ART SAKE : COOL TAKES BASEL WITH #TheSELFIE

Interactive Art Exhibition Shows Us 

the Two Faces of #TheSelfie

The interactive art exhibition took place in the heart of Wynwood at the Lab Miami, known as the hub of the tech movement in Miami. Guests were greeted by hosts then directed to the interactive fine art pieces featuring some of Miami’s influencers in music, fitness, fashion, art and entrepreneurship. Selfie subjects include: Cuchi Of Afrobeta, Tony Smurphio Of Afrobeta, Johanne Wilson, Julz Goodard, Terrance Wilson, Sheyla Beaujin, Rosie Pradel, Ramses Principe, Annie Vasquez, and Charles Reynolds. “It is an honor to collaborate with COOL Creative on this project,“ says photographer Adrian Ruiz of Uneeq Productions.

Each work of art features a black and white portrait one of the influencers surrounded by a vibrant custom graphic pattern inspired by their personality. The portraits are “faceless” as they are covered by a smartphone to similate the way we look as we take selfies in the real world. As they visit each piece, people are invited to scan digital codes to see the other side of each selfie, without the phone covering the face. #TheSELFIE explores the relationships between the real and digital world, the duality of selfies, and stories behind the selfies. “I took a selfie in a dressing room and when I looked at it, I realized that my entire face was covered up” explains artist, Johanne Wilson.  ”At that moment, I was inspired to do this project. It’s about the duality of our lives in the digital and real world.”

The art exhibition continued to the back of the building where artist, Terrance Wilson was completing his monumental mural that explored the relationship of nature and technology. “It’s a representation of the past, present and future,” says the artist. It is one of Wynwood’s only free-hand murals. The artist did not create a pencil drawing to trace or project the image onto the wall, “I just let my hand flow,” says the artist. The black and white mural can be seen from 25th street between 4th and 5th avenue.

Guests enjoyed art, great vibes provided by DJ Legato, and the most artful sangria by Sangria Lolea. Lance Bass of NSYNC even showed up, spent time and enjoyed the exhibition. “When he asked me to sign the prints he purchased I almost passed out,” recounts the artist. The exhibition was very thoughtful, well organized and engaging.  “This is one of the only events I’ve been to that had a great melange of art and event,” boasted Juan Carlos Arcacia of Pure Etiquette. “This is a celebration of our inaugural appearance at Art Basel. It’s only going to get bigger and more creative,” says Johanne Wilson.

To purchase prints and original pieces visit the shop: https://squareup.com/market/cool-creative-inc

Recap video can be viewed here:

To purchase prints and orginal pieces visit the shop: https://squareup.com/market/cool-creative-inc

See more COOL here.

COOL SPOTS : LULU LABORATORIUM

Exploring the Wynwood Arts District in Miami has become one of our weekly passions for the past couple of years. On our quest for COOL we’ve discovered pop-up shops and galleries, underground lounges and cultural incubators, and surprisingly high-end, yet unpretentious eateries. 

We recently walked by LULU Laboritorium and just thought, it was just another gallery. After the 3rd time walking by, we were drawn in by the Parisian Les Artiste brand Basquiat shirts casually hanging in the corner of the window. We soon recognized that this was more than a gallery, it was a collision of art and pop-culture. 

The space had a unique spirit about it, it was fresh, open, open to ideas, whimsical, and extremely engaging. Just when we thought this place couldn’t get any cooler we arrived to the back of the space where we stood in awe of their signature graffiti-adorned Brooklyn-styled stoop. The vibrant installation is a must-snap for your selfie collection. Also in the back area is a pop-up shop featuring pieces from the aforementioned Les Artiste brand and Brian Lichtenberg Homies. If you’re in Miami, LULU LABORATORIUM is a place you simply must visit and bring you credit card.

For more information visit: http://www.lululaboratorium.com.

ABOUT LULU LAB: 

For two decades, Elie Akiba has been a pioneer in championing the rising stars of fashion and showcasing their creations at the cutting-edge LULU flagship store in Bal Harbour. With a new endeavor in the art world, he is now bringing his keen eye for aesthetics to once again set the stage of a new era. At the intersection of Euro pop and Miami’s Wynwood scene comes forth LULU LABORATORIUM. LULU LABORATORIUM brings together artists and designers who have a commitment to true self-expression. 

The creative venue delivers a powerful explosion of playful wonder. Meshing bold contemporary style with a youthful vigor the gallery takes on electro-eclectic elements for a fun fresh look that draws from fashion and art. LULU LABORATORIUM is a cultivation of creative ideas fusing across media.

WATCH THIS : INFLUENCERS

SYNOPSIS
INFLUENCERS is a short documentary that explores what it means to be an influencer and how trends and creativity become contagious today in music, fashion and entertainment.

The film attempts to understand the essence of influence, what makes a person influential without taking a statistical or metric approach.

Written and Directed by Paul Rojanathara and Davis Johnson, the film is a Polaroid snapshot of New York influential creatives (advertising, design, fashion and entertainment) who are shaping today's pop culture.

"Influencers" belongs to the new generation of short films, webdocs, which combine the documentary style and the online experience.

See more COOL features on our blog THAT'S COOL. Just click and scroll down.

ART SAKE : ART BASEL 2012 BRAINWASHED

We dropped by the controversial Mr. Brainwash's pop up gallery in South Beach during Basel. We felt kind of weird being so close to the "criminal art-ist," who was inches away from us, casually mingling with the spectators. It was kind of like we too had committed a crime, or had sold out to our fellow artists just by

being there.... that is exactly what peaked our interest and made the exhibition 

even more exciting. 

It was like we had entered the forbidden gallery where

the artist became like a negative stereotype of a corporation and the executives took all the credit for the minions doing all the hard work. Seriously, there 
were actually other artist creating more work in a roped off area in the gallery. We think Mr. Brainwash was intentionally mocking all the controversy around him... that part was actually kind of COOL.

See more COOL here.