%20(JPEG%20Version).jpg)
Mixed media for all the senses: R.I.P. Germain at the ICA
We explore R.I.P. Germain’s immersive simulacrum of real world ‘Baggy Spaces’ in his ICA show Jesus Died For Us, We Will Die For Dudus...
March 3, 2023
This is how to make contemporary art. Contemporary art has gone through an identity crisis over the last decade; Should art be political? Is art for art’s sake still relevant? Who and what is art for? The incorporation of blockchain technology into the art market is a great step for providence and transparency but equally could push contemporary art even further down the path of becoming another unregulated digital currency. R.I.P. Germain’s installation at the ICA is an escape from all of that. Great art should transport you and the transportive quality of this exhibition is profound.
“What if art held its cards close to its chest? Played with you and made you sweat a bit?” – The White Pube on R.I.P. Germain’s exhibition Shimmer at Two Queens, Leicester (2022).
On entering, the impression is underwhelming, set up on the gallery floor is a mock up single-story shop. Its unassuming frontage would easily be passed by on the street but situated in the gallery we venture inside. Here a key to interpreting the exhibition can easily be missed, before entering the shop a case of business cards can be found on the wall, on them a QR code leads you to a glossary of terms, which break down themes explored in the installation.
On the card is also printed an extract from the lyrics of ‘Winner’ by Skepta in which he questions the meaning of “the satellite was crispy” from Drake’s ‘Light Up’, Skepta says “What the fuck’s he going on about man? I need to get more money blud”. This reflects the theme of consumption and the idea that even within communities perceived as homogenous, slang terms and money are equally as exclusionary, creating boundaries which can only be traversed with the right wealth or cultural capital.
Engagement and thinking are required to navigate this interactive installation. The agency is certainly with the art and not the viewer, and each person will explore and interpret it in a different way. Jesus Died For Us, We Will Die For Dudus has been described by the artist as ‘aimed at a black audience’ but is certainly more complex than that and draws on the lived experience of R.I.P. Germain. His work deconstructs such statements, as the digital glossary explains; ‘black culture exists in the minds of some people who imagine a monolithic, well-defined set of practices and products that are assumed to be understood by all black people’.
Too many exhibitions presenting subcultures, both commercial and public, do little to address the space they are in. There is a natural assimilation into the wider social and physical institution, while it is not always significant that the work is often physically situated in imperial era buildings like the V&A or Saatchi Gallery, it is often the case that the art is also contextualised within the wider (white) ‘arts institution’ or market’s gaze. We may be presented with a culture not normally present in this space, but we see it within a framework we are accustomed to.
In complete contrast to this, R.I.P. Germain makes us work to see his art, but the reward is high. Worth it particularly for viewers experiencing something completely novel (though they may have to work or ‘mine’, as Germain says, the hardest). Germain’s practice draws on double meanings playing with accessibility and exclusion. The hyper-real installations in the Upper and Lower galleries mirror two distinct worlds exploring the tensions and enticements of a somewhat stereotypical “black culture”. Dealing with false-fronts and different forms of display the viewer can move through a simulation of spaces that are in the real world highly regulated and exclusive, legible only to those in the know.
Germain is both a trickster and a guide; his work deals with deep truths without spoon feeding us or flattening them out with explanations. It is a privilege to be granted access to these spaces and gain insight into how to read these worlds.
The exhibition is best not over described so as to be explored and interpreted by the viewer themselves. Look out for the details and follow your nose… especially to find all three scents developed by Germain for the installation; Money, Success and Stardog.
R.I.P. Germain: “Jesus Died For Us, We Will Die For Dudus” is showing at the ICA until 14th May.
Make sure to collect your Yamos on the gowithYamo app when you visit!
This is how to make contemporary art. Contemporary art has gone through an identity crisis over the last decade; Should art be political? Is art for art’s sake still relevant? Who and what is art for? The incorporation of blockchain technology into the art market is a great step for providence and transparency but equally could push contemporary art even further down the path of becoming another unregulated digital currency. R.I.P. Germain’s installation at the ICA is an escape from all of that. Great art should transport you and the transportive quality of this exhibition is profound.
“What if art held its cards close to its chest? Played with you and made you sweat a bit?” – The White Pube on R.I.P. Germain’s exhibition Shimmer at Two Queens, Leicester (2022).
On entering, the impression is underwhelming, set up on the gallery floor is a mock up single-story shop. Its unassuming frontage would easily be passed by on the street but situated in the gallery we venture inside. Here a key to interpreting the exhibition can easily be missed, before entering the shop a case of business cards can be found on the wall, on them a QR code leads you to a glossary of terms, which break down themes explored in the installation.
