STOP THE WAR is an art show that opened on Friday 28th March and ends on Wednesday 30th April. This art show is exhibited  opposite the current FASHION IS FAKE show at East London’s INDRA AND SAMIA GALLERY.  “Both art shows exploring the effects of imperialism and capitalism” so reads the less is more press released put out by the curators at the artist-run space that you find at 19 Henriques Street, London, E1 1NG  (just off Commercial Road in the heart of East London’s DIY gallery infested back streets.

STOP THE WAR…. an art show….. inherent depiction….. past and present…. war….   A mixed media show featuring  the art of some 47 artists from various backgrounds… photography… print… drawing… sculpture…. sound…. paint… video…….  .

A rather spontaneous art show called Stop The War open tonight in a gloriously improvised gallery – an intimate space, an old shop in a back street in Whitechapel, East London – the current home of Indra and Samia Gallery.  The space has been in use for an event come installation come exhibition called Fashion is Fake for the last month or two, something that has been branching out to all kinds of interesting car parks and such. Fashion is Fake currently occupies one wall and tonight a whole load of new art from a whole load of (mostly London-based) artists went up on the other wall – as well as in the window, on the plinths and just about anywhere it could be squeezed in to. Corners to be explored, strangely delightful pigs on the window ledge, the edges a little blurred in a positive way, where does the exhibition start and end? Not sure how many artists there actually are in the Stop The War show – no names or labels, no artist details accompanying the work (sometimes the  names don’t matter), more a spontaneously curated event, a collective statement, a whole load of artists coming together and a statement you can read in any way you wish to . Not sure which war we’re stopping? The War, the never ending war on so many fronts – I say “we’re stopping”, I should come clean here, for I am one of the contributing artists… Did art ever stop anything? Just a collective thought really,  war is oval if you want it  – tonight’s show could be about whatever you want it to be, mostly it appeared to be about a collective spontaneous coming together of art and artists throwing together a who load of loosely united statements – statements about capitalism, popism, about the war on the business of fashion, the fashion of war, imperialism, paintism, the war on creativity? Tonight was mostly about the excitement of art coming together in a room just because it can, of people doing it just because they can.  A room crammed with art, and tonight, on opening night, crammed with people – making for something that can be read in whatever way you wish.  Stop the War? What did you do today? A fine opening night in East London, don’t you just love it when it comes together…. (S.W)

STOP THE WAR –  Friday 28th March until Wednesday 30th April. INDRA AND SAMIA GALLERY 19 Henriques Street, London, E1 1NG

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