FLAKES STORE by Maaike Dirkx @ 30works II

Maaike Dirkx “FLAKES STORE” @ 30works II
March 10, 2018, 12:00-19:00

30works II will be completely transformed! Instead of the familiar gallery space, a new shop emerges—a supermarket of art!

The idea comes from Hamburg-based artist Maaike Dirkx. In her first solo exhibition in Cologne, the Dutch artist presents her project FLAKES STORE, which, in true Pop Art fashion, addresses our consumption habits. Much like a supermarket, the showcased art objects are presented in the guise of everyday items. The focus is on the coveted breakfast cereals from American brands like Kellogg’s and others. Rather than criticizing the food industry, Dirkx playfully pokes fun at it with a cheerful wink.

Dirkx creates delicate and colorful art objects that cleverly parody cereal boxes. Specifically, advertising and product perception are put under the microscope. At first glance, they appear strikingly similar to their real counterparts, but the glaring difference lies in their unique artistic character: each piece is a meticulously crafted oil painting on wooden panels. The representations also differ significantly from the actual products on supermarket shelves: flanked by familiar figures like the Frosties Tiger or the Smacks Frog, confident female and male pin-ups gaze back at us. Dirkx draws inspiration from the international burlesque scene as well as American advertising and comic culture. The enticing interplay of adult desires and childlike innocence is playfully unveiled…

FLAKES STORE by Maaike Dirkx @ 30works II
Opening: March 10, 2018, 12:00-19:00

Exhibition: March 10 to March 23, 2018, Tue-Sat 12:00-19:00

30works II
Pfeilstraße 47
50672 Cologne
Tel. 0221 – 5700 250
hello@30works.de
www.30works.de