On the card is also printed an extract from the lyrics of ‘Winner’ by Skepta in which he questions the meaning of “the satellite was crispy” from Drake’s ‘Light Up’, Skepta says “What the fuck’s he going on about man? I need to get more money blud”. This reflects the theme of consumption and the idea that even within communities perceived as homogenous, slang terms and money are equally as exclusionary, creating boundaries which can only be traversed with the right wealth or cultural capital.
Engagement and thinking are required to navigate this interactive installation. The agency is certainly with the art and not the viewer, and each person will explore and interpret it in a different way. Jesus Died For Us, We Will Die For Dudus has been described by the artist as ‘aimed at a black audience’ but is certainly more complex than that and draws on the lived experience of R.I.P. Germain. His work deconstructs such statements, as the digital glossary explains; ‘black culture exists in the minds of some people who imagine a monolithic, well-defined set of practices and products that are assumed to be understood by all black people’.
Too many exhibitions presenting subcultures, both commercial and public, do little to address the space they are in. There is a natural assimilation into the wider social and physical institution, while it is not always significant that the work is often physically situated in imperial era buildings like the V&A or Saatchi Gallery, it is often the case that the art is also contextualised within the wider (white) ‘arts institution’ or market’s gaze. We may be presented with a culture not normally present in this space, but we see it within a framework we are accustomed to.
In complete contrast to this, R.I.P. Germain makes us work to see his art, but the reward is high. Worth it particularly for viewers experiencing something completely novel (though they may have to work or ‘mine’, as Germain says, the hardest). Germain’s practice draws on double meanings playing with accessibility and exclusion. The hyper-real installations in the Upper and Lower galleries mirror two distinct worlds exploring the tensions and enticements of a somewhat stereotypical “black culture”. Dealing with false-fronts and different forms of display the viewer can move through a simulation of spaces that are in the real world highly regulated and exclusive, legible only to those in the know.
Germain is both a trickster and a guide; his work deals with deep truths without spoon feeding us or flattening them out with explanations. It is a privilege to be granted access to these spaces and gain insight into how to read these worlds.
The exhibition is best not over described so as to be explored and interpreted by the viewer themselves. Look out for the details and follow your nose… especially to find all three scents developed by Germain for the installation; Money, Success and Stardog.
R.I.P. Germain: “Jesus Died For Us, We Will Die For Dudus” is showing at the ICA until 14th May.
Make sure to collect your Yamos on the gowithYamo app when you visit!
This is how to make contemporary art. Contemporary art has gone through an identity crisis over the last decade; Should art be political? Is art for art’s sake still relevant? Who and what is art for? The incorporation of blockchain technology into the art market is a great step for providence and transparency but equally could push contemporary art even further down the path of becoming another unregulated digital currency. R.I.P. Germain’s installation at the ICA is an escape from all of that. Great art should transport you and the transportive quality of this exhibition is profound.
“What if art held its cards close to its chest? Played with you and made you sweat a bit?” – The White Pube on R.I.P. Germain’s exhibition Shimmer at Two Queens, Leicester (2022).
On entering, the impression is underwhelming, set up on the gallery floor is a mock up single-story shop. Its unassuming frontage would easily be passed by on the street but situated in the gallery we venture inside. Here a key to interpreting the exhibition can easily be missed, before entering the shop a case of business cards can be found on the wall, on them a QR code leads you to a glossary of terms, which break down themes explored in the installation.
On the card is also printed an extract from the lyrics of ‘Winner’ by Skepta in which he questions the meaning of “the satellite was crispy” from Drake’s ‘Light Up’, Skepta says “What the fuck’s he going on about man? I need to get more money blud”. This reflects the theme of consumption and the idea that even within communities perceived as homogenous, slang terms and money are equally as exclusionary, creating boundaries which can only be traversed with the right wealth or cultural capital.
Engagement and thinking are required to navigate this interactive installation. The agency is certainly with the art and not the viewer, and each person will explore and interpret it in a different way. Jesus Died For Us, We Will Die For Dudus has been described by the artist as ‘aimed at a black audience’ but is certainly more complex than that and draws on the lived experience of R.I.P. Germain. His work deconstructs such statements, as the digital glossary explains; ‘black culture exists in the minds of some people who imagine a monolithic, well-defined set of practices and products that are assumed to be understood by all black people’.
Too many exhibitions presenting subcultures, both commercial and public, do little to address the space they are in. There is a natural assimilation into the wider social and physical institution, while it is not always significant that the work is often physically situated in imperial era buildings like the V&A or Saatchi Gallery, it is often the case that the art is also contextualised within the wider (white) ‘arts institution’ or market’s gaze. We may be presented with a culture not normally present in this space, but we see it within a framework we are accustomed to.
