Scion’s L.A. gallery presents “São Paulo,” while its art tour exhibits in Phoenix

Scion, in conjunction with Choque Cultural, presents “São Paulo” at its 4,500 square foot Installation L.A. Gallery. The exhibition celebrates the energy of the emerging art culture in São Paulo, Brazil, the biggest metropolitan city in South America.

In addition, Scion’s Installation 5 Art Tour, Self Portraits, arrives in Phoenix after completing a successful stint in Miami during the world-renowned Art Basel in December.

For “São Paulo,” each artist uses pop contemporary references such as street art, tattoo, skateboarding, hip-hop, and punk, while paying close attention to their own personal heritage and research. Artists Calma, Carlos Dias, MZK, Ramon Martins, Silvana Mello, Speto, Titi Freak, and Zezão form a group that translates the bustling city’s energy best, bringing fine art unique influences from pop culture, ancient heritage, modern painting, and folk art.

The diversity of the featured artists in the “São Paulo” show promises an intriguing exhibition. Calma, AKA Stephan Doitschinoff, is the son of an Evangelical minister whose style combines Afro-Brazilian folklore with Baroque religious iconography, as well as Alchemic and Pagan symbolism.

Dias eschews concepts – his original art is born in the streets, in his band’s concerts, in his record collection and flows into canvases painted with acrylic paint, markers, crayons, sprays or whatever comes into his hands.

MZK is an urban legend and is responsible for the seminal fanzine culture in São Paulo and references everything from tiki comic strips to African masks. He is both a DJ and comic strip author.

Martins finds an ease in combining diverse elements such as baroque style with street art, whether he’s using spray, acrylic painting or watercolor techniques.

Mello explores the irony of advertising’s artificial happiness with everything from enamel painting on tiles to express the comfort of home, to carves on a skateboard and woodprints to express the aggressiveness of urban life.

Speto is one of Brazil’s most popular street artists. His original street art blends lines of traditional northeastern Brazilian woodcarving styles with sophisticated textures and figurative imagery.

A champion yo-yo master, Titi Freak AKA Hamilton Yokota fuses eastern and western sophisticated drawing, action painting, pop and fashion imagery, illustration, street art and comic influences.

Finally, Zezão is one of the leaders of the Brazilian abstract street art movement. Famous for his activity in the city’s underground, Zezão goes into sewers and invades the rainwater channels that flow toward São Paulo’s rivers, to reveal the beauty of the city’s monstrous garbage.

Choque Cultural (meaning Culture Shock) started as a print publisher in Brazil. Over the years he has produced more than 150 print editions on various papers and in different sizes representing the diverse techniques of Brazilian and international artists. In 2004, Choque opened his first gallery space in São Paulo, showing exhibitions anchored with a young contemporary audience. Every exhibition is a new installation where the artist brings the aesthetic and energy of the street indoors.  In the four years Choque Gallery has been open, it has exhibited many youthful artists; old masters, such as 60′s Pop Gerald Laing; and popular mid-career artists including Beatriz Milhazes, Vic Muniz, and Shepard Fairey.

“São Paulo” runs from February 28 to March 28 at Scion’s Installation L.A. Gallery, 3521 Helms Ave, Culver City, Calif., 90232. An opening reception is set for Saturday, February 28, from 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM.

The Phoenix stop on the Installation 5: Self Portraits Art Tour is set to be as momentous as the Art Basel show, taking place during Phoenix’s First Friday art walk. First Friday exposes Installation 5 to more than 12,000 art lovers that this monthly event attracts. The Phoenix stop is the first to feature video art.

The Installation 5 opening reception takes place on February 6 from 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM at Perihelion Arts, P 610 E. Roosevelt, Unit 137, Phoenix, Ariz., 85004. Artists Kofie and Skypage will be in attendance and music will be provided by D-JR.

Dedicated to fostering independent artistic expression, the Scion Installation L.A. Gallery is a space that allows artists to explore their creative visions. The new Scion Installation Gallery hosts art shows and art-related events for cutting-edge artists from across the globe. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM and by appointment -310.815.8840. For more information, visit www.scion.com/space.

Launched in 2003, Scion Installation is a revolutionary art tour affirming the brand’s ongoing commitment to support independent artistic expression and featuring work from an unprecedented collective of contemporary artists, designers and photographers. For more information on the tour, the artists, the artwork, and details from past tours, visit: www.scion.com/installation.

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