Spirit of Boz

 
Curated by Isolde Brielmaier
 
May 28 – July 3, 2009 
Opening Reception: Thursday May 28 2009, 6-8 pm
 
Jack Shainman Gallery is pleased to present Signs Taken for Wonders, an exhibition curated by Isolde Brielmaier. In this presentation six artists, Kader Attia, Jn. Ulrick Désert, Julien Friedler, Jeffrey Gibson, Xaviera Simmons, and Carrie Mae Weems, use Africa as their muse as they examine representation, symbolism and the power of the image within the social, economic, political, historical and cultural spheres of the 20th and 21st centuries. Their work explores iconic figures, events and ideas that have contributed, explicitly and implicitly, to the imaging of the African continent around the world. 
 
In Signs, the artists use a range of media — painting, sculpture, photography, video, mixed media and installation — to articulate a particular
person, idea, event or time period that is significant to the role that African countries, cultures and individuals occupy within global politics, popular culture and economy. In so doing, they spotlight both the acknowledged and overlooked roles that international players, African
individuals and the continent as a whole, maintain on every level of the world stage.     
 
This exhibition is collaboratively presented as part of a wider project developed by the Spirit of BOZ Collective which was founded by artist Julien Friedler. An important pillar of this collective’s global movement is the Forest of Souls, an international engagement and production of art by thousands of people from countries such as China, Rwanda, Argentina, Bulgaria, Chile, Germany, Brazil and Morocco. The exhibition Signs Taken for Wonders is thus intended to inscribe itself in a broader effort to gather a multi-national range of artists who will be featured in a series of globally- oriented exhibitions as part of the Forest of Souls project.
 
For further information and press photography please contact Jack Shainman Gallery at (212) 645-1701.
 

The National Gallery for Foreign Arts in Sofia (Bulgarie) presents "Dialogues" de Julien Friedler. Intended as a "conceptual and interactive", art show,  "Dialogues" confronts works by Julien Friedler to the Be Art-Be Boz projects that he initiated a couple of years ago.

In this presentation, personal intimate works dialogue with  global collective ones, dream and reality responds to real, modernity interacts with traditions and writing with visual arts, with the intend the visitors will react and participate, since they are invited to answer the 6 questions of  "Around the Boz In 80 Years".

Julien Friedler’s "Shaman" dialogues with…

…the shaman of the indians Asurini, who took part to the "Around the Boz" project.

Exhibition from May 17 to July 14, 2009. Opening May 16, 5 PM, during the European Night of Museums.

The National Gallery for Foreign Art
St. Alexander Nevsky Square
1000-SOFIA — Bulgarie

Julien Friedler - Who is Jack Balance ?

The Christopher Henry Gallery is pleased to present its first solo exhibition of Julien Friedler curated by
Gabrielle Bryers entitled "Who is Jack Balance?".
 
Covering two floors the exhibition is an introduction to Jack Balance and the World of Boz.  A Dante’s
Inferno like quest through the art world, Friedler takes the viewer on an adventure through a parallel
universe of life’s unanswered questions expressed through writing, painting, sculptures, happenings and
conceptual projects. As uncertainty grips the current world mindset the artist endeavors to discover and
interpret this unbalanced world as modern allegories. There is a spirituality in the imperfect world of
Friedler: he helps us to see, understand, and accept the inescapable imperfection that is the human
condition. 

Jack Balance is the main character in Friedler’s world, BOOK OF BOZ, a 700 page epic that forms
the core of his entire artwork. The character continually suffers at the hands of his creator – born deaf and
dumb in a match box, he lives in a cage, able to express himself only by whistling or writing on boards. He
is granted speech once a year on his birthday. A metaphysical personage, Jack Balance originally desires
to become human; frequent encounters, however, have him wishing to remain a fictional character.

The works in the exhibition depict the various exploits of Jack Balance while exploring a diverse
range of communication mediums in the visual arts.  On the first floor of the gallery are 30 original Comic
Strip illustrations –bright, childishly optimistic pages which introduce the viewer to the BOOK OF BOZ.  In
the center of the gallery stands Mappemonde, an exquisite Murano glass sculpture staging the 3 main
characters of the book, its delicate elements symbolizing the fragility of life.  The second floor reveals the
background of Jack Balance: a sculptural likeness is surrounded by a projection providing an insight into the
world of BOZ, accompanied by a unique series of photographs depicting the Lives and Deaths of Jack
Balance.

