Social Media using us: “The Like Me”

The newest addition to artist Lala Drona’s video series “La Minute Ladrona (The Stolen Minute)” has just been released:  Title:  “The Like Me” (video below.)

As if social media were a cosmic invader on the human species, the video begins with a view of Earth from outer space, and lands in Lala Drona’s home city, Paris, France. The viewer finds the artist underground, inside an air shaft.  Alone, and illuminated only by the light of her phone, she begins to voice opinions and expressions that have become all too familiar to anyone growing up post-millennial.    

The performance art video “The Like Me” delves into the isolating effects of social media through its guise of connection.  This video experience, examines the normalised anxiety we feel on a daily basis.

The art performance video series “La Minute Ladrona” exists within the context of a confined space.  The black backdrop and  unknown location capture the viewer for a moment of intimacy through the screen.  However, “The Like Me” stands to be the first time Lala Drona has located herself in the context of our outside world— now injecting elements of story into this video series.

“The Like Me” being the 7^th, and most recent instalment, has critics and academics alike seeing the beginnings of an evolution regarding the art video series.  As one critic in the L.D. Confidential stated: “The Like Me is the first time that Lala Drona has played with the idea of space and context.  She has become a being which exists in our shared world, albeit still hidden in the dark corners of it.  She is publicly appropriating the role of “observer.”  The detailed work regarding lighting, place and concept, shows a confidence and artistic maturity.  This new instalment promises more exciting things to come regarding Lala Drona’s work.”

This video has Art fans asking if this video is a sign of coming changes in Lala Drona’s social media presence. Perhaps this video is what remains from the journey she’s made from tool to master. One thing is certain: the creation of this piece shows us that no one is immune to the effects of social media. Even when an artist attempts to evade it, its omnipotence proves itself by resurfacing in her work.

Chalie Malonie, Digital ArtWorld Newsletter

Questioning Our Images: The Female Frame

Examination of the image becomes vital in a period of history marked by the smartphone and its accessibility to image and video creation.  Lala Drona inspires others to question the origins of our daily images through her research into topics concerning le regard (the gaze).

Female Frame, 2019, Acrylic on Canvas, 20cm x 20cm

During her appearance at the Bienvenu Art Fair at the Cité des Arts in Paris, journalist and video editor Mathieu Mieleszko followed Lala Drona to document the release of her painting “Female Frame.”  In this video, Mieleszko delves into the artist’s intention behind the painting, and provides a link between her artistic universe and its real-world applications.  His cinematographic style in this video is influenced by concepts behind the piece, mimicking le regard which follows behind the artist during the exhibition.  The style critiques the traditional objectification of women depicted through the male gaze, as women in the video are not simply objects to be seen, but instead look back (appearances by: video artist Jamika Ajalon, and stained glass artist Alison Koehler).   

Lala states that her present work on the female gaze examines “issues in the lack of diversity in the transmission of images and stories throughout history.  Our images predominantly come from creators of the same profile (male, white, heterosexual).  It’s not to say that these stories are not important, it’s to say that it’s time to share the stage.  We want different stories, a broader understanding of the diverse human condition.  And it’s time to bring commonly silenced voices to the forefront.”

Video still from Mieleszko’s film

 Her painting “Female Frame” not only inspires others to question the profile of the person behind our images, but also the corporate and political entities.  “We are bombarded with too many images today, in the form of Instagram, and other social networks.  Advertisers and political campaigns are able to post images at the same level of importance as the images from our friends and community.  The infinite scroll feature facilitates the mindless consumption of these images, and we are only beginning to see the negative effects of this.” 

            Lala Drona intends to create three paintings under the concept of “the female frame.” 

Video editing by Mathieu Mieleszko:
https://vimeo.com/user20455396
Music in video by Sim Hutchins:
https://soundcloud.com/simhutchins
https://simhutchins.bandcamp.com/

L.D. Times Article 2019: Clare Steele and Lala Drona

The L.D. Times releases its yearly article in a new format, this time doubling its artist coverage. Clare Steele (Australia) and Lala Drona (France), talk about their digital friendship, and what it means to be an artist today.

Full Article

Lala Drona, painter / videaste, and Clare Steele, conceptual documentary photographer, first met in Seville, Spain in June 2018. They met in an all-female artist residency, and with Ezra Enzo (USA), abstract painter, became a solid international artist trio.

“They really bounce well off of one another,” said other artists-in-residence about the trio. “Since the residency, they’ve been able to keep in contact and support one another from 3 different continents through voice message.”

When approached about the topic, Lala Drona stated, “I’m so happy to have these women in my life. This is an artist friendship that represents our times: Three strong female artists, living in different countries, empowering one another by sharing our experiences through smartphone applications, in long-form voice notes. Sometimes I feel like these voice-notes are our contemporary letter-writing.”

When Clare Steele visited Paris, France in October this year, it was essential that they finally record one of these conversations. Click below to read the full article.

