Metropolis Rise

The rationale of ‘Metropolis Rise’ was located in the context created in bringing work emerging from London’s eclectic ‘art scene’ to new art going audiences in the Peoples Republic of China. The catalogue and show were integral parts of the whole project in establishing and anticipating critical dialogue and cultural exchange between the artists and cultural agencies of London, Shanghai and Beijing.

Initiated by Jen Wu and Anthony Gross of ‘temporarycontemporary’ in south London the exhibition and publication (launched at the ICA) toured to Shanghai and Beijing, the project received significant and substantial support from the British Council and the Arts Council.

The scope of work in the touring exhibition included computer animation, text, drawing, painting, performance, sculpture, sound and video all of which were critically engaged in a diverse range of themes and issues interwoven with London as the site of production exerting a significant influence on the diverse cultural backgrounds of the artists.

Matt Franks was born in Yorkshire in 1970. After graduating from Goldsmith's College with an MA Fine Art in 2000, his first solo show 'transcendent plastic infinite' - for which he inverted traditional floor-based sculpture by placing it on the ceiling - was held at Tate Britain's Art Now space in 2002. Between 2001 - 03, his work was shown as part of 'Tailsliding', a British Council international touring exhibition featuring twelve young British artists 'currently creating eclectic work within the conventions of painting and sculpture'; for 'Into My World' (2004), a showcase for recent British sculpture at the newly re-opened Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Connecticut, USA, Franks was invited to take part in the associated Weir Farm Residency programme to produce a specially commissioned new body of work for the exhibition.
Other recent exhibitions include 'Metropolis Rise: New Art from London' (ICA, London; Shanghai and Beijing, 2006), a major touring show supported by the British Council and Arts Council England; '8x8x8' at The Soap Factory, Minneapolis, London and New York (2006); and the Contemporary Art Society's annual selling exhibition, 'ARTfutures 2007', Bloomberg Space, London.

Franks' sculptural installations often feature assemblages of neon-coloured perspex and large, smoothly-shaped and hand carved blocks of styrofoam to produce bizarre and humorous forms. His first public installation for an exterior site in London, 'Fooooom!!!' - a three metre high, white exploding cloud - was recently on show at The Economist Plaza, London, commissioned by the Contemporary Art Society (24 January - 9 March 2007). Matt Franks is represented by Houldsworth Gallery, London.

• http://www.metropolis-rise.co.uk
• http://www.metropolis-rise.co.uk/shangha...
• http://www.tempcontemp.co.uk
• http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/exhibitio...
• http://www.mattfranks.net