Dormice

Dormice is a group of artists that took form in the 1990’s. The group was originally composed of three artists: Heinrich Nicolaus, born in Munich (Germany) in 1955, Dougal Graham, was born in Vancouver (Canada) and Sawan Yawnghwe , was born in Burma in 1971. They worked together for a short period of time as Dormice, then separated and each returned to their personal careers of artists. Dormice are ambiguous and symbolic creatures; as small mountain rodents’ they lean towards both positive and negative image. In fact, dormice are associated with fatigue and sleepiness, they are nocturnal creatures who spend the day sleeping and at night go in search of food. Walter Benjamin in the Paris: Capital talks about a sort of "animal symbolism" that can be a key to literary interpretation of the name of the group. Thus nature is constantly present in the Dormice works. Human nature. Three artists are three experiences, three forms of life, three dilations of perception, three forms of space, three ways of behaving, three corners of the world that come together. The Dormice’ painting is the result of a continual work of subjective stratification; the picture is a cross – section of impetuous actions generated by three micro-experiences that come together and give birth to a single work of art. The lack of self who belongs to our society, somehow provokes the image of a half-subject, but three halves that make one large subject. As dormice, the three artists need to sleep, to rest during the day and roam out at night into the labyrinths of nature to take on provisions. .The day for Dormice depicts the projection of our society where no one is able to express himself. On the contrary, the night is a time that escapes control. The artists free themselves from their own control. Eliminating themselves from their paintings to make room for images of beautiful women. A unique personality is no longer of important matter, but rather, the object produced is and the producer is highly detached from his product. Everything is elaborated in more than one mind and everything becomes involved: forms, design. color, light, space, time. Personality being controlled by external factors, must try to act by the most demonstrating what the external is. The human – the woman who parades under the runaway of colors and clothes- represents the grotesque of everyday. The idea of beauty is presented the media: magazine covers shots determine the physiognomy and expressive cadences of the women. The works are all images in large dimensions which invite the spectator to enter into the screen; they incite our eyes to break through fake screen and touch the picture. We see a layer of color, then a second layer of figures and color, then a third figured layer, of color and symbols. Sawan intervenes in Nicolaus’ first layer, Douglas helps to spatialize his Burmese friend’s mark, and finally Nicolaus returns, not closing the work but collaborating to leavea sense of openness, to the point of multiplying its planes. The circularity is, however, infinite: symbolic layers, iconic geographies, conceptual knowledge. Solo Exhibitions 2008 Dormice. Art Gallery Artist, Wimbledon, Londra, Inghilterra 2006 Chinese boxes, curate da Luca Beatrice, Galerie Ernst Hilger, Vienna, Austria 2005 Dormiceland, Stragapede & Perini Art Gallery, Spazio Fitzcarraldo, Milano 2003 Dormice® lab, curato da Garça Cabral, Fashion week, Special guest. San Paolo (Brasil) L'Ossimoro della pittura, Galleria Alessandro Bagnai, Firenze 2002 Yes, Galleria Ernst Hilger, Parigi Dormice® lab, curata by Alessandra Galletta, Galleria Antonio Colombo, Milano 2001 Dormice® club, Bologna arte Fiera, Galleria Carini, Rimini Dormice® Trip media, Galleria Carini, Rimini Let’s be serius, Galleria Stefania Miscetti, Roma Dormice® Kult, Fiera del Levante, Bari, Gallerie Pier Giuseppe Carini Rimini & Alessandro Bagnai, Siena 2000 Dormice® Department of Research, curata da Gabriele Perretta, Galleria Alessandro Bagnai, Siena The Kick, curata da Sergio Risaliti Museo delle Papesse, Siena Dormice® Secrets, curata da Gabriele Perretta, Galleria Carini, Rimini 1999 Dormice® Presents: “The art game”, Galleria Ernst Hilger, Vienna Beyus sex laws, Third avenue Gallery Vancouver, Canada Group Exhibitions 2008 Outsider project, Curata da Antonella Villanova, Galleria Alessandro Bagnai, Firenze 2005 Blow up. Di generazione in generazione..., curated by Roberta Ridolfi, Centro per l’Arte Contemporanea Il Conventino, Monteciccardo I Mestieri di Érgon, curated by Gabriele Perretta, Palazzo M, Latina 2003 Art Miami, Convention Center, Gallerie Pier Giuseppe Carini & Alessandro Bagnai Melting pop, curata da Gianluca Marziani, Museo delle Papesse, Siena La pittura come concetto, curatada Luca Beatrice, Palazzo Ducale, Massa Melting Pop, curata da Gianluca Marziani, Castello di Masnago, Varese 2002 Object trove’, Galleria Ernst Hilger, Vienna Cum-art, curata da Gabriele Perretta Galleria la Giarina, Verona Dipingere acqua per dieci giorni, Galleria Carini, San Giovanni Valdarno Geipeg, curated by Alessandra Galletta, Galleria Dina Carola, Napoli MiArt, Dormice kick, Galleria Carini, Firenze Exit, curata da Francesco Bonami, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Torino 2001 Dormice® trip media: Art as point, Bologna, Galleria Carini, Rimini Dormice® trip media: Art as point Bologna, Galleria Alessandro Bagnai, Siena