ART NEWS:

After partnering up with Rug & Killim on an exclusive collaboration, Gianni Leereturns with a new solo exhibition at the WISH ATL boutique in Atlanta, Georgia. Titled “Black Heroism & The Wounds They Carry,” the presentation features new paintings depicting dynamic portraits of iconic Black historical figures combined with sci-fi iconography. The artist aims to explore the connections between Black people and technology while incorporating his signature surrealist skeletons across the vivid compositions. 

Apart from paintings, the artist is also displaying different mediums including photography to examine the collective history of Black people “while envisioning an optimistic future in spite of our daunting socio-political reality,” said the gallery in a statement. “The exhibition is meant to pose the question “how do we channel our legacy of greatness to create a more equitable future.” said Lee.

To commemorate the show, WISH ATL is selling a limited edition crew neck inspired by Lee’s work which is available online and in-store. “I’ve been following Gianni for about 2 years now. This exhibition has been a long time in the making and we’re excited to finally share this body of work with the city, being his first solo exhibition in Atlanta.” said Anna Akpele, Gallery Manager of The Gallery at WISH. 

View select works above and then visit WISH ATL’s website for more information. “Black Heroism & The Wounds They Carry” is on view until November 29.Japanese grunge label Glamb teamed up with Medicom Toy to release a sleek series of Throw Mickey VCD (“Vinyl Collectible Doll”) figures. Arriving in monochromatic and color editions, the vinyl artwork features the famed Walt Disney set to lob a flower bouquet — a nod to Banksy’s iconic 2005 artwork titled Rage, the Flower Thrower or Love is in the Air which portrays a masked Palestinian throwing a bouquet of flowers.

This summer saw slew of Mickey Mouse-inspired editions from Medicom Toy and the toy manufacturer’s longstanding cohorts. In July, Medicom Toy released a Mickey Mouse edition set with Swarovski crystals with a hefty price tag of $7,820 USD. The following month, Medicom Toy partnered up with fragment design to release a translucent BE@RBRICK portraying the mouse’s likeness. 

Glamb and Medicom Toy’s Throw Mickey figures are scheduled to be released and shipped this month. Each figure is priced at ¥ 7,800 JPY (approx. $74 USD). Get a closer look at both versions in the slideshow above.Chicago-born artists Dan Life and Hebru Brantley have come together to release limited edition crystal pendants featuring Brantley’s signature Flyboy and Lil Mamacharacters. 

Both subjects often appear in his interdisciplinary practice that encompasses dynamic paintings, life-sized sculptures, and multimedia installations. By inserting these young Black superheroes in his progressive works, Brantley seeks to introduce a new take on comic book protagonists for all audiences.

Each pendant was meticulously hand-crafted by Dan and features crystals set in resin, 14k black gold plating and a .925 sterling silver chain. Both pieces are set individually with 541 crystals for the Flyboy and 659 crystals for Lil Mama. 

Head to Dan Life’s website to learn more and view more collections.A subway train in Rotterdam, Netherlands was saved from a fatal crash when it sped through buffers and landed on a sculpture of a whale’s tail. The incident took place at the De Akkers metro station in Spijkenisse around 12:30 am on Monday. Instead of falling more than 30 feet to the ground, the train was stopped by one of two whale tail sculptures at the end of the track. 

The driver of the train was able to escape safely, but was sent to a hospital as a precautionary measure as per local media outlets. “To our relief, the metro operator got out of the vehicle unharmed. He is doing well under the circumstances. There were no passengers present,” said RET, the transport operator in the city of Rotterdam in a statement. An investigation is underway and RET is planning how to salvage the train.

The artwork’s official name, Saved by the Whale’s Tail, now seems more fitting given the incident. The whale sculptures were designed by architect Maarten Strulis who installed the work nearly 20 years ago. “I was surprised, I didn’t expect this. Buffers are always strong enough,” Struijs told CNN. “So, I am looking forward to the results of the investigation of this crash.” Struijs said he thought the tail, which is made of plastic, would have been damaged in the accident, “but that’s apparently not the case.”