Biography
BR1 is an Italian artist based in Turin, his works are based and influenced by the city life. For him, art must transmit a social message and bring collective awareness. BR1 is fighting the hegemonic policing of sense imposed by late capitalism by ripping out advertising on billboards or giving a new face to Muslim women. The point is to fight hegemonic ideas and to give back the public space to the public. With his colourful images and comics-to-pop-inspired portrait, BR1 makes the city more liveable and harmonious. Yet, when pasting up a draw on billboard, ripping out bills from the billboards or playing with the message of the bill and modifying the meaning of the adds; BR1 is criticising consumerism. His aim is to give social and cultural functions to billboards which, while lacking of those, are imposed to society.
BR1 started working on the theme of veiled Muslim women, as he became more and more attracted and intrigued by the veil; « why a dress has so strong connotation of religion? This thing attracts me.” His first aim is to show that the veiled woman has the same needs and the same nature as any other occidental woman. By portraying veiled woman in the everyday life, BR1 challenges the ideological isolation of the veil.
BR1 believes « in a consciousness-raising » and this idea can be seen everyday on the streets that he has been walking by.
Selected Exhibitions
2012 - Stroke Art Fair - Open Walls Gallery - Berlin (Germany)
2012 - street art doping - festival - Warsaw (Poland)
2012 - the odd duo - group show, galo art gallery - Turin (Italy)
2012 - Paris Zone Libre - group show, Open Walls Gallery - Paris (France)
2012 - Stroke Art Fair - Open Walls Gallery - Munich (Germany)
2011 - Dissidents - group show, West Werlin Gallery - Berlin (Germany)
2011 - Hydra - project, fondazione pistoletto - Biella (Italy)
2011 - wtc suburbart - group show - Turin (Italy)
2011 - FART - group show, fondazione farm - Sicily (Italy)
2011 - km011 - group show - Torino Italy
2010 - Proximity - BR1 and Sepideh Salehi - pah! Project - Fribourg (Switzerland)
2010 - Parede Poster - festival - Rio de janeiro (Brasil)
2010 - Urban Arts Madrid - festival - Madrid (Spain)
2010 - About the city - group show - Cagliari (Italy)
2010 - MiT3.0 - project - Turin (Italy)
2010 - Stradafacendo - group show, fondazione barriera - Turin (Italy)
2009 - Urbanpainting - group show, concept gallery - Milan (Italy)
2009 - Pop Up! - festival - Ancona (Italy)
