Press Release
24/7: Alcanzar una Estrella / Reaching Out for a Star
A Mid-career Retrospective 2003-2002
Opening Reception: Saturday 24th of January 2004, 5-7 pm
Exhibition Open: January 24-February 28 2004
The Bakery/Annet Gelink
Laurierstraat 187-189, NL-1016 PL Amsterdam
tel. +31 20 3302066 fax. +31 20 3302065 info@annetgelink.com
24/7 is pleased to announce its mid-career retrospective at Annet Gelink’s Gallery project room: The Bakery.
Set up in London in 2002 by Beatriz López (B-Lo), Sebastián Ramírez, and Pablo León de la Barra, 24/7 functions as an international, independent, mobile and mutant no-budget gallery without a permanent physical space. 24/7’s mission is to exhibit whatever, whenever, wherever and is specially committed to showing artists and propositions with less visibility within the London context, while operating outside of the predictable habits of the art world. 24/7 started as a project interested in producing and exhibiting the work of young contemporary Latin American artists (living in London and abroad) whose work questioned the conventional truisms of cultural production from the region. 24/7 is no longer interested in any regional or geographical representation, but in creating its own constellation-map of the world, working with artists who share a similar agenda to its own. 24/7 has exhibited the work of Stefan Brüggemann, Carolina Caycedo, Manuela Viera-Gallo, Silverio, Carlos Amorales, Dias + Riedweg as well as having produced and curated the exhibitions “Independent State”, “Guacamole Nights” and the project and catalogue “Rejected Projects”. As such 24/7 has become, in the words of one respected US critic based in London, ‘one of the most vibrant components to London’s art scene’.
For its exhibition at the Bakery, 24/7 will act as a parasite on the vital organs of Annet Gelink Gallery. The Bakery will be occupied as 24/7’s Storage Room, including the 24/7 Collection, where everything belonging to 24/7 will be on display and for sale. This will range from commissions to donated artworks, documentation, memorabilia, souvenirs and leftovers of the produced shows. Also on display will be new material:
– 24/7’s “Undone Projects” by Miguel Calderón and Jose Dávila
– 24/7’s photocopied catalogue “Rejected Projects”
– 24/7’s video slide show “The Early Years”
– 24/7’s midday TV show targeted to housewives “Amiga” and B-Lo’s famous bocadillos.
The profits of the sales of the Collection will be destined to further support 24/7’s work. If unsuccessful in obtaining further funds, 24/7 will disintegrate and its members will pursue their own solo careers. An exhibition text on the work of 24/7 written by esteemed curator Francesco Manacorda will be available free of charge in the exhibition. If inspired during the opening, B-Lo will sing the “Alcanzar una Estrella” song unplugged. Flying in from different time zones of the civilized world, 24/7’s exuberant Fan Club will also be present during the vernissage. This exhibition would not have been possible without the support of Annet Gelink, Roos Gortzak and 24/7’s Fan Club.
Keywords: Tropipop Garage Sale, Car Boot Copacabana, Cheap Art Sweatshop, Bargain El Dorado, Pan-American Archival Negligence, Buy Now Regret It Later, Amazonian Anonymorablia, Tex-Mex Taco Bell Ephemera, etc.
* The title is based in a very popular 1990 Latin American soap opera about a poor and ugly girl who fancies an unreachable gorgeous star/singer. In the end her dream becomes reality, she is transformed into a beautiful popstar and marries her idol. It bears an uncanny resemblance to B-Lo’s own life.
Press Release Image: “Waiting for the Customers, Saturday 6th of July 2002” (24/7’s first exhibition: Stefan Brüggemann – Against International Standards)
24/7 