ZOOOM | Jan Kaláb Solo Show

JAN KALÁB – ZOOOM
First solo show in Italy
MAGMA gallery is glad to invite you to the opening of ZOOOM, the first solo show of Jan Kaláb in Italy and the only one in 2017, on Saturday September 23 from 18.30 onwards. The artist will be present.
Jan Kaláb is one of the most important artists of international geometric and urban abstractionism. Among the exhibitions are mentioned the solo shows in France, Colombia, Argentina, United Kingdom, Germany and United States. In 2011, after taking part to the first "Biennal de Graffiti Fine Art" at the MUBE Museum in Sao Paulo, Brazil, he exhibited at the MASP Museum in the same city and in 2014 he participated at the first Street Art Biennale in Moscow, Russia, "Artmossphere", along with a selection of the best international artists. In 2015, he exhibited at the MAXXI museum in Rome, Italy, participating in the group show "Et Cetera", dedicated to the contemporary Czechoslovak art in communist post-regime period. This year in Krakow, Poland, his works are exhibited through the public project “Abstract Forum”, along with other major names such as Nelio, Moneyless and Remi Rough among others, offering the public a broad look at the current evolution of abstract urban art.
In ZOOOM, circular shape is used as a container of matter vibrating through the color, to creating waves that go beyond the boundary of the work without a precise direction, as an imperceptible and invisible presence. With a sophisticated handling of geometry and color, Jan Kaláb presents a great graphic metaphor of the world, where we can identify and feel the tension between one layer and the other of a surface apparently liquid, where the images transcend their limits, until they come to mutual contamination. The artist becomes himself creator of vital environments.
The sixteen works, made specifically for the exhibition, will be soon published in a catalogue dedicated to the artist, curated by MAGMA gallery. In addition, for this special event, Jan Kaláb will paint an amazing mural in the main room of the gallery.
Among the exhibited works, Blue Sun 0817 can be considered a very important step in the artist's research and a stylistic breakthrough carefully developed. In this painting, some parts seem to be enlarged or zoomed under the look of a microscope. The dynamic and vibrant effect of this new technique make Blue Sun 0817 one of the most representative works of the exhibition. Jan’s works bare their own organic imperfection. A thin membrane separates these small cells 'evolving' from the underlying background, white and aseptic. The potential existence of these colorful new lives must take up space, by creating a pulsating chromatic energy. The show will present also his classical and appreciated circular canvases in various dimensions, a magnificent sculpture and a fascinating bas-relief.
Born in Prague in 1978, he soon became one of the most important local writers, also founding a famous crew, the DSK. With the name of Cakes he travelled through Europe and America, developing his style up to 3-D Graffiti. With the name of Point, he made installations with letters with abstract shapes, placed in the streets or hanged along the walls, looking for ever larger dimensions. These works, though technically far from graffiti, lead him to a superior level of abstraction of forms. Since 2007 he explores infinite shades of abstract painting on canvas, expressing his own language through a perfect balance between shapes and minimalism, capable of generating amazing effects of depth and dynamism.