{"id":649105,"date":"2026-08-21T13:32:25","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T13:32:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/649105\/"},"modified":"2026-08-21T13:32:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T13:32:25","slug":"on-vintage-boards-lou-benesch-conjures-the-fantastic-world-of-the-magician-colossal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/649105\/","title":{"rendered":"On Vintage Boards, Lou Benesch Conjures the Fantastic World of The Magician \u2014 Colossal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Enter The Magician\u2019s Room, and you\u2019ll encounter a brawny horse with a serpent coiled on its back, a flock of headless birds diving into a central star, and a fluffy white rabbit framed by an unblinking circle of eyes. This surreal, liminal space is the setting for a new body of work by Paris-based Lou Benesch<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On view through August 22 at Hashimoto Contemporary, the solo exhibition takes the tarot\u2019s Magician card<\/a> as a starting point. Known as a trickster-wizard who connects the heavens and earth, the mysterious figure is primed for movement and change. Benesch translates the Magician\u2019s inclination for action and mysticism into a collection of dreamy works on found and antique materials.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>\u201cThe Magician\u2019s Room\u201d (2026)<\/p>\n

Vintage board games and chalkboards become the aged frames for the artist\u2019s energetic mixed-media compositions<\/a>, while antique paper holds bold two-dimensional depictions of hybrid creatures and otherworldly happenings. The Magician\u2019s Room melds past and present and spiritual and physical into a fantastic alternate word where dreams and manifestation rule.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re in San Francisco, stop by Hashimoto Contemporary<\/a> to see the exhibition before it closes on August 22. Otherwise, keep up with Benesch on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>\u201cDistant Chaos\u201d (2026)<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>\u201cSpirit Compass\u201d (2026)<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>\u201cFlowers\u201d (2026)<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>\u201cAwake II\u201d (2026)<\/p>\n

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