Today July 27th, at the Dray Walk Gallery (the Old Truman Brewery) in the heart of London, Fabrica presents Doping Thrower, an art installation devised and executed by the Cuban artist Erik Ravelo. The sculpture was inspired by the Discobolus (the discus thrower), the famous statue by Myron, from around 445 B.C., which is a symbol of the passion for the Olympic Games and of the cult of human physical perfection. The Doping Thrower is completely smothered in hundreds of multicolour capsules, phials and tablets and even a drip feed. It invites us to reflect on the habit of using and abusing drug-based substances and treatments to improve an athlete’s performance by artificial means. It should also be seen as a criticism of the anti-doping system which often, in the name of economic power, does fully not safeguard the health of athletes. This deviation from the concept of fair play is unsportsmanlike and dangerously widespread amongst young amateur or occasional athletes who take seriously health-threatening drugs despite having a perfectly healthy body. The installation can be seen until 6 August.

With Doping Thrower, Fabrica continues its longstanding commitment to socially active creativity based on the conviction that communication, in all its applications, must be a tool for conscious social change. Over the years Fabrica has developed numerous social awareness projects in association with major non-profit organisations, including the U.N., Reporters Sans Frontières, the World Health Organisation (WHO), not forgetting its work through COLORS magazine. Most recently, Fabrica has produced a global anti-smoking campaign for WHO, launched on 31 May for World No Tobacco Day 2012, and the Turn Your World Around communication project dealing with sustainability, which was produced for the United Nations and presented in occasion of Rio+20, the World Conference on Sustainable Development recently held in Rio de Janeiro. On 10 July 2012 Teachers Without Borders (TWB), a non-profit organisation working in international education and teacher professional development, presented its new logo devised by the young designers at Fabrica.

Doping Thrower
27 July – 6 August
11am – 7pm
Dray Walk Gallery
91 Brick Lane
Old Truman Brewery
London E1 6QL

More information:
Angela Quintavalle
 
ph: +39  0422  516209
e-mail: angie@fabrica.it