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61 articles, 2016-06-10 18:06 1 Morning Links: Alex Rotter Edition Must-read stories from around the art world 2016-06-10 08:36 2KB www.artnews.com
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2 David Zwirner Confirms Hong Kong Outpost David Zwirner has confirmed that it will open a new gallery space in Hong Kong in the autumn of 2017, which will be located in the city's H Queen's building. 2016-06-10 07:42 2KB news.artnet.com (1.02/2)
3 Live Then, Live Now — Magazine — Walker Art Center August 15, 1981 was a Saturday with temperatures in the 70s—on (0.01/2) the cool side for the height of summer in Minneapolis. Diana Ross... 2016-06-10 14:03 11KB www.walkerart.org 4 Contemporary Art Projects USA/Gallery announces its participation in Art Santa Fe.
(0.01/2) Miami, April 14, 2016– Contemporary Art Projects USA/Gallery announces its participation in ART Santa Fe at the Prime Fair Location of Booth... 2016-06-10 11:53 2KB contemporaryartprojectsusa.com 5 Maria Fernanda Lairet, Inaugurates the 2016 Winter Season at MDC-West|Art + Design Museum Miami, Florida Jan. 5, 2016 – The Miami Dade College (MDC) Campus Galleries of Art + Design presents several campus exhibitions... 2016-06-10 16:43 1KB contemporaryartprojectsusa.com 6 Rosaria “AESTUS” Vigorito|Italy-USA Artist’s Statement: … most events are inexpressible, taking place in a realm where no word has ever entered, and more inexpressible than... 2016-06-10 16:43 2KB contemporaryartprojectsusa.com 7 Memories of Martin Friedman As director of the Walker Art Center from 1961 to 1990, Martin Friedman—who passed away May 9 at age 90—oversaw the construction of a new Walker building, spearheaded the creation of the Minneap... 2016-06-10 12:44 867Bytes blogs.walkerart.org
8 Young Royals Attend Queen’s 90th Birthday National Service of Thanksgiving The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined the royal family at Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday national service of thanksgiving on Friday. 2016-06-10 14:34 1KB wwd.com 9 Audition Announcement! Choreographers’ Evening 2016 The Walker Art Center and Guest Curator Rosy Simas are seeking dance makers of all forms to be presented in the 44th Annual Choreographers’ Evening. Rosy Simas, an enrolled member of the Seneca Nat... 2016-06-10 14:03 885Bytes blogs.walkerart.org 10 New Sol LeWitt Work Unveiled on the Walker Rooftop A large-scale work by Sol LeWitt has just been installed on the Walker's rooftop terrace, the first of 17 new outdoor works that will be joining the newly-renovated Walker campus. The piece—Arcs fr... 2016-06-10 16:46 875Bytes blogs.walkerart.org 11 Hippie Modernism: The Struggle for Utopia exhibition catalogue - by Walker Art Center design studio / Design Awards While the turbulent social history of the 1960s is well known, its cultural production remains comparatively under-examined. In this substantial volume,... 2016-06-10 16:46 6KB designawards.core77.com 12 An Opening Reception for Lee Kit’s Hold your breath, dance slowly On May 11th, Walker Contributing Members gathered in the Cargill Lounge to celebrate the opening of Hold your breath, dance slowly, the first U. S. solo museum exhibition of Taiwan-based artist Lee Ki... 2016-06-10 13:44 972Bytes blogs.walkerart.org 13 zaha hadid's twisting generali tower tops out in milan zaha hadid's twisting 'generali tower' has topped out in milan. originally titled 'lo storto', the 170m structure has been renamed after the insurance firm. 2016-06-10 13:20 3KB www.designboom.com 14 Erasing the Photographer’s Hand: Phil Collins’s Free Fotolab Phil Collins's free fotolab is included in the Walker exhibition Ordinary Pictures, on view February 27–October 9, 2016. In his work free fotolab (2009), British artist Phil Collins presents 80 pho... 2016-06-10 16:46 874Bytes blogs.walkerart.org
15 Longtime CBS Veteran Launches Boutique Communications Firm Murphy’s new firm, 360bespoke, targets the luxury space. 2016-06-10 13:00 2KB wwd.com 16 studio TK square modular series by toan nguyen based on square modularity, each studio TK piece by toan nguyen can generate many different configurations and combinations, involving all four directions that interact with the surrounding architectural spaces. 2016-06-10 12:50 2KB www.designboom.com 17 Buckingham Palace Releases Another Portrait of Queen Elizabeth Shot By Annie Leibovitz Buckingham Palace has released a new portrait of Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip. 2016-06-10 12:28 1KB wwd.com 18 zach both converts a chevy cargo van into a nomadic filmmaking studio filmmaker zach both has been traveling across the united states in a self-built mobile studio, converted from a decade-old van to a functional dwelling. 2016-06-10 11:50 3KB www.designboom.com 19 icon 1000 dromedarii the icon 1000 dromedarii is based on the bones of a triumph ‘tiger 800XC’ modified for the apocalyptic conditions. 2016-06-10 11:20 1KB www.designboom.com 20 Fionn Meade Paul Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan A common feature within Paul Chan’s three works on view in the exhibition Less Than One is the use of silhouette form to question power... 2016-06-10 14:03 22KB www.walkerart.org 21 Cyber-Mystical Jewelry Will Boost Your Instagram Following STONEDALONE, a jewelry line by Wynn Mustin, fuses 3D printed crystals with cyber- mystical properties to boost your digital following. 2016-06-10 11:01 4KB thecreatorsproject.vice.com 22 Review of Manifesta 11 Christian Jankowski curated the 11th edition of Manifesta, which opens in Zurich on June 10, only five days after the Swiss referendum on basic income. 2016-06-10 10:47 8KB news.artnet.com 23 Yayoi Kusama’s Infinitely Stylish Moderna Museet Exhibition “Yayoi Kusama – In Infinity” at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Sweden is Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s first major presentation in Scandanavia 2016-06-10 10:43 3KB www.blouinartinfo.com 24 winners of the inaugural salone del mobile.milano award named the international award highlights the design sector's finest innovations that harness cutting-edge trends and consider up-to- the-minute modes of home living. 