VOYAGES OF EXPLORATION GROUP EXHIBITION: An International Exhibition of Art & Photography
Curated by Michelle May and held at Sprinkler Factory. A cherished 7000 square foot gallery in central Massachusetts that is no longer in operation.
MAY 4 - May 26, 2019
The concept: While traveling from Amsterdam to Italy, Marc Blackmer and I ran into some travel snags at the train station in Nice, France. There, we met a helpful gent and in gratitude, we invited him for drinks. At a small café in the old part of town, we learned that he had shipped his motorcycle to the states to do a cross country trip, which included Rt. 66, of course. Niko Lucky-Clause took photos of his journey through the US as we were doing at that very time on our trip. With a few drinks of rosé, we decided that we would plan a group show and Niko would come to the opening. So we did. In the development we added five other artists.
Participating artists: AULA AL AYOUBI, US/Syria, SORIN BICA, US/Romania, ANTONIO FONSECA, US/Puerto Rico, VLAD BERTE, Romania, NIKO LUCKY-CLAUSE, France, BRAIN BURRIS, US, MARC BLACKMER, US
and his travel companion, his Ducati.
"Because a journey of thousand miles can begin with a single pressure one the starter, this one started 10 years ago. I was 25. young and foolish. I can’t remember how it turned from an idea to reality. But I shipped my motorbike to the US, determined to live this road trip on my own so that the success or failure can only be assigned to myself.
I want to talk about all the people I met, all the roads I took, about all the dust I breathed. No matter the way there’s no dead end.
I rode alone through 20 states for more than 8000 miles. Roads were sometimes winding, sometimes monotonous, crossing plains forests and deserts filling my eyes with beautiful landscapes and illuminating my heart from eternal feelings. I have left my heart beat to the rhythm of the road. Killed by the purr of the engine, vibrations from the imperfections of asphalt and the swing of Eirini taking each curves softly.
We never know where roads leads, who could have imagined that I will end up in Worcester, Massachusetts, exactly 10 years after this road trip, to be part of Voyages of Exploration show?
Road is an adventure. Twist the throttle."
Niko-Lucky Clausse, Nice, France
photograph by Fred Porez Photography
