BOM.K | ALEXIS DIAZ | ETAM CRU-BEZT | HERAKUT | INTI | CASE MACLAIM | MARCO MAZZONI
A group exhibition with seven internationally renowned street artists will interpret the rich history of this medieval fortress through its legends and lore. During June the artists-in-residence will work on site, where visitors can observe the creation of murals that will occupy more than three thousand square meters on exterior spaces of the historic monument. Each artist will contribute original paintings to an exhibition in the principal contemporary art gallery in order to create a unique event thanks to artistic creation.
An educational component of this exhibition aims to explore the history of street art not only as a form of urban expressionism and urban culture that has impacted the fine art world, but as a compelling form of storytelling with primitive roots. Visitors will be able to learn about these inspirational artists and see a series of short films featuring time-lapse videos of murals they have painted around the world.
Curated by Heidi Leigh (AFA Gallery) and Christopher Courtney. Produced by myFINBEC and Château Belcastel, supported by MONTANA.
OFRENDA, by INTI & ALEXIS DIAZ, 3x9m, above the moat
INTI
Inti Castro, or INTI, is one of the most renowned street art painters in Latin America today. His dedication to muralism escalated in the early 1990s at the end of Chili's era of dictatorship when the graffiti culture exploded. After formal artistic studies, his large-scale works became sensationally popular because his masterpieces in the streets created provocative dialogues free from censorship. His global perspective speaks of the conflicts between contemporary belief systems and a utopian society. INTI has always advocated a philosophy that brings together all peoples in a celebration of their unique identities in a world full of colorful and complex customs and beliefs. He is also part of a crew named ’Stgo Under’ who he still occasionally paints with. Moreover, INTI means "sun" in Quechua language. It embodies the festival and celebration to the sun that took place on the day of the winter solstice considered the first day of the year in the Inca calendar.
ALEXIS DIAZ
Fascinating beasts of monstrous proportions crawl out of the primordial imagination of Puerto Rican artist Alexis Diaz. Wielding brushes and paints, first he reveals a portion of an anatomically correct animal that exists in perfect harmony with our natural world. Then his brushes turn surreal, and with graceful strokes and the precision of a master, a creature emerges that is shocking in its incredulous impossibility- a blunder of mother-nature, and yet all the more captivating because of its hyper-realistic detail. Finally, when the work fully emerges, it is a visual spectacle. The freak show dream-world of Alexis Diaz is so unique that the walls and buildings he has embellished in many of the world's major cities are easily identifiable. The urban artist Alexis Diaz uses the technique of ancient engraving. Instead of the usual stencil or spray can, he uses a black brush and paints with an India ink on a white background.
The legend of Mary Magdalene, who is believed by many to have lived in this region after the death of Jesus, inspired this fresco in which Inti and Diaz collaborate. Discover here the history of Mary Magdalene.
CASE MACLAIM
CASE MACLAIM, 3m x 9m. upper garden
Case MaClaim was born in 1979 in East Germany. Upon graduating, he took to the streets to play with spray paint and his degree in art conservation. In 1999 he teamed up with Akut, (the male half of the Herakut duo), and Rusk to collaborate on large-scale projects. Two years later, Tasso joined the group and the new street art collective came to be known as the Maclaim Crew. This group of young and talented artists emerged onto the international street art scene like a bomb! They designed and created some of the best photorealistic graffiti the world had ever seen. Even then, as the Maclaim Crew was gaining momentum and international attention, Case stood out with his unique style and vision. He became as passionate in his studio as on the streets and pursued a private artistic career on canvas in his studio with sedulous dedication. Today, Case Maclaim is regarded as one of the most innovative German street artists and one of the finest photorealistic aerosol authors in the world. After arriving at the chateau, Case explored the labyrinth of ancient rooms and discovered a tapestry with a unicorn, and simultaneously the inspiration for his mural.
« Our insides showing » On the keep
The portrait by Case Maclaim, entitled “Our Insides Showing”, was chosen to be displayed larger than life on the keep of the Chateau of Belcastel to spur a dialogue with the public. Street Artists have often used provocative social commentary with the intention of raising eyebrows and engaging the viewer in a personal and profound way.
Historically, medieval castles were always strategically situated in a location with a tremendous view of the surrounding landscape. Everything around them was watched, for the purpose of protecting the people and village below, and in order to survive! However, in this contemporary world we have become used to all kinds of cameras, and why is it that so many of us feel like “Big Brother” is invading our privacy? The Artist suggests that the purpose of today’s contemporary watchers make him feel uncomfortable...
The painting dares us to examine ourselves and the relationships we have with each other in this brand new day. Reeling from isolation and the realization of how fragile life is, will humanity now wake up to re-examine its relationship with the natural world? How will we look to the future? How do you see your future unfolding?