2016-06-10 10:42 5KB www.designboom.com 25 Bottega Veneta Exhibition Opens in Beijing Tomas Maier has brought the latest incarnation of his “Art of Collaboration” initiative to the Chinese capital in a new exhibition running through June 28 at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art. … 2016-06-10 09:55 1KB wwd.com 26 Duchess of Cambridge Hosts SportsAid Dinner at Kensington Palace Kate Middleton wore a royal blue dress by Roland Mouret. 2016-06-10 09:42 1KB wwd.com 27 Winding Back in Time: ‘Electronic Superhighway’ at Whitechapel Gallery, London January 29 – May 15 2016-06-10 09:30 16KB www.artnews.com 28 Neon Works by Keith Sonnier Light Up Whitechapel Gallery Rare early works by the American sculptor Keith Sonnier are currently on display at London's Whitechapel Gallery. 2016-06-10 09:21 2KB www.blouinartinfo.com 29 13 Instagram Shots of Martin Creed's New Show Yes, Martin Creed's Park Avenue Armory show is full of Instagram fodder, but in addition to a zany balloon-filled room there's also some pretty gross stuff. 2016-06-10 09:20 2KB news.artnet.com
30 Eliel Perez|Puerto Rico As an artist I strive to express the world I see onto a canvas to motivate, inspire, and stimulate other human minds to... 2016-06-10 07:53 843Bytes contemporaryartprojectsusa.com 31 ADAA Names Five New Members, Including Altman Siegel Gallery and Maccarone The 2015 edition of the ADAA Art Show. COURTESY ADAA The Art Dealers Association of America announced today that it has added five new members: Altman Siegel 2016-06-10 09:00 1KB www.artnews.com 32 K-12 school by CEBRA with SLA & diamond developers an embodiment of dubai's sustainable city philosophy, the design represents a fundamental re-consideration of academic approach and setting. 2016-06-10 08:45 2KB www.designboom.com 33 Johnny Depp's Basquiats Go Under the Hammer Christie's London's June postwar and contemporary auctions feature some exciting lots, including nine Basquiat paintings from the collection of Johnny Depp. 2016-06-10 08:24 2KB news.artnet.com 34 10 Mind-Blowing Ways to Use Technology at Design Miami/ Basel 2016 See the technological wonders presenting next week in Basel. 2016-06-10 08:02 2KB www.blouinartinfo.com 35 Asian Art at Art Basel Unlimited: Cheng Ran's Film at Galerie Urs Meile The Lucerne and Beijing gallery will show Chinese artist Cheng Ran's 9-hour film "In Course of the Miraculous." 2016-06-10 07:54 2KB www.blouinartinfo.com 36 Nahmad Projects Launches in London With 30 Performances Over 30 Days 30 performances inspired by the work of Tino Sehgal will launch Mayfair's latest gallery, Nahmad Projects. 2016-06-10 07:20 2KB www.blouinartinfo.com 37 Songlines Beautifully 'Paints' Indigenous Stories on the Sydney Opera House Songlines Beautifully 'Paints' Indigenous Stories on the Sydney Opera House 2016-06-10 06:47 3KB www.blouinartinfo.com 38 dato duo by toon welling and david menting dato duo combines a synthesizer and sequencer together into one fun electronic instrument for both children and adults alike. 2016-06-10 06:15 1KB www.designboom.com 39 The Players Club, A Hidden Gem in New York Read THE DAILY PIC on a club that has barely changed for a century, so works like a time machine. 2016-06-10 06:00 2KB news.artnet.com 40 De Appel Faces Complete Funding Cut Amsterdam's De Appel is now under the threat of having its government funding cut completely and it has launched a petition asking for public support. 2016-06-10 05:42 3KB news.artnet.com 41 'Schiff Ahoy': Minimalist Masterpieces at Brandhorst Munich Works by Andy Warhol, Ed Ruscha, Lawrence Weiner, Sigmar Pole, and more from the Brandhorst collection feature in the Munich museum's latest exhibition. 2016-06-10 05:11 2KB www.blouinartinfo.com 42 Mary Heilmann on 1970s New York and Her New Whitechapel Show We speak to Mary Heilmann about the golden age of New York, her life's work, and her latest exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery. 2016-06-10 04:28 1KB www.blouinartinfo.com 43 bernard dubois designs valextra boutique in paris the store is a seamless integration of deep-rooted milanese heritage with a visual identity that draws equally from italian and belgian preferences. 2016-06-10 04:05 1KB www.designboom.com 44 Masterpieces Damaged at Musée Girodet The Musée Girodet has been deeply affected by last week’s floods across France, which have damaged artworks stored in an off-site vault. 2016-06-10 04:00 2KB news.artnet.com 45 London Auctions Preview, Part 2: Christie's June 22 Impressionist & Modern Sale In the days leading up to the London’s June sales, we’ll be previewing the works in each that have piqued particular interest. Here's what to look for at Christie's on June 22. 2016-06-10 03:00 2KB www.blouinartinfo.com
46 Contemporary Korean Ceramics Come to Limoges To mark the recent twinning of French city, Limoges and South Korean city, Icheon, the Fondation Bernardaud in Limoges is hosting “CCC. Contemporary Korean Ceramics,” an extensive showcase of some 70 works by 14 leading artists. 2016-06-10 02:58 1KB www.blouinartinfo.com 47 damjan bradač arhitekt's train house for slovenian railways the structure, for on-track storage and maintenance, is characterized by a semi-transparent façade made of context-related materials like galvanized steel. 2016-06-10 00:15 1KB www.designboom.com 48 The Man in the Pink Floral Dress Grayson Perry, prize-winning artist and broadcaster, takes on the question of male identity. 2016-06-10 00:00 8KB www.nytimes.com 49 Tibet Stands Out in China’s Entries at Shanghai International Film Festival “De Lan,” by the director Liu Jie, and “Soul on a String,” by Zhang Yang, highlight a shift in the cinematic depiction of ethnic minorities, especially Tibetans. 