Simon Wald-Lasowski

This is my thumb on slide 2, next to one of the Apostles in a unique interpretation of the Last Supper. In the next slide you see Jesus drinking vodka, maybe to ease away the betrayal!? These intricate miniature figures are made with cicada shells and magonolia buds, ingredients used in traditional Chinese medicine, and are called máohóu, translated as ‘Hairy Monkey’. The máohóu is an obscure satirical folk art tradition from Beijing and exists since approximately 180 years. 

These images are just a few out of more than 200 images that I am publishing in a book entitled ‘The Art of the Hairy Monkey’. This project started during a residency in Beijing in 2019, where I befriended Master Qiū Yíshēng. He is one of a handful of living máohóu masters, elevating the tradition by making sharp observations of contemporary society through miniature dioramas.

This publication has been years in the making and I am very excited to share it with you. You are welcome to the book launch on the 21st of February at 15:00 at the Wereldmuseum Amsterdam. The program includes a conversation between myself, Augustina Cai and Master Qiū Yíshēng. Please arrive on time. Doors open at 14:45. Free entrance with a museum card. DM me if you don’t have one, I have some guest list spots.
 For lovers of the intersection of political satire, folk art, miniature sculpture, macro photography, Mariah Carey and Chinese culture. (Master Qiū Yíshēng was blasting Mariah Carey’s album when we met) - The Art of the Hairy Monkey - Published by @roma.publications Designed with Jordi van der Vetten Including an essay by Augustina Cai and an interview with Master Qiū Yíshēng 304 Full colour pages Bilingual - English and Mandarin Made possible with the generous support of: @mondriaanfonds , @stichtingstokroos , Jaap Harten Fonds and De Gijselaar Hintzenfonds. More information about pre-orders will be shared soon! Save the date. Hope to see you there! And sending you warmth in these endlessly heartbreaking times. 💛🐒 Ps: The weekend program at the museum includes around 40 talks, performances and workshops from 11:00-17:00. Check the program : Makersweekend @wereldmuseum.amsterdam

« ... Here, inside, those items shine, eluded from their ephemeral fate. It appears that we accumulate to ease the pain of our mortality. The exhibition seems to carry that softening in itself. The objects come to life in the hands of the artist. They seem to want the same as us, not to be forgotten. » text roughly translated from NL from the always lovely Paul Voors from @kunstblijfteenraadsel Bonsoir! Tomorrow (Sunday 21st) is the last day of my solo exhibition ‘He saved the world from harmony’ at @sixteenfortysix . I’d like to highlight some works. Hourglasses of various materials, colours, eras and time lengths are arranged on a cabinet. The cabinet rotates clockwise at random intervals between 19 and 191 seconds. Meaning that even the shortest hourglass of 30seconds eventually gets it’s ‘flow’ cut short. I love how the long shutter speed of the camera manages to capture a time warp. Image: ‘we are sad enough to laugh again’. 2021. 80x110cm Hourglasses, wood, glass, metal, electronics. Thank you Jean-Marc Mathy for the pristine cabinet and Lefki Mevissen for the mastermind movement magic!!!

‘Can’t face another sad salad!’ Kinetic work in the public/private space. Every half-hour a plump turkey emerges from my attic window on a 5 meter long yellow metal pole and releases its long tongue, alongside chuckles. I can still hardly believe we convinced the city hall, the housing corporation and art funds to do this! Turkey Diary - day 2 / 20th of October: “The project has only been up for two days, but the response is beautifully heartwarming. It’s not just about these few glitchy Turkey moments every 30min. I feel the neighbourhood coming together in playfulness and community. I hear people on the street making turkey sounds in anticipation, neighbours with whom I shared the street for 10 years without exchanging a word come to me with curiosity. When Welcome Stranger approached me to make a new work I hesitated for a long time since I found it vulnerable to loose anonymity in my own home and merge private and public space. But this is the ultimate public art commission and I am very thankful to @mariannavanderzwaag for this opportunity. Welcome Stranger. Welcome strangeness!” Now two months later, the glitchy turkey still surprises passersby and has been adopted by the locals. Still no complains 😅 On view until the 13th of January! Appreciation post for the amazing production and conceptual work of @leftkeywithoutthetea coming soon! Thank you @afk020 , @amartefonds & @mondriaanfonds for the support! Image credit: 1,2,3 @fabianlandewee Image 4: @jonaslund , @studiomoniker and @studio.imranchanna looking cute :) Video 5: @wesmapesstudio sharing his enthusiasm 💛 Image 6: neighbours Image 7: Local Amsterdam news item @at5.nl More info @_welcomestranger_ 🦃👅