In complete contrast to this, R.I.P. Germain makes us work to see his art, but the reward is high. Worth it particularly for viewers experiencing something completely novel (though they may have to work or ‘mine’, as Germain says, the hardest). Germain’s practice draws on double meanings playing with accessibility and exclusion. The hyper-real installations in the Upper and Lower galleries mirror two distinct worlds exploring the tensions and enticements of a somewhat stereotypical “black culture”. Dealing with false-fronts and different forms of display the viewer can move through a simulation of spaces that are in the real world highly regulated and exclusive, legible only to those in the know.
Germain is both a trickster and a guide; his work deals with deep truths without spoon feeding us or flattening them out with explanations. It is a privilege to be granted access to these spaces and gain insight into how to read these worlds.
The exhibition is best not over described so as to be explored and interpreted by the viewer themselves. Look out for the details and follow your nose… especially to find all three scents developed by Germain for the installation; Money, Success and Stardog.
R.I.P. Germain: “Jesus Died For Us, We Will Die For Dudus” is showing at the ICA until 14th May.
Make sure to collect your Yamos on the gowithYamo app when you visit!
This is how to make contemporary art. Contemporary art has gone through an identity crisis over the last decade; Should art be political? Is art for art’s sake still relevant? Who and what is art for? The incorporation of blockchain technology into the art market is a great step for providence and transparency but equally could push contemporary art even further down the path of becoming another unregulated digital currency. R.I.P. Germain’s installation at the ICA is an escape from all of that. Great art should transport you and the transportive quality of this exhibition is profound.
“What if art held its cards close to its chest? Played with you and made you sweat a bit?” – The White Pube on R.I.P. Germain’s exhibition Shimmer at Two Queens, Leicester (2022).
On entering, the impression is underwhelming, set up on the gallery floor is a mock up single-story shop. Its unassuming frontage would easily be passed by on the street but situated in the gallery we venture inside. Here a key to interpreting the exhibition can easily be missed, before entering the shop a case of business cards can be found on the wall, on them a QR code leads you to a glossary of terms, which break down themes explored in the installation.
On the card is also printed an extract from the lyrics of ‘Winner’ by Skepta in which he questions the meaning of “the satellite was crispy” from Drake’s ‘Light Up’, Skepta says “What the fuck’s he going on about man? I need to get more money blud”. This reflects the theme of consumption and the idea that even within communities perceived as homogenous, slang terms and money are equally as exclusionary, creating boundaries which can only be traversed with the right wealth or cultural capital.
Engagement and thinking are required to navigate this interactive installation. The agency is certainly with the art and not the viewer, and each person will explore and interpret it in a different way. Jesus Died For Us, We Will Die For Dudus has been described by the artist as ‘aimed at a black audience’ but is certainly more complex than that and draws on the lived experience of R.I.P. Germain. His work deconstructs such statements, as the digital glossary explains; ‘black culture exists in the minds of some people who imagine a monolithic, well-defined set of practices and products that are assumed to be understood by all black people’.
Too many exhibitions presenting subcultures, both commercial and public, do little to address the space they are in. There is a natural assimilation into the wider social and physical institution, while it is not always significant that the work is often physically situated in imperial era buildings like the V&A or Saatchi Gallery, it is often the case that the art is also contextualised within the wider (white) ‘arts institution’ or market’s gaze. We may be presented with a culture not normally present in this space, but we see it within a framework we are accustomed to.
In complete contrast to this, R.I.P. Germain makes us work to see his art, but the reward is high. Worth it particularly for viewers experiencing something completely novel (though they may have to work or ‘mine’, as Germain says, the hardest). Germain’s practice draws on double meanings playing with accessibility and exclusion. The hyper-real installations in the Upper and Lower galleries mirror two distinct worlds exploring the tensions and enticements of a somewhat stereotypical “black culture”. Dealing with false-fronts and different forms of display the viewer can move through a simulation of spaces that are in the real world highly regulated and exclusive, legible only to those in the know.
Germain is both a trickster and a guide; his work deals with deep truths without spoon feeding us or flattening them out with explanations. It is a privilege to be granted access to these spaces and gain insight into how to read these worlds.
The exhibition is best not over described so as to be explored and interpreted by the viewer themselves. Look out for the details and follow your nose… especially to find all three scents developed by Germain for the installation; Money, Success and Stardog.
R.I.P. Germain: “Jesus Died For Us, We Will Die For Dudus” is showing at the ICA until 14th May.
Make sure to collect your Yamos on the gowithYamo app when you visit!
This is how to make contemporary art. Contemporary art has gone through an identity crisis over the last decade; Should art be political? Is art for art’s sake still relevant? Who and what is art for? The incorporation of blockchain technology into the art market is a great step for providence and transparency but equally could push contemporary art even further down the path of becoming another unregulated digital currency. R.I.P. Germain’s installation at the ICA is an escape from all of that. Great art should transport you and the transportive quality of this exhibition is profound.
