Art Whino returns in 2012 for the third edition of G40. Following the mission of G40s past, we will once again bring exposure to lowbrow’s many faces and, as always, present what new facets emerge within this ever-growing movement. This year, G40 focuses on the “Art of the Mural.” In the last five years, there have been great bursts of street artists transforming the city’s urban fabric with large-scale mural artwork. With their powerful and awe-evoking size of over five stories high, these murals transform the landscape of the passerby and create a unique experience for each wall that was once blank and artless.
This year’s G40 will travel to Richmond, VA, and will become the inaugural opening event of the city’s soon-to-be-announced official art district. By inviting 13 of the top mural artists from around the globe to unleash their creativity on 20 large-scale walls in a 10-block radius, it will surely become an amazing artistic destination point for years to come. In addition to the large-scale murals, we will also present an exhibit in pop-up galleries along the main street of the district. With canvas work and installations by each mural artist, these shows will offer the opportunity to experience a more personal scale and a closer look at the execution and detailing of the mural artists’ work.
As in previous years, we will also present a 500+ artist exhibit that will highlight all the genres within the lowbrow style. This year, though, instead of concentrating the show in one building, we will be in eight different locations throughout the arts district with an exhibit of more than 50,000 square feet in total. In this exhibit, we will showcase all the genres within lowbrow, highlighting the growth of this movement and the versatility of these artists. In Gallery5, we will premiere “Weapons of Mass Change,” a traveling group show to benefit humanitarian missions around the world. Each artist will be transforming weapons once used to oppress, re-skinning them as unique works of art in the vein of helping humanity.
All of these shows combined will activate 10 city blocks with large-scale murals, over eight storefronts housing the massive G40 Group show, and premiering the “Weapons of Mass Change” traveling exhibit. In this way, the G40 Summit will leave its mark on Richmond’s Art District. This show will become a part of the city’s arts culture, which will be further established as the Mural Project becomes a yearly event for the district, creating continuity and, in turn, helping to solidify Richmond as a major art destination in years to come.
In addition, Art Whino will make its mark on Richmond’s art scene by joining forces with RVA Magazine to create a new quarterly publication called WHINO. This magazine will focus on all aspects of the lowbrow culture worldwide. The magazine will be launched during the G40 and will bring attention to the inauguration of the Art District with a month-long schedule of musical performances and events.
Event Locations
G40 500+ Art Exhibit
Various Locations
Click Here for Map & Hours
Weapons of Mass Change Exhibit
Gallery 5
200 W. Marshall St.
Richmond, Virginia 23220
Outdoor Murals Located in Various locations
Broad St between N 3rd St and N. Henry St
Click Here for Map
For full profiles of mural artists, click HERE.
For more information about G40, click HERE.
