Cardboard Späti

Jack Penny Arthur Laidlaw Vivian le Vavasseur

East of Elsewhere is pleased to present an homage to the späti, featuring works by Jack Penny, Arthur Laidlaw and Vivian le Vavasseur. Cardboard Späti offers a kaleidoscopic view on the Spätkauf, a fixture of Berlin’s cityscape. The späti is fragmented through sculpture, painting and sound in homage and investigation of these nondescript landmarks. The exhibition is immersive, a portal of sorts into a multimedia expression of the pulse of the city. Jack Penny, Arthur Laidlaw and Vivian le Vavasseur distort and distill their experience of these spaces and their characters. Each artist has incorporated cardboard and other found material discarded from spätis into their work, emphasizing the regenerative potential of artistic translation.

Jack Penny's works exude energy, often depicting a seated individual amid a frenetic scene. Building upon his distinct Diebenkornesque style, Jack takes everyday encounters in the Berlin späti as the inspiration for works in pastel and acrylic on discarded cardboard and paper.

Arthur Laidlaw’s sculptural and painting practice explores the way historical and emotional experience is engraved into architecture. His work often begins as sketches created in situ which he enlarges as scans or sculptures and works on in monochrome charcoal, ink and acrylic. Arthur created a life size späti from repurposed cardboard, investigating the layers of history that comprise these spaces.

Vivian Le Vavasseur is a musician and sound artist whose work mixes found and processed sounds with his vocal and instrumental accompaniment. Vivian mixed späti sounds captured with a voice- recorder and studio manipulated music. This score is located in a post-Cagian exploration of what organized sound can be.

By examining späti culture, Cardboard Späti also underscores the potential for an installation to function as a place for lingering and exchange. This immersive experience is accessible and abstract, at once a love letter to the city familiar to Berliners and intriguing to visitors. The exhibition reminds us of art’s ability to alter, elevate or deepen our everyday experiences.