Moshi Moshi

Happy Sunday everyone! I needed distraction from my long and daunting list of deadlines and since I'm fully aware that I've been depriving you all from my low-downs from Japan, I thought I would post a few photos of by travels between Tokyo and Kyoto. This is only a taster so look out for my write-up and more visuals from the land of the rising sun. So for now, tanoshinde kudasai (enjoy)...

Ladies, Camera, Action?

Pumped from their performance Magic Moments in New York City over Christmas, the Ladies of the Press* are back with their first event in 2011 tomorrow night. The medium of live streaming and television is on the cards for the exhibition, Testing Ground | Time Scale, which launches in collaboration with the MA Curating Contemporary Art programmes at the Royal College of Art and Goldsmiths College and part of the Zabludowicz Collection's annual Testing Ground event for art and education. With the Press Desk taking a breather, Renée performing from her home turf in Tokyo and Ana here in London, the LOTP*CHANNEL will be breaking news over continents in their respective guises of Japanese and Serbian news reporters. Substituting glitter with pixels, this will be the only news you'll want to watch this weekend. Ana & Renée, over to you in the studio...

Ana & Renée go live in 2011!

Testing Ground | Time Scale opens Friday 28th January between 6-10pm with LOTP*CHANNEL streaming live from 8.15pm at the Zabludowicz Collection, 176 Prince of Wales, London NW5. Click here for further information about the weekend programme of events and tune into Ana & Renée from the LOTP* website.

My Name In Lights

While my weekend was spent in a daze, catching up on sleep and going through hundreds and hundreds of photos I shot in Japan, I discovered an e-mail in my inbox this morning which has already made my week. The pressure is off for the next seven days, unless something should arise which tops this. Having totally forgot I even registered myself for this last year, I, Jonathan Velardi, will have my name in lights as part of artist and legend, John Baldessari's new work for the Sydney Festival - Strewth! In conjunction with Kaldor Public Art Projects, Your Name in Lights has given the opportunity to over one-hundred thousand participants from around the world a chance to have their names flash by a-la-Broadway for fifteen seconds. Recalling Andy Warhol's famous expression, "everyone will be famous for 15 minutes", Baldessari reflects the changing cult of celebrity in modern society with this large-scale light installation that has been installed on the Australian Museum's William Street façade. Every participant has been informed of the day and time their name will be screened. So, look out for me on Tuesday the 25th January at 21:58:40 on. the. dot.

John Baldessari: Your Name in Lights runs until the 30th January 2011 at the Australian Museum. For more information about the event or to watch my name, and one-hundred thousand others, on live stream visit Sydney Festival's official website here.

Press Attention

I am thrilled to hear news that last Thursday's Private View at Exeter Phoenix for Politics in Print was a hit. The exhibition is getting a lot of local coverage in Devon county, putting it in great stead for it's next scheduled venue at The Plough Arts Centre in Great Torrington in February. But until then, here are a few more press features from this is Devon and PROOF, a culture guide and directory of galleries, artists and makers across the South West of England. Thanks to everyone for their continuous support!

If you would like further information about my specially commissioned print currently on display at Exeter Phoenix or to enquire about any of the works that feature on my website please contact me on +44 (0) 7834 158 319 or at jmvelardi@yahoo.co.uk

Devon Pit Stop

Bovey Castle has kindly included the Politics in Print exhibition in their January Events page for visitors and guests to the luxury hotel on the edge of the Dartmoor National Park. The castle, which was built by the son and heir of the stationer family W H Smith in 1907, is located a half an hour drive from Exeter St. Davids railway station and looks like the perfect place if you're not too keen on trekking through Dartmoor, settling with a ham sandwich and a thermos - if you're more trained to sniff out Gin and a roaring fire then Bovey Castle and its eighteen-hole championship golf course, array of country pursuits, Elemis spa and cider and sloe-gin making classes (told you) offers the ultimate outdoors-indoors balance. I now feel inclined to repay the hotel's kindness and drop in for a tipple when I'm down to document the show. Note to self: book in advance sloe-gin making class...

The luxury hotel will be featured in the BBC2 series Michel Roux's Service, due to air this month on the 20th January at 8pm. Visit Bovey Castle's official website for information about all their events and facilities here.

BBC Devon Gets Political

This is my first post back on terra firma in (grey and wet) Blighty. Over the next few weeks I'll be writing about my incredible travels around Japan from Moe cafés to my obsession with taiyaki and much, much more. I don't know how I'm going to edit down all the events and photos that I accumulated... maybe a travel guide is on the cards for 2011?... but until then, I must post the very good news that I received while I was in the Land of the East.

With yesterday's launch of Politics in Print at the gallery space in Exeter Phoenix, I was thrilled the BBC's Jemima Laing has written a feature about the exhibition that has been touring Devon County since last September with the inclusion of both my own quotes and a detail of Semper Fidelis. Click here for the article on BBC Devon and visit my own press release here to find out more about the background to my work which was commissioned by Devon County Council and Double Elephant Print Workshop in response to the political resources from Devon Record Office in Exeter. Special thanks to Katherine Weston from the Record Office who has tirelessly publicised the exhibition. I hope to make it down to the space which I first visited at the very beginning of the commission (Ex Marks The Spot, June 2010) - be sure to keep up to date for more details and documentation at jonathanvelardi.blogspot.com in the coming weeks.

Politics in Print is now on show in Gallery 1 at Exeter Phoenix through to the 30th January 2011. As part of the Eye Opener Discussion series, 'Politics in Print & Hopes & Fears' will take place on Wednesday the 19th January at 10.45am - for more details on the exhibition and gallery opening times click here. Many thanks again to Jemima - have a great weekend everyone!

Semper Fidelis, 2010

Happy News Year

Happy New Year everyone! I am taking a few weeks out from my blog while I'm traveling around Japan but I wanted to post information from the touring exhibition, Politics in Print, which will be launching this week at Exeter Phoenix, in Exeter, Devon. I am very excited to have my work, Semper Fidelis, installed in the space at the Phoenix and for anyone down in the South West coast for a long weekend check out the show and all the work inspired by the archives at the Devon Record Office.

I will be returning to the blogosphere next week so I look forward to sharing with you my adventures in Japan as well as the many projects I will be working on in 2011!

Politics in Print runs from the 4th - 30th January 2011 at Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter, Devon, EX4 3LS