“What if art held its cards close to its chest? Played with you and made you sweat a bit?” – The White Pube on R.I.P. Germain’s exhibition Shimmer at Two Queens, Leicester (2022).
On entering, the impression is underwhelming, set up on the gallery floor is a mock up single-story shop. Its unassuming frontage would easily be passed by on the street but situated in the gallery we venture inside. Here a key to interpreting the exhibition can easily be missed, before entering the shop a case of business cards can be found on the wall, on them a QR code leads you to a glossary of terms, which break down themes explored in the installation.
On the card is also printed an extract from the lyrics of ‘Winner’ by Skepta in which he questions the meaning of “the satellite was crispy” from Drake’s ‘Light Up’, Skepta says “What the fuck’s he going on about man? I need to get more money blud”. This reflects the theme of consumption and the idea that even within communities perceived as homogenous, slang terms and money are equally as exclusionary, creating boundaries which can only be traversed with the right wealth or cultural capital.
Engagement and thinking are required to navigate this interactive installation. The agency is certainly with the art and not the viewer, and each person will explore and interpret it in a different way. Jesus Died For Us, We Will Die For Dudus has been described by the artist as ‘aimed at a black audience’ but is certainly more complex than that and draws on the lived experience of R.I.P. Germain. His work deconstructs such statements, as the digital glossary explains; ‘black culture exists in the minds of some people who imagine a monolithic, well-defined set of practices and products that are assumed to be understood by all black people’.
Too many exhibitions presenting subcultures, both commercial and public, do little to address the space they are in. There is a natural assimilation into the wider social and physical institution, while it is not always significant that the work is often physically situated in imperial era buildings like the V&A or Saatchi Gallery, it is often the case that the art is also contextualised within the wider (white) ‘arts institution’ or market’s gaze. We may be presented with a culture not normally present in this space, but we see it within a framework we are accustomed to.
In complete contrast to this, R.I.P. Germain makes us work to see his art, but the reward is high. Worth it particularly for viewers experiencing something completely novel (though they may have to work or ‘mine’, as Germain says, the hardest). Germain’s practice draws on double meanings playing with accessibility and exclusion. The hyper-real installations in the Upper and Lower galleries mirror two distinct worlds exploring the tensions and enticements of a somewhat stereotypical “black culture”. Dealing with false-fronts and different forms of display the viewer can move through a simulation of spaces that are in the real world highly regulated and exclusive, legible only to those in the know.
Germain is both a trickster and a guide; his work deals with deep truths without spoon feeding us or flattening them out with explanations. It is a privilege to be granted access to these spaces and gain insight into how to read these worlds.
The exhibition is best not over described so as to be explored and interpreted by the viewer themselves. Look out for the details and follow your nose… especially to find all three scents developed by Germain for the installation; Money, Success and Stardog.
R.I.P. Germain: “Jesus Died For Us, We Will Die For Dudus” is showing at the ICA until 14th May.
Make sure to collect your Yamos on the gowithYamo app when you visit!
This is how to make contemporary art. Contemporary art has gone through an identity crisis over the last decade; Should art be political? Is art for art’s sake still relevant? Who and what is art for? The incorporation of blockchain technology into the art market is a great step for providence and transparency but equally could push contemporary art even further down the path of becoming another unregulated digital currency. R.I.P. Germain’s installation at the ICA is an escape from all of that. Great art should transport you and the transportive quality of this exhibition is profound.
“What if art held its cards close to its chest? Played with you and made you sweat a bit?” – The White Pube on R.I.P. Germain’s exhibition Shimmer at Two Queens, Leicester (2022).
On entering, the impression is underwhelming, set up on the gallery floor is a mock up single-story shop. Its unassuming frontage would easily be passed by on the street but situated in the gallery we venture inside. Here a key to interpreting the exhibition can easily be missed, before entering the shop a case of business cards can be found on the wall, on them a QR code leads you to a glossary of terms, which break down themes explored in the installation.
On the card is also printed an extract from the lyrics of ‘Winner’ by Skepta in which he questions the meaning of “the satellite was crispy” from Drake’s ‘Light Up’, Skepta says “What the fuck’s he going on about man? I need to get more money blud”. This reflects the theme of consumption and the idea that even within communities perceived as homogenous, slang terms and money are equally as exclusionary, creating boundaries which can only be traversed with the right wealth or cultural capital.
