Category: Art

  • Emerging art meets the best electronic music at Paraíso Festival in Madrid

    Emerging art meets the best electronic music at Paraíso Festival in Madrid

    One of the latest additions to Madrid’s music festivals, Paraíso Festival returns in its second edition (14-15 June) with a line-up in which the best international and local electronic music artists meet emerging art and award-winning food.

    www.paraisofestival.com

    The music festival scene in Madrid keeps on growing with more innovative projects bringing some of the best international talent to the city whilst giving visibility to local artists. This is the case of Paraíso Festival, which after its first edition last year has become a hub for discovering new electronic music projects in a relaxed and sustainable environment, completely different to the usual crowded, festival settings.

    This year the line-up includes shows and sets by international artists like Bob Moses, CHVRCHES, Antal, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Laurent Garnier, Maribou State and Rhye. A rare opportunity to see some of these artists playing for their first time in the city.

    Paraíso Festival also wants to become a platform for local talent and that’s why this year the festival will showcase live sets and performances by emerging electronic music artist at the Escenario Nido (Nest Stage). This space is solely dedicated to artists that are contributing to changing and growing the scene in Madrid, like El Cuerpo del Disco, Estatua de la Libertad or Dos Doggos.

    Additionally, Paraíso Festival will also showcase installation and performance projects selected amongst all the proposals received to participate in this year’s edition. The brief revolved around the creation of projects exploring the relationship between people, nature and consumerism. Argentinian artist Melisa Zulberti will present her work ‘Dentro’ (Inside), an inflatable structure with a light installation investigating how we interact with nature and our environment. Architecture collective Terrario Arquitectura will build an installation made of 180Kg of plastic (a family’s average yearly consumption) that reconsiders how we can use this material to create liveable structures.

    Don’t miss Paraíso Festival on 14-15 June at Campus de la UCM, Madrid!

  • Paraíso Festival 2019: Our Highlights

    Paraíso Festival 2019: Our Highlights

    We recently talked about Paraíso Festival, an electronic music festival taking place in Madrid that has become one of the best music experiences in the city due to its carefully curated line-up, its connection to art and sustainability and its goal to serve as a platform for local DJs, producers and artists.

    We attended its second edition on 14-15 June and asked illustrator Laura Flores to join us and do live drawings of some of our highlights from the festival.

    Illustrations by Laura Flores and photographs by Sharon Lopez, Rodrigo Mena and Arturo de Lucas.

    The atmosphere

    Even though 25.000 people attended Paraíso, 40% more than last year, the festival didn’t feel crowded and it was easy to find a seat to eat or some free space at the multiple relaxation areas. The complex where the festival takes places is also pretty compact, which makes it easier to move from one stage to another if you want to make the most out of the line-up.

    The diverse line-up

    Paraíso is mainly an electronic music festival but this year’s line-up felt much more diverse, with a variety of genres especially at the main stage, Escenario Paraíso, with performances by the likes of Rhye, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Maribou State, Mount Kimbie or Channel Tres.

    The Escenario Club was home to live sets and performances by artists like Peggy Gou, IAMDDB and Jacques Greene. Whilst Escenario ABSOLUT brought to Madrid an eclectic mix of performers from South America, Africa and Europe such as Nicola Cruz, Kampire, Young Marco and Kalabrese.

    Rhye playing at Escenario Paraíso, food prepared with seasonal and local produce, Channel Tres performing, one of the many relaxation areas and Mount Kimbie on the stage

    The art

    Several art installations took over the festival space, creating ephemeral pieces that questioned our relationship with the environment. English artist and mathematician Paul Friedlander created a 5 metre light installation called Dancing Wave, architecture studio Terrario Arquitectura built a piece made of 180kg of inflatable beach mattresses, Argentinian artist Melisa Zulberti engaged attendees with her performance Dentro, architectural group TEXTWO created a modular structure called Urban Espora that served as a seating area and Fine Arts students from Universidad Complutense designed the Paraíso Totem.

