Two very exclusive and hidden gems were uncovered this weekend with my first ever visit to the Victoria Miro gallery and the uncovering of the Parasol unit. On route between Angel and Old street these two open warehouse galleries feature magnificent spaces, white walls, polished concrete floors and an original timber warehouse roof. Although two separate galleries they are next door and the building is looked upon as one. The building also has a garden that although weather granted wasn't the most graceful experience this weekend, on a good day you could spend an hour or two there.
The Victoria Miro was showcasing Idris Khan's third solo show entitled "Beyond the black" A show that featured Khans extensive approach to dealing with black on black, producing work on large aluminum panels with black pigment. His work focuses on repetition of text, taken previously from references and writings from the likes of Agnes Martin & Jean-Paul Satre, however his new found pieces incorporated his own writing, stamped excessively on top of one another until a mountain of black in shade covers the panels. Khan's work discloses the underlining aspect of "birth of tragedy" as a theme and his large painting truly surface that both in scale and colour. It made me think about Damien Hirst "Black sun" with the dominance and use of black to adsorb the audience. I have been looking to forward to seeing his work in the flesh with a new vis com project "White" that I will be delivering next term deals with similar aspects. Idris Khan will be a great reference into dealing with one colour outcomes and how one can communicate that to an audience.
The Parasol unit featured the work and extensive collection of "Siah Armajani" with his show "An ingenious would". Siah Armajani is internationally renowned for his work relating to American architecture, focusing on structure IE bridges, openings and general forms that question the appropriation of space. The gallery not only had some of his most iconic works on display but upstairs featured a luxury model room, showcasing Siahs's 68 piece collection. These models were a reflection of studio processes and development, built out of card, matchsticks and balsa wood. By studying each you were able to delve into the artists head embracing the thoughts on balance, angles and overall emotion that his work inhabited.
I'm very glad to have come across this little unit and look forward to seeing what else they have to offer in the new year. The Victoria Miro gallery is one of three spread across London, each with a different exhibition on show. I believe this could be my next journey.
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