Engagement and thinking are required to navigate this interactive installation. The agency is certainly with the art and not the viewer, and each person will explore and interpret it in a different way. Jesus Died For Us, We Will Die For Dudus has been described by the artist as ‘aimed at a black audience’ but is certainly more complex than that and draws on the lived experience of R.I.P. Germain. His work deconstructs such statements, as the digital glossary explains; ‘black culture exists in the minds of some people who imagine a monolithic, well-defined set of practices and products that are assumed to be understood by all black people’.
Too many exhibitions presenting subcultures, both commercial and public, do little to address the space they are in. There is a natural assimilation into the wider social and physical institution, while it is not always significant that the work is often physically situated in imperial era buildings like the V&A or Saatchi Gallery, it is often the case that the art is also contextualised within the wider (white) ‘arts institution’ or market’s gaze. We may be presented with a culture not normally present in this space, but we see it within a framework we are accustomed to.
In complete contrast to this, R.I.P. Germain makes us work to see his art, but the reward is high. Worth it particularly for viewers experiencing something completely novel (though they may have to work or ‘mine’, as Germain says, the hardest). Germain’s practice draws on double meanings playing with accessibility and exclusion. The hyper-real installations in the Upper and Lower galleries mirror two distinct worlds exploring the tensions and enticements of a somewhat stereotypical “black culture”. Dealing with false-fronts and different forms of display the viewer can move through a simulation of spaces that are in the real world highly regulated and exclusive, legible only to those in the know.
Germain is both a trickster and a guide; his work deals with deep truths without spoon feeding us or flattening them out with explanations. It is a privilege to be granted access to these spaces and gain insight into how to read these worlds.
The exhibition is best not over described so as to be explored and interpreted by the viewer themselves. Look out for the details and follow your nose… especially to find all three scents developed by Germain for the installation; Money, Success and Stardog.
R.I.P. Germain: “Jesus Died For Us, We Will Die For Dudus” is showing at the ICA until 14th May.
Make sure to collect your Yamos on the gowithYamo app when you visit!
This is how to make contemporary art. Contemporary art has gone through an identity crisis over the last decade; Should art be political? Is art for art’s sake still relevant? Who and what is art for? The incorporation of blockchain technology into the art market is a great step for providence and transparency but equally could push contemporary art even further down the path of becoming another unregulated digital currency. R.I.P. Germain’s installation at the ICA is an escape from all of that. Great art should transport you and the transportive quality of this exhibition is profound.
“What if art held its cards close to its chest? Played with you and made you sweat a bit?” – The White Pube on R.I.P. Germain’s exhibition Shimmer at Two Queens, Leicester (2022).
On entering, the impression is underwhelming, set up on the gallery floor is a mock up single-story shop. Its unassuming frontage would easily be passed by on the street but situated in the gallery we venture inside. Here a key to interpreting the exhibition can easily be missed, before entering the shop a case of business cards can be found on the wall, on them a QR code leads you to a glossary of terms, which break down themes explored in the installation.
On the card is also printed an extract from the lyrics of ‘Winner’ by Skepta in which he questions the meaning of “the satellite was crispy” from Drake’s ‘Light Up’, Skepta says “What the fuck’s he going on about man? I need to get more money blud”. This reflects the theme of consumption and the idea that even within communities perceived as homogenous, slang terms and money are equally as exclusionary, creating boundaries which can only be traversed with the right wealth or cultural capital.
Engagement and thinking are required to navigate this interactive installation. The agency is certainly with the art and not the viewer, and each person will explore and interpret it in a different way. Jesus Died For Us, We Will Die For Dudus has been described by the artist as ‘aimed at a black audience’ but is certainly more complex than that and draws on the lived experience of R.I.P. Germain. His work deconstructs such statements, as the digital glossary explains; ‘black culture exists in the minds of some people who imagine a monolithic, well-defined set of practices and products that are assumed to be understood by all black people’.
Too many exhibitions presenting subcultures, both commercial and public, do little to address the space they are in. There is a natural assimilation into the wider social and physical institution, while it is not always significant that the work is often physically situated in imperial era buildings like the V&A or Saatchi Gallery, it is often the case that the art is also contextualised within the wider (white) ‘arts institution’ or market’s gaze. We may be presented with a culture not normally present in this space, but we see it within a framework we are accustomed to.
In complete contrast to this, R.I.P. Germain makes us work to see his art, but the reward is high. Worth it particularly for viewers experiencing something completely novel (though they may have to work or ‘mine’, as Germain says, the hardest). Germain’s practice draws on double meanings playing with accessibility and exclusion. The hyper-real installations in the Upper and Lower galleries mirror two distinct worlds exploring the tensions and enticements of a somewhat stereotypical “black culture”. Dealing with false-fronts and different forms of display the viewer can move through a simulation of spaces that are in the real world highly regulated and exclusive, legible only to those in the know.
