Deen Scene - Good Stuff #20!

So it's another art & culture round up and fear not, there'll be no mention of creative funding opportunities here! Instead I like to focus on things that have given me a boost, whether its individual artists, projects or musical mixtapes. I've always been interested on what's happening here in Aberdeen but also what's happening further afield and with friends scattered across the globe I'm inundated with photos and videos of what they're up to and its nice to share some of their content and to build up better connections. Of course you can't overlook the Granite City and all that it has to offer, especially for the avid tiktoker. Yes, I've taken the plunge and have been using the app for a few weeks now and I have to say its fun. Applying the various trends to art instead of kids dancing leads to interesting results like with the sculpture above by Nasser Azam, you can check them out and follow me here. 

Kicking off this one we have new music from Aberdeen based producer Vagrant Real Estate who's been on my radar since his interview with Creative Me Podcast (check it out here). I'm sure most wouldn't think of Aberdeen's local music scene as being on the cutting edge but I guess there's a lot of work going on behind closed doors. Bedroom producers have been cutting about the Deen for years, from the Tuff Wax crew helmed by Lockah to artists like Ronnie Pacitti. Vagrant asserts himself as a multi talented producer who's produced some real bangers working with local grime MCs and artists from further afield. Much like seeing city walls covered in graffiti, having local musicians producing work that's current and fresh is a good sign of a healthy youth culture, one that I might be aging out of (all my favourite albums are turning 20) but I appreciate hearing fresh music originating from the city. Be sure to check out the Vagrant Real Estate bandcamp here and soundcloud page here. Some nice Shadow vibes on 'Sweet Heart Grips' and the 'Good Intentions' ep bangs!

Kilo Alpha Editions has been busy as ever during the lockdown working on lots of new mini drawings and prints. Exploring motifs from the natural world, Kilos work has been evolving since she took part in the Painted Doors project in 2016 and she's really hit her stride in the last 12 months while continue to push her skills. From super detailed portraits to spacious and delicate line drawings and floaty water colors, it seems she's enjoying having time to experiment and to have fun. Along with her work on paper Kilo has also began a tattoo apprenticeship adding another string to her creative bow. I can't imagine a bigger compliment than someone having your artwork tattooed and Kilo seems to be in high demand. You can check out more of Kilo's work on her facebook page here and if you're fearty o needles then don't worry, you can still pick up a print or two on her etsy page here.

If you're looking for something to do this weekend then the second edition of the Haddo Arts Festival 'Experimental Use of Space' exhibition is happening and boasts an interesting line up of local artists including Baptiste and Greg Bryce. It'll be interesting to see how the art is displayed in the various locations at Haddo, itself a worthy of a visit. You can find all the details about the show on the event page here. 

If you're looking for something a little closer to home then Look Again will be wrapping up their current show with Alice Martin '(Re)Seeing' which has been a multi platform exhibition with both works appearing across the Look Again instagram feed and in their window gallery on St Andrew Street. I'd finally got around to covering their previous show with Laura McGlinchey which you can read about here and as with the 'Paper Cave Anti Rave' which utilised social media to help present the show, '(Re)Seeing' can also be viewed as a downloadable artist book from the Look Again website here. The Look Again team have done a good job in adapting and expanding how they produce shows so be sure to check them out!

A recent project that really caught my attention is the Prosjekt67 container project in Norway who recently launched their first exhibition with Isaac Cordal. The concept of portable gallery spaces might not be a new but it feels on point as galleries and cities across the globe try to figure out how to operate with social distancing measures and reduced capacity. Aberdeen council were prepared to throw £100,000 at artists who could stump up a good idea in 3 weeks to help them get people back shopping which blew my mind. I'm sure for a quarter of that we could have had 10 of these portable containers dotted around the city center, catering to a host of local needs, spaces for pop up exhibitions, performances, poetry readings, puppet shows, exhibitions and it would have shown a willingness from the council to invest in the cities cultural infrastructure instead of trying to use artists only to disregard them during the next budget cuts. I guess we maybe need to stop comparing our city to others but that doesn't mean we can't learn from them and certainly a project like this would have been welcome. For now you'll just have to see if you can spot the figures placed around the city by Isaac during his stint at Nuart Aberdeen back in 2017. Be sure to check out the Prosjeckt67 website for more about the project and where it'll be going next! 

As anyone who knows me can testify I'm a big believer in supporting friends wherever I can both locally and furhter afield and I was delighted to receive my new hoody from By Bex Furno, a friend based in London who creates body positive art work (nudey wifies) along with concrete planters, trinket dishes, cushions and repurposed garments which she puts her own spin on. I wore my new hoody on a recent walk to Clune Woods as we looked for one of the pictish stone circles and decided of offer up my new top to the gods. The sun shone down so I assume they approve! Bex is one of the good one's so be sure to check out her work here.

Friends in Nottingham at The Anti Gallery have also been doing good things with the creation of a new collaborative mural with Elroy the Artist on the Nottingham Arts Theatre Building. The team said say "This piece was created in order to serve as a reminder, to pause and reflect on the blessings which often outweigh the problems we go through, despite it sometimes feeling like the opposite. Much needed in these times!". The group also worked on a special edition print based on the mural which has sold out (check it here) but have just recently teamed up with artist Honey Williams for another special print edition to help raise funds for ULA (United Legal Access) who are providing legal help and advice to those affected by the Windrush scandal. Be sure to check out The Anti Gallery feed here for more information about the new print and check out the great work they're doing down South!

Finishing up we have a new mix from Rob Swain aka The Man From Gamma Proforma. Rob is responsible for some of my favourite art books and t shirts along with introducing me to a host of new artists and musicians along with heroes like Futura & SheOne. Always crossing the boundaries of art, music, design and street culture, Rob is a true originator. His 'Scirocco' mixtape is full of dark and moody tunes to bring you into Autumn. 

Here's to staying safe, staying well and staying warm this Autumn!