‘Dirty Pink’, a new exhibition curated by Tina McCallan, opened last night in Russafa. Bay is excited to be showing her paintings ‘Allegory’ and ‘Confession’ alongside work by twelve international women artists.
The exhibition will be open at Sporting Club Russafa every weekend until 31st July 2021.
With sincere thanks to photographer Rosie Mayell for the photographs of the opening inauguration below.
Bay is delighted to be exhibiting in this summer’s collective show ‘Dirty Pink’ in Sporting Club Russafa, Valencia. The exhibition, curated by Tina McCallan is an exhibition of thirteen international women artists responding to the controversial colour pink.
The exhibition opens on Friday 2nd July at 18.00 until 22.00 and will run until 31st July.
Tina intends to pose important questions through the exhibition, including whether gender is a performance and the reality of a “feminine or feminist aesthetic”. As she explains,
“Over the centuries, society’s perception of the colour has changed, at times being considered feminine, erotic, kitsch, sophisticated or transgressive.
According to Valerie Steele the author of Pink: the history of a Punk, Pretty, Powerful Colour, The 150-year-old notion of pink as synonymous with fragile femininity is being challenged. We’ve seen the rise of millennial pink as an ‘It’ hue, but also its appropriation by feminists around the world as a powerful, socio-political mark.”
The participating artists will address this ambiguity alongside their own individual styles and concerns:
Dirty Pink will inaugurate on Friday 2nd July at 18.00 until 22.00, and then be open to visitors on the dates below:
Saturday 3rd /10th/17th/24th/ July 11am -2pm
Join Bay for her book reading and discussion on creativity, this Sunday 30th May. You’ll hear Bay read from her new book The 21 Day Creative, a practical guide to creative fulfillment for busy lives. The book is planned for an October release.
You can then take part in an inclusive open-floor discussion on some of the book’s themes – creativity, creative myths, creator-loneliness, permission, muses and creating with fragmented time.
The event is free and open to all, but places are limited to 12. To reserve yours, RSVP at the Art Nights Out Meetup or email Cornelis Moon, Director of The Jan Royce Gallery.
With the kind support of The Jan Royce Gallery
Sunday 30th May, 12.00 – 12.45pm
In The Valencian newspaper this week, critic and artist Tina McCallan interviews Bay about her artistic influences such as the Old Masters and Paula Rego as well as her innovative techniques. The article is currently the site’s Editor’s Pick.
You can read the full interview here “Art In Valencia: Spotlight On Artists… Bay Backner“.
Bay conceived and created Art Walk Valencia as a new initiative to support independent art spaces in her city. Eleven galleries and art venues opened simultaneously on Sunday 18 April from 11.00am – 14.00pm, with a map and information published on artwalkvlc.com.
Bay organised Art Walk as a responsible, covid-safe way to experience art in Valencia. Art Walkers walked in groups of four or less and followed all safety measures when inside the arts spaces.
Art Walk was a resounding success, with some spaces welcoming more than 300 visitors safely over the three hour event. Valencia’s A Punt TV News programme reported from Art Walk and interviewed Bay about the aims of the initiative. Bay also gave a radio interview for Podríem Fer-ho Millo alongside SET Espai D’Art gallery director Reyes Martinez.
For more information about Art Walk Valencia, visit artwalkvlc.com. You can also sign up to Bay’s mailing list to hear of the second Art Walk planned for later this year.
Bay conceived and created Art Walk Valencia as a new initiative to support independent art spaces in her city. Eleven galleries and art venues opened simultaneously on Sunday 18 April from 11.00am – 14.00pm, with a map and information published on artwalkvlc.com.
Art Walk was a resounding success, with some spaces welcoming more than 300 visitors safely over the three hour event. Valencia’s A Punt TV News programme reported from Art Walk and interviewed Bay about the aims of the initiative. Bay also gave a radio interview for Podríem Fer-ho Millo alongside SET Espai D’Art gallery director Reyes Martinez.
Art Walk was free and open to all, with “Art Walkers” to take part in groups of four or less in line with current covid restrictions. There was no set route between the eleven venues, but the furthest galleries, La Trini in La Zaidía and Lanevera in Russafa, are just a 30 minute walk apart.
The idea for Art Walk came out of Bay’s conversation with Kristin Gracie, founder of Russafa’s The RW Project, about how to safely open their current art exhibition “Eve” to visitors.
“Covid has challenged artists to become more creative about sharing our work. It’s been a year now without normal gallery inaugurations or artist talks in independent spaces,” explains Bay.
