TOO FAR WEST / Exhibition in Comerc Store

Elsa Okazaki, Claire de Foucauld, Salvatore Viviano and Jimmy Zurek are the members of “TOO FAR WEST" exhibition, presented at Comerc Store on the 2nd of June at 18h, during 12 festival for fashion and photography.

Lara: How came the idea of doing a collective exhibition with Claire de Foucauld, Salvatore Viviano and Jimmy Zurek for 12 festival for fashion and photography?

Elsa- Well… I wanted to organize an exhibition during the festival for a long time. And why I chose them.. I think the main reasons are because I like them as persons and they all already worked with the topic of fashion and well… I love their works.

Elsa Okazaki is the curator, apart from being one of the 4 artists of “Too Far West”. Of French and Japanese origins, she was born in Schiltigheim/France, lived in Amsterdam and Lille, she is now based in Vienna, producing visual art since 2007. Her website is an inspiring and powerful space, full of different ways to approach visual art combining beauty with reflection and provoking a new perceptive way of visual art in the spectator.

Elsa: We also know each other for a long time…, Claire comes from France too, she studied Modern Literature in Lyon and is now studying Artistic Photography at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Vienna, her work this time will feature collage and photography. Salvatore Viviano is from Palermo, Sicily, but moved to Paris when he was really young. In 2009 he moved to Vienna…and… do you wanna know what? We used to deejay together under the name of Schoko Ono… (laughs). Salvatore will be doing a performance and present photographs at the exhibition. And Jimmy Zurek is from Vienna, graduated at the University of Applied Arts… he is working as a painter, director and as a musician! He is a really great singer! And we already worked a few times together.

Lara: Yes! I saw his music video with you as a director!

Elsa: Yes! It is always really nice to work with him! He is very talented!

Lara: Apart from being one of the artists of the collective, you are as well the curator… how you will manage to mix all this different disciplines together?

Elsa: “Too Far West” is an extremely free project, where everyone of us has the freedom to do, experiment and present whatever s/he wants to. I am more like the organizer, I do not want to intervene in the art process. I will be more the person who will say: let’s see how we can manage this all together! (laughs). I am normally more a control freak, so this is a good experience for me. I am already really excited to see all the finished works.

Lara: Totally…

Elsa: In my case, I’m presenting a series of approximately 5 pictures… mmmmm, I will not give you so many details to preserve the intrigue… and because it is still a work in progress (laughs) but I can tell that I am inspired in this particular project by high fashion objects as objects of desire…

Lara: That sounds cool! It is really interesting how this high fashion design pieces can turn into a fetish object for its owner, even in a sexual way…

Elsa: There you go… (laughs)

Lara: Where exactly is the exhibition gonna be presented? Downstairs?

Elsa: Well..at the beginning we wanted to show it in a gallery (the classic way), but as were looking for locations, we found Comerc, and as we met Johnny, we had a good feeling about doing the exhibition there. Johnny and his family are great. We are very happy to show it there. And yes, we will be downstairs, in the black box.

Lara: Then… Will you sell the pieces exhibited at Comerc Store?

Elsa: Yes. Quite all the pieces will be created especially for 12 festival for fashion and photography, and they will be on sale.

Lara: And returning to Salvatore… will he present the performance just on the 2nd of June?

Elsa: Yes, he will perform just at the opening and afterwards we will all deejay!

Lara: What? What do you mean with all? (laughs)

Elsa: We all 4, all the artists from the exhibition.

My meeting with Elsa was just like that, laughing and having a good time, talking about her projects and mine while drinking coffee (and a chocolate) in the 4th district (coincidently where we both live)… it is now when I invite everyone to attend their exhibition on June 2nd at 18h at Comerc Store, or in case, to visit the exhibition the following week (from the 2nd of June till the 8th of June), ‘cause it is gonna be something really, really special aand one of the best exhibitions in town, just as Elsa Okazaki, Claire Foucauld, Salvatore Viviano and Jimmy Zurek are.

Text: Lara Garcia Diaz

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The MAK is one of 12 festival´s locations and a great design inspiration for interior design, especially furniture, ceramics, textiles and architecture.

The MAK is a museum and space of experimentation for applied arts at the interface of design, architecture, and contemporary art located in Stubenring 5 (1010 Vienna) just next to die angewandte (University of Applied Arts Vienna). Overwhelmed by the combination of both locations and the curiosity for discovering the people walking around there, I took my camera - and as a hunter - I photographed the most interesting species.

Having a first look at the website of the MAK before my expedition, I read an interesting information: Free admissions on tuesday from 6-10p.m. “Even cooler then!”, I thought, so around 2pm I was already in front of the door to have my job done by 6pm. The grey weather + the wind didn’t support me so much, and not so many people were then passing by. Pretty bored I started to count how many people were wearing a grey or black oversized coat and how many people were wearing a colorful one; the result: 26 grey or black versus just 4 colorful…. Suddenly and just after writing down my counting results, a guy with a really cool Neighborhood green-safari jacket and colorful Air Max 1 Nike shoes was passing by in front of me, and as a kangaroo I jumped from my bank and ran after him: “Hallo” I said, “I have no money!”, he answered…… ugh!!!!!?????????? “I don’t want money”, I replied with a big smile… “I don’t have cigarettes neither! Have you?”, he said again…. ” mmmmmmm…… “No, I just want to take a picture of you for the blog of 12 festival!”, I tried again…. and with a really unfriendly face he run away…. All and all I have some more weird stories like that, and I have to say, that the best and coolest dressed were always the most honest and nice ones, replying: “A picture of me? why?” BECAUSE WE LOVE YOUR OUTFITS! thanks!

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.edisa shahini. vincent ferre. lara garcia.

Three of them are different in each and every way, but since they have met - something similar is connecting them anyway. Edisa Shahini, Vincent Ferre and Lara Garcia will be reporting, interviewing, documenting events, behind-the-scenes fashion stories, street style photos and event locations before and during the festival for fashion & photography!

BloggerGame - These six topics as you see above in this picture, is a game that Edisa, Vincent and Lara played. Here are their spontaneous and individual answers about these topics.

EDISA

Style - is an expression of individualism mixed with charisma.
Fashion - is body architecture.

VICENTE

Editorial - We all really need to editorial our lives more.
Photography- is a great way to find beauty in so called ugly things.

LARA

Fun - Get dressed every morning depending on which song is playing in the radio and get inspired in that way.
Blog - is the new Bible.

Edisa, grew up visiting museums, reading her Mom’s fashion magazines, and wishing she was old enough to be in the fashion world and to accomplish her passion to her profession. It’s no wonder that she have studied literature and communications, and combines her postgraduate studies with work at “Flair Magazine" plus writing almost everyday on her Blog - Disi’s Couture Lifestyle.

Vincent enjoys paradoxes! Currently, he works as office clerk and he is a serious club kid! As a strategist, marketing specialist and shy enthusiast, he dreams of finding a husband in every possible hopeless place! Get to know him at You Never Wear That.

Lara, is an artist, art director, stylist and photographer. Graduated in Fine Arts and living between Vienna and Barcelona. It’s not a surprise to read the name of Lara Garcia in the credits of every kind of different and various creative projects as a stylist, photographer, art director, designer and as artist. She is interested in finding her creativity in chaos, popular culture and every day life, she follows everything which implies creativity. See more of her creativity at Lara Garcia's Blog.

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