Zig Zag is delighted to host the BXL launch of this instant classic published by @roma.publications - the fruit of a confluence of new and old friendships, of seemingly vastly different yet ultimately kindred disciplines and affinities… 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓐𝓻𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓗𝓪𝓲𝓻𝔂 𝓜𝓸𝓷𝓴𝓮𝔂 毛猴的艺术 𝚁𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚌𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙱𝚎𝚒𝚓𝚒𝚗𝚐’𝚜 𝚖á𝚘𝚑ó𝚞 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚀𝚒ū 𝚈í𝚜𝚑ē𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚑𝚘𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚑𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚂𝚒𝚖𝚘𝚗 𝚆𝚊𝚕𝚍-𝙻𝚊𝚜𝚘𝚠𝚜𝚔𝚒 The Art of the Hairy Monkey unveils the world of máohóu, an obscure and satirical folk art from Beijing with a history spanning two centuries. Tiny, mischievous figures are crafted from materials used in traditional Chinese medicine — cicada shells and magnolia buds — and placed in rich dioramas that mirror society with wit, irony and gentle provocation. Long practised yet rarely documented, the tradition of the “Hairy Monkey” has recently been recognised as Intangible Cultural Heritage in China. This is the first dedicated publication on the subject outside its country of origin. The book sits at the crossroads of social satire, folk art, miniature sculpture and art photography, and will captivate readers drawn to Chinese culture, subversive humour and overlooked artistic traditions. The evening will include a talk of Augustina Cai @augustina.cai (on zoom) and Simon Wald-Lasowski @simonwaldlasowski , who forged a deep friendship and working relationship with Master Qiū, who will send a special video message recorded for this occasion. This presentation will be followed with a short excursion into the necessity of political satire in these challenging times at the hands of rabble-rouser Jesse van Winden @jessevanwinden reading Paul Beatty), with some Zig Zag recommendations for satirical reading lists to boot. Afterwards, there will be opportunity to make your own hairy monkey and ample time to exchange with fresh drinks and spicy insect jazz. ~ Doors open at 19:30, programme begins at 20:00 ~ Entry is free — no RSVP required ~ Copies of the book will be on sale

My heart feels warm. My dear friend and tai chi teacher, @b.i.n.z.h.u , who is back home for a visit in Beijing gave a copy of ‘The Art of the Hairy Monkey’ to master Qiū. He usually keeps quite a good poker face, but the child like wonder he expresses when unpacking the book dedicated to his work is so touching to witness that it made me tear up. On slide 5 you can see master Qiū’s reaction after reading @augustina.cai ’s essay and my text. It was essential for us to have his blessings before going to print. My heart also feels heavy. Since on the same day as this reveal in Beijing, the warehouse of Idea books in Amsterdam, one of the main art book distributor in the world, totally burned down. This is a huge slap for the cultural publishing world. I spend days thinking that all the copies of my book had vanished. There are unfathomable attoricites in the world right now, yet after so many years of dedication to make this book happen the idea of loosing all the copies just as they were barely out of the printer felt personally quite crushing. Luckily it seems that there is a second storage! At least 100 of my books burned, maybe more. I don’t have the numbers yet. But there are enough left for now. You can order them via @roma.publications . Sending softness to all my colleagues affected by this. Luckily no one got hurt. But fuck this Felyx scooter company! ☯️

Find The Art of the Hairy Monkey by Simon Wald-Lasowski in the window display of @athenaeumboekhandel Spui in Amsterdam You can see the display until Monday the 9th of March. The book is for sale at Athenaeum and will soon be in regular distribution. Read more about the book on our website.

KIOSK asked Simon Wald-Lasowski to fill this year’s advertising space in the magazine Metropolis M. Simon Wald-Lasowski (@simonwaldlasowski ) developed a series of advertisements composed of details drawn from historical satirical public-domain images. He is particularly interested in how, despite the passage of more than a century, the themes of imperialism and corruption depicted in these works remain disturbingly relevant. While the political actors have changed, the underlying structures of power appear largely intact. By combining these archival fragments with bizarre objects and phrases extracted from articles, films, music, and other forms of popular culture, Wald-Lasowski constructs unexpected visual collisions. Through the absurdity of these juxtapositions, the work opens a brief space for imagination – a moment of derailment, wonder, and perceptual shift. #kioskgent #kioskadvertises #metropolism #SimonWaldLasowski #advertisment

My first spontaneous unboxing video! “Cicada shells, or exuvia, are the empty, brownish exoskeletons left behind on trees, fences, and walls when nymph cicadas molt into winged adults. These shells are precise, hollow replicas of the nymph, often found during summer as a sign of adult cicada emergence. They are harmless to trees and make excellent, nutrient-rich garden fertilizer” Or, they are reclaimed by the Beijing Máohóu tradition to create satirical miniature dioramas reflecting on the human condition. (Slide 5 is Master Qiu Yisheng's work whom I made a book about). More info and book pre-order at Book launch and lecture Saturday the 21st at 15:00 sharp at Wereldmuseum Amsterdam! 🎥 @augustina.cai