Julien Friedler lives and work between Brussels and Monaco.  Friedler started his career as a
psychoanalyst and author.  In 1997 he set out to communicate his philosophies in visual form. His work has
been shown throughout the world and at such institutions as Mudima Foundation in Milan, Italy; it will be
exhibited at MUBE, Sao Paulo, Brazil in October 2009 as well as the National Gallery for Foreign Art, Sofia,
Bulgaria in May 2009.

Fom April 17 to May 25, 2009

Christopher Henry Gallery
127 Elizabeth Street
NEW YORK, NY 10013

www.christopherhenrygallery.com

Related :

> Jack Balance (an introduction)

> 2009 program of Julien Friedler’s exhibitions

> The Jack Balance Facebook group

Mission

The goal of the association is to promote Spirit of Boz and to gather people interested in its values.

Friends organize events in the spirit of Boz (evenings among friends, seminars, conferences, distributions of «Forest of Soul» questionnaires and, in general, any creative, playful or interesting action).

Diffusion

The Friends of Boz are encouraged to promote the association and to invit new people.

Reflexion and creation

Different themes of reflexion and creation will be proposed to Friends of Boz.

1. Appropriating works, characters, themes, concepts, and projects of Spirit of Boz. It’s a call for creativity, in accordance with the philosophy of Be Art : «looking for art where we doesn’t wait for it.» These activities will be created individually or collectively, on any support or media.

2. Designing an original, commercial and popular piece of merchandising.

Emulation

Each year, the most creative friend will receive a prize of 1000 euros.

Its vocation

Federating and initiating synergies for creating a link of friendship and solidarity between Friends.

How do you become a Friend of Boz ?

An annual subscription of 5 or 25 euros (following countries) give the right to a personal member card.

A web directory will be proposed to members (including the names, email adress, work, hobbies,…).

The website of the Association is in construction. A quarterly newsletter will be sent to Friends.

Informations of the person in charge of the «Friends of Boz» association.

Stella Rouskova

6 Rue de l’Abbaye
98 000 Monaco

Email : stellarouskova(at)voila.fr
Tel. : 0033675284341

Subscription Price :

25 euros : Germany, Belgium, France, Israel, USA

5 euros : Argentina, Benin, Brasil, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Morocco, Mexico, Rwanda, Togo, Uruguay, Venezuela.

JULIEN FRIEDLER’S SPIRIT OF BOZ EXHIBITIONS

WHO IS J. B. ?

April 17 to May 24, 2009

Curator : Gabrielle Bryers

Christopher Henry Gallery
127 Elizabeth Street
NEW YORK, NY 10013

www.christopherhenrygallery.com

DIALOGUES 

May 17 to June 14, 2009

The National Gallery for Foreign Art
St. Alexander Nevsky Square
1000-SOFIA — Bulgaria

www.foreignartmuseum.bg

SPIRIT OF BOZ

October 15 to November 15, 2009 

Mube (Museu Brasileiro da Escultura)
Av. Europa, 218
CEP : 01449-000
SAO PAULO—Brasil

www.mube.art.br

COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS

« SIGNS TAKEN FOR WONDERS »

May 28 to July 4, 2009
Curator : Isolde Brielmaier

Jack Shainman Gallery
513 west 20th street
NEW YORK, NY 10011

www.jackshainman.com

« BILLION OF ZEALS »   

August 2009
Curator : Ariel Roger-Paris

De PURY & Luxembourg
Limmaststrasse 264
CH-8005 ZURICH

www.depuryluxembourg.com

Julien Friedler, Demoiselles
Fiberglass, 110×65x91

Exhibitions

> The Demoiselles Revisited, Francis Naumann Gallery, New York, 2007 (collective exhibition)
> In Quest, Galerie Boz 38, Ostende, August 2007

Read the rest of this entry »

If you don’t see the video, you need a more recent version of  "Flash Player". Download it from the Macromedia website.

This feature was shot in september 2005, documenting the performance "The End of Time", during the Festival of Flanders. This haunting performance was the meeting between Olivier Messiaen’s music (Quartet for the End of Time) , Primo Levi’s  words (If this is a man) and Julien Friedler’s installation The Innocents.

The Innocents could be Julien Friedler’s most emblematic work. Created in 1999, it has been exposed in Milan (2003) and Paris (2004). It’s currently settled in Julien Friedler’s atelier.

Read the rest of this entry »

Julien Friedler, Autoportrait 3, 1998
Mixed media on canvas, 150 x 200

Exhibitions

> In Quest, Galerie Box 38, Ostende, August 2007.
> De leur temps, French private collections,  Musée des Beaux Arts, Tourcoing, 2004.
> L’infanzia dell’ Arte, Mudima Foundation, Milan, 2003