    Escenario Nido

    For its second edition, Paraíso Festival has decided to give more visibility to local and emerging artists, DJs and producers. Escenario Nido (Nest Stage) served as a platform to discover electronic sounds from Madrid with sets and sessions by Dos Doggos, El Cuerpo del Disco, Estatua de la Libertad or Guacamayo Tropical.

    Melisa Zulberti’s installation ‘Dentro’, the Paraíso Totem, ABSOLUT’s ice cocktails and Escenario Nido

    The Food

    Festival food doesn’t have to be bad or unhealthy. Following its sustainable ethos, Paraíso Festival collaborated with award-winning chef Rebeca Hernández to curate 14 food trucks offering a delicious menu based on seasonal and local produce. Burgers, tacos or pizza were just a few of the many food offerings that we could try during this 2-day festival.

     

     

     

  • Prints for Refugees

    Prints for Refugees

    Photographer Mark Sherratt is behind Prints for Refugees, a project showcasing and selling art donated by photographers to support the work of Doctors of the World so that they can continue to provide medical aid to vulnerable refugees. We chatted with Mark about how the project started, the photographers involved and his future plans.

    www.printsforrefugees.com

    Can you introduce yourself and tell us about what made you start Prints for Refugees?

    I’m Mark Sherratt, I’m a freelance advertising and editorial photographer, I live in London with my wife Hayley and my one month old son Sydney. I initially started Prints for Refugees a couple of years ago during the time that the refugee crisis was in the news much more. After seeing some terrible news stories I felt like I wanted to try to do something to help if I could. I remember sitting at home one Sunday morning reading some things in the paper and this idea popped into my heard. I then emailed a few photographer friends to see if it’s something they would be interested in getting involved in and got a very positive reaction so it all grew from there. Since then we have sold over £20,000 worth of prints from lots of different photographers with all the money going directly to Doctors of the World who are doing amazing work with refugees both in the UK and across Europe.

    I feel like the news cycles have moved on since I first started this project and their isn’t the same public outcry about it all, which is understandable. But unfortunately, the situation for many people is just as desperate and the help is still greatly needed. That’s why I felt like I wanted to reinvigorate the project and once again the response from photographers has been fantastic, with people readily agreeing to donate prints.

    Mark Sherratt portrait

    Why did you decide to focus on photographers and not other type of artists? What was the general response when approached about the project?

    I decided to to focus on photography simply because I am a photographer and a part of that world. I know lots of great photographers either personally or know of their work so it was easy to decide who to contact about possible print donations. I can also feel confident that we can offer some really great art works from interesting artists that will be a good investment for the buyer.

    Having said that, I would love to be able to start something similar for other types of artists. But I feel I would need to work with someone who knows that world better than I do. I am actually in very early talks with someone about this, but we will see how things go.

    I’ve had a wonderful response from photographers. It’s been great how excited people have been about the project and how happy they have been to get involved and offer their work and their time for free. I have also had plenty of other photographers contact me after hearing about the project, offering to donate work. Unfortunately, we can’t always accept everything that’s offered but it’s great that people are so willing to donate. The whole project has restored my faith in humanity.

    Print by David Ryle

    Please tell us about a little about some of the photographers involved and the prints they’ve contributed to the project.

    We have some fantastic photographers involved in the project. All of them have been specifically chosen as I believe they do really interesting and innovative work. I’m happy to say we have a good variety of photographers on the site, from new up and coming talent to much more established artists.

    It’s hard to single anyone out as I love all the work we have, but it’s certainly worth checking out the prints we have by Will Hartley who is fairly young photographer, but making some big waves at the moment. He’s doing some great work and I think it’s a good opportunity to pick up a print by him. We also have work by Peter Dench who is a big name in UK photography, his work has been exhibited all over the place and has made a number of books. I love the humour in his photographs and am pleased that he has decided to donate to us.

    Print by Samuel Hicks

    Can you tell us more about Doctors of the World and their work?

    Doctors of the World are a fantastic charity. They are working both in the UK and abroad to empower excluded people to access healthcare. They have a clinic in London that allows undocumented migrants and refugees to see a doctor, they also offer advocacy work to help defend migrants rights to health access in Britain.

