Follow Vogue Arabia

Michele Lamy’s Protégé Giovanni Leonardo Bassan Unveils Martyrdom at The Mine, Dubai

“Being here in Dubai is a relevant point for the show—it’s almost completing it,” explained Italian artist Giovanni Leonardo Bassan to Caterina Minthe ahead of the premier of his first solo exhibition at The Mine art space in Dubai. The young artist, who carries out a day job for Rick Owens in Paris, showcased his show entitled Martyrdom to guests including his mentor Michele Lamy; The Mine founder Sanaz Askari; and Brag and FFWD founder Bong Guerrero. Designer and art collector Essa was also in attendance and motioning to Michele Lamy stated, “I met her a few years ago and we instantly formed a very close bond.”

Michele Lamy had offered Bassan, a young artist who has read Basquiat’s notebooks and who has been quoted as saying that current society fosters “Too many selfies and too little boxers,” a windowless basement in one of her buildings in Paris to work. The artist credits this move as instigating the turning point that transformed his vision. “I believe that she saw something within me that I wasn’t able to find yet.”

The Martyrdom works feature painted icons seemingly torn between the old world and the future, and their twisted bodies appear to burst with forewarning, which leave the viewer with a sense of gagged communication. The Mine founder Sanaz Askari added, “Giovanni Leonardo Bassan has created a point of convergence between past and present, where classical iconography meets contemporary social context only to reverse the hourglass.”

“Using beauty as a tool, my voice can be heard among different cultures, and it allows me to deliver an honest message without dusty preconceptions,” concluded Bassan.

The Mine Gallery is located in Al Quoz Industrial Area 1, Dubai. Martyrdom by Giovanni Leonardo Bassan is on until January 18th, 2016.

Suggestions
Articles
View All
Vogue Collection
Topics