Josep Maynou

Josep Maynou’s works are provisional and humorous time-markers of the cinematic and interpersonal fantasies that he creates while accumulating materials. On view at Beverly’s is a series of welded, or reconfigured lamps, made out of discarded objects and recognizable store bought items. These works light-heartedly undermine the assigned cultural value of his chosen objects, by displaying them as characters or implied props for his performed stories. Each work is either anthropomorphized, or made slightly functional. Whether it’s a plunger lamp wearing sunglasses, or a wall lamp with a hook for a bottle opener- Maynou’s work exists as the physical stamp of his fabled narratives, that he constructs through lived interactions, as he explores a city or place.

On the bar sits an classic galvanized trash can— reaffirming Maynou’s foreign view of the ways that New York actually does appear like Sesame Street, or an 80’s music video, (if reality is constantly re-assembled to coincide with the artist’s idealized fantasy). Text dots the space, like director’s notes for a movie that is forever being made, with an never-ending plot line, diminishing budget, and an updating cast of characters. Also on view are a selection of videos that show looping examples of Maynou’s daily short films. Wherever he happens to be, he creates or discovers a quick architectural obstacle, and then uses a nearby prop such as a ball, a hat, or a sock, to try to triumph over his perceived challenge. These small interventions are a format for collaboration and participatory place-making, as anyone nearby is welcome to join in to achieve this simple, yet mutual goal.

Restlessness, and his hope to connect communities, continually nudge Maynou to create artifacts detailing his meanderings, and his confrontations of being both a traveling outsider, and an un-assuming insider. Via this access, he spotlights the prolific human invention that is all around a city street. The familiarity of Maynou’s forms, and their remixed contexts, represents a desire for a shared humility— while in contrast, asking for an audience.

As a part of his exhibition, Josep will be performing some of his stories. Times and dates will be announced on our instagram: @beverlysnyc

Josep Maynou (born 1980 Barcelona, Spain) is a Berlin / Barcelona / Morocco based artist working in drawing, sculptural assemblage, textile, video, and performance. His multidisciplinary approach comes together as a form of contemporary storytelling that situates itself beyond the traditional art formats, often leading to installations in contexts such as TV repair shops, private apartments, abandoned spaces, laundromats or second-hand stores.

Josep studied Fine Arts at UB (Barcelona), Faculta de Belas Artes Porto (Porto) and Middlesex University (London). His work has been shown internationally--including University of Oxford (UK), PS122 (NYC), with Beverly’s at the Material art fair (Mexico City), Louis 21 (Palma de Mallorca), Galerie Suvi Lehtinen, and Transmediale (Berlin), and recently in ‘Pane per Poveri’ a collaborative project that ran during the opening of the Venice Biennial (Venice, Istanbul, Athens).