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Into The Now is the third solo show from artist Ari Marcopoulos and the result of a chance discovery during lockdown.

Whilst unpacking long forgotten boxes in his studio, a brown paper bag containing several exposed Super 8 cartridges were discovered. When the film returned from development it revealed to be mostly skate footage shot during the mid-90’s in New York. The film had sat in that bag almost 25 years, a true time capsule from a golden era.

The footage has been edited into a digitized 7’21’ Super-8 film titled Brown Bag that forms the centre piece of Ari’s Into The Now exhibition, currently on view at galerie frank elbaz, Paris until October 10th.

The show also contains a series of 14 vintage prints taken in New York in the 80’s and early 90’s, these include images of Spike Lee on the set of Do the Right Thing, and Public Enemy lead man Chuck D in the recording studio.

I have been thinking a lot about living in America during a global pandemic that has simultaneously exposed failure of the health system as well as exposing the blatant racism and white supremacist brutality the US suffers from. These are questions I have long grappled with as an “outsider”. As an artist I often found myself spending time listening and talking to important Black artists, musicians and leaders over the decades.

I think back from when I was a young child and remembered the day Martin Luther King was murdered, the day I saw Tommie Smith and John Carlos bow their heads and raise their black-gloved fists. I was 11 then, now I am 63 and I wonder when will this violence end?

The most recent work is a recto/verso edition covering the past year, including the doctor who administered my Covid-19 test, my sons and stepdaughter, several up and coming hip hop artists and others.”

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Into the Now is showing until October 10th at galerie frank elbaz, 66 Rue de Turenne, Paris, 75003. 

 

©Wasted Talent Magazine
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