Germain is both a trickster and a guide; his work deals with deep truths without spoon feeding us or flattening them out with explanations. It is a privilege to be granted access to these spaces and gain insight into how to read these worlds.
The exhibition is best not over described so as to be explored and interpreted by the viewer themselves. Look out for the details and follow your nose… especially to find all three scents developed by Germain for the installation; Money, Success and Stardog.
R.I.P. Germain: “Jesus Died For Us, We Will Die For Dudus” is showing at the ICA until 14th May.
Make sure to collect your Yamos on the gowithYamo app when you visit!
This is how to make contemporary art. Contemporary art has gone through an identity crisis over the last decade; Should art be political? Is art for art’s sake still relevant? Who and what is art for? The incorporation of blockchain technology into the art market is a great step for providence and transparency but equally could push contemporary art even further down the path of becoming another unregulated digital currency. R.I.P. Germain’s installation at the ICA is an escape from all of that. Great art should transport you and the transportive quality of this exhibition is profound.
“What if art held its cards close to its chest? Played with you and made you sweat a bit?” – The White Pube on R.I.P. Germain’s exhibition Shimmer at Two Queens, Leicester (2022).
On entering, the impression is underwhelming, set up on the gallery floor is a mock up single-story shop. Its unassuming frontage would easily be passed by on the street but situated in the gallery we venture inside. Here a key to interpreting the exhibition can easily be missed, before entering the shop a case of business cards can be found on the wall, on them a QR code leads you to a glossary of terms, which break down themes explored in the installation.
On the card is also printed an extract from the lyrics of ‘Winner’ by Skepta in which he questions the meaning of “the satellite was crispy” from Drake’s ‘Light Up’, Skepta says “What the fuck’s he going on about man? I need to get more money blud”. This reflects the theme of consumption and the idea that even within communities perceived as homogenous, slang terms and money are equally as exclusionary, creating boundaries which can only be traversed with the right wealth or cultural capital.
Engagement and thinking are required to navigate this interactive installation. The agency is certainly with the art and not the viewer, and each person will explore and interpret it in a different way. Jesus Died For Us, We Will Die For Dudus has been described by the artist as ‘aimed at a black audience’ but is certainly more complex than that and draws on the lived experience of R.I.P. Germain. His work deconstructs such statements, as the digital glossary explains; ‘black culture exists in the minds of some people who imagine a monolithic, well-defined set of practices and products that are assumed to be understood by all black people’.
Too many exhibitions presenting subcultures, both commercial and public, do little to address the space they are in. There is a natural assimilation into the wider social and physical institution, while it is not always significant that the work is often physically situated in imperial era buildings like the V&A or Saatchi Gallery, it is often the case that the art is also contextualised within the wider (white) ‘arts institution’ or market’s gaze. We may be presented with a culture not normally present in this space, but we see it within a framework we are accustomed to.
In complete contrast to this, R.I.P. Germain makes us work to see his art, but the reward is high. Worth it particularly for viewers experiencing something completely novel (though they may have to work or ‘mine’, as Germain says, the hardest). Germain’s practice draws on double meanings playing with accessibility and exclusion. The hyper-real installations in the Upper and Lower galleries mirror two distinct worlds exploring the tensions and enticements of a somewhat stereotypical “black culture”. Dealing with false-fronts and different forms of display the viewer can move through a simulation of spaces that are in the real world highly regulated and exclusive, legible only to those in the know.
Germain is both a trickster and a guide; his work deals with deep truths without spoon feeding us or flattening them out with explanations. It is a privilege to be granted access to these spaces and gain insight into how to read these worlds.
The exhibition is best not over described so as to be explored and interpreted by the viewer themselves. Look out for the details and follow your nose… especially to find all three scents developed by Germain for the installation; Money, Success and Stardog.
R.I.P. Germain: “Jesus Died For Us, We Will Die For Dudus” is showing at the ICA until 14th May.
Make sure to collect your Yamos on the gowithYamo app when you visit!
This is how to make contemporary art. Contemporary art has gone through an identity crisis over the last decade; Should art be political? Is art for art’s sake still relevant? Who and what is art for? The incorporation of blockchain technology into the art market is a great step for providence and transparency but equally could push contemporary art even further down the path of becoming another unregulated digital currency. R.I.P. Germain’s installation at the ICA is an escape from all of that. Great art should transport you and the transportive quality of this exhibition is profound.
“What if art held its cards close to its chest? Played with you and made you sweat a bit?” – The White Pube on R.I.P. Germain’s exhibition Shimmer at Two Queens, Leicester (2022).
