G: Tell us about your project?
The Imaginary Beings, is an international art project, a multi-cultural global collective featuring hundreds of creatives in different mediums and styles. We are painters, sculptures, movers & shakers, graphic designers, inspirers, photographers, videographers, muralists, musicians, magicians, jugglers, clowns, acrobats, black smiths, fire breathers, burlesque dancers, fashionistas, dancers, dreamers and poets. Joining forces to create a new way to experience and appreciate art. We enable audiences to be part of the art. It’s not only interactive, it’s experiential. Through our events the viewer get to know oneself and others better and discover their own imaginary world. We create extravaganzas that are living, breathing, lucid dream, where the boundaries between reality and imagination blurs and you are left to wonder what was real and what was created by the beings of your imagination.
G: What is unique about this project?
Every culture in the history of the world has created elaborate menageries of imaginary creatures. As varied as they all are, these creatures have one important role: to tell us about each other and ourselves. The Imaginary Beings Project is an opportunity for us to meet the beings that make up our own collective mythology. It is a web-based, global community of the fantastical inhabitants of our minds to which you are invited to contribute!
Another unique aspect of this project is what this collective represents for the artists around the world. We wish to contribute to the evolving social consciousness with our work, creating a community that empowers artists to give their best, becoming one with themselves and the public and yet preserving their unicity. Our most powerful resource is the element of collaboration that makes our project successful. We realized we are one, thus we prioritise the wellbeing of the collective. Now, that is unique considering how egotistical artists are! We leave our singularly driven appetites out of the door and work with a bigger picture, of what a group of people with one vision can create.
G: Why do you choose Shoreditch to do this?
When Jarvis and I (2/3rds of the collectives founders) left from our last event in Portugal 2013 ( where the third funders Toin Adams lives) we decided to return to work in London. Shoreditch is home! It’s ever evolving eco system of colour and good coffee. Its been so fascinating to see how it transformed, yet remaining so similar to itself, growing and expanding and like a cultural magnets collecting some of the best creative minds of London.
Since our collective is in constant growth, we feel lucky to have found a studio here where we just have to stroll down the road to meet new exciting collaborators. For example, when we painted our mural on the Shoreditch Art Wall (www.shoreditchartwall.com) we were aware it is viewed by over a million people a month, and of course we were trilled about it. But the fact that just after two hours painting a myriad of our artists friends from other areas passed by made this experience way more exciting. It was like observing a phenomenon! I feel that this kind of serendipity in between artists could have happened only in Shoreditch.
G: Who/what are your favorite Artists/Businesses in the area?
I passionately love street art. It brings magic to the urban aesthetic. The visionary one it’s the world I wish to live in every day. Shoreditch’s street art it’s le extraordinaire. I love Tierry Noir, ROA, Stickman, Paul DON Smith and Roy Tyson’s humorous microcosms.
G: What are your favorite places in the area?
Chrome and blacks, Hoxton Gallery, Shoreditch House and for an intimate meeting The Bridge.
G: What are you future plans?
Next Imaginary Beings Exhibition in collaboration with Transition Collective @ ‘EPIC‘ Dalston 13-15Stoke Newington High Street N16 8B on 22/5/2014
– A mural for ‘The Vape Lab’, Londons first Electronic Cigarette Bar, next to Liverpool St station,
– Stop Still Animation Movie With @laimisbilys
– Visual audio call and response project in collaboration with Boujemma Bouboul
Social links:
Twitter:
https://www.facebook.com/ImaginaryBeings
Website: theimaginarybeings.com
