[deːɐ̯ ˈt͡saːn deːɐ̯ ˈt͡saɪ̯t – Der Zahn Der Zeit

DER ZAHN DER ZEIT by ALIAS & TONA

With Alias and Tona the gallery brings the work of two leading German street artists to Amsterdam. Their life in the metropolitan environment of Berlin and Hamburg is naturally reflected in their art but also makes them eager to search for the intimacy of direct contact with the individual in their work. This duality produces exciting, often emotional and always layered images that lead to quiet introspection. For both artists, who use the stencil as a technique, the starting point is the small, personal and sometimes tragic story within the collective epic tale that we call life.

By mostly using black and white accentuated with small touches of red color within his compositions, Alias emphasizes the themes and graphically designed figures he is so fond of. It’s easy to relate to and reflect on the depicted subjects. Various tragedies, injustice inflicted upon those who are defenseless, feelings of loneliness and isolation are the means through which this street painter hopes to alter each state of mind individually. He deliberately targets our emotions, toys with them by cutting his stenciled design in order to create a better world from the very within.

The search for connection or communication that painting offers is central to TONA’s work. Painting breaks through all barriers because it does not require language. Whilst painting on the street he often takes pictures of the attracted audience. He then transforms these images into detailed stencils, which are in turn painted on another wall in another city and so on. 

 This exhibition Der Zahn Der Zeit, Alias & Tona’s first show together, presents the artists fascination with the patina of time that is reflected in their creative process. On the street their art is likely to be found in obscure, isolated sites and old buildings. These original locations are a vital part of the identity of the artwork. For their indoor work they enjoy scavenging for rusty disintegrated materials to use as a background, infusing each of their mobile works with the spirit of the original location.