New Mythologies: Languages of the Contemporary from Folk to Pop is the new group exhibition at Cellar Contemporary, presenting works by eleven artists. Each of them engages with tradition as a living, ever-evolving organism, rewritten through contemporary practices. Here, techniques and references intertwine sculpture, painting, graphic marks and the boundary between “high” and “low” culture dissolves. The exhibition unfolds across two distinct environments Folk and Pop each defined by its own identity and designed to immerse visitors in the imaginative worlds conceived by the participating artists.
In the first room, Folk emerges as root, introspection, and ritual a nearly archaeological practice in which artists dig deep to find their way of expressing the present. United by a hybrid style that draws from vernacular media, the Slovak artists Jarmila Mitríková & Dávid Demjanovič open the exhibition. Skilled in the technique of pyrography (wood burning), they reinterpret their roots by layering medium and message, reshaping historical episodes through a contemporary lens. Their works prominently feature myths and local folklore tied to the Socialist regime, alongside pagan and Christian narratives. Continuing on, Andrew Gilbert employs sharp irony to subvert and satirize Western historical narratives, particularly those linked to British colonialism. His work combines fictional scenarios with historical events and figures, generating a visionary and absurd dimension. Zana Masombuka acts as a spokesperson for Ndebele culture, reimagining Africa through her personal history and critical perspective. On display are two traditional masks created using the beadwork technique typical of Ndebele tradition. The Folk section also includes Portals, a work by the late artist Lance de Los Reyes, where humanoid forms merge with monstrous or animal figures, often accompanied by messages intended to engage the viewer. This universe of anthropomorphic figures is shared with his wife and muse, Anna de Los Reyes, who constructs a symbolic world inhabited by “benevolent” demons. The first room concludes with David Aaron Angeli, whose practice seeks the essence of form, stripping away decoration and reworking tradition through unconscious shapes that reside within each of us. On view is Centaur, a “contemporary artifact” that the artist deconstructs and reinterprets in a modern key.
In the second room, the tone shifts to Pop. Here, artists draw from an urban contemporaneity shaped by constantly evolving symbols and stimuli, resistant to nostalgia. Erik Foss, a self-taught artist, expresses something deeply authentic and personal, rooted in his experience and cultural background. His well-known cobra-serpents are not conceived as cold or theoretical critiques of contemporary art; rather, they embody a genuine connection to his origins and to the working-class communities that, like him, have approached the art world. The result is a symbolic fusion of contemporary urban mythology and arcade iconography. Works by Solomostry include three pieces: the tondo Superosso and two from the Dinamici I–XI series. Defined by precise, fragmented lines and a two-dimensional rendering, his works are immediately recognizable. His practice reinterprets traditional media through metropolitan influences, leading to a personal and introspective dimension in which art becomes a space of refuge. Next, Brian Belott could be described as “a great assembler of things.” His art thrives on constant change mixing, recombining, and revising in an endless process. The work on display, The Reassembler, encapsulates his practice: starting from the most ubiquitous material paper he constructs infinite variations, making each piece unique. Margherita Paoletti, a multifaceted artist, illustrator, and designer draws from her inner world to bring it to the surface in her paintings. The exhibited work belongs to a series exploring the marked body. Tattoos, in themselves, tell stories, experiences, relationships, and memories at risk of fading into oblivion; for this reason, Paoletti translates them into painterly marks on the bodies she depicts, giving renewed expressive life to what is most intimate within us. Finally, Laurina Paperina presents a work on paper that, through her ironic and irreverent style, aims to “refresh” the overly serious pretensions of contemporary art, rendering it humorous and vibrant. Drawing from the contemporary landscape, she creates chaotic scenes populated by a wide range of subjects moving from present-day references to the past, citing famous artists, film characters, and TV series, while also engaging with themes such as religion and politics, distorting the outcomes of shared narratives.
If Folk evokes ancient techniques and subjects, Pop reinterprets mark and form; their fusion ultimately gives rise to new contemporary mythologies.