On entering, the impression is underwhelming, set up on the gallery floor is a mock up single-story shop. Its unassuming frontage would easily be passed by on the street but situated in the gallery we venture inside. Here a key to interpreting the exhibition can easily be missed, before entering the shop a case of business cards can be found on the wall, on them a QR code leads you to a glossary of terms, which break down themes explored in the installation.
On the card is also printed an extract from the lyrics of ‘Winner’ by Skepta in which he questions the meaning of “the satellite was crispy” from Drake’s ‘Light Up’, Skepta says “What the fuck’s he going on about man? I need to get more money blud”. This reflects the theme of consumption and the idea that even within communities perceived as homogenous, slang terms and money are equally as exclusionary, creating boundaries which can only be traversed with the right wealth or cultural capital.
Engagement and thinking are required to navigate this interactive installation. The agency is certainly with the art and not the viewer, and each person will explore and interpret it in a different way. Jesus Died For Us, We Will Die For Dudus has been described by the artist as ‘aimed at a black audience’ but is certainly more complex than that and draws on the lived experience of R.I.P. Germain. His work deconstructs such statements, as the digital glossary explains; ‘black culture exists in the minds of some people who imagine a monolithic, well-defined set of practices and products that are assumed to be understood by all black people’.
Too many exhibitions presenting subcultures, both commercial and public, do little to address the space they are in. There is a natural assimilation into the wider social and physical institution, while it is not always significant that the work is often physically situated in imperial era buildings like the V&A or Saatchi Gallery, it is often the case that the art is also contextualised within the wider (white) ‘arts institution’ or market’s gaze. We may be presented with a culture not normally present in this space, but we see it within a framework we are accustomed to.
In complete contrast to this, R.I.P. Germain makes us work to see his art, but the reward is high. Worth it particularly for viewers experiencing something completely novel (though they may have to work or ‘mine’, as Germain says, the hardest). Germain’s practice draws on double meanings playing with accessibility and exclusion. The hyper-real installations in the Upper and Lower galleries mirror two distinct worlds exploring the tensions and enticements of a somewhat stereotypical “black culture”. Dealing with false-fronts and different forms of display the viewer can move through a simulation of spaces that are in the real world highly regulated and exclusive, legible only to those in the know.
Germain is both a trickster and a guide; his work deals with deep truths without spoon feeding us or flattening them out with explanations. It is a privilege to be granted access to these spaces and gain insight into how to read these worlds.
The exhibition is best not over described so as to be explored and interpreted by the viewer themselves. Look out for the details and follow your nose… especially to find all three scents developed by Germain for the installation; Money, Success and Stardog.
R.I.P. Germain: “Jesus Died For Us, We Will Die For Dudus” is showing at the ICA until 14th May.
Make sure to collect your Yamos on the gowithYamo app when you visit!
This is how to make contemporary art. Contemporary art has gone through an identity crisis over the last decade; Should art be political? Is art for art’s sake still relevant? Who and what is art for? The incorporation of blockchain technology into the art market is a great step for providence and transparency but equally could push contemporary art even further down the path of becoming another unregulated digital currency. R.I.P. Germain’s installation at the ICA is an escape from all of that. Great art should transport you and the transportive quality of this exhibition is profound.
“What if art held its cards close to its chest? Played with you and made you sweat a bit?” – The White Pube on R.I.P. Germain’s exhibition Shimmer at Two Queens, Leicester (2022).
On entering, the impression is underwhelming, set up on the gallery floor is a mock up single-story shop. Its unassuming frontage would easily be passed by on the street but situated in the gallery we venture inside. Here a key to interpreting the exhibition can easily be missed, before entering the shop a case of business cards can be found on the wall, on them a QR code leads you to a glossary of terms, which break down themes explored in the installation.
On the card is also printed an extract from the lyrics of ‘Winner’ by Skepta in which he questions the meaning of “the satellite was crispy” from Drake’s ‘Light Up’, Skepta says “What the fuck’s he going on about man? I need to get more money blud”. This reflects the theme of consumption and the idea that even within communities perceived as homogenous, slang terms and money are equally as exclusionary, creating boundaries which can only be traversed with the right wealth or cultural capital.
Engagement and thinking are required to navigate this interactive installation. The agency is certainly with the art and not the viewer, and each person will explore and interpret it in a different way. Jesus Died For Us, We Will Die For Dudus has been described by the artist as ‘aimed at a black audience’ but is certainly more complex than that and draws on the lived experience of R.I.P. Germain. His work deconstructs such statements, as the digital glossary explains; ‘black culture exists in the minds of some people who imagine a monolithic, well-defined set of practices and products that are assumed to be understood by all black people’.
Too many exhibitions presenting subcultures, both commercial and public, do little to address the space they are in. There is a natural assimilation into the wider social and physical institution, while it is not always significant that the work is often physically situated in imperial era buildings like the V&A or Saatchi Gallery, it is often the case that the art is also contextualised within the wider (white) ‘arts institution’ or market’s gaze. We may be presented with a culture not normally present in this space, but we see it within a framework we are accustomed to.