2016-06-10 00:00 7KB www.nytimes.com 50 Absolut Announces 2017 Art Award Jury, New Emerging Artist Award Absolut has announced the Jury for the 2017 Absolut Art Award and launched a new Emerging Artist strand of the Award 2016-06-09 23:40 2KB www.blouinartinfo.com 51 100 Drones Dance Like Fireflies in the Sky for Vivid Sydney 100 Drones Dance like Fireflies in the Sky for Vivid Sydney 2016-06-09 21:20 3KB www.blouinartinfo.com 52 U67 refers to the mandala idea in suncheon art platform proposal the aim of 'mandala' is to allow a higher point of view on its surroundings to enhance the acknowledgement of the identity of suncheon working with the shifting of the public space upwards within the buildings of the complex. 2016-06-09 21:01 5KB www.designboom.com 53 Digital Hell: Tech Tips for the Deceased ... And other bone-chilling art from Lynn Nguyen. 2016-06-09 20:50 3KB thecreatorsproject.vice.com 54 zim & zou crafts barcelona's architectural landmarks from pink paper zim & zou studio have created a colorful campaign for spanish sparkling wine brand freixenet that uses paper to create a backdrop of the city of barcelona. 2016-06-09 20:19 1KB www.designboom.com 55 Images of South London Heroes Bowie, Adele Join Portraits of 180 Students They Inspired David Bowie, Adele and Rio Ferdinand are among the well-known faces in a unique show at London’s National Portrait Gallery. 2016-06-09 19:25 2KB www.blouinartinfo.com 56 Celebrate the Little Things with a Fireworks Deathstar Explosion YouTube's favorite inventor makes his way into the three million subscribers club. 2016-06-09 19:25 2KB thecreatorsproject.vice.com 57 Photos Become Sculptures in These Collage-Like Works Kate Steciw explores the physicality of photography in her latest works. 2016-06-09 19:21 4KB thecreatorsproject.vice.com 58 Uncanny GTA V Photos Remind Us We Might Be in a Simulated World Photographer Ollie Ma’ challenges our sense of simulation theory with his new series 'Open World.' 2016-06-09 19:07 2KB thecreatorsproject.vice.com 59 kevin hviid symbolizes the perfection and value of togetherness with bob the bench the design plays with the geometric rigor, wit and the structure and shapes of seating, with the aim of merging structure and decoration, but still in a very simple shape. 2016-06-09 18:25 2KB www.designboom.com 60 Richard Prince Splits from Gagosian After an extraordinarily lucrative decade and numerous solo shows, Richard Prince has cut ties with the Gagosian Gallery. 2016-06-09 18:11 3KB news.artnet.com 61 Divine Vessels Force Us to Break the Walls of Perception | City of the Seekers Galia Linn's sculptures aren't just about what's physically there— they're about the way you look at them. 2016-06-09 18:10 6KB thecreatorsproject.vice.com Articles
61 articles, 2016-06-10 18:06
1 Morning Links: Alex Rotter Edition (1.08/2) Rotter with a Jeff Koons sculpture. COURTESY SOTHEBY’S MARKET Alex Rotter, who left his position as the co-chairman of contemporary art at Sotheby’s in February, is headed to Christie’s. He called the auction house “the Yankees,” and added, “I might as well go to the best team and make them even better, hopefully, with me coming there.” [ The New York Times ]Ahead of his divorce from Amber Heard, Johnny Depp will auction his Jean-Michel Basquiat painting. No word on how much it’ll cost, but it’ll be expensive. [ People ]Sotheby’s is now offering fees to buyers, who can now money from the auction house in exchange for making a minimum bid. This system “makes them more competitive on the financial side with Christie’s,” said a partner in Danziger, Danziger & Muro LLP. [ Bloomberg ]According to Marc Spiegel, the director of Art Basel, there may be a weakening art market, but that only means the galleries at this year’s edition of the fair will be bringing their best work. [ The Art Newspaper ] GALLERIES While it’s building a new home on West 22nd Street, Hauser & Wirth will temporarily occupy the former four-story Dia Art Foundation building. Annabelle Selldorf will adapt the space for the gallery. [ The New York Times ]Almine Rech will open its New York space in October with a show of works by Pablo Picasso and Alexander Calder. [ The New York Times ]Jesse Stecklow at Chapter NY. [ Contemporary Art Daily ] MARK BRADFORD Before heading to the 2017 Venice Biennale, where he’ll represent the United States, Mark Bradford will have two museum shows. At the Clyfford Still Museum, he’ll curate a show of the Abstract Expressionist’s work, while at the Denver Art Museum, Bradford and Still’s paintings will be shown side by side. [ The Denver Post ] CRIME A Korean gallerist has been indicted for forging works by Lee Ufan. He’s being charged for copying three paintings and making $1.1 million in the process. [ The Korea Times ] 2016-06-10 08:36 The Editors
2 David Zwirner Confirms Hong Kong Outpost (1.02/2) David Zwirner has confirmed plans to launch a new gallery space in Hong Kong , which will span two floors in the city's new H Queen's building, due to open in the fall of 2017. “We have seen literally explosive growth in the interest for Western art among Asian collectors," David Zwirner told the New York Times . “About two years ago, I had this moment, and I thought, ‘Oh my God, if this is how people are learning and engaging, then we've got to have a gallery in the region,' " he added. The gallery team announced they were searching for space in Hong Kong in January of this year. Zwirner apparently considered other cities in the region, such as Beijing and Shanghai, but in the end there was no competition for Hong Kong due to its European connections and wealth of collectors. “I love the European strain in Hong Kong," Zwirner told the NYT . “There are still so many parallels to the way businesses are done in Britain in Hong Kong, and I can relate to that […]. More importantly, it's a hub now for Asian collectors and curators. " The gallery has been designed by Annabelle Selldorf, the architect responsible for Zwirner's whopping 30,000 square feet New York gallery space. It will occupy the 5th and 6th floors of H Queen's—currently still under construction—and span just under 10,000 square feet. H Queen's—billed as a gallery and lifestyle building—has been designed by Hong Kong architect and collector William Lim and will boast a lofty ceiling height of 4.65 meters and a crane with the capacity to lift up to 1.25 tons of artwork to any of its 24 floors. Follow artnet News on Facebook. 2016-06-10 07:42 Amah-Rose
