With in person events looking like a far off prospect some are finding new ways to create a buzz online and the recent 48 hour show by Addfuel is one that had me intrigued. Some might recognise his distinctive tile designs having created one of the grand stand murals for Nuart Aberdeen back in 2017 at the side of Siberia bar. When seeing his blue & white tile designs I made the connection to his home country Portugal, a gander down any side street in Lisbon will reveal the inspiration for his colour choices.
Of course when travelling as Addfuel often has to paint in new countries, he takes a considered view of the location and often adapts his designs to incorporate features distinctive to each locale. His Aberdeen mural uses colours and motifs connected to the tiled tenement floors throughout the city whilst in Norway his piece reflects the intricate designs of the rosemaling patterns which help connect the murals to the people who invariably live with them. I was blown away by his Aberdeen piece having sent on some photographs of Aberdeen floor tiles and to seeing how he'd incorporated them into his design. How would this new piece fit with his existing body of work? Quite well I'd say with the mural feeling likes continuation of his journey but also creating a piece of art that feels like its always been there, embedded into the city.
With little to no travel over the past 12 months its been challenging, many artists have adapted and refocussed their energy into their studios and working up ideas for future projects. Working with the Underdogs Gallery in Lisbon, Addfuel hosted 'Chronos Redux' a special 48 hour online exhibition where we could view and purchase the fruits of his labour from the last year. The show provided a great overview of new studio pieces, both in distinctive tile format along with prints and original pieces. The addition of brand new sculptures also added a new dimension to Addfuels already impressive body of work along with monochromatic pieces which represent a pure exploration of the tile design.
A flick through his book from 2018 helps to pair his studio work with his street art murals with their overlapping layers, revealing hidden symbols and ideas. I think much of the beauty in the work comes from the layering process, not just of paint but of ideas & concepts. There's a few interesting journeys which expand with each Addfuel project, working on tile designs, extrapolating them up to mural scale, creating layers which we can now see replicated back in tile format is one example. I'd image creating a rip effect using real tiles isn't an easy task either. The theme of layers is taken to the extreme with new sculptural works which not only play with the 3D effect but uses 3 dimensional layers to create depth and creates a whole new way to experience the Addfuel aesthetic. I also loved the idea of his Aberdeen tiles revealing the numerous nuanced layers of creativity in our city, bridging the gap from the historic to the contemporary, but still requiring the viewer to look a little closer and a little deeper.
I mention these journeys and details as they're important when looking at Addfuels work. With bold lines, cartoon eyes and the odd phallus there's a playful aspect to it all but there's some serious thought behind it too. Even the concept of a 48 hour show is interesting in the context of the ceramic tile & time, the tile a traditional medium of which examples can be found dating back millennia, revealing untold histories and events. Meanwhile we only had 2 days to check out the 'Chronos Redux' exhibition before the webpages we're annexed, hidden on a server perhaps never to be seen again, or at least until the digital archeologists of the future uncover these now hidden gems. Of course some lucky patrons will be able to appreciate these works first hand wherever they choose to hang them.
It seems like 2021 might continue the trend for seeing art online and as a result galleries & artists will be looking to find new ways to create buzz and the emergence of crypto art has been big news & big business. I still can tell you exactly what an NFT or Non-Fungible Token is but I'm sure well be seeing lots of NFT editions in the foreseeable future with Addfuel already ahead of the digital curve. But for me a limited time online show worked quite well in replicating that time sensitive aspect associated to a lot of gallery openings, see it now or miss out! The shift online also provided a window into a show which I'd have been unable to attend in person being based in Aberdeen. Social media certainly provides opportunity to connect with artists in other places and to build up connections and friendships. That said it can't beat a real life face to face experience but its still nice to find ways of reaching out and being part of something, even if its just for 48 hours!
I'm hoping to return to Lisbon at some point as its a truly magical city and I still have to find the Bordalo ii piece I drove past drunk in a taxi way back in 2016. I'll also be able to make the connections between the tiled buildings, Aberdeen tenement floors and souvenir fridge magnets that litter the Lisbon corner shops. Congrats to Addfuel & Underdogs Gallery for producing such a great exhibition and here's to the next one!