L.D. Times Article: Artist to ArtistFull Article

To read all L.D. Times articles, click here.

Newest video, desire or self-destruction?

Lala Drona’s latest performance video titled “Willing” has just been released.  The performance examines desire, choice, and notions of consent.  Critic Leanne Richmond stirred up media response with her recent reading of Lala Drona’s video, stating that, for her, the video is about “the inability to resist self-destructive behaviour.”  Based on a Fact caught up with Lala to learn more about the inspiration behind the video performance:

Lala Drona was inspired by ideas surrounding consent.  “I was thinking about the complexities of sexuality and society, and how in order to receive consent, we must in some way, already trespass.  In my video, this is demonstrated by how you cannot see the answer (yes or no) until the irreversible move is made by shaving.  Unwanted advances, verbal and physical, are seen as harassment (regardless of gender).  However, without them, we do not know how to begin advances towards what we want.  In a similar vein, this notion of obtaining consent is not at all new to women.  We have been systematically programmed to ask for consent to speak, consent to be part of to the team, consent to just be in the room.  Women asking men to start including it in their sexual practices is really nothing in comparison.”

Lala Drona mentions that the title “Willing” is not meant to be understood at face value, and is meant to be taken as humour au second degré.

Nonetheless, art critic Leanne Richmond theorised that “since Lala Drona is the only individual in the piece, this is really a piece about identity and the psyche.  The performer is asking and receiving consent from herself.  This demonstrates the loving and destructive acts we commit on ourselves.  In the video, although the performer’s psyche is saying “stop” (on the skin of her head), she is unable to resist the temptation to self-destructive behaviour, shown by the shaving of the rest of her hair.”

What do you think about Lala Drona’s newest art performance video? 

Performance at Le Castel to promote NEW Laboratory

Title: Speak or Listen, Acrylic on canvas 50cm x 60cm

Last week, Lala Drona brought down the house with her debut performance in French at Le Castel, a private club  located in the 6^th arrondissement of Paris. 

Le Castel was founded by the French event coordinator, Jean Castel in 1962.  Many knew Jean Castel as “le roi des nuits parisiennes” (the king of Parisian nights), Private performances, artist-types and parties continue to roll through this institution today.   In the basement of the building, there are sofas and chairs surrounding a stage. On the stage last week, the painting titled “Speak of Listen” by Lala Drona was displayed.  Performance artist Wenjue Zhang, placed black boxes containing peep-holes around the room.  Inside said boxes, lied an image, erotic and explicit…saturated in colour.  Hypnotic music began to play in the background, and Lala Drona stepped onto the stage… (video below).

Lala Drona’s performance titled “Experiment 88: Speak or Listen” recounts an artist’s (Jade Edwards’) experience in Lala Laboratories.  The artist is the subject in an experiment that will result in artistic revelation (article continues below):

still from performance at Le Castel

Sources say that this performance serves as an advertisement for the new Lala Laboratory.  Since 2014, Lala has had quite a bit of trouble due to her unconventional inspiration extraction methods from muses.  She has gone to Art Prison, inspired muse protests and strikes, and inadvertently caused changes in muse rights legislature. After the Lala Laboratory explosion in 2016, Lala Drona has simultaneously been looking for a place to put down roots, whilst also dodging investigations into inhumane Lala Laboratory experiments.

still from performance at Le Castel

Since 2017, Lala Drona has been traveling the world in the form of an exhibition tour.  She stated last week, “I’ve been traveling in order to look for a new place for Lala Laboratories. And finally, I’ve found it.”  Lala Laboratories, formerly “The Lala Laboratory” had to change its name due to copyright issues, but according to Lala, that wasn’t the only change that took place. “Lala Laboratories no longer includes muses in their research and experiments.  After the protests, the project got a bad rap.  It was almost impossible to get anything done due to new bureaucracy and protections.  Now, thanks to the former muse experiments, we’ve collected all the data that we need, and it’s time to open our experiments to their proper demographic.  Now, Lala Laboratories serves to enhance artist inspiration and methods, through experiences catered to each individual artist.  The performance at Le Castel was a simulation of that…sort of an advertisement for the new laboratory, if you will.”

When questioned about the location of Lala Laboratories, Lala explained: “It took going all over the world, and encountering every problem imaginable to get to the solution.  Lala Laboratories has installed itself in the intangible: in the virtual spaces online, in every conversation, and in every collaboration and project connecting to us.  If you have interacted with myself, my Drones, muses, and my community in any way, you ARE part of Lala Laboratories.”

The Beard: Lala’s newest video gets hairy

Just released, Lala Drona’s newest art video “The Beard,” makes waves amongst the digital masses (video below). The newest instalment in her video series La Minute Ladrona (the stolen minute) has fans deliberating the true meaning behind the video.

