.
I?VE JUST STARTED DESIGNING MEN'S SHOES...

DP: You directed the film that was showing at the same time as the installation, can you tell me a bit about that and who the actress/singer is and would you call her your muse?
GY: INITIALLY WE HAD TO MAKE THE VIDEO WITH AN ACTRESS. CLOTHILDE HESME AND JOANNA PREISS AGREED WITH THE PROJECT BUT OUR SHOOTING WAS DURING THE CANNES FILM FESTIVAL...
THE MUSICIAN AND SINGER DANI SICILIANO ENDED UP PERFORMING IN THE VIDEO AND I CHOSE ONE OF HER SONGS FOR THE PROJECT. SHE'S A VERY CLOSE FRIEND AND SHE WORKED ON THE MUSIC OF OUR SHOW AND EVERY OTHER PROJECT. THE LONG TERM COLLABORATION WITH HER IS AMAZING; IT'S A NON-STOP INSPIRATION.

DP: What is next for you?
GY: I'M COORDINATING THE SHOW OF MY STUDENTS FROM L'ENSAD WHERE I HAVE BEEN TEACHING FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS "FONDAMENTAUX DE LA MODE" (!!!!). I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS AND I LOVE THEM ALL AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE THE RESULT AS I AM GOING TO ST...

Dear Shaded Viewers,

Vincent Gagliostro in front of one of his photographs.

photo by David Gil

Later,

Diane

Dear Shaded Viewers,

The highly solicited winner of the public and the 1,2,3 prize at Hyeres festival was in Paris for a few days on appointments and we met up for tea and cakes at les Deux Abeilles. Jean Paul Lespagnard thought that the deco fit well with him so he arranged a bit of a mise en scene.

Jean Paul Lespagnard at les Deux Abeilles

Shoji in his Cosmic Wonder coat and Sayoko on the terrace between the two museums.

After tea I went to meet my friends Sayoko and Shoji on the terrace between the Modern Museum and the Palais du Tokyo. While we were waiting for Shoji, Sayoko and I visited the Modern and I have to say that I hated the art so much it made me feel like a vampire had just sucked all of my blood. At least it got a reaction. When Shoji arrived we went to see SUPERDOME exhibition which will continue at the Palais du Tokyo until August 24th. The highlight of the exhibition was Daniel Firman and the amazing upside down elephant. If you are in Paris it is a must see.

Mathias Ohrel


Daniel Firman-WURSA

At a distance f 18,000 km from the earth, the elephant Wursa could balance on her trunk. It is on the basis of learned scientific calculations that Daniel Firman reached this conclusion, and came above all to produce this extraordinary work which confounds all our certainties regarding the gravitation of bodies. The life size creature's precarious equilibrium seems to put us in danger. The hyper-realist sculpture borrows from the skills of a taxidermist which gives us the opportunity to seesaw between a proven scientific phenomenon and the real and physical putting of the world into perspective. Wursa, conjures up a Russian Sputnik and the conquest of space, is fixed in her position as if...

Dear Shaded Viewers,

I met Daniel Wakahisa on my last trip to Sao Paulo, he is Brazilian Japanese and back in Japan at the moment connecting with his roots and wanted to know if he would see me again this year at Sao Paulo fashion week. I was indeed invited to both Rio and Sao Paulo but unfortunately can not go because the dates do not work for me this time.

Daniel in Hokkaido (north of Japan) wearing traditional Ainu (the indigenous people who lived in Japan before the japanese arrived) outfit in a village known as Porotokotan.

Later,

Diane