Cracking Art Group
In 1993, six European artists founded Cracking Art Group. They use recyclable plastic for aesthetic appeal, showing acceptance of the inevitability that our world is becoming increasingly artificial. The material itself triggers a social phenomenon wherein the material and, therefore, the art is appreciable and approachable to everyone. Using recyclable plastic appealed to the group for its ability to allow them to show intelligent use of the ever-present material.
The name “Cracking Art” comes from the English verb “crack,” meaning to split, break, or fracture. “Cracking” is also the term for the chemical reaction that occurs when converting raw crude oil into plastic. For the artists, it represents the instant when something natural becomes artificial. They endeavor to seize that very moment in their art form. To the artists, “Cracking” represents the divide between the contemporary man struggling to retain his primary naturalness and a future that is increasingly artificial.
With their bold visuals, the artists seek to impress their environmental consciousness upon the public. They accomplish this primarily by creating super-sized, vividly-colored installations with animals appearing unexpectedly in everyday places. The surprise of seeing an ordinary subject made extraordinary through size, color, and form attracts the attention of passersby, inviting them to reexamine their perspectives on urban life while inspiring people to play with their cities. The artists hope to encourage the public to regenerate and reimagine our natural and social environment as a healthy and animated space.
Cracking Art Group has brought its message to over 600 exhibitions worldwide, including an installation of sea turtles for the G8 Environmental Summit. Their first US appearance was in December 2010 at Miami’s Art Basel with an army of immense pink snails, dubbed by one journalist as the “escargatoire,” making the opening of Galleria Ca’ d’Oro’s Miami location unforgettable.
EXHIBITIONS
Select New York 2015
Gallery