Lala Drona with Jamika Ajalon

The artist covers topics in beard history, possibly linking beard trends to the different waves of women’s liberation. She unpacks the contemporary and metaphorical beard in a playful and enigmatic way.

The video stays true to Lala Drona’s iconic style. Moving video interacts with static digital image, while she whispers poetry over a black backdrop. However, this piece takes a documentary-style spin, diving into the beard as historical artefact, and looking into its influence on society as a whole. For the first time in the video series, Lala Drona incorporates audio from other authors/vocalists: one cameo by performance artist Jamika Ajalon, recorded specifically for this project.

Video still from “The Beard”

A series first, Lala Drona also collaborated with someone else during the performance part of the video project. “What makes this video groundbreaking [within the series] is that Lala Drona shares the screen with someone else! Drone No.1 from the Lala’s created universe has crossed over into the La Minute Ladrona Series! Long live Drone No. 1!!!!” (digitalfire58, Dronauniverse Forum).

Drone No.1, a favourite in the Lala Drona Universe, has caused fans to come out of the woodwork, reminiscing on the Drone No.1 saga, and praising his return in the form of internet memes.

Not surprisingly, the appearance of Drone No.1 has inspired conspiracy theories that Lala Drona will soon return to her work on the Lala Laboratory, after a long pause due to her European Art Tour. Others speculate on how this video came about, pointing to the easter eggs left in social media posts from Lala Drona’s European travels.

Either way, we are impressed with the trailblazing evolution of her work. This video marks a stylistic shift. “The Beard” art video is a must-see. Below, a link to the video. We also suggest seeing all of the “La Minute Ladrona” video series found here.

Lala goes blonde: show in the Marais–Paris

Lala Drona opened the season last night with with a new look: Bleach blonde hair.   “I wanted to mark, and celebrate my first show in the Marais,” Lala said when asked about her new blonde hair.
She showed her triptych “The Power of the Click: Women’s bodies on the Internet” at the exhibition Lettres, Mots et Clics.  The exhibition opening took place at Galerie Art’et Miss in the Marais, a Parisian neighbourhood webbed of cobblestone streets, a trendy neighbourhood which is home to a large LGBT community and a diverse array of streetart.  See the video of the exhibition below.

If you’d like to read more about these pieces, please visit http://www.laladrona.com/paintings.html

Radio Interview with a Visual Artist

Lala Drona in her first ever public radio appearance on Beijing International Radio.  Listen to her interview on Touch Beijing 93.2FM, where she explains what it means to be a visual artist today, and how Beijing has inspired her art.  Stay tuned until the end where she reveals her plot for the future.

 

Lalatina by Lala Drona

A new video performance video from Lala Drona’s series “La Minute Lala” has just been released.  In her new video “Lalatina,” Lala Drona expresses her Latin American side.

Lala Drona’s mother is originally from Caracas, Venezuela.  Her mother grew up in the project 23 de enero, a barrio infamous for it’s crime, slums and squatters: remnants of the 1958 coup d’etat which overthrew dictator Marquez Perez Jimenez.

23 de Enero, Caracas, Venezuela

“My mother’s experience growing up was not easy, but she has remained an optimist.  Her stories are unbelievable, and the values transmitted through them, indispensable to me.  These stories can only be described as dark magic realism.”

Lala Drona often integrates her mother’s experiences into her own in her writing and paintings.  “Some of the lines in my videos, in my writing are inspired by her.  She’s always there as an advisor on my paintings.  She is such a big part of me, and I am truly lucky to have her.”

Lala Drona continues to work and live in Beijing, China on her current series, “Wrong Place, Wrong Time,” a series inspired by her experience in China and taking place in her artistic universe.

Based on a Fact

Experiment Exposed: The many faces

Screaming.  Laughing.  Machines whirring, and Lala’s face appearing on walls.  How do you feel about Lala in this current moment? What do you hear in this current moment?  What do you see in this current moment?

These were three questions asked after a reported muse experiment took place in Lala Drona’s art laboratory.  Just two weeks after the “Drones gone rogue” scandal, Drone Jack and Drone Ember release a shocking account of one of the muse experiments taking place in the Lala Laboratory.  Drone Ember recounts being “called upon” for one of Lala Drona’s art experiments.  After being paired up with another Drone (Drone Jack, whom opens the video with a speech) the two are led into the deepest rooms of the art laboratory.   Here, the two Drones aid in Lala’s strange inspiration extraction tactics.

This story certainly gives us much desired information about the inner workings of the laboratory and its experiments.  However, what type of inspiration extracted from the experiment, and how Lala will apply it to her art pieces has yet to be revealed.  Lala’s followers wait with anticipation for the release of the art piece inspired by this experiment, in order to gain more insight to the artist’s process, and to the inner workings of the experiments.

Thank you to Drone Jack and Drone Ember for their bravery and candor.

Based on a fact.

Randall Taylor, Droid and Drone Magazine.