All Different, All Equal

Artworks by Salamech, a street artist from Montpellier, France, are curated by Samuel Farlow in an exhibition that represents the change in attitudes towards street art.

Curator

I was born in London, and have lived and studied in Montpellier, in the south of France, where I became actively involved with the thriving street art community. Based in Henley on Thames, I came to the MA course at Exeter with a focus to take my passion for street art to deeper realms. After interning at Maddox Gallery in Mayfair, I have developed my passion for creativity and the contemporary art market. I am excited to curate my first show, exhibiting the work of a contemporary street artist who I discovered in Montpellier.

Artist

Cradled by urban culture, and nourished by intense graffiti practice, Salamech (b. 1985) offers a universe that comes to life through the city’s energy. A specialist of the street, he poses a careful narrative on this urban environment. Salamech draws his inspiration from everyday life and confronts his feelings of nostalgia. At the heart of his creations are torn posters, metal shutters, advertising billboards and the use of unexpected materials; all urban matter, which he transforms into artwork. Between words and materials, colours and layering, the artist draws us into a dialogue, in which the signs and prints of the city mingle with the poetry of the moment.

Salamech's career exemplifies a contemporary outlook towards artists who were once considered outcasts from society. This exhibition narrates the story of condemnation to celebration of one contemporary artist, representing the evolution of the acceptance of an art form. Salamech’s story demonstrates the ever-growing popularity and acceptance of street art around the world.

Using language, movement, pattern and texture, Salamech pays homage to his former graffiti antics where he used to be arrested for replacing publicity billboards with his artwork. Now, Salamech, a full-time contemporary artist, is commissioned by the Montpellier Metropole to carry out large-scale mural projects. With All Different, All Equal, as with all his work, Salamech aims to create and demonstrate a space for himself and others who are subject to similar experiences.

Now’s The Time… ‘to bring street art to the fore’!

All Different All Equal — Photograph of Salamech in Montpellier, France, taken by Fred Montendon, in 2017

100dpi Nows The Time 011 — *All Different, All Equal*, curated by Samuel Farlow, courtesy MA Curation, University of Exeter. Photo: Simon Tutty

100dpi Nows The Time 034 — *All Different, All Equal*, curated by Samuel Farlow, courtesy MA Curation, University of Exeter. Photo: Simon Tutty

100dpi Nows The Time 029 — *All Different, All Equal*, curated by Samuel Farlow, courtesy MA Curation, University of Exeter. Photo: Simon Tutty

100dpi Nows The Time 038 — *All Different, All Equal*, curated by Samuel Farlow, courtesy MA Curation, University of Exeter. Photo: Simon Tutty

Location

Positive Light Projects,
184-187
Sidwell Street,
Exeter EX4 6RD

10–19 June 2022

Opening daily: 12–5pm