In complete contrast to this, R.I.P. Germain makes us work to see his art, but the reward is high. Worth it particularly for viewers experiencing something completely novel (though they may have to work or ‘mine’, as Germain says, the hardest). Germain’s practice draws on double meanings playing with accessibility and exclusion. The hyper-real installations in the Upper and Lower galleries mirror two distinct worlds exploring the tensions and enticements of a somewhat stereotypical “black culture”. Dealing with false-fronts and different forms of display the viewer can move through a simulation of spaces that are in the real world highly regulated and exclusive, legible only to those in the know.
Germain is both a trickster and a guide; his work deals with deep truths without spoon feeding us or flattening them out with explanations. It is a privilege to be granted access to these spaces and gain insight into how to read these worlds.
The exhibition is best not over described so as to be explored and interpreted by the viewer themselves. Look out for the details and follow your nose… especially to find all three scents developed by Germain for the installation; Money, Success and Stardog.
R.I.P. Germain: “Jesus Died For Us, We Will Die For Dudus” is showing at the ICA until 14th May.
Make sure to collect your Yamos on the gowithYamo app when you visit!
This is how to make contemporary art. Contemporary art has gone through an identity crisis over the last decade; Should art be political? Is art for art’s sake still relevant? Who and what is art for? The incorporation of blockchain technology into the art market is a great step for providence and transparency but equally could push contemporary art even further down the path of becoming another unregulated digital currency. R.I.P. Germain’s installation at the ICA is an escape from all of that. Great art should transport you and the transportive quality of this exhibition is profound.
“What if art held its cards close to its chest? Played with you and made you sweat a bit?” – The White Pube on R.I.P. Germain’s exhibition Shimmer at Two Queens, Leicester (2022).
On entering, the impression is underwhelming, set up on the gallery floor is a mock up single-story shop. Its unassuming frontage would easily be passed by on the street but situated in the gallery we venture inside. Here a key to interpreting the exhibition can easily be missed, before entering the shop a case of business cards can be found on the wall, on them a QR code leads you to a glossary of terms, which break down themes explored in the installation.
On the card is also printed an extract from the lyrics of ‘Winner’ by Skepta in which he questions the meaning of “the satellite was crispy” from Drake’s ‘Light Up’, Skepta says “What the fuck’s he going on about man? I need to get more money blud”. This reflects the theme of consumption and the idea that even within communities perceived as homogenous, slang terms and money are equally as exclusionary, creating boundaries which can only be traversed with the right wealth or cultural capital.
Engagement and thinking are required to navigate this interactive installation. The agency is certainly with the art and not the viewer, and each person will explore and interpret it in a different way. Jesus Died For Us, We Will Die For Dudus has been described by the artist as ‘aimed at a black audience’ but is certainly more complex than that and draws on the lived experience of R.I.P. Germain. His work deconstructs such statements, as the digital glossary explains; ‘black culture exists in the minds of some people who imagine a monolithic, well-defined set of practices and products that are assumed to be understood by all black people’.
Too many exhibitions presenting subcultures, both commercial and public, do little to address the space they are in. There is a natural assimilation into the wider social and physical institution, while it is not always significant that the work is often physically situated in imperial era buildings like the V&A or Saatchi Gallery, it is often the case that the art is also contextualised within the wider (white) ‘arts institution’ or market’s gaze. We may be presented with a culture not normally present in this space, but we see it within a framework we are accustomed to.
In complete contrast to this, R.I.P. Germain makes us work to see his art, but the reward is high. Worth it particularly for viewers experiencing something completely novel (though they may have to work or ‘mine’, as Germain says, the hardest). Germain’s practice draws on double meanings playing with accessibility and exclusion. The hyper-real installations in the Upper and Lower galleries mirror two distinct worlds exploring the tensions and enticements of a somewhat stereotypical “black culture”. Dealing with false-fronts and different forms of display the viewer can move through a simulation of spaces that are in the real world highly regulated and exclusive, legible only to those in the know.
Germain is both a trickster and a guide; his work deals with deep truths without spoon feeding us or flattening them out with explanations. It is a privilege to be granted access to these spaces and gain insight into how to read these worlds.
The exhibition is best not over described so as to be explored and interpreted by the viewer themselves. Look out for the details and follow your nose… especially to find all three scents developed by Germain for the installation; Money, Success and Stardog.
R.I.P. Germain: “Jesus Died For Us, We Will Die For Dudus” is showing at the ICA until 14th May.
Make sure to collect your Yamos on the gowithYamo app when you visit!
