Paul Aloisi

RRVM c. P12.2 - SKOL Residency, Montreal

2010-07-15T13:21:00.002-04:00

While living in Montreal in 2010 worked as an artist in residence at an artist run center in the Belgo Building called SKOL. It was a collaborative residency based on the structure of a relay race: each artist created a work in response to the documentation of a work by another artist. With each stage of the process artists worked inside the gallery and then in public space. This lead me to research current public space issues in Montreal and I found that there was a Supreme Court battle going on regarding the right to poster in public places. The only legit spaces for postering were apparently on temporary construction hoarding – you wouldn't know it since these hoardings are dominated by a private promotions company named Publicite Sauvage. My response to this controversy was to paste white paper over their posters on a burned out building – my glue mix was infused with lotus oil – I wore a T-Shirt printed with the Montreal postering by-laws. This installation lasted 2.5 days before nearly the same configuration of posters was replaced. A video abstraction of this process was created by Simon Benedict another artist participating in the residency.

Architectural Fragments

2010-06-30T13:19:00.000-04:00

For the past few years I've been scouring libraries for black and white line drawings and images of raw structural elements. I have a feeling this project is going to go on for years as I amass a giant collection of architecctural fragments with the goal of re-assembling them into a new structural language.... here's a prototype collage I produced while working out of Studio 802 in Montreal in 2010.

Wood-Stallation

2010-06-25T13:08:00.001-04:00

Linked up with Adrian Hayles and Montreal graf writer OMEN for a day of painting inside an abandoned train repair depot (aka the “TA Wall”).... found myself more drawn towards the discarded/collapsed materials littering the site and began collecting wood and bricks into one central area beneath a caved-in skylight. The result was an improvised, spontaneous intervention weaving these materials back into an organic relationship with the existing structure. Wonder if it's still there?

Place Des Arts, Montreal

2010-05-26T13:16:00.000-04:00

I've become increasingly interested in the effects of light, shade and shadow. This experiment layers paper within a frame resulting in a fragmented typography. Each layer can shift in relation to the others creating new views through the negative space which is animated by the water fountains at Montreal's Place Des Arts.

Misto @ Trafacka - Language Structure

2009-07-30T04:17:00.004-04:00

After working around Italy and checking out Barcelona I headed to Prague where I was invited to work and live as an artist in residence at Trafacka Gallery. The space is incredible... an abandoned electrical transformer station in an old industrial area of the city. The next few posts document the installation pieces which I created on site. The title of my show: MISTO = PLACE.

Misto @ Trafacka - Crane-O-Clock

2009-07-29T04:28:00.000-04:00

Misto @ Trafacka - inVENTion

2009-07-28T04:32:00.000-04:00

Misto @ Trafacka - co,nexion

2009-07-27T04:38:00.000-04:00

Misto @ Trafacka - Tronzparencies

2009-07-23T04:40:00.000-04:00

Misto @ Trafacka - Mission Trace

2009-07-22T04:43:00.000-04:00

Pop Up - Contemporary Art in Urban Space - Ancona, ITA - June 27 '09

2009-06-30T10:56:00.004-04:00

Over 100 international artists submitted poster works to the 2nd edition of the Pop Up Poster Art Festival in Ancona Italy this year. Ancona is a port town on the Adriatic coast with a strong fishing history - the curator, my friend Allegra Corbo has worked closely with local industry to transform and revitalize the port with contemporary art. A freestyle postering session was held in the Cooperativo Pescatori - a space still used by fishermen to repair damaged nets. It smelled like fish and was hard to avoid tripping on the nets as the inaugural event went on and the wine kept flowing.

Don't Worry Mom - Public Performance - Barcelona, SPN - June 10 '09

2009-06-30T10:04:00.005-04:00

While in Barcelona on a research mission I met two french film makers JC Lacour and Clemente Bamelou of ProtoFono who were looking to collaborate with visual artists. Between beers, while walking up Las Ramblas we found a book full of temporary tattoo designs - this is a video of what happened next... Don't Worry Mom!