3 Live Then, Live Now — Magazine — Walker Art Center (0.01/2) August 15, 1981 was a Saturday with temperatures in the 70s—on the cool side for the height of summer in Minneapolis. Diana Ross and Lionel Richie’s Endless Love was at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and MTV had been on the air for precisely two weeks. This was uninteresting, though, to the crowd pushing into 7th St. Entry, a one-year-old, black-box annex to Sam’s Danceteria (months later to be rechristened First Avenue), a downtown music club in the former Northland-Greyhound bus depot fast becoming one of the Twin Cities’ premier music venues for emerging talent. They were here for punk rock, and for the homecoming of three young musicians from St. Paul: Grant Hart, Bob Mould, and Greg Norton—collectively known as Hüsker Dü—returning to town at the end of a tour they named the “Childrens’ Crusade.” The tour marked Hüsker Dü’s international breakout, as it began in Calgary and Victoria. It then meandered from Seattle to Portland to San Francisco and Sacramento and back to the Midwest through Chicago and Madison. But here at the Entry (as it was called by its regulars), Hüsker Dü was a fixture, having played the venue on at least 50 occasions—sometimes several times in one week—since January 1980. The cramped Entry—capacity 250—had been hewed from the bus depot’s former cloakroom and cafe. In its corner was the low-ceilinged stage, swathed in peeling black paint and scattered with plastic beer cups. It barely accommodated Hart, Mould, Norton, and Hart’s Ludwig drum kit, inherited at age 10 from his older brother, tragically killed by a drunk driver. The crowd in the smoke-filled room was partying, restless, waiting to experience the contagious energy that by now they knew well. Touring had tightened up the material, and new songs had been written on the road, so the band knew it was a moment to capture. Short on funds for a studio album, they had cobbled together $300 to record the show with the intent of releasing it as a live LP. From the moment Hüsker Dü took the stage, the first set was unrelenting. It began with “All Tensed Up” and proceeded to compress 17 songs into less than a half hour, kept on pace by Hart’s ferocious, high-speed drumming: insistent, decisive, with clear purpose. The LP would be called Land Speed Record and was released shortly thereafter with assistance from Mike Watt of the Minutemen and his label New Alliance. The jacket, like those of many hardcore punk and ska records of the time, was requisite black and white, its DIY graphics (designed by Hart via his pseudonymous Fake Name Grafx with Xerox copier and Sharpie marker) advocating the same urgency and immediacy as the music within. While less melodic and textured than Hüsker Dü’s subsequent albums, this one was special in its unruliness: it not only revealed a band on the verge of its collective potential, but also captured the essence of the venue that had been its incubator. For 26 minutes and 35 seconds within its enveloping black walls, 7th St. Entry became a creative tinderbox, encapsulated within Land Speed Record. Eighteen years later, Hüsker Dü had disbanded, as had Hart’s subsequent band, Nova Mob. By the channels through which artists and performers often discover shared sensibilities, Grant Hart, now a solo performer, met Chris Larson. Both were from St. Paul, both had a fascination with a certain history of American culture, both understood music’s relationship to art. Their friendship through the years became a collaborative one: Hart appeared in Larson’s live performance work Shotgun Shack and his film Crush Collision (both 2006), and Larson provided album art for Hart’s independent release Good News for Modern Man (2014). A musician in addition to being a visual artist, Larson has broad interests. His roots in sculpture have led him to explore film, video, photography, performance, drawing, and painting. His most memorable projects have stemmed from architecture—from vernacular building types (coal mine tipples, shotgun shacks) to imaginary, illogical structures—which inspire sculptural or filmic environments rooted in his skilled carpentry. These structures are layered with a strong narrative armature; he often lays plans within them for some unexpected action, such as the rural shack in Deep North (2008) encrusted inside and out with ice and housing a strange, human-powered machine, or the floating house adrift on a lake in the film Crush Collision (featuring Hart among its performers), in which a rough-hewn machine, a gospel quartet, and a drummer share parallel narratives and spaces within. Larson’s works are often linked—a sculpture becomes a film set that then becomes a photograph, for example—and are also regenerative, as an element used in one piece has the potential to appear again in another. While his earlier works embraced archetypal structures and improvised apparatus, more recent endeavors have investigated specific architectural sites. For Celebration/Love/Loss (2013), he meticulously constructed a full-scale wood-and-cardboard facsimile of the only Marcel Breuer–designed modernist home in the Twin Cities, then proceeded to torch it in a grand spectacle of flame. For Larson, the process of replication is a route to new meaning. With Land Speed Record , his latest video installation, he focuses on the objects (and memories) left behind when their context and architectural enclosure have disappeared. In 2011, Hart’s childhood home in South St. Paul caught fire and partially burned. The smoke-blackened contents—furniture, appliances, antiques and collectibles, Studebaker parts, ephemera from gigs, art supplies, clothing, master tapes, guitars, and drums—had to be quickly cleared from the home, and Larson volunteered his studio as a storage space. For almost two years, the accumulation occupied the studio, itself a former warehouse for furniture in transit from