    They are working in the refugee camps in Greece providing much needed psychological help to desperate people who have lost their homes and at the moment seem pretty much abandoned by the rest of the world! They are also working in Bulgaria with unaccompanied child refugees who are often the victims of forced labour or sexual exploitation, providing translators, social workers, medical kits and warm clothing. Also, in Ukraine they are woking on both sides of the conflict providing much needed primary medical care to villages near the contact line.

    Print by Andrew Urwin

    How do you see Prints for Refugees evolving? Do you have any plans for the upcoming months?

    I’m really excited about the plans we have for Prints for Refugees. Of course, we have some really great new photographers lined up to release some prints, which is going to happen before Christmas, so make sure you save some Christmas present money! But we have lots of other plans too. I want to make Prints for Refugees a hub for interesting innovative photography. So it’s not only a place where you can buy an amazing piece of art for your wall, but it’s also somewhere you can come to see what new in UK photography. There are various ways I want to do this, including interviews with photographers, social media takeovers, guest curators etc etc. All this work is done in mine and my fellow PFR worker Nick’s spare time though, so we will see how we get on!

    One other thing I do want to mention though is that we are going to be offering some secret prints that only people on subscribed to our newsletter will be able to access. So make sure you sign up! You can do that here – www.printsforrefugees.com/contact

  • Meet the Graduate: Alannah Cooper

    Meet the Graduate: Alannah Cooper

    Alannah Cooper is a Fashion Communication graduate from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland. We talked to Alannah to find out more about her course, her final project ‘Teran’ and how it feels to graduate in 2017.

    www.alannaheileen.com

    Photographs taken from ‘Teran’.


    Can you tell us about yourself and your course?

    I grew up in the Orkney Islands in the very north of Scotland. It is very cold and windy there but you get to see a lot of beautiful things, like waves crashing into cliffs and the Aurora Borealis (known locally as the ‘merry dancers’). I spent a lot of time cutting pictures out of magazines and sticking them to my bedroom wall, as well as painting and charity shopping.

    Then I moved to the Scottish Borders to study Fashion Communication at Heriot-Watt University, where I spent even more time cutting pictures out of magazines, painting and charity shopping. My course included a broad mix of subjects, such as photography, graphic design, journalism, styling, events and marketing. It suited me well because I loved doing everything and was initially unsure what I specifically wanted to pursue as a career. By the end of the course, each one of us had found our own individual handwriting and was able to demonstrate it within our work. I was very fortunate to receive the Bernat Klein Award and Watt Club Medal from my university, as well as being awarded the Fashion Photography Award at Graduate Fashion Week. In January, I will begin a Masters in Fashion Communication and Promotion at Central Saint Martins, where I will be focussing on image-making.


    Can you tell us more about your final project?

    I created a publication titled ‘Teran’, which focussed on rural out-migration within youths. It’s common for young people to be encouraged to leave their home following school to attend university and pursue career ambitions but I questioned whether creatives could be missing out on unique and interesting opportunities where they lived. Whilst reading poetry written by my great grandfather’s cousin, Robert Rendall, I could see my own personal experiences of growing up in Orkney – as opposed to picturing his own stories. I decided to use these poems to inspire each editorial, in an attempt to show my own interpretation.

    I made a conscious decision to include no makeup or retouching and to use only natural light. I cast people who weren’t models professionally but I felt were interesting and beautiful. The clothes were all second hand, vintage or borrowed because there are no high street shops in Orkney and I wanted to stay true to that. I interviewed some really interesting people who were having successful creative careers in the islands, such as the Cathedral Stonemason, who as a 24-year old woman was likely to be the first female in the position, and had taken such an interesting creative career path.


    How has your course and school prepared you for life after graduating?

    My course was quite demanding, which I think helped me to build a strong work ethic. I think having a balance of internships/jobs as well as academic learning was really important, because I gained experience and skills through working but refined my knowledge and expertise within university. My course gave me the room to experiment, make mistakes and figure out what worked for me. I learned in depth about ethics, sustainability and a number of other important issues within the industry, which has shaped my perspective dramatically. I have left university feeling very aware of my responsibility to create positive change within fashion.


