The Y
11 January – 9 February 2013
Rowing is pleased to present The Y, a new project for the cabinet room by Florian Roithmayr. Comprising a series of sculptures specially produced for the cabinet, a wall sculpture and print, Roithmayr’s triangular configuration refers directly to the particular history of the Young Men’s Christian Association, commonly known as the YMCA, or simply the Y. The title addresses the organisation’s practices and symbolic ideas of unity between ‘body, mind, and spirit.’ Such ideas were developed by the YMCA’s founder, George Williams, who initially aimed to support young apprentices in the drapery and embroidery industries.
The three works forming The Y suggest a need to cushion the unstable translation of hard historical facts. For Roithmayr, they point towards a disturbance within the contemporary enactment of George Williams’ triangular unity. Perhaps this imbalance is compensated for in the increased use of stones and crystals with alleged remedial properties, or the popularisation of postural yoga with its focus on the body at the expense of mind and spirit.
Florian Roithmayr was born in Rosenheim, Germany (1977). He lives and works in London. Roithmayr has exhibited internationally including solo shows at MOT International, London (2012), Galerie Neue Alte Brücke, Frankfurt, Germany (2007), Galerie Miroslav Kraljevich, Zagreb, Croatia (2007), Ateneum Finnish National Art Museum and Taidehalli Art Centre, Helsinki, Finland (2006). Roithmayr has participated in group shows including Solid on Our Source Planet, Wysing Art Centre (2012), fifteen, S1 Artspace, Sheffield (2011), Bold Tendencies IV, Hannah Barry Gallery, London (2010), Continuous Movement of Idea, Galerie Nicolas Silin, Paris, France. Something Blue, Landings Project Space, Oslo (2010), Naom Gabo, Florian Roithmayr, The Russian Club Gallery, London (2010), The young visitors to ruins do not see anything but a style, Galeria d’Arte Moderna, Turin, (2010), Under:Construction, SC Gallery, Zagreb (2008) Feeling gave way to structure, The Approach Gallery, London (2008)