factory to home. Hart would occasionally rearrange things on periodic visits, but Larson lived with and contemplated the items as they sat dormant, without framework or circumstance, unmoored from the house in which they had been collected, where Hart had learned to play the drums used at 7th St. Entry on August 15, 1981. Larson did not focus on the house. Instead, he began to build another machine, this time a motorized track for a camera that could provide new perspective and capture a slow, methodical pan across the 85-foot-long drift of Hart’s possessions. This became a pair of films—one in color, one black and white—each mirroring the 26:35-minute duration of Land Speed Record. At first the films, at once reverential and haunting, were silent. But the work wasn’t finished. Larson began a new sculptural element, this time using the less physical materials of sound, memory, and place. He bought drums from Twin Town Guitars (“Keeping your life loud & local since 1997”)—a crystal-clear Ludwig Vista- Lite kit in mint condition. He commissioned a young musician with a passion for hardcore punk to learn the drum track of Land Speed Record , in its entirety and to meet him at 7th St. Entry when he was ready. The empty venue was unlocked, lights turned on, and the transparent drum kit arranged on the stage. Quietly placed alongside it was a Ludwig snare, unearthed from the pile of burned objects. After recording equipment was set up, the musician, sticks poised, donned headphones. Seven seconds passed, during which one could faintly hear through his headset the sound of a crowd, a squeal of feedback, and the opening chords on Land Speed Record . Then he began drumming, playing with surgical precision alongside the recording of Hart. Live then and live now. This time, distilled and stripped away from band and crowd, Larson’s recording captured just two things: the crystalline syncopation and the walls of 7th St. Entry that carried its sound. In Larson’s installation within the dark gallery space, this pure and specific sound is layered with sculpture (based on the venue’s black room divider/drink rail) and with the films. The sound interrupts, then fades through the filmed images, wrapping Hart’s inert and orphaned belongings in the moving image with the liveness of August 15, 1981. Recorded by the camera and scaffolded by sound, the charred objects are no longer ruins but are emancipated—they no longer require the enclosure of the house, the studio, or specific recollections. When Land Speed Record hit stores just before Christmas 1981, a local critic admiringly called it “a repository of strength and horror” ( City Pages ). For Larson, the notion of the repository remains rich and spacious, filled with the possibility for reinvention. Likewise, the vestiges of what a space has once held, whether objects, sounds, words, or memories, can perpetually be re-embodied. In Larson’s Land Speed Record , these remnants layer to form a larger narrative. Hüsker Dü was named after a family board game that tests one’s ability to recall images: a childhood home, a music venue, a furniture warehouse. The words are Norwegian for “Do you remember?” This essay will appear in the Chris Larson: Land Speed Record exhibition catalogue. To be released in August in commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the release of Hüsker Dü’s album of the same name, the catalogue will take the form of a clear vinyl LP bearing a new drums-only recording of the entirety of Land Speed Record , accompanied by four essays that appear as liner notes. Chris Larson: Land Speed Record is on view June 9, 2016–January 8, 2017. Photo: Larry Smith Photo: Gene Pittman Photo courtesy the artist Installation with color digital video, black-and-white Super 16mm film (each 26:35), sound, and sculpture. Photo courtesy the artist. Installation with color digital video, black-and-white Super 16mm film (each 26:35), sound, and sculpture. Photo courtesy the artist Photo: Jordan Rosenow Installation with color digital video, black-and-white Super 16mm film (each 26:35), sound, and sculpture. Photo courtesy the artist. Photo: Jordan Rosenow 2016-06-10 14:03 By Siri
4 Contemporary Art Projects USA/Gallery announces its participation in Art Santa Fe. (0.01/2) Miami, April 14, 2016– Contemporary Art Projects USA/Gallery announces its participation in ART Santa Fe at the Prime Fair Location of Booth #405; as the fair celebrates its sixteen successful year this summer July 7th to 10th, 2016, when galleries from around the world will once again offer an outstanding overview of modern and contemporary art. Designated as one of UNESCO’s Creative Cities, Santa Fe is a globally familiar art destination. The city claims the second largest art market in the United States, and draws scores of national and international visitors. The Wall StreetJournal’s Smart Money magazine recently noted: “Santa Fe is dotted with 240 art galleries, and is the home of ART Santa Fe, an international art fair that attracts buyers and tourists from around the world. The Santa Fe art scene is one of the best you will find anywhere.” The Gallery will be showcasing a selected group of contemporary artists curated by Silvia Medina, Chief Curator, that includes as Invited Artist Kelly Fischer, Switzerland, with her master piece, “Horizon”, honoring the theme of the Fair; Robin Apple, USA; Rosario AESTUS Vigorito/Italy; Rajvi Dedhia Unadkat/India; Eliel Perez/Puerto Rico; Miquel Salom/Spain; Ileana Collazo/USA; and the unique Kinetic Sculptures of Gary Traczyk/USA- among others. Well-established artist, Jorge Cavelier/Colombia, will present a curated project by Ms. Medina and Linda Mariano member of the curatorial team of Art Santa Fe titled, “Horizon”, for which he will create an imaginary forest with his murals. The media sponsors for Contemporary Art Projects USA are: Smiley Stones, Conexiones Publications, Art and Beyond Magazine, Art Daily News International Magazine, Art Miami Today, and Avior Magazine. So, join us this summer for Art Santa Fe 2016 alongside an illustrious line- up of art lovers and high-net-worth collectors with average household incomes of $200,000+! For More Information, please contact: Contemporary Art Projects USA Tata Fernandez, Director 786-262-5886 [email protected] www.contemporaryartprojectsusa.com 2016-06-10 11:53 Leticia Del
