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What You Need to Know: This week, Madrid plays host to a one-day immersive art experience that blends the worlds of art and music. Called “Rock ‘n’ Roll Raiders,” the show will be held at the Wizink Center arena on Friday, February 25, and will attempt to conjure the energy and enthusiasm of a live concert. Artist Abdul Vas will be presenting a new series of portraits of members of the band AC/DC (who have played the Wizink Center); in these images, the artist combines elements of portraiture with his interest in NASCAR racing, music, and human psychology. After the event on Friday, the exhibition will continue touring to other large-scale music venues in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Miami, and Tokyo.
Abdul Vas in his studio. Courtesy of the artist.
Why We Like It: Abdul Vas wants attendees to be swept up in the vibrancy of his works, which themselves attempt to synthesize the experiences of the visual and audio arts. A music lover, Vas says some of his earliest artistic inspirations came from admiring album covers as a kid. The artist equates the act of painting with the strength and confidence that one must have when entering a recording studio to make an album. Vas’s new paintings will be presented on stage, along with music, speakers, projections, and even a Peterbilt big-rig truck.
According to the Artist: “Ever since my childhood, I’ve always listened to rock music: Chuck Berry, Tina Turner, the Eagles, Big Joe Williams, the Beatles, AC/DC. But my diehard love for AC/DC’s music arose when I saw a series of promotional videos for the album The Razors Edge. That was around 1990. I was about 10 years old then, and those videos really had an impact on me—above all the energy that the band radiated, the overpowering sound of the Young brothers’ guitars, and the undying strength of Brian Johnson’s vocals. The manager suggested that instead of doing the typical, conventional exhibition, we should do a tour of shows at large venues where rock ‘n’ roll stars have played. That sounded great to me, because my works have a lot to do with the world of rock, and it would also be a cool experience for them to be shown at stadiums, in the purest style of a great rock ‘n’ roll concert.”
See works by the artist below.
Abdul Vas, Angus Young Power Up (2021). Courtesy of the artist.
Abdul Vas, Brian Johnson, Rolls Royce Phantom (2021). Courtesy of the artist.
Abdul Vas, Brian Johnson, Thunder Guts (2021). Courtesy of the artist.