Abdul Vas Launches Immersive Rock'n'Roll Raiders Exhibition at Madrid's WiZink Center

Venezuelan artist Abdul Vas opens his immersive exhibition Rock'n'Roll Raiders at Madrid's WiZink Center on 25 February 2022. The show features 16 oil paintings on Belgian linen conceived as songs, aiming to capture the energy of live rock concerts. Vas draws inspiration from AC/DC, whose music he describes as essential as breathing, and frequently references rock history including Chuck Berry, Tina Turner, the Beatles, and the Eagles. His artistic universe, Kippenland, incorporates influences from NASCAR, American trucks, and Richard Scarry's children's books. The exhibition will be recorded with HD cameras including a 35-mm Panavision system before embarking on a worldwide stadium tour. Vas lives between Ho Chi Minh City and Madrid, and his work often depicts characters with rooster-like features in racing cars. He cites Francis Bacon's obsession with Velázquez's portrait of Pope Innocent X as parallel to his own fixation on AC/DC vocalist Brian Johnson's power. The artist rejects conventional exhibition formats, stating he wants to create a rock concert with paintings rather than asking viewers to decipher his work.