5 Maria Fernanda Lairet, Inaugurates the 2016 Winter Season at MDC-West|Art + Design Museum Miami, Florida Jan. 5, 2016 – The Miami Dade College (MDC) Campus Galleries of Art + Design presents several campus exhibitions to kick off the New Year. FUSION: Maria Fernanda Lairet at MDC- West, inaugurates the 2016 winter season with a student reception at Noon on Jan. 20. The exhibition runs through April 17, 2016. Born in Caracas, Venezuela. Lairet acquired a degree in Graphic Design at the Design Institute of Caracas in 1987. Throughout her career, Lairet has experimented and combined elements of graphic design, drawing, photography and painting to create exciting mixed media works. Currently the artist works in a more reflective and conceptual way through the redesign of paper money for countries globally and in different denominations and her works touch on the political, economic and social issues of each country. She has participated in solo and group exhibitions in universities, galleries, biennials, fairs and exhibitions, both in Venezuela and abroad. Lately, she has participated in Art Palm Beach and Art Santa Fe along with a solo show at Photo Lima. She received second place, Best Artwork during the “Cosmic Connections” fair in Miami in December 2014. The exhibition created in collaboration with Tata Fernandez of Contemporary Art Projects. This exhibition was created in collaboration with Contemporary Art Projects under the direction of Tata Fernandez. 2016-06-10 16:43 Leticia Del
6 Rosaria “AESTUS” Vigorito|Italy-USA Artist’s Statement: … most events are inexpressible, taking place in a realm where no word has ever entered, and more inexpressible than all else are works of art; mysterious existences, the life of which, while ours passes away, endure … Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet I am an Italian-American, a lesbian, a retired NY lawyer, a law librarian professor, and an ovarian cancer survivor; but my calling is that of an artist. After a long hibernation, I rediscovered my childhood passion for art; and once re-awakened to my innate passion – which I refer to as my second coming out – I studied with various accomplished figurative artists in New York City, and went on to formalize my training by receiving my MFA from the Graduate School of Figurative Arts of the New York Academy of Art in 2003. Following in the example of one of my inspirations, i.e., Picasso, with his perchance for re-invention and bold experimentation, my versatility extends to painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, and the focus of my more recent works: innovative digital mixed media collage – which incorporates the fusion of elements taken from different media, both digital and non- digital, and their manipulation in computer post-production. Regardless of the medium I employ, I subscribe to the philosophy that art serves as a bridge from our primal essence to our higher selves, to the divine. As such, my “aestus,” or passionate fire, and underlying motivation, is to produce works intended to stimulate the senses, provoke emotional responses, elevate the spirit, and address issues that are dear to me. Interview with the Artist by Fatima Canovas|Art Daily News International Magazine 2016-06-10 16:43 tatafedez
7 Memories of Martin Friedman As director of the Walker Art Center from 1961 to 1990, Martin Friedman—who passed away May 9 at age 90—oversaw the construction of a new Walker building, spearheaded the creation of the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, and put the center on the map internationally for its astute curatorial vision, multidisciplinary focus, and artist- centric values. Following up […] 2016-06-10 12:44 By
8 Young Royals Attend Queen’s 90th Birthday National Service of Thanksgiving The special service was held at St. Paul’s Cathedral. The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry also attended. Last night, the duchess donned a royal blue ensemble with cutout shoulders from Roland Mouret and was at church in a different blue hue. She wore a mist blue Catherine Walker wool crepe coat dress with hand- appliquéd white lace and a white Jane Taylor hat. RELATED STORY: Duchess of Cambridge Hosts SportsAid Dinner at Kensington Palace >> Last night, the Duchess of Cambridge hosted a dinner to celebrate SportsAid’s 40th anniversary at Kensington Palace. She met former Olympians and Paralympians supported by the charity, presented a short speech and spoke about her support for the Rio Olympics that will kick off in August. 2016-06-10 14:34 Lorelei Marfil
9 Audition Announcement! Choreographers’ Evening 2016 The Walker Art Center and Guest Curator Rosy Simas are seeking dance makers of all forms to be presented in the 44th Annual Choreographers’ Evening. Rosy Simas, an enrolled member of the Seneca Nation in Western New York, creates dance from a Native feminist perspective. Simas’ current work disrupts Eurocentric cultural norms by creating dance […] 2016-06-10 14:03 By
10 New Sol LeWitt Work Unveiled on the Walker Rooftop A large-scale work by Sol LeWitt has just been installed on the Walker’s rooftop terrace, the first of 17 new outdoor works that will be joining the newly- renovated Walker campus. The piece—Arcs from four corners, with alternating bands of white and brown stone. The floor is bordered and divided horizontally and vertically by a black […] 2016-06-10 16:46 By