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Luke 6:41
case maclaim, our insides showing, 7,5m x 15,5m. donjon
BOM.K
BOM.K, CRI, 2021, in the prison
BOM.K 1,25M X 12M IN THE PRISON
Born in 1973, raised in the suburbs of Paris, Bom.K has devoted himself relentlessly since the age of 17 to painting walls and vacant lots. He discovered his own artistic style and developed a technique of extreme precision, immediately recognizable in the world of urban art. Like all urban artists, he uses spray cans and brushes to create tags, flops and frescoes. He works in the street with spray cans and creates tormented creatures from his vivid imagination. His work is instantly popular in the streets, but also in art galleries. In 1999, the Da Mental Vaporz (DMV) collective was created with Iso and Kan. This group created monumental walls and in 2000, they recruited new members: Jaws, Gris1, Brusk and Dran and more recently Sowat, Blo and Lek. Bom-K finds its inspiration in everyday life, mixing it with the codes of 80s hip-hop and New York culture.
Bom-K's compulsion to artistically communicate what he sees, living just beneath the surface of humanity's urban places, is a wake-up call to the global community. These beautifully painted creatures of the underworld are light-deprived, distressed, deformed and malnourished, but they express a powerful truth, without malice or cruelty. Their mutant existence suggests that only radical change can cure what is wrong with this world, and these beings are part of the only solution - aggressively promoting multicultural understanding. Consciously or not, Bom.K's work attempts to transcend his own culture and speak directly to our common humanity. He is notably influenced by Jeff Soto, Chris Cunningham, HG Giger, Rustin or Francis Bacon.
The prison Gallery at Chateau de Belcastel is the perfect venue for BOM.K, and his inspiration came from imagining how the unfortunate travelers must have felt, waiting for freedom or death.
ETAM CRU- BEZT
BEZT - ETAM CRU, the last meal, 3m x 6,6m. main courtyard
The Polish artist BEZT often works with Sainer to create large-scale murals in Europe and around the world. Both painters have successful independent fine art careers, but when they work together on monumental projects, the artistry is of one mind, painted seamlessly with four hands. Their paintings, larger than life, often capture secret moments, with the subject’s emotional complexity revealing a multi-layered experience for the viewer to interpret in countless ways.
BEZT is a storyteller, and chose his inspiration for LEGEND from the story of The White Lady. He has imagined a scene after the murder, and the disturbance, moody, melancholy, that would have remained. Solitude is invaded secretly, by the viewer, now a voyeur contemplating the still life- wondering what happened and where the knife could be.
HERA of HERAKUT
HERA of HERAKut, there is a great kinship among us outcast, 10m x 6m. retaining wall
In 2004 the German street art duo, Hera and Akut formed a partnership and worked successfully together on various projects around the world – It has been their intention, through their collaborative creative process, to open a dialogue with the public by telling stories with their imagery, to create monumental and fantastical worlds on city buildings.
Hera experiments with different formats, materials, and methods. She uses a variety of materials (spray paint, acrylic paint, aerosol paint, charcoal, etc.). She is also a conceptual artist, choreographer, and costume designer, often employing dancers to enhance, embellish and expand her paintings into the realm of graffiti 3D. Herakut’s work was embraced by the fine art world in 2013, with an extraordinary exhibition at MUCA, (Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art) in Munich, where paintings and installations were characterized by their sensuous, narrative style and the ability to lead the viewer into new realms of the imagination. The work speaks of collective constraints and struggle, power, triumph and love.
The 10 X 6 meter canvas facing the ‘Plus Beaux Village de France’ Belcastel, was inspired by the story of The White Lady who roams in the castle at night.
MARCO MAZZONI
Marco mazzoni, 1,4m x 2,3m. courtyard
Italian Artist Marco Mazzoni uses colored pencils to create beautiful, elaborate drawings. The subject of his mural for LEGEND is inspired by the true story of the “Wild Boy of the Aveyron”. Through the symbiotic harmony of an all-consuming relationship between the boy and his natural world, the portrait has emerged, and a new kind of creature is realized in great detail. It is possible to see this mural in the inner courtyard of the castle. Through the symbiotic harmony of an all-consuming relationship between the boy and his natural world, the portrait has emerged, and a new kind of creature is realized in great detail.
Marco Mazzoni discovered his passion for drawing at the age of 14 and has since exhibited his works in galleries throughout Europe and the United States. His deepest artistic inspiration comes from Masters Rembrandt, Goya, and Ribera. He spent many hours devoured by an obsession to understand their mastery through practice and sedulous dedication.
They talk about us : press article