Merton Simpson gallery is welcoming two European artists for group show, UNDER Water Ground.

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1 PRESS RELEASE UNDER Water Ground Exhibition 5-8 march 2015 Merton Simpson gallery 38 West, 28th Street, Floor 5, New York, NY Contacts: Valerie Reinhold: Alaina Simone: Phone: Merton Simpson gallery is welcoming two European artists for group show, UNDER Water Ground. Sidney Régis - Silent Lights Sidney Régis embarks us in a mysterious and poetic journey, underwater, he started in Water is sublimated in his pictures. "I immerse myself motionless, free-diving in a world I thought I knew perfectly. Suddenly still objects become inwardly alive." In "Silent Lights" series, the artist revisits, underwater, the classic themes of still life and landscape. Strongly influenced by the synergies between the occidental and oriental philosophies and cultures, his photographs invite us to reflect upon our role and our perception of nature. He photographs these objects the same way he would photograph people: capture their interior life. The resulting energy vibrates with colours who seem to become pictorial notes. It is not a leaf, it is not a flower, these are not ashes: they become living objects. Sidney Régis sublimates this vibration into pictures where our imagination can wander. The deep colours and the velvety texture, beautifully rendered by a printing technique developed with Alice Tremblais -one of the best master printers based in Paris-, envelop the viewers. Sidney Régis s pictures don t depict a specific situation or location: they are an experience, in the line of Rothko s works. They trigger emotions and aim at connecting us with ourselves but also with the mysteries and poetry of the underworld. I don t look at my subject: I am in it

2 The images are taken around the globe and seem to echo each other. They converge and are combined into four main categories: horizon, objects, colours and light, like a tribute to the rigorous classification inspired by Bernd and Hilla Becher. The voluptuous and subtle colours emanate from the alchemy between water, light and random elements -sometimes incongruous, sometimes beautiful and poetic- that come on Sidney s path. The images are all taken under water without staging, without movement of the photographer, in natural light. Stillness enables him to capture emotions, mysteries and wonders, through his lens. The artist s status lies in the ability to create a new world where objects become sculptures and water is colour. Vika Kova - Powers of the World Based on concepts of scientific and philosophical reasoning, Powers of the World reflects upon the duality of masculine and feminine forces. This duality establishes the underlying dynamic of social change. For Vika Kova, the duality of the sexes, or rather an imbalance between female and male societal influences around the world has been a major focus behind her drive to create. Exaggerated and uneducated male ego is represented in our society by wars and terrorist attacks, however, the governments prefer to invest in security and weaponry instead of education and awareness. This enigma has inspired the artist to go on a journey - to travel the world in search for the answers. On a first-hand account, Kova researches by meeting and observing women of different cultures and social classes in search for the source of social duality. It is through pure artistry that Kova developed her hunger for social knowledge into an exciting complex study of various theories of social systems. Speculating the inner-polarity within every brick of our society, Kova searches for recognition of duality within the individual and portrays cultural symbols resembling some of those theories. It also contains the expression of disapproval of our society s denial of the fact that events and things only "seem" to be separated in time and space; and ignoring that what we experience every day is a projected reality in which everything is bounded and connected. The purpose of human existence, therefore, is the balance and harmony of opposites (well-matched duality). Living in the world where everything is measured, examined and then compared, the artist asks herself: Is it possible to calculate the right yin-yang ratio of a certain human being? If yes, then what would be the ideal rate? And what would be the desirable rate within the artist herself? If humans can measure the temperature on Mars, can we also measure such an important ratio within ourselves? And if we could, how much yang and how much yin you get within each person? How do these contrary forces actually complement, interconnect and give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another? Powers of the World is the reflection of an age-old duel between male and female, right and wrong, light and dark, silence and noise. This duality is physically created by utilizing white oil-painted textile placed on top of the black acrylic-painted canvas. Composed with a keen cinematic contrast between moving and steady images, balancing between calmness and clutter in the music-mixing. Sidney Régis (Guadeloupe, 1979) is a photographer and water art artist based in Martinique and Paris, France.

3 Sidney Régis has committed since 2008 to a poetic and conceptual Odyssey: he explores and creates, with the photographic medium, bridges between three fluids: time, light and water. Sidney Régis seeks to regenerate the ambivalence and complexity of these universal fluids, seen from the "inside": underwater (ref - The Sea, Michelet, 1861). He revisits classic themes in the history of art, like still life, landscape, monochrome paintings, and invites us to reflect upon the notion of «impermanence» and our role and our perception of Nature. All the images of his projects are taken free diving and in natural light. His work combines complex techniques of shooting and complex printing processes (digital or film). Sidney Régis is working closely with one of the best master printers of his generation and has developed for each project innovative printing processes. He discovered the underwater world at the age of 6, which became his. Sidney Régis grew up into a free diver, beat two French records and was sacred champion in France. His artistic journey started as an underwater model, dancing with animals in front of Gregory Colbert s camera for Ashes and Snow. Sidney Régis developed his photographic skills with masters (Grégory Colbert, Koji Nakamura, Manuel Lazcano, Philipe Vène, Mark Sobczak, Randy Maldonado, Jacques Ballard, Jean-Michel Cambilhou ): this atypical art school enabled Sidney Régis to focus on what matters to him: express his own vision of water and let us see the subtleties, the rich colour palette, and so many wonders seen through an unusual prism: UNDER water. His images are part of private collections in Montreal, New York, Paris, London, Doha, Johannesburg, Amsterdam Vika Kova (Russia, 1970) is a multimedia artist and international DJ/Singer/ Performer, based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Her journey in the world of dance and music has influenced her identity as a visual & multimedia artist: Vika Kova combines in a singular way music, images, low and high technology to reflect upon social themes. Powers of the World was shown for the first time, in Amsterdam (the Netherlands) and Los Angeles (USA) in The series investigates the male and female duality and how it can be measured. Vika Kova is methodically presenting her research per country: we are proud to present at Merton Simpson gallery Powers of the World: USA, China and Russia. Her previous multimedia-project, THEMIX, is a combination between DJ-ing and Art. Using a gigantic dress as a mega 3D projection screen, Vika Kova expends the boundaries of the DJ-profession with a performance that includes sound, visual effects and performance. THEMIX is a visual and audio catalogue of the compulsive need to explore dualistic dynamic in the history of mankind. Vika Kova grew up in Germany and studied in Moscow where she graduated cum laude from the Music and Ballet Academy and the Music Conservatory. Since 2002, Vika Kova has been the Queen of the Amsterdam Underground scene and has been its ambassador on stages around the world. From 2000 to 2010 she was the creative and innovative power behind the world-famous Supperclub concept. In 2002 Vika Kova was nominated for the Dutch Dance Awards as groundbreaking performing artist for her innovative approach to the dance scene: her performances are unique, artistic and infused with her energy and

4 aesthetics. It comes with no surprise that Vika Kova was invited to share the stage with every big boy in the business such as David Guetta, Tiesto, Hardwell, Armin van Buuren, Carl Cox, Afrojack and many more. Powers of the World, 2014, Vika Kova oil-paint on textile (denim), wood structure, iron nails, acrylic-paint on canvas, video content (loop), 3D projector, 60min music Powers of the World, 2014, Vika Kova installation

5 Sidney Régis SL#19 Orange line on a white sea ,3 x 36,6 in - Edition AP Japanese white kozo paper 70g/m2 SL#53 Full Moon ,3 x 36,6 in - Edition AP Japanese white kozo paper 70g/m2