International Artist Month

Han Sungpil & Yvette Gellis, Open Water, photo based mural & mixed media, 2010

International Month of Exhibitions Features Artists from Iran, Tibet, South Africa, Korea and the United States

Public Reception is on Thursday, January 20, 2011 from 7:30pm – 9:30pm

18th Street Arts Center is proud to present four exhibitions highlighting their award-winning International Visiting Artist Program.

Beginning January 7- 28, 18th Street is featuring exhibitions from Iran, Tibet, Korea and South Africa. The public reception for these exhibitions will be held on Thursday, January 20, 7:30-9:30 pm.

In the 18th Street Gallery a provocative and groundbreaking exhibit, Postcards from Tehran, a collaboration with the Aaran Gallery of Tehran, Iran, curated by Nazilla Noebashari will be presented. Breaking down the barriers of political prejudice, the show will be the first Los Angeles exhibition of works by seven Iranian artists in conjunction with works by two artists from California who migrated from Iran. Both political and prosaic, Postcards from Tehran is a unique view of contemporary Iranian artists whose dissenting viewpoints may prove to be eye-openers to many Americans whose main knowledge about Iran is typically derived from corporate cable news channels. The artists include Arash Fayez, Siamak Filizadeh, Hadi Nasiri,  Behrang Samadzadeghan, Behnam Kamrani, Barbad Golshiri and Jinoos Taghizadeh. They are joined in this collaboration by Iranian-American artists, Ala Ebtekar and Amitis Motevalli, both well-known West Coast visual artists.

In the Pasillos Gallery 18th Street will feature the Los Angeles debut of Tibetan artists Tsering Nyandak and Norbu Tsering. American audiences are familiar with conventional notions of Tibetan art, but will have the opportunity to experience the vibrant new representational narrative painting and mixed media installations coming out of Tibet’s contemporary art community.

18th Street is also thrilled to present videos of South African performance artist MLu Zondi. Mr. Zondi’s provocative performance videos will be on display in the Project Room and a live performance of his work will take place on February 19, at 8:30pm at Highways Performance Space located at 18th Street Arts Center.

Korean artist Han Sungpil has collaborated with Los Angeles painter Yvette Gellis to create a dynamic mural, Open Water, which will cover the facade of 18th Street Arts Center. Individually, the two artist have produced major installations in a number of public spaces. Han is known for his massive wrappings of buildings in diverse cites worldwide; and Gellis, a painter known for her huge canvasses, has recently expanded her work into installations of three-dimensional abstract paintings.

During the opening reception on Thursday, January 20, 2011, 18th Street Arts Center will also present a special preview of videographer Ben Caldwell’s interactive video installation which was commissioned as a public art piece at the new Santa Monica Place shopping center. The installation entitled “Untitled” invites interactivity as it projects the work of several artists onto the floor of the Colorado Avenue entrance.

18th Street Arts Center is a long time alternative arts organization based in Santa Monica, California, whose mission is to provoke public dialogue through contemporary art making. For more information, contact Program Coordinator Ronald Lopez at rlopez@18thstreet.org, or go to www.18thstreet.org.