Mr Brainwash takes over London’s Sorting Office

With his guerilla tactics and subversive take on pop culture, it’s perhaps fitting that artist Mr Brainwash’s first UK solo show is housed by the site that made headlines with a huge Halloween rave back in 2010.

The Beatles on The Old Sorting Office by Mr Brainwash
The Beatles on The Old Sorting Office by Mr Brainwash

Now, however, riot police will have little cause for concern when the exhibition at The Sorting Office on London’s New Oxford Street opens this Friday: Mr Brainwash’s work is cented round his  mottos ‘Life Is Beautiful’ and ‘Never, Never Give Up’. Nothing too scary there, then.

Follow Your Dream by Mr Brainwash at The Old Sorting Office
Follow Your Dream by Mr Brainwash at The Old Sorting Office

The colossal Sorting Office space which Brainwash will take over for the show sits a stone’s throw from British Museum will be showing giant installations, murals and other artworks.

God Save Your People by Mr Brainwash at The Old Sorting Office
God Save Your People by Mr Brainwash at The Old Sorting Office

Mr Brainwash is the artist alter ego to Thierry Guetta, who is perhaps most widely known for his Warhol-esque cover art for Madonna¹s greatest hits compilation, Celebration, for which he created 15 different covers for the accompanying vinyls, singles and DVD releases.

Guetta by Mr Brainwash at The Old Sorting Office
Guetta by Mr Brainwash at The Old Sorting Office

He was also the subject of Bristolian scamp Banksy’s 2010 film Exit Through The Gift Shop, and there is some speculation (refuted by both) that Mr Brainwash is in fact an alter ego for Banksy himself.

Kate Moss by Mr Brainwash at The Old Sorting Office
Kate Moss by Mr Brainwash at The Old Sorting Office

While the show is free and not ticketed, big Brainwash fans should try and get down early on the opening day – the first 500 visitors when the doors open at 9am will receive a signed print.

Mr Brainwash’s work will be on display from 5 – 31 August at The Sorting Office 21-31 New Oxford Street, London WC1

 

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  • Rebecca Seabrook-Tedd November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    has the person who wrote this actually watched ‘Exit Through The Gift Shop’?

  • debbie green November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    not happy!!! I received an email a couple of weeks ago saying the exhibition was on again until 31st October. I was gutted to make the journey via London midland!!! yesterday to find it closed and signs saying open friday – sunday 2-7 on the doors!!! so what happened there then?? a waste of a day and money and gutted not to see the work!!!

  • Rachel November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Hi Debbie, just came back from the exposition and still happening from 1-7pm mon-sat. It was great… you should pop in and try it again 🙂

  • Harlan Maclean November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    This has got to be one of the most moronic pieces on an artist I have read for a long while. You Mention Exit Through The Gift Shop – did you actually watch it? “With his guerilla tactics and subversive take on pop culture..” Please! What exactly is ‘subversive’ about Mr. Brainwash? That is no only way off the mark – it’s just lazy. He is a joke of an ‘artist’. He merely executes very poor half thought out quasi imitations of great pop artists like Warhol or Banksy himself. It’s just that there are enough people out there who amazingly seem to be unable to tell the difference! It’s clear from the film and its clear from the ‘art’ he makes. If this is the standard of Design Week then you need a new editor and some new staff….. Honestly…

  • fiine November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    So, for how long exactly its going to be there?

  • Fran November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    I popped into this “exhibition” today and it definitely convinced me that this is just an elaborate hoax created by Banksy to make fun of the art marketplace. Guetta is either an actor or a close collaborator of Banksy or both. The really bizarre thing is that if Banksy was to admit that he is behind the whole thing, the horrid pieces produced by mr brainwash would gain even more commercial clout than they – inexplicably – already have. An elaborate and very thought provoking hoax.

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