Bringing the Outdoors In

Montreal Graf Legend Goes Straight in New Studio Show

Fringe ArtsAlex Mcgill — Published January 17, 2012

From the team that created the FAKE brand—a clothing and lifestyle shop located just off the main drag of St. Laurent—comes a new project.

FAKESPACEPROJECT, a creative space that will host art exhibits, musicians (FAKE has previously hosted acts such as Boot Camp Clik and members of the Wu-Tang Clan), and provide a space for Montreal’s creative community to collaborate and flourish, will hold its first exhibit this week.

“This is the debut exhibition of the FAKESPACEPROJECT. It will feature events curated by FAKE, whose sister store is beside the new creative gallery space,” said assistant director of the gallery Alexis Hranchuk. “From there, the space will host multiple future events, including pop-up shops and other art exhibitions.”

Beginning Jan. 19, a collection of works titled “MONTREAL 2012” by prolific local graffiti artist Alex Scaner will be on display in the gallery, located on Rachel St. in the Plateau.

Scaner joined the graffiti movement in 1996 with the multidisciplinary group Delinquent Artists, and from there went to achieve notoriety in the Montreal graf scene, as well as travelling with his art to Mexico, New York, Paris, San Juan and beyond.
After bouncing back from a battle with cancer, he refocused his practice.

“This exhibition shows [Scaner’s] ability to adapt his practice from the public realm to an indoor space,” said Hranchuk. “There are 15 pieces, some of which are collaborations with other artists, including artists who only practice in a studio setting.”

Taking the extremely public art form of graffiti and bringing it to an indoor studio setting is quite the transition for an artist like Scaner. While his studio art is still heavily influenced and indicative of his previous work painting walls, the pieces that will be hung on indoor walls are decidedly a step in a different direction.

The opening will be held this Thursday, Jan. 19 at FAKESPACEPROJECT MONTREAL 2012 (68 Rachel E.) between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., and will feature music by the French Connection DJs alongside original paintings, photographs and prints. For more information, as well as gallery hours, visit thefakestore.com.