Sardine & Tobleroni Art duo Sardine and Tobleroni divide the surface of their works into two halves of which the right-hand side is painted by Sardine and the left-hand side by Tobleroni. The duo describes their practice as Conceptual Art Brut, the equivalent to what Punk is in music. They have participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions both in the UK and internationally. They were part of 'Travelling Light’ at the 53rd Venice Biennale in 2009 and their solo show ‘We Love 77’ opened in February 2010 in an Islington pop-up venue, with appearances from Poly Styrene of X-Ray Spex, Don Letts, and close to 2000 visitors. Their new solo show Pot Shots opens in November 2010 and their work will be presented by WW in Art Projects at the London Art Fair 19-23 January 2011. Sardine & Tobleroni are represented by WW Gallery.
Sardine & Tobleroni have been working together since 2006.
Sardine (Victor Silveira)
Born Portugal 1972, lives and works in London - also involved in the music industry and has toured internationally with his bands 77, Tedio Boys, the Parkinsons and Blood Safari. The Tedio Boys became a cult punk band in 80s Portugal.
Tobleroni (Jay Rechsteiner)
Born Switzerland 1971, lives and works in London
Studied in Japan and Basel in Switzerland and exhibited internationally as Jay Rechsteiner until 2006.
Upcoming
Pop Shots, solo show at WW Gallery 19 Nov - 5 Dec 2010
Austerity Xmas BOGOF 10 Dec - 19 Dec 2010
Art Projects, London Art Fair 19-23 Jan 2011
Selected exhibitions
2010 Sardine & Tobleroni The Group Show - solo show at Hackney Wicked Drink & Dial - group show at WW Gallery We Love 77 - solo show at WW pop-up venue
2009 Noise of Art - group show at East End Arts Club Summer Exhibitionists - Group show at WW Gallery
Espelho Meu - Solo Show - organized by Paulo Lima, Elis Marcal and Andre, Academico Gil Vicente, Coimbra, Portugal Travelling Light at the Venice Biennale - WW Gallery/Pharos Gallery, Venice, Italy Travelling Light in London - WW Gallery/Pharos Gallery, London, UK 'The Daily Artist' & 'The Process of Art' was shown at Travelling Light. 'The Daily Artist' is a transformed version of the gossip newspaper the Daily Sport. Sardine & Tobleroni have re-edited the newspaper into a kind of portfolio featuring themselves and their work. As with most of their work, humour and sarcasm serves as a warm blanket for their socio-critical work. 'The Process of Art' is an installation consisting of video footage of Sardine & Tobleroni at work together, along with a sketch collection. It invites the viewer behind the scenes of their artistic creation. PG - Group Show organized by WW Gallery, London, UK
2008
Shoreditch Shuffle - Eureka : Group show curated by Infinity Bunce, Cordy House, London, UK
Espelho Meu: Solo Show organized by Paulo Lima and Elis Marcal, Santigo Alquimista, Lisbon, Portugal
Espelho Meu: Solo Show organized by Paulo Lima and Elis Marcal, Braco de Prata Factory, Lisbon, Portugal
Red Meat - Group Show organized by the Monkey in the Box Company, London, UK
The Charity Shop - Solo Show organized by Shannon Conley, Gallery 5, London, UK
2007
Dorian Gray - Happy Days: Group show curated by Infinity Bunce and Katherine Lubar, John Jones, London, UK
Sardine & Tobleroni / Pot Shots
Fri 19th Nov – Sunday 5th Dec 2010 at WW Gallery Private View Fri 19 th Nov 6-9pm
First Thursdays 2 nd Dec 6-9pm
Open Sat & Sun 12-6pm
and by appointment at other times
Press Release
There is nothing the matter with Americans except their ideals. The real American is all right; it is the ideal American who is all wrong. (G.K. Chesterton)
Take all the disparate elements of American identity, put them in a blender and among the pulp and pith, you might end up with something reminiscent of the latest offerings from Sardine & Tobleroni. Full of the inherent contradictions of American society and values, these new works take pot shots at notions of freedom and paranoia in this great country, of great extremes.
The American Dream is a vague yet extremely evocative phrase that describes the USA's self image as a land of opportunity and freedom for all. The idea that America uniquely embodies these qualities has often invited ridicule, yet this ideology has a power that seems to resonate and transcend such criticism. America is a nation that pursues a moral and elevated path, a country that places emphasis on the virtues of assimilation, tolerance and consensus, yet despite this, manages to be as prohibitive as it is permissive.
Their right-wing politics could be viewed as outright fascist – does the rest of the world really need the self-appointed 'World Police' to guide us into virtuousness? Many loathe and despise all that the stars and stripes stand for and take every opportunity to destroy it in whatever form possible, yet globally we seem ever eager to assimilate and embrace all that is American within our own cultures, as if we might get a piece of the pie by proxy.
Targeting Hollywood glamour, gangsters, pop culture, icons, outsiders, easy riders, commie paranoia, patriotism, the war on terror, globalisation and consumer capitalism, Sardine and Tobleroni take us on a bumpy road trip through a Yankee wonderland. America invites extreme reactions, but love it or hate it, the dream still beckons.
For more information please contact Chiara Williams & Debra Wilson at wwgallery@gmail.com or 07531342128
