Bike (Ph)ix in living color!

Bike (Ph)ix now available to the Press! Limited time only!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bike (Ph)ix:  Stripped bicycles being faux-fixed on the streets of Philadelphia by local artist Corrina Mehiel

Bicycles that have been locked to bike racks throughout the city are regularly stripped of their wheels, seats and handlebars.  These bike frames end up staying locked to racks for months and sometimes years. 

This summer Philadelphia based emerging artist Corrina Mehiel has been ‘fixing’ these stripped bikes by replacing the missing parts with non-functional parts, to give the members of the community a different experience and new way to view no-longer-functional objects in public spaces, as well as to suggest new approaches to ‘fix’ broken objects on our city streets in new creative ways.

“Fixed” bikes can be found throughout center city, but for a limited time only!  As announced last month in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the mayor’s office is sending a task force to remove and recycle these stripped, abandoned bicycles on July 23, 2012. 

To see bikes that are a part of the Bike (Ph)ix project, and to meet the artist, contact Corrina Mehiel at corrinamehiel@gmail.com

Bikes are currently installed and ready for viewing and documentation at:

Broad and Lombard (SW corner)

Pine between 15^th and Broad (North side)

Pine between 9^th and 8^th (South side)

Walnut and 18^th Street

Spruce and 13^th Street

Lombard and 16^th Street

15^th between Pine and Lombard (West side)

12^th and Vine (West side)

11^th and Appletree

11^th and Cherry

Bike (Ph)ix #3

This bike lives right outside of the sculpture studios at The University of the Arts where I spend most of my time.  I've been watching it deteriorate since the undergrad students left at the end of April.  I assume it was one of their bikes?  

The wheels are flat and someone took the seat awhile ago.  This first photo is from a few weeks ago, and I was wondering how long until someone took the wheels.  

This morning I noticed both wheels were gone, ready to be (Ph)ixed by me.... But now I'm sort of wondering if I am inadvertently collaborating with the thieves, and if by doing this work, I am somehow encouraging this behavior...

Bike (Ph)ix #2

The very short life of (even fake) bikes in Philly.  

This bike skeleton lives at 15th and Lombard in center city. I have seen her for a few months now, she's a nice one, with a cute set of handlebars and seat.  

I gave her a set of blue 'wheels' on Sunday, and by Monday afternoon the back one was already gone.  These minor crooks are keeping me very busy. 

Philly Bike Phix #1

Fixed!  Broken bike at Locust & 16th. 

Team for Phix 1: Corrina Mehiel, Dan Reidy, Aaron Kather

June 19, 2012

Materials used:  scrap wood, dowels, screws, wood glue, insulation foam

Checked today (6/20/12)
I'm happy to report she survived the night intact!

MinD Dubai Contemporary

The MinD (Made in Dubai) Dubai Contemporary exhibition opened on March 14 and runs until April 14 at the DUCTAC Gallery of Light in Dubai.  Curated by Mohammed Kazem, contemporary artist and curator from Dubai, this exhibition is the first of its kind for DUCTAC.

With full support of Jospeh Fowler, Director of the Dubai community theatre and arts centre, and Colette Mol, Arts director and visionary artist running the artist-in-residence program at DUCTAC, MinD 2012 was an exhibition which allowed 10 artists from the Emirates and abroad to come together and produce a dynamic multi-media contemporary art exhibition.

I was invited to Dubai as an artist-in-residence at DUCTAC, with the understanding that my work would be exhibited alongside 9 other artists work for the third annual MinD exhibition.  My time was  spent working in the studio with Lujin Yoon from South Korea, Cristiana de Marchi, an Italian born artist and writer living in Dubai, Nelly Massera, a French artist in the Emirates for the first time, and Mohammed Kazem, assisting and directing to keep up energy and communication as we worked together to create a beautiful catalogue and exhibition.

It will take time to process and fully understand the amazing experience which was living and making artwork in Dubai.  With full support and encouragement from the entire staff at DUCTAC, along with supportive friends and collaborators in the studio, I felt fully engaged with the city and with the season of art happening around the annual events surrounding Art Dubai and the Sharjah March Meeting.  Having the privilege of meeting and knowing Emirati artists Mohammed Ahmed, Layla Juma and especially Hassan Sharif are all life changing experiences.

Additionally, none of this would have happened for me or Lujin Yoon, my classmate and co-conspirator in Dubai, without the full support of our professor at the University of the Arts, Joe Girandola.  With his continued support and belief in the importance of cross cultural understandings and the endless chances for growth through residencies, students in our MFA program will continue to have opportunities like these.

Here are some photos from the opening night of MinD

work by Corrina Mehiel

Layla Juma and Joe Girandola with his recent work

Lujin Yoon and his parents who traveled from South Korea for the exhibition

Egyptian artist Magdi Mostafa with American artist Joe Girandola

Lujin Yoon stacking cups for performance at MinD opening

MinD catalogue directors:  Curator Mohammed Kazem with designer and Shahid Aboobacker

Splash by Layla Juma

Dubai by Corrina Mehiel

Blackout by Jessica Mein

recent work by Mohammed Ahmed

recent works by Lujin Yoon

detail of recent works by Cristiana de Marchi

installation video work by Nelly Massera

detail of cups by Lujin Yoon

Mohammed Kazem and Cristiana de Marchi