Giant Robot Biennale 2: 15 Years @ JANM (Oct 24) / LEDAVHARA Feature

Above is the David Horvath/Uglydolls promo video for the upcoming Giant Robot Biennale 2: 15 Years celebrations starting October 24th 2009 and exhibits thru January 24th 2010. CLICK THRU for the Official Press Release for the event, as well as a preview of what goodies from Yukinori Dehara, David Horvath and Le Merde to expect at the show @ the Japanese American National Museum!


Above-left is a couple of LEDAVHARA tee-shirts available at the Giant Robot Biennale, while above-right is the resin Sun-Min monster. David blogged: "We cast 20 of them and kept a couple for our records. The rest go into the show and the mold has already been destroyed, so that's it for him!"


Also be on the lookout for the 2 brand new Giant Robot exclusive color versions of MY FRIEND DAVE [blogged with more pics] each with a run of only 50 pcs. Below shows a three-way collaboration between Dehara, David Horvath and Le Merde ~ featuring interchangable 3 headed figures (shown below are unpainted figures). Each artist will paint up 7 sets, with each set inclusive of 3 heads and a body [info via LuvLeMerde].



[7 x astounding images of Le Merde's custom figures for GR Biennale 2 / CLICK for full-screen viewing]

[Above-art features David Choe]
PRESS: In 1994, Giant Robot was born with the purpose of documenting and promoting new, up-and-coming, underdog, overlooked, and hybrid Asian and Asian-American popular culture. Fifteen years later, the self-published magazine has not only evolved from a stapled-and-folded zine into a full-color, glossy publication with an international following, but also opened trend-setting shops and influential art galleries in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City. To celebrate the magazine's longevity, energy, and loyal readership, the second Giant Robot Biennale is being hosted by the Japanese American National Museum in Downtown Los Angeles from October 24, 2009 to January 24, 2010. The event will feature several exhibits, including the following:

To provide a visual overview of the Giant Robot aesthetic, publisher Eric Nakamura is curating artwork by individuals who have contributed to shows at Giant Robot's galleries, been featured in the pages of the magazine, or even contributed cover art. The main hall will include installations by David Choe, Theo Ellsworth, James Jean, kozyndan, Stella Lai, Jack Long, Albert Reyes, Souther Salazar, Rob Sato Jeff Soto, and Deth P. Sun. A second hall will include the contributions of more than 50 others.

The roots of Asian popular culture--the kaiju scene introduced by Godzilla, Gamera, other giant monsters, and the toy industry they spawned--will be paid tribute to by a run of collaborative works made by Japanese indie sculptor and artist Yukinori Dehara, UglyDolls co-creator David Horvath, and Portland, OR-based underground toy legend LeMerde.

The photography of longtime magazine contributor Ben Clark will also be featured in a retrospective. Clark's powerful images from past issues will be displayed in a larger, more vibrant print format, accompanied by recollections, explanations, and other ramblings by editor Martin Wong.


[Video promo and promo images featuring James Jean]

PRESS-CONTINUED: In addition, five custom videogames have been developed by the Attract Mode collective in conjunction with some of Giant Robot's favorite artists. Many games were made exclusively for the Game Over/Continue? show at GRSF (March-April, 2009), and they be available for play once more throughout the exhibition's stint. The artist and developer pairings include Hellen Jo, Calvin Wong, and Derek Yu; Saelee Oh and Anna Anthropy; Souther Salazar and Petri Purho; J. Otto Seibold and Kyle Pulver; and Deth P. Sun and Jonathan "Cactus" Soderstrom.

An opening reception will take place from 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 24, featuring live music and attendance by many of the participating artists and key members of the Giant Robot family.

The show will run from Saturday, October 24, 2009 to Sunday, January 24, 2010. For more information about Giant Robot magazine or The Giant Robot Biennale 2: 15 Years, please contact:

Eric Nakamura
Giant Robot Owner/Publisher
eric@giantrobot.com
(310) 479-7311

Giant Robot Biennale 2: 15 Years
October 24, 2009 - January 24, 2010
Opening reception: Saturday, October 24, 2009, 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Japanese American National Museum
369 East First Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
janm.org
(213) 625-0414