11 11 Hippie Modernism: The Struggle for Utopia exhibition catalogue - by Walker Art Center design studio / Design Awards While the turbulent social history of the 1960s is well known, its cultural production remains comparatively under-examined. In this substantial volume, scholars explore a range of practices such as radical architectural and anti-design movements emerging in Europe and North America; the print revolution in the graphic design of books, posters and magazines; and new forms of cultural practice that merged street theater and radical politics. Through a profusion of illustrations, interviews with figures including: Gerd Stern of USCO; Ken Isaacs; Gunther Zamp Kelp of Haus-Rucker-Co; Ron Williams and Woody Rainey of ONYX; Franco Raggi of Global Tools; Tony Martin; Drop City; as well as new scholarly writings, this book explores the conjunction of the countercultural ethos and the modernist desire to fuse art and life. The catalogue for Hippie Modernism: The Struggle for Utopia is edited by curator Andrew Blauvelt and contains new scholarship that examines the art, architecture, and design of the counterculture of the 1960s and early 1970s. The catalogue surveys the radical experiments that challenged societal norms while proposing new kinds of technological, ecological and political utopia. It includes the counter-design proposals of Victor Papanek and the anti-design polemics of Global Tools; the radical architectural visions of Archigram, Superstudio, Haus-Rucker-Co, and ONYX; the installations of Ken Isaacs, Joan Hills, Mark Boyle, Hélio Oiticica, and Neville D'Almeida; the experimental films of Jordan Belson, Bruce Conner, and John Whitney; posters and prints by Emory Douglas, Corita Kent, and Victor Moscoso; documentation of performances by the Diggers and the Cockettes; publications such as Oz and The Whole Earth Catalog ; books by Marshall McLuhan and Buckminster Fuller; and much more. While designing the publication, one of the tensions we were interested in exploring was the relationship of the hippie as popularized by the media and its authentic counterpart, if such a thing existed. As Andrew describes in his preface to the catalogue, "The hippie was and remains a highly mediated figure, one used rhetorically within this project as the same kind of empty signifier to which accreted many different agendas. Or, as the Diggers once said, the hippie was just another convenient "bag" for the "identity-hungry to climb in. " If the publication could illustrate both the hippie as utopic countercultural agent and the hippie as "devoted son of Mass Media," we might begin to emulate a Hippie Modernism. Typographically, we responded to lo-fi publications such as the Whole Earth Catalog, How to Build Your Own Living Structures, Be Here Now, and theFoundation Journal on one hand, and the iconic, corporate advertising language of the '60s and '70s on the other. Bridging these two registers came quite naturally to many of the artists and designers of this era, who understood that envisioning a utopia meant performing it, broadcasting it, projecting it, publishing it, and advertising it. Creating the future meant co- opting the strategies of mass communication. One obvious example of this was "Advertisements for the Counter Culture," an insert in the July 1970 issue of Progressive Architecture magazine, in which representatives of the counterculture were invited to create advertisements for their various projects and efforts. In the preface, editor Forest Wilson wrote, "The following pages reflect deep discontent with things as they are. We should be concerned when such options cease to be advertised, for it is when those who seek change despair of its realization that violence becomes inevitable. The public notices that follow are put forth to offer alternatives to our way of life, not to destroy it. " In addition to reprinting the insert in our catalogue, we created a 16-page reimagining of it through the lens of Hippie Modernism, interspersed throughout the essay section. Some of these pages feature real ads, publication covers, and layouts from the period, while others are fictional recreations (the McLuhan ad, for example, required restaging a photoshoot in order to translate an ad that was originally black-and-white into full color). The pages are printed on Constellation Jade Riccio, a dreamy, pearlescent paper embossed with a wavy pattern that brings to mind the organic psychedelia of certain hippie projects such as Elias Romero's oil and ink light show experiments, while also reinforcing notions of mass production and surface, by way of it's highly artificial nature. (I first saw this paper used beautifully by Laurent Fétis and Sarah Martinon in the design of the catalogue for the 23rd International Poster and Graphic Design Festival of Chaumont 2012.) The book also includes an extensive plate section, featuring images and descriptions of the projects featured in the exhibition. Finally, the image on the cover of the book depicts the US Pavilion for Expo 67 (Montreal), designed by Buckminster Fuller and Shoji Sadao, as it caught fire on May 20, 1976. As a signifer, the photo by Doug Lehman seems to perfectly encapsulate the friction implied by the term "hippie modernism" and, more explicitly, the counterculture's utopian agenda being subsumed—and deemed a failure—by the conservative era that was to follow. With each passing year, though, this reactionary characterization of the counterculture moment rings more and more hollow, as contemporary practitioners revisit the revolutionary strategies these artists, designers, and activists deployed. 2016-06-10 16:46 Volume Inc
12 12 An Opening Reception for Lee Kit’s Hold your breath, dance slowly On May 11th, Walker Contributing Members gathered in the Cargill Lounge to celebrate the opening of Hold your breath, dance slowly, the first U. S. solo museum exhibition of Taiwan-based artist Lee Kit. The instillation combines Lee’s paint-based practice and his object-based practice to explore the poetics of everyday materials and household items. Contributing Members were […] 2016-06-10 13:44 By
