Highly regarded in the world of street art, Endless is undoubtedly one of the most popular representatives of this contemporary art practice. He began by painting the walls of London as if they were his own canvases, and over time his reputation has grown, attracting the attention of residents, foreign visitors and the media. His provocative and radical style tells the story of our time in his creations, offering a clear but philosophical description of our everyday routine, a transversal exploration that involve the world of fashion, advertising and the dark side of modern culture.
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This unique and peculiar kind of aesthetic wants to encourage the viewer to establish a dialogue with the textures proposed, a wide range of messages that give space to multiple interpretations.
The British artist has already performed in Italy a few years ago, when he was involved in a valuable artistic/didactic initiative at the Liceo Artistico Statale (Polo Val Boite) in Cortina d'Ampezzo, aimed for discussing the art practice of Street Art and its controversies, in the Workshop 'Street Art in Ampezzo'. The project was organised by the Contemporary & Co Gallery in collaboration with Cortinametraggio, the London gallery Contini Contemporary (which already had two venues in Italy – between Venice and Cortina), the Liceo Artistico Statale (Polo Val Boite) and the Municipality of Cortina d'Ampezzo.
This year, Cortina will host the 2021 Alpine Ski World Championships, the 46th edition of the event organised by the International Ski Federation, precisely from 8th to 21st February. The programme includes downhill, super-giant, giant slalom, special slalom, combined and parallel slalom races, for both men and women, and a mixed team race.
Cortina d'Ampezzo is closely linked to alpine skiing: some great athletes, such as the local legendary downhill champion Kristian Ghedina, and some of the most important events in the world have been held or will be held in Cortina, such as the 1956 Winter Olympics, the future 2026 Winter Olympics, the World Championships.
To honour the importance of this discipline for the town, the artist Endless was commissioned by E Distribuzione, under the patronage of the Municipality of Cortina d'Ampezzo and Fondazione 2021, to create a mural in the centre of the Cortina D'Ampezzo; the subject was inspired by an iconic cover of a famous glossy magazine with a picture of a female skier. Always consistent with his style, the artist has created a ski jacket with his special logo and enriched the work with the introduction of newspaper clippings ironically linked to the skiing event. The work is entitled Powder to The People.
"It was a privilege to join this project and to create this mural for the celebration of the 2021 World Ski Championships" said the artist. "Despite all the restrictions due to the pandemic, the enthusiasm and excitement in the country makes you realise the importance of this event. This work aims to articulate this moment of rebirth through a bright and fun visual medium, but also by drawing on Cortina's past heritage as a prestigious ski resort. I hope that the work will be appreciated as much as the sporting event to which it is related”.
Cover image: Endless artworks, courtesy of Art Vibes.
Written by Elena Parcianello