"Rafale" by AKAirways
Rafale by AKAirways from GR Works on Vimeo.
GRworks Extends LA Exhibition of Rafale by AKAirways
Large-Scale, Kinetic Performance Sculpture Will Exhibit at GRspace in Downtown Los Angeles Through January 5th
Los Angeles, CA — ( December 10, 2012) — GRworks is pleased to announce “Rafale,” a performance sculpture by NYC-based art group AKAirways, will be on display through January 5, 2013 at GRspace in downtown Los Angeles. GRworks recently debuted “Rafale” on November 17, 2012.
Gentle but menacing, imposing but fragile, “Rafale” references evolution, emergence, the ephemeral, and the notion of potential. The installation is comprised of a polychromatic series of crescent-shaped volumes animated by inflation. Similar to a mobile, the movement of the Crescents is self-directed while suspended, displaying a captivating act of balance. Sequenced fans inflate the Crescents, while LED strings light each from within to form the glowing kinetic work of art.
To view a time-lapse of “Rafale,” please visit: http://vimeo.com/54905015
Rafale by AKAirways
Nov 17-Jan 5
GRspace 114 W. 4th St. LA, CA 90013
Hours/Times:Tues-Sat 3-7:30pm and By Appointment
info@grworks.com
www.GRworks.com
“Rafale” continues AKAirways’ natural evolution and exploration of the physical and the virtual. Incorporating its signature Crescents — a foundational part of AK’s visual vocabulary — the mixed-media installation infuses air and light to communicate the delicate interplay between the notions of “physical” and “virtual.”
In French, Rafale means gust of air or burst of bullets (from a machine gun), and is also the name of a French fighter aircraft. The simple circle folded in half and inflated is what creates the Crescent. AKAirways embraces it as a member of its fleet of volumes.
The conceptualization of “Rafale” came about from AKAirways Founder Anakin Koenig’s recent visit to the Matisse Museum in Nice, France. Matisse’s collage, “La Piscine,” is a 54 ft. long frieze of blue swimmers against a white rectangular band. A long-time influence of AKAirways, Matisse’s cutouts ignited the idea for the “Rafale” collages, exploring how large 2D cutouts can be created into 3D shapes.
“The immersive experience is a key function of all of my installations,” Koenig explains. “Matisse once said [of 'La Piscine,'], ‘I have always adored the sea, and now . . . I have surrounded myself with it.’ So wind is to ‘Rafale,’ as what water is to ‘La Piscine.’”
“I launched GRworks to bridge the world of fine art and commercial art — where artists of both worlds create within the various mediums of motion and animation,” concludes GRworks Founder Gennie Rim. The caliber of talent working in the animation industry quite often possesses the same technical skills and broad imagination praised in the fine art world. GRworks aims to showcase that by providing a space for them to push their creativity outside of their daily production work. In that spirit, Anakin’s early work in 3D modeling within animation led him to discover various ways to add volume to simple 2D shapes. His performance sculptures take basic shapes and make them extraordinary objects that immerse the viewer into the environment he creates. Animation takes a similar approach with static shapes or drawings that when put in motion become awe-inspiring visuals.
About AKAirways
NYC-based Anakin Koenig is a performance-sculpture artist who creates large-scale inflatable structures by giving volume to 2D shapes, where they can engage in an architectural space. Koenig founded AKAirways in 2001 and received his Ph.D. in Art Education from New York University in 2004. His projects include an installation at the Museum of Modern Art; a collaboration with Pierre Huyghe for A Journey That Wasn’t presented at the 2006 Whitney Biennial; an installation at the DDM Warehouse in Shanghai; collaborations with Leo Villareal for Creative Time and Red Bull; a residency at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology MediaLab for the Soft-Car project with Frank Gehry and GM, a presentation at Sculptural Membranes: IV International Conference in Stuttgart, Germany, the SXSW Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas, and installations at Burning Man that have been a beacon at the event since ‘02. Other work also includes installations in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, France, and throughout New York City. An obsessive documentation of his works is available at www.AKAirways.com.
