Sergio de Arrola

Rolling Habits: Africa

Exhibition of photographs and book presentation

MONDO GALERIA presents for the first time in Madrid a solo exhibition by Sergio de Arrola (Madrid, 1979), aka Rolling Habits. This exhibition composed by 33 photographs in big format is the official launch for his second book "Rolling Habits: Africa" (the first one was "Rolling Habits: USA").

Sergio de Arrola travels with his bicycle to the most remote and unexpected places of the planet searching to connect with other beings in a "face to face" encounter. As an alien on a bike, Sergio get closer to the human part of each person, simply for the sake of being.

In times of airports, cars and high speed trains the Odyssey started by Rolling Habits takes much more value and significance. Scumbled through the pages of the book he tells us the stories of different characters who cross his way by chance, free into an uncertain destiny, although promising. He becomes a kind of contemporary Quijote who does not fight against giant fans but instead he tries to get close to them to exchange friendship. His camera (Sancho) and his bicycle are the only things that attaches him to his culture; apart from that he travels released to the rhythm of his pedaling and to the causality of his thought.

"Keston shouts as the bicycle passes while working at the edge of the road. He is soaking wet, shirtless, and every muscle in his torso is marked through the sweat. Emmanuelle waits for the next customer at the hair salon, sitting on an old car seat. Mike Malawi lights a joint after work. Another day in Chitimba Beach.
The straight roads in Botswana are endless and at the end of one of them I found Mabutu, a truck driver who asked me for a pair of spare gloves while showing me his hands full of calluses. Mine are also cracked, almost bleeding, from the bumps on the dirt roads".
Sergio de Arrola

"Rolling Habits: Africa" is the second book from the Spanish photographer Sergio de Arrola (Madrid, 1979). The second long-distance documentary trip riding on a bike. With a more defined purpose than his first trip through USA, focused on more specific situations and elements, "Rolling Habits: Africa" becomes a hopeful journey through a continent full of prejudices. An image focused on human beings and free from politics, religion or money, three elements that have marked the history of Africa and humanity in general.

A series of photos shot in a panoramic format and 35mm that immerse you in a journey through majestic landscapes, accomplice faces and everyday situations.

The book has been published recently in Holand by Xpublishers with high quality binding and finishing for the excellent printing work done at Graphius in Belgium. Also a limited edition of 30 exemplars has been published: a wooden box framing an original photograph (a remarkable piece of woodwork and design), which can be use as container for the book as well as a hanging frame containing the book.

The book has been presented at the Art'otel in Amsterdam on April 7th under the flag of the Kahmann Gallery and sponsored by FP Management. A first edition release of the book with 1000 copies and 200 pages and 30 copies of the limited edition with art print.

“De Arrola's choice for a photographic testimonial per bicycle, overcoming health issues and other sorts if setbacks while crossing a challenging continent, needs to be ranked somewhere in between that of a picturesque proclamation of an African road trip and a geo-psychological chronicle of a remarkable personality””

Erik Vroons (Editor GUP Magazine)

ABOUT SERGIO DE ARROLA

I was born in Madrid. I studied Photography and Digital Media at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Barcelona. I studied video and started doing productions of various
kinds for artistic purposes, and to collaborate with different publications and local media in a more commercial way.
My career changed in 2011, when after a search of my personal style, I begun to work only with analog media and black and white in my home lab. In these days I portraited
a mix of faces and feelings throughout Spain. Touring the country in a van looking to bars, gas stations and common environments.

After this time I decided to return to Madrid, where I continued with my artistic activity. My technique evolves again in the moment when I started printing my photos in large format. Under the pseudonym of Rolling Habits, I expose my pictures in corners of the city. Pasting up with glue and paper at night, I fill the streets of Madrid with situations and faces in black and white. These photographs acquire a second dimension, giving a reading and understanding different that when you see it in a classic format. Playing with pictures, as well as sizes. From images positioned in series, as a street exhibition, to billboards of many panels composing images of several meters long. During this time I collaborate with artists from different disciplines making interventions in different spaces.

In September 2013 I begun a journey from New York to Los Angeles. From my bicycle I portraited America with my own perspective. A series of portraits, places and situations that are part of a book edited by TF Editorial. The book was presented on 24th October for the opening of my first solo exhibition at Swinton Gallery in Madrid.

Exposición individual Mondo Galería. Madrid. Septiembre-Octubre 2016.

Exposición individual “O”. Barcelona. Mayo 2016.

Exposición individual Kahmann Gallery. Fenix Loods. Rotterdam. Abril 2016.

Exposición individual Kahmann Gallery. Art’otel Amsterdam. Abril 2016.

Exposición colectiva JAAL Photo. Madrid. Febrero 2015.

Exposición individual “Rolling Habits: USA part01”. Swinton Gallery. Madrid. Octubre-Noviembre 2014.

Exposición individual “Rolling Habits: USA part01”.El Arriate. Puerto de Sta. María (Cádiz).Diciembre 2014.

Exposición colectiva Room Art Fair. Madrid.Noviembre 2014.

Exposición colectiva Festival Asalto. Septiembre 2014.

Exposición colectiva “Presente Continuo”. Conde Duque. Madrid. Octubre 2013.

Exposición LaMono X Subagora. Barcelona. Julio 2014.

Photobook Show. Athens Photo Festival. Benaki Museum. Atenas. Julio 2015.

Talk “Rolling Habits: USA part01”. Titto Ferreira (TF Ediciones), Julio Penas y Sergio de Arrola. Swinton Gallery. Madrid. Noviembre 2014.

Exposición colectiva MediaMap. Galería IAM. Madrid. Diciembre 2012.

Presentación “Rolling Habits: USA part01”. CEF. Palma de Mallorca. Diciembre 2014.

Presentación “Rolling Habits: USA part01”. Dosnoventa. Barcelona. Noviembre 2014.

Charla “Rolling Habits: USA part01” Cyclo Moritz. Barcelona. Abril 2014.

BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS

Rolling Habits Africa. 206 páginas. Xpublishers. Amsterdam. Abril 2015.

Rolling Habits USA: part01. 192 páginas. TF Ediciones. Madrid. Octubre 2014.

RV Papers. Special Issue. Here & Now. Varios artistas. Madrid. Octubre 2013.

Libero #14. Africa de Norte a Sur. Madrid. Septiembre 2015.

LaMono #97. Mirar con el objetivo de aprender. Barcelona. Julio 2014.

NoProPhoto Zine #1. Varios artistas. Palma de Mallorca. Septiembre 2014.

El_Txefa_A. We walk home together. LP. Viniloy CD. Fiakun Records. 2014.

Disco Pantera Vol.1 EP 12 pulgadas. You are the cosmos. Cadiz 2014.

Adyo. Arctic Oscilation. PenDrive Records. LP. Barcelona 2012.