“Before Covid I organised a Meetup group of 1,000 art-goers in Valencia. Since lockdown, many have asked me how they can continue to support Valencia’s artists,” she continues.
“Art Walk makes it easy to visit some of our city’s most exciting art spaces. In English these are called “grassroots” arts spaces because they encourage emerging artists. If we can help them to grow their audience, we all benefit from a thriving art scene.”
The Jan Royce Gallery in El Carmen was the first gallery to agree to open on Sunday for Art Walk. Director Cornelis Moonen explains,
“Art Walk is a wonderful initiative. It underlines how Valencia’s art galleries and artists continue to work together to present new contemporary art, in spite of this challenging year.”
“By walking on a Sunday morning, we also support our neighbourhood’s restaurants and bars. I hope that many art-lovers find inspiration in the diversity of the art being presented, and enjoy (re-)discovering their vibrant, artistic city.”
Reyes Martinez, director of gallery SET Espai D’Art adds,
“We are participating in Art Walk because we support any initiative that brings art closer to the public, that normalises visiting galleries and exhibitions, and that recognises the work that galleries do in supporting and representing artists.”
Bay Backner will participate in ¡Abril Despierta! (April Awakes!) at The Jan Royce Gallery in Valencia. Bay will show five new works alongside paintings by Valencia artist Tatiana Roig and Russian Aleksandra Istorik.
For ¡Abril Despierta! Bay has made five figurative artworks in oil paint and hand-embroidery on canvas. These explore how identities are being shaped by this year’s pandemic, specifically how its experiences affect our subconscious minds. Truth expresses how many of us looked inwards during isolation; Trust, the creative relationship between our conscious and subconscious; Expectation, how we balanced hope with reality; Ice, the complicated nature of solitude and Untitled, the freedom of imagination while confined.
The Jan Royce Gallery exhibits contemporary art from around the world, presenting a “fascinating, broad selection of artists and works. Stimulating, cutting-edge works by established contemporary artists, as well as intriguing works from young emerging artists, who may not have yet gained public acclaim.”
Jan Royce Gallery director Cornelius Moon affirms that the space “recognises the importance of supporting local talent and believes that the development of the Arts in any community is paramount in creating a society with character and soul.”
Artist and journalist Tatiana Roig writes that ¡Abril Despierta! is “an art exhibition where three artists from different nationalities reflect on the influences of being born in different countries and their very diverse way of conceiving art. Three women come together in a post-pandemic era to show their art and its origins.”
“Unusual textures and textiles, blending cotton and wood, shape a multicultural exhibition in the heart of the city of Valencia.”
The show will open on 10th April 2021 and run until 30th May.
Blacks London set to reopen on 17th May after Soho’s lengthy lockdown. The legendary private members’ club will show two paintings by Bay Backner, curated in a collective exhibition by Runway Gallery.
The exhibition will present Bay’s pre-lockdown paintings, Delta and Shard. Here you can see the paintings hung alongside a piece by fellow Runway artist Barry Wilson. All the paintings are currently available through Runway Gallery in London and online.
We wish Blacks much love for a wonderful reopening.
Bay is now showing Blancanieves, her new large-scale embroidered oil painting at Galeria Cuatro, Valencia. The work is part of collective exhibition Sexto Sentido, on show at the gallery until 3rd March 2021.
Other participating artists include Alba Lorente, artist and editor of contemporary art magazine La Novicia; Luis Salvador, artist and director of La Trini art space; painter Miguel Castillo Oñate and artist-curator Jose Lapasió.
Blancanieves was painted in response to the current restrictions in Valencia. With one of the highest incidences of Covid-19 in Spain, all cultural events have been postponed and gatherings of more than two people are prohibited. When gallery director Miguel Castillo Gómez invited Bay to participate in Sexto Sentido, he asked for a work that would be impactful and colourful as a response to the challenges the current situation presents.
Blancanieves (Snow White in Spanish) is an expression of the joy we can find in creativity. No matter what we encounter in the external world, our internal worlds can be one of magical stories, enchanted mirrors and self-expression. The painting is part of Bay’s wider ongoing series of paintings exploring our hidden selves.
Blancanieves is 146 x 114 cm in oil paint with hand-embroidery on canvas. At 1900Eu the painting is expect to sell to Bay’s collectors in Valencia. To check that the painting is stil available before your visit, call Galeria Cuatro on 963 51 00 63
The gallery is open daily in line with current restrictions, from 10.30am until 6pm.
Galeria Cuatro, Carrer de la Nau, 25, 46003 València, Valencia
