Adel Abdessemed, 'Habibi', 2003. Resin, fiberglass, polystyrene, and airplane engine turbine, 1700 cm. Courtesy of the artist and David Zwirner, New York.
Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art
Adel Abdessemed
Silent Warriors
22 September - 14 November 2010
EXPOSURE 10 Award
Leah Capaldi, Kate Liston and Lea Provenzano
22 September - 17 October 2010
Parasol unit
foundation for contemporary art
14 Wharf Road,
London N1 7RW
T +44 207 490 7373 / F + 44 207 490 7775
info@parasol-unit.org
www.parasol-unit.org
Parasol unit is delighted to present Silent Warriors, the first solo exhibition dedicated to the work of artist Adel Abdessemed in London.
Working across a wide range of different media, including sculpture, installation, video, photography and drawing, Abdessemed passionately tackles difficult subject matter and taboos within society and presents them as naked truth. Beyond their often challenging and provocative appearance, his works embody the fragility of life and are deeply imbued with beauty and poetry. Abdessemed's exhibition at Parasol unit highlights precisely the vulnerability and aesthetic sensitivity in the work of this important twenty-first century artist.
Silent Warriors is organised around two of Abdessemed's major works, Habibi, 2003, a 17-metre human skeleton made of fibreglass, and a new installation entitled Silent Warrior, which comprises numerous colourful masks made from found and discarded empty tin cans from Africa, which once either contained food provisions or toxic material.
The exhibition also includes other works, such as Also sprach Allah, 2008; Enter the Circle, 2009; and Moscow, 2010, another new installation. Moscow is made of clear hand-blown glass and consists of five works modelled on ice skates used by Russian figure skaters. All these works reflect Abdessemed's ongoing exploration of ideas surrounding violence, truth and beauty.
Abdessemed was born in Algeria in 1971; he currently lives and works in Paris.
This exhibition is accompanied by a new publication, co-published by Parasol unit and Koenig Books.
Alongside the major exhibition by Adel Abdessemed, the Parasol unit graduating artist award EXPOSURE 10 will be on display. Now in its second year, the annual EXPOSURE award aims to provide an opportunity for graduates from a UK art school to exhibit works at Parasol unit in a professional context. Each year this exhibition coincides with the Frieze Art Fair, allowing the winners to present their practice on an international platform to a wide audience. In 2010, Parasol unit has collaborated with the Royal College of Art on this project. The EXPOSURE 10 Award winners are Leah Capaldi, Kate Liston and Lea Provenzano.
Visitor information
Private view: 21 September 6.30 - 9pm
Gallery opening hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 10am - 6pm and Sunday, 12 - 5pm
Admission: Free
From Angel Tube station, turn left and walk down City Road for ten minutes before turning left into Wharf Road at the Texaco petrol station. From Old Street Tube station, leave via Exit 1 and walk up City Road for five minutes. Turn right into Wharf Road after passing the Texaco petrol station.
Buses 43, 205 and 214 all travel down City Road.
Note to Editors
Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art is an independent educational charity devoted to promoting contemporary art for the benefit of the public. The core activity of the foundation is to showcase contemporary work of leading and young international artists in various media. In conjunction with each exhibition Parasol unit organises a series of talks and educational events. Each year, Parasol unit mounts four exhibitions in a variety of media, each of which is usually accompanied by a publication. In order to encourage the widest possible access to its exhibition programme, Parasol unit does not charge admission fees for its exhibitions.
