Galerie Liza Fetissova presents a solo exhibition by Ilan Weiss, “I’ll call you back”. The gallery presents it as follow.
Today we chase happiness.
We practice yoga, we run, we meditate, we read, we learn things, we travel. We fill up. And often if not always we stay connected, hang on our (damn) phone.
Ilan Weiss suggests that we put it down and open our senses. Look, listen, feel.
” It’s a photo ? But noooo…it’s a painting! »
” … Ah good ? Are you saying it’s a photo? »
And yes, Ilan Weiss is a magician.
The image in itself is not enough for him.
He transforms his photographs, using a secret formula, into objects or prints that have rich textures and hues, with a disconcerting pictorial effect.
It’s much more than an effect.
Ilan Weiss treats his photographs like raw material: taken with a camera or a telephone, they are the starting point of a transformation… cropping, zooming, but above all working on his prints.
With his fingers, he kneads the inks that are still wet from the print, or spreads them delicately with a brush. The result is unpredictable each time, the inks mix according to their own will: unique pieces are born. Ilan calls them “ink photographs.”
The subjects of his photographs are multiple, and the genres blend and merge.
The world around Ilan is solid material, so by erasing the lines of the body and the contours of objects, he blends “everything into everything.”
A woman or a reflection in a kettle becomes a landscape, waves and mountains are transformed into sensual feminine curves. the whole work is a living, vibrant, changing, organic tissue.
Obviously, the works of Ilan Weiss take us back to the Impressionists and the desire to capture and translate light. But his prints also lead us towards pictorialist photography, where reality is distanced using different technical feats.
Ilan Weiss’ subjects, modern realities (like tattoos, cell phone screens, Maes beer cans) and color create a vibrant, very close effect… A parallel world that exists right next to us.
“I’ll call you back”: an experience where the woman is at the center of an intimate exhibition.
The enigmatic woman, the tired woman, the naughty woman, the free woman, the seductive woman, the woman who looks at us, the woman who does not look at us, the woman who talks, the woman who lives.
The woman who takes all our attention. No wonder we are unreachable.
Ilan Weiss, born in Mexico in 1982 and based in Brussels since 2006, is a multidisciplinary artist whose career encompasses photography, art book production, teaching and innovative artistic creation. Initially working as a fashion photographer, Weiss honed his skills at Studio 202 under the direction of Karel Fonteyne before establishing his own studio within the Brussels Art Factory. His interest in photoengraving, born in the studio of Robert Kot, evolved into an important aspect of his work, leading to collaborations with publishers and artists, and the sharing of his expertise in post-production and prepress at the Higher School of Arts of Saint-Luc.
Weiss’ artistic journey is marked by personal exploration. Despite the setbacks of his first author’s book, MIST, Weiss’s relentless quest for innovation led him to develop a unique pictorialist process that combines digital and analog techniques, creating a new art form that bridges photography and painting. This technique involves the use of a custom process that allows the ink to remain wet during printing, allowing Weiss to manipulate the ink with brushes, merging the precision of photography with the expressiveness of the painting. In addition to his artistic practice, Weiss founded PINGUIN in 2017, an art laboratory encouraging collaboration and knowledge sharing between artists and curators. His work, both in individual creation and community engagement, demonstrates a commitment to pushing the boundaries of contemporary art while fostering an environment conducive to artistic growth and experimentation. Ilan Weiss’ journey reflects constant evolution and dedication to exploring the intersections of technology, art, and collaboration in the contemporary art scene.
Ilan Weiss : Je te rappelle
March 26 – April 28, 2024
Galerie Liza Fetissova
55 rue Claude Lorrain
75016 Paris
www.lizafetissova.com
instagram: lizafetissova_gallery