Now available for pre-order on our website (link in bio) The Art of the Hairy Monkey (Roma 511) Rediscovering Beijing’s Máohóu Tradition Through the Work of Master Qiū Yíshēng and the Photography of Simon Wald-Lasowski The Art of the Hairy Monkey unveils the world of máohóu, an obscure, satirical folk art from Beijing dating 200 years. Tiny, mischievous figures are crafted from materials used in traditional Chinese medicine: cicada shells and magnolia buds. These miniature characters are placed in rich dioramas that mirror society with wit, irony and gentle provocation. Long practiced yet rarely documented, the tradition of the “Hairy Monkey” has recently been recognised as Intangible Cultural Heritage in China. This is the first dedicated publication on the subject outside its country of origin. The book sits at the crossroads of social satire, folk art, miniature sculpture and art photography. It will intrigue readers drawn to Chinese culture, subversive humour and overlooked artistic traditions. Designed by @jordi_de_vetten & @simonwaldlasowski With an essay by @augustina.cai and an interview with Master Qiū Yíshēng in Mandarin and English Only with pre-orders, we will include a fun sticker sheet as well as an assembly kit to try to make your own Hairy Monkey at home! You will just need your own glue, scissors and tweezers. for NL (€ 35.00 + 6 shipping) for EU (€ 35.00 + 11 shipping) for Rest of the World (€ 35.00 + 16 shipping) for pickup in Amsterdam (€35.00 and no shipping costs) The book also comes specially packed in a hand-sewn, double-printed cover test sheet. We start shipping on the 23th of February on a first come first serve basis. After that the book will also be available through @ideabooksnl and at bookshops.

My friend Waèl spotted me 1,5 years ago in a museum in Frankfurt, in a painting by Albrecht Dürer from 1503. What began as a joke has mirrored my underlaying emotional state for the last few years, as I am sure it does many of yours. Even though I am blessed with countless beautiful moments my tears are constantly just beneath my smiles. The barbaric ongoing genocide on our Palestinians siblings, among other world atrocities feels so immense that it numbs my mind. It feels like trying to imagine the extend of the galaxy, it’s beyond comprehensible. But I recognise that the compliance of despair is a luxury while the world burns. To my brave relentless peers: thank you for your rage, for your fights for justice, for unifying, for creating beauty and resilience amidst grief. Staying sane is a daily challenge, so please don’t be be too harsh on yourself if you feel like you are not doing enough. Some of us are highly active offline and it’s ok to not prove everything online. For me though, silence doesn’t feel like an option, especially with the global rise of fascism in full force. I have not posted anything on this platform since a year (and had been boycotting IG for the last 6 months) because I thought, what do I have to share that deserves attention among all this suffering? Yet In a world where “Je poste donc je suis” is the norm, not posting alienates oneself professionally, which is also a capitalist reality we are navigating. I’m not thrilled to be back on this polarising pro-fascist owned platform, but for now it’s one of the ways we stay connected, we’ll find other ways! 
I choose to keep faith in humanity, to share tenderness, compassion, love and joy in my surroundings, hoping it will somehow slowly ripple and be helpful. My smiles are not mindless, they are not numbed, they are a conscious act of choosing life. I hope that you can find ways to keep cultivating what warms your heart. We will need this fuel for a sustainable resistance. 💛 simon

This is my mother enthusiastically rediscovering my sculptures from 2017 in the current exhibition, ‘New Mother Sculptures’ at the Cobra museum. The monkey creatures have an uncanny, energetic presence both attractive and repulsive that deserves to be experienced in person. The show with work from 38 artists, beautifully curated by Ad de Jong (who filled up the museum floor with loam) is on until the 2nd of March (9 more days) and was voted 2nd best exhibition of the year 2024 by Het Parool and highly ranked by NRC too, go see it! It’s been beautiful to see how many people from all ages strongly react to my work. Some laugh out loud (how often does that happen in art spaces?), start discussions, spend time pondering what the work activates in them. Many are confronted with some recognition of their own conditions. The installation entitled ‘I think there’s very little likelihood that oysters, mussels and clams have any consciousness so it’s defendable to eat them’ still feels very relevant today in these dreaded times of deplorable leaders, rising fascism, misinformation frenzy and moral failures. I dream of a permanant home for this installation to create an immersive experience such as the Beanery from the Kienholz. Feel free to send tips for collector or museums that could be interested in such a piece! Warm hugs for now, s

Tonight! artBRUUT organises monthly workshops at the Makom shelter for sensitive souls. Marginalised artists gather to create work in collaboration with visiting artists who propose themes. I had the privilege to host a few workshops over the last years and made many deep and meaningful connections with some of these inspiring artists. 
Tonight artBRUUT celebrates 10 years of existence with an exhibition and auction. The exhibition opens at 18:00 (with warm vinyl tunes from yours truly) and the bidding starts at 20:00! From 23:00 there is a very special exhibition and performance program ’Protest’ by Ahmad Mallah @s.t.a.t.e.l.e.s.s and @tinafarifteh , two of the sweetest and most engaged artists in town. Come share tears, anger and solidarity 💛✊🏼 Check @sexyland_world for the full program. Thank you @nolimitsartcastle , @janhoekjoh , @simomo_bouj , Arthur van Beek @artbruut & all the artists and volunteers for your beautiful important work! In the images you see us making masks out of discarded colorful plastic. Then photographing the masks with the makers and then painting on top of the prints during another session