OOA Gallery Barcelona: Small is smart

Does size in art matters?

"When visiting museums and galleries, one can enjoy artwork of any size. Spaces are designed for the works, and if sculptures are monumental or large-scale, they may be simply installed outside, allowing visitors to view the pieces from every possible angle. But do large works of art provide more enjoyment, a more in-depth experience, than smaller works? In other works, does size truly matter in art?

In opposition to the "bigger is better" culture in today's contemporary art world, some artists have chosen to take economy into consideration and focused on not only creating smaller works, but to encourage the idea that humankind can function beautifully on a smaller scale, impacting the world emotionally without as much physical impact. Small scale works confuse and disorient viewers, forcing them to focus on what they are viewing, and creating internal discourse." Sybaris Collection 

Bruce Clarke / Human predation

Despite the trait of empathy, or even sympathy for his semblable, Man, homo homini lupus is also one of the only living creatures that hunts his own species, far beyond his mere needs for survival. Human predation is indeed simultaneously financial, sexual, environmental. It can also be social or ecological predation; in short, predation in everywhere!

Francklin Mbungu / Kin by Night

Francklin Mbungu is inspired both by the daily life and the mythology that permeates the experience of all Congolese, including the siren which is one of his recurring themes. His world is dreamlike and flamboyant. Very much marked by the aesthetics of the seventies, The artist likes to represent street musicians, dancers in action or getting ready to go out to party.

Bob-Nosa / Protest Art

Bob-Nosa's art makes social and political commentary as a form of protest art that speaks for the oppressed, the art that kicks against bad leadership, the art that condemns inhumanity and violence in our society. A group of bystanders are willing to speak up, to stand up for what they believe in, unafraid of the system, and risking the loss of life to demonstrate for human rights.

Larry Otoo / A ray of sunshine

The small portraits of women that accompany his larger works are apparently only a fragment, the best chosen, of his most ambitious works. The palette remains the same, the intention as well and the isolation and solitude of the subject do not give it less strength or charm. These colorful portraits are as if descended from other paintings a ray of sunshine that soothes, warms and invigorates us.

David Thuku / Social game

The seat is what you feel, literally and figuratively, giving a position, situating us. We occupy a seat, we leave it, we leave it to others who struggle to stay; the social game is particularly political and it is entirely so in this game of chairs! To this is added the motif of the dice, the object of the game, no doubt, but also a subtle reference to chance and all its injustices.

Emeka Udemba / Inner beauty

Realism is secondary in Udemba's constructions. His work is more investigative; it's more about the questioning of identity. He's creating a psychological situation, in which fragments are consciously placed, particularly around mouths and ears—as though he's exclaiming that much is being said and heard on a daily basis, but that you have to discern what is meaningful.

S M A L L   I S   S M A R T

Winter Group Show

Bruce Clarke - Francklin Mbungu - Bob-Nosa - Larry Otoo - David Thuku - Emeka Udemba

OOA Gallery Barcelona
4/2 - 19/3/2023

Source: Sorella ACOSTA