13 zaha hadid's twisting generali tower tops out in milan zaha hadid's twisting generali tower tops out at 44-floors in milan zaha hadid’s twisting generali tower tops out at 44-floors in milan image by alberto fanelli © citylife zaha hadid’s twisting skyscraper in milan has topped out. originally named ‘lo storto’, (‘the twisted one’), the 170 meter structure has been renamed the ‘generali tower’ after the insurance firm who will occupy the building. once complete, the 44-storey skyscraper will join the allianz tower, designed by arata isozaki and andrea maffei. a further tower, designed by daniel libeskind, will be added at a later date — the ensemble forming the centerpiece of milan’s vast citylife development. hadid’s skyscraper will join the ‘allianz tower’ (right), designed by arata isozaki and andrea maffei image by alberto fanelli © citylife the base of hadid’s design will contain a commercial shopping area that connects to milan’s underground metro system. above, 39 storeys are dedicated to high-level executive functions, capable of accommodating around 3,200 people. in addition, an underground car park provides space for up to 380 vehicles, helping to alleviate parking issues. the concrete structure contains a central core able to withstand lateral loads, with a radial set of columns allowing the floor plan to twist as it rises — transferring the necessary vertical forces. sun-shading louvers and a double glazing system, with integrated ventilation, will ensure a comfortable interior environment. the tower has topped out at a height of 170 meters image by martino negri © citylife the citylife development covers an overall area of 366,000 square meters. its transformation plan provides for a structured and balanced mix of public and private programs. the three commercial towers are located at the center of the site, surrounded by residential buildings and public green spaces. these habitable dwellings also include designs from hadid and libeskind. the ‘generali tower’ currently has a scheduled completion date of 2017. see designboom’s previous coverage of the vast development here, including our interview with andrea maffei, one of the architects behind the ‘allianz tower’. the structure currently has a scheduled completion date of 2017 image by martino negri © citylife sun-shading louvers and a double glazing system will ensure a comfortable interior environment image by alberto fanelli © citylife the concrete structure contains a central core able to withstand lateral loads image © citylife rendering showing how the site will look once it reaches completion image © citylife 2016-06-10 13:20 Philip Stevens
14 Erasing the Photographer’s Hand: Phil Collins’s Free Fotolab Phil Collins’s free fotolab is included in the Walker exhibition Ordinary Pictures, on view February 27–October 9, 2016. In his work free fotolab (2009), British artist Phil Collins presents 80 photographs that exactly fill the standard 35mm slide carousel he uses to project the images onto the gallery wall. Although Collins is a photographer, he […] 2016-06-10 16:46 By
15 Longtime CBS Veteran Launches Boutique Communications Firm Jeremy Murphy , the former vice president of communications of CBS and creator and editor of CBS Watch magazine, is opening his own boutique media agency called 360bespoke. The New York-based agency, which will officially open its doors on September 12, will offer public relations, communications, marketing, branding, media training and content development to select clients in the luxury space. This includes fashion, travel, lifestyle and the arts. Murphy, who spent 10 years at the helm of Watch magazine, said the firm would have a presence in Florida, Washington, D. C., Los Angeles, and eventually, London. Aside from Murphy, the firm includes chief operating officer Joseph Wilson, who worked as director of brand relations at Watch magazine; vice president Monica Neville Barber, a former communications executive from News Corp., and senior vice presidents Faith Zuckerman, of the Arnell Group and Fine Line pictures, and Wendy Gordon, who worked on food and beverage communications for the Ritz Carlton Hotels. At launch, the firm has a roster of 14 clients, including European lifestyle brand Vicomte-A; violinist and Dior Homme ambassador Charlie Siem; model Johannes Huebl; celebrity florist and artistic director of the George V Paris hotel Jeff Leatham; opera star Iestyn Davies; spa, skin and beauty brand Cornelia; model and British Fashion Council ambassador Robert Konjic; Deborah Mitchell, a London-based creator of Heaven skin care and beauty products; fashion and brand photographer Ian Derry; LA-based interior decorating firm Merrell-Williams Designs, and model Bertil Espegren, who owns Miami’s Bertil Bernhardt Design & Art Gallery. “The collection of clients we have is going to open a lot of doors to big brands in the luxury space who want to align with first-class talent,” Murphy told WWD. Well, at least ,that is the hope. Murphy, who spent 14 years at CBS, explained that 360bespoke would work to get clients in front of “mainstream press.” He cited Siem as an example of a client who has had success with fashion brands and magazines, alike. 2016-06-10 13:00 Alexandra Steigrad
16 studio TK square modular series by toan nguyen toan nguyen brings home/office square modular pieces for studio TK to NEOCON 2016 all images courtesy of toan nguyen for NEOCON 2016 in chicago, studio TK brings their latest work with paris designer toan nguyen – the ‘infinito’ series as well as the ‘masalla’ coffee tables. based on square modularity, each piece can generate many different configurations and combinations, involving all four directions that interact with the surrounding architectural spaces. each element can stand alone in the most traditional layouts or be combined to create island situations. both the ‘infinito’ series of tables and chairs are low in height and compact with proportions that favor sociability and interaction among users. additionally, the flexible orientation of the cluster arrangements offers a level of privacy. the latest addition, ‘infinito’ tables come in combinations that include laminate, veneer, or glass with a base finish in white, granite, ebony, sunburt, voltage or reaction. each element can stand alone or together the ‘infinito’ lounge comes in three elements: chair, sette and three-seater sofa. each has a wooden frame padded with