[spectre] 13 MOST BEAUTIFUL AVATARS

[Franco Mattes]

PRESS RELEASE

The Italian Academy for Advanced Studies in America at Columbia 
University invites you to the Opening Reception for the Fall, 2006 
Premio New York Exhibition:


Eva and Franco Mattes (a.k.a. 0100101110101101.ORG)
"13 Most Beautiful Avatars"

November 30 - December 19, 2006
Opening: Thursday, November 30, 6-8pm
The Italian Academy, New York


EVA and FRANCO MATTES (a.k.a. 0100101110101101.ORG) present "13 Most 
Beautiful Avatars," a portrait series at the Italian Academy and in an 
online exhibit organized by Rhizome and co-presented by the New Museum 
of Contemporary Art. The Matteses have been living in the virtual 
world, Second Life, for over a year, exploring its terrain and 
interacting with its peculiar inhabitants. The result of their 
"video-game flanerie" is a series of portraits, entitled "13 Most 
Beautiful Avatars." Not unlike Warhol's entourage of stars, captured in 
the "13 Most Beautiful Boys" and "13 Most Beautiful Women" portrait 
series, the Matteses' "13 Most Beautiful Avatars" captures the most 
visually dynamic and celebrated "stars" of Second Life.

The portraits reflect Second Life aesthetics, featuring the bright 
colors, "artificial" light, broad flat areas, 3D shapes, and surreal 
perspectives that are typical of this virtual world. Overall, the 
series draws on the technological developments which allow the creation 
of alternate identities within simulated worlds. Despite the relative 
newness of using video game-derived source materials, the avatars' 
icons recall questions common to earlier eras of portraiture, including 
the cultural and psychological context of the images, and the 
relationships between high art and subculture, between contemporary art 
and "traditional" art forms, and between art and life itself.

Concurrent with the show at the Italian Academy is an online exhibition 
organized by Rhizome and co-presented by the New Museum of Contemporary 
Art. The exhibition, in Second Life's increasingly popular Ars Virtua 
gallery, mirrors the Italian Academy's art gallery, and is visible 
here: http://rhizome.org/events/timeshares.
Highlights of the online exhibition will also be projected during the 
opening reception.

Eva and Franco Mattes are known for their controversial artworks, such 
as staging high-profile hoaxes and defeating the Nike Corporation in a 
legal battle over a fake advertising campaign. Their works have been 
shown worldwide including the Venice Biennale, Manifesta and 
Postmasters Gallery, New York.



The Premio New York is sponsored by the Italian Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs, the Italian Academy and the Italian Cultural Institute of New 
York.

Few of the avatar paintings will be shown by Postmasters, the Matteses 
New York gallery, at the PULSE Art Fair in Miami, and a portfolio of 
prints produced by Jean-Yves Noblet Contemporary Prints is also 
available.




The Italian Academy, 1161 Amsterdam Avenue (just south of 118th 
Street), New York.
Subway #1 to 116th Street
Monday through Friday, 9:30 am to 4:30 pm.
CONTACT: Allison Jeffrey, 212 854-8942, aj211 at columbia.edu

http://www.italianacademy.columbia.edu/IA_premioFall2006.html
http://www.0100101110101101.org