The artist is giving a daily lecture performance for the duration of 11 & 1, with a special staging and a book presentation on Friday 4th June at 11:01am, on the occasion of London Gallery Weekend.

performance schedule:

Tuesday 01.06, Wednesday 02.06 – 11:01am

Thursday 03.06 – 6:00pm

Friday 04.06, Saturday 05.06 – 11:01am

Monday 07.06 – Friday 11.06 – 11:01am

Welcomed with sound, 11&1 is an open invitation to congregate, to drop in, to breathe. For 11 days the galley’s space will be transformed, given new atmospheric hapticality, in celebration of Abbas Zahedi’s first artists’ publication and solo exhibition with Belmacz.

Abbas Zahedi works with and through space: that “continuous area or expanse which is free, available, or unoccupied.” Derived from the Latin (Proto-Indo-European) spatium “to stretch, to pull”, Zahedi bends space, expanding what is seemingly known, in order to allow something a/effective to happen.

Following Zahedi’s recent solo exhibitions How To Make A How From A Why? (South London Gallery, 2020) and Ouranophobia SW3 (2020 – 21), 11&1 can be seen as a formative point of becoming in Zahedi’s exhibitionary praxis. As a moment of theory-informed action, the exhibition weaves together the mathematical approach ‘difference of two squares’ (a method of factorising, developed by Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi) and postmodern logics that counter metanarratives of ‘common sense’ linearity; Deleuzean thought in particular.

Morethan (>) elongating and entwining these seemingly un-assimilative discourses through some ‘Altermodern’ mannerism, Zahedi fabricates an architectonic encounter that reworks the tissues of these academic corpora. With a site specific sound piece at its heart, 11&1 is given form through custom made macramé hangings and comfortable seating. These sensorial adornments greet viewers, welcoming them as extra-agents rather than subtracted coefficients. In other words, subjective bodies are welcomed into 11&1, expanding Zahedi’s incongruent conceptual equation, not only producing but allowing différance.  As a gesture of reciprocity, visitors will be able to deflate (in) the gallery, with 11&1 becoming a calm, introspective environment, and offshoot of Sonic Support Group — a project co-created by Zahedi and Neurofrindge. Building upon Zahedi’s recent projects, and conceptual inquiries, this act expands the exhibition space, providing a moment of respite and remediation to visitors, and indeed the gallery system.This pivotal exhibitionary moment sits around the launch of Zahedi’s first artists’ publication semi rational records of artchievement. Developed by the artist with reference to some of the theoretical mass grounding 11&1, the publication acts as a spine from which one can branch and renew.

Abbas Zahedi (b. 1984, London) studied medicine at University College London, before completing his MA in Contemporary Photography: Practices and Philosophies at Central Saint Martins in 2019. He has been the recipient of numerous awards including: Thinking Time, Artangel (2020); Jerwood Arts Bursary (2019); Aziz Foundation Academic Scholarship (2018); and Khadijah Saye Memorial Fund Scholarship (2017).

Recent exhibitions include: Ouranophobia SW3 (2021); Brent Biennial (2020), London; How To Make A How From A Why? (2020), South London Gallery, London; In Hindsight… (2020), Bladr, Copenhagen; B (2019) Belmacz, London; Degree Show (2019) Central Saint Martins, London; The Age of New Babylon (2019) Lethaby Gallery, London; Diaspora Pavilion (2018), Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Wolverhampton; Pressure Makes Diamonds (2018), Rich Mix, London; appetite (2018), Apiary Studios, London; Diaspora Pavilion (2017), Venice Biennale, Venice; rb&hArts (2008), Royal Brompton Hospital, London.

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Belmacz is carefully monitoring government guidelines regarding coronavirus safety measures. At present it is expected that access to the exhibition will be limited to six people at any one time with booking ahead suggested but not required. To schedule your visit, please contact gallery@belmacz.com.