Crack Festival @ Forte Prenestino, Rome, ITA - June 18-21 '09

2009-06-23T12:51:00.005-04:00

Another great year at the Crack Festival of Comics, Prints and Works on Paper!!
This time around I collaborated with Zabratta Studios from Rome on a mixed media installation in one of 100 old jail cells underground at a squatted Roman fort - you'd have to see it to believe it!

TRANSMISSIONZ @ Fragile Continuo Artshop - Bologna, ITA - May 28 - June 15 '09

2009-06-03T00:00:00.002-04:00

Anyone in or around Bologna through the 15th of June is invited to check out my solo show at Fragile Continuo ArtShop @ 2a Vicolo De Fachini. The opening was a blast and I had the chance to discuss the new direction of my work with lots of local creatives.

Open Canvas Project - Bologna, ITA - May 28 '09

2009-06-02T13:03:00.009-04:00

The public squares in Bologna are of particular importance right now as students are facing increased police presence in effort to enforce a new by-law which bans drinking while sitting down - if you're standing you can drink what ever you want - but sitting no! Recently police attempted to arrest a student for drinking in Piazza Verdi in reaction they were rained on by a shower of beer bottles - fight the power! Lacking an easel for the Open Canvas project I piggybacked a shopping cart structure to create a canvas on wheels which we toured through the streets of Bologna. The following video is courtesy of Produzioni Amenic and features music by Toronto's D-Ray. Big ups to Open Canvas Project co-founder Charlie Green.

By Bike - Public Art @ Nova Milanese, ITA - May 30 '09

2009-06-02T09:12:00.007-04:00

In Monza I met Marcello Arosio, president of the Area Odeon cultural association in Monza where I hosted the Explorart workshop. He invited me to help out with a project quite similar to Open Canvas except rather than paint brushes, participants are offered bicycles and a large canvas layed out on the ground. The resultant canvases will be hung in the public square in Nova Milanese to help promote the 50th aniversary of the Bice Bugatti Art Prize. Def need to bring this experience to Toronto! Here's a slideshow of photos from the day long experience...

Painting @ Bartleby Squat, Bologna ITA - May 29 '09

2009-06-02T08:35:00.005-04:00

The day after the opening of my show at Fragile Continuo I was invited to rock a mural in an occupied space in central Bologna. The entrance into the place has a really low ceiling... I thought I'd reinterpret the Sistine Chapel ceiling Michelangelo style. Here's the video featuring music by D-Ray:

ExporArt @ Area Odeon - Monza, ITA - May 11-18 '09

2009-06-01T12:18:00.002-04:00

I spent a week in Monza, Italy hosting a workshop at AreaOdeon cultural association and had the opportunity to work with some great people. I got the invite a couple months back via a contact I had made in Milan last year. Four International artists were invited to work with local art students and recent graduates to explore their territory through fresh eyes. Together with Naomi Vona, Elisa Iorio, Sebastian Comelli, Harilene Bertani and Ryan Spring Dooley we create the Media Chapel Tunnel - a multimedia installation which involved space, audio, video, painting and a satirical written document.

ReinRaum Gallery - Dusseldorf, GER - Aug 8-14 '08

2008-06-25T12:58:00.001-04:00

OCAD was a dreamland while I was a student there.... boundless creativity and inspiration from those around me. One of my favourite installation artists at OCAD, Tiff Isza went on to complete her masters in Dusseldorf Germany. Upon reaching out to her she connected me with the gallery she is affiliated with there - Reinraum. It's an extremely unique place - a gallery in a former public washroom underneath an open square in the city center. You've got to see it to believe it. The offered Charlie Green and I a show there in August 09 and these are some photos of my work. We basically lived in the gallery for a week and produced new works night and day - tonnes o fun.

Crack Festival @ Forte Prenestino, Rome, ITA, June 18-21 '08

2008-06-24T12:53:00.003-04:00

Roaming around various galleries in Rome lead me to meet Giusy, one of the curators of the Crack Festival @ Forte Prenestino - she checked out my stuff and invited me to take part in her event. This was in effect my first show on European soil... I met soooo many dope artists and made a bunch of contacts which have developed into freindships and collaborations. Crack is a definite stop for anyone interested in the underground scene in Italy.