Freeze is the title of an art exhibition that took place in July 1988 in an empty London Port Authority building at Surrey Docks in London Docklands. Its main organiser was Damien Hirst. It was significant in the subsequent development of the Young British Artists.
This exhibition, titled BIG DEAL No5, will open on the 17th October evening and run daily from the 18th to 20th. It is situated in a large circular multi-storey car par on Cavendish Square, W1. It will feature a selection of international artists and works in mixed media including sculpture, film, photography, performance, site specific and painting. They are all mainly based in London and it is a unique survey of new trends and what it is being made now.
The exhibition is curated by two international artists Vanya Balogh & Cedric Christie. Balogh has performed at major Art Events including Venice Biennale and Christie has just had a very well-received solo show at Flowers Gallery. BIG DEAL is a non gallery, site specific exhibition project originally set up in 2008 and devised by artists Croft & Balogh. It is now entering its sixth year of active life and is adorned by yet another fabulous space and another intriguing show designed to showcase emerging and established artists.
The exhibition idea BIG DEAL was born out of economic crisis late 2008, established principally to create a forum, an environment where artists are free to show and present ideas in a non institutional environment, free of charge, free of market forces and academic constraints, with non invasive curatorial guidance and support. Curatorial project it is, at best exploring the dysfunctional relationship that exist between ART & BUSINESS, but also contemporary placement of arts in never ending consumer loop, including pervasive corporate invasion of cultural domains. It is designed by artists for artists, the only free way system that remains, in our present day regulated cultural dialogue.
Balogh adds:
"I feel as a curator, that experimental in art is now a bare necessity or some form of complicity even, in the world that keeps opening up left and right, revolving doors in the future unmanned shopping malls and with no certain destination to aim for, tied up in an endless loop of fleeting comment, some wonder and a lot of despair. We have yet to see what happens next...."
Vanya Balogh by Balogh
It is supported by Geoffrey Leong, patron of Spirit of London who has been actively supporting London's cultural events including Arts, Fashion, Film, Food and Music. Leong says:
"Supporting Arts is an important part of bringing incredible works to be evaluated and engaged with by the public, giving them the opportunity to review art in a different way. This multi media feast is curated by two renowned international artists Vanya Balogh & Cedric Christie through their continuous presence in various studios. In this case expect the unexpected, from organised chaos to uniform structure and much more. I believe this is both original and inspiring show which brings an element of fun to those who view it. There really is nothing like this in the world of arts that we see today, the engaging of artists and the public in perfect harmony."
Every decade brings us a new generation of artists ready to understand a World that keeps constantly changing and to present these reflections in a contemporary format. We have not had that since the 80's. It is about time.