    How does a graduate feel in 2017?

    Personally, 2017 has been a very surreal year because I went from showing my work to mostly friends and family to exhibiting my work in London and being interviewed by ELLE magazine. I am feeling really excited about creating new work and motivated to improve my abilities. I’ve been reading a lot, trying to see as much art as possible and exploring topics that could be interesting subjects for editorials. After this year, I really believe that if I work hard enough and am persistent, I can achieve my goals.

    If you’ve graduated in 2017 and would like to be featured on our blog, please send us an email to hello@thefuturepositive.com with some information about yourself and your graduation project.

  • The New Mediterranean

    The New Mediterranean

    A shared love for plants, handmade products, natural materials, Henri Matisse and the organic shapes found in the Mediterranean architecture and landscapes are just some of the elements that connect a new wave of Barcelona-based creatives and collaborators who are influencing current fashion and art trends. We’ve selected some clothing and accessories brands, shoemakers, illustrators and jewellery labels that represent the aesthetics and values of what we have called ‘The New Mediterranean’.

    Paloma Wool


    Image via Paloma Wool Instagram

    Founded by artist and designer Paloma Lanna, Paloma Wool is described as a “a project on photography, clothing and other experiments”. Paloma Wool’s products are locally made in Barcelona, often collaborating with artists to create items ranging from clothing and jewellery to bags and art books. Paloma also explores “the space or ideas that are created around the act of getting dressed” through art installations and performances in which she also collaborates with other local creatives like art director and photographer Carlota Guerrero, known for her work with Solange.

    www.palomawool.com

    LEVENS

    Image via LEVENS Instagram

    Actress Mar del Hoyo is behind LEVENS, a jewellery label founded in 2016. Mar creates ceramic earrings inspired by her fascination for nature and femininity. All LEVENS’ products are handmade, with differences in shape and colour which make them unique. In fact, these ‘imperfections’ are part of the ethos behind this project: “Imperfect pieces that arise from a manual movement, almost intuitive, in which the simplicity of forms and materials are a sign of identity”.

    www.levensjewels.com

    About Arianne

    Image via About Arianne Instagram

    About Arianne was one of the first Stories we published on our website. The founders of About Arianne, Ariadna Guirado and Ernest Vidal, have been creating women’s shoes 100% made in Spain since 2010 and have also recently started to design bags. From their shop/studio in Barcelona’s Poble Nou, Ariadna and Ernest produce slow-fashion centred around three values: quality, comfort and design. About Arianne’s shoes and bags are inspired by classic lines and silhouettes which are reinterpreted with a contemporary vision, creating unique and timeless pieces.

    www.aboutarianne.com

    Tana Latorre

    Image via Tana Latorre Instagram

    Tana Latorre is an artist and one of the close friends and collaborators of Paloma Wool – she has illustrated clothing and worked together on other art projects with the label’s founder Paloma Lanna. Born in Nairobi, Tana lives in Barcelona and her minimalist drawings of female silhouettes and faces have been reinterpreted by other artists like sculptor Diego Cabezas and the Berber women behind Anou, a project connecting artists with artisans in Morocco.

    www.instagram.com/tanalatorre

    Matagalan Plantae

    Image via Matagalan Plantae Instagram

    Born in Costa Rica, Carolina Spencer moved to Barcelona in 2004 and worked as a florist before starting Matagalan Plantae in 2013 as a project exploring the relationship between plants and pots, and their connection to the city. Caroline saw the plant and its container as just one object, and wanted to replace the traditional plastic pot with ceramic vases made by hand in Cataluña in order to create a plant/pot combination more aesthetically pleasing.

    www.matagalan.club

    Ölend

    Image via Ölend Instagram

    Fran Rios, Adriana Dumon and Antonio Longás started Ölend with the idea of creating backpacks for themselves, and their friends liked them so much that they decided to start making them on demand. Ölend’s backpacks and bags are inspired by travelling, challenges and mountaineers from the 40’s and 50’s. They are handmade 100% in Barcelona, using only the highest quality materials and sometimes even customised based on the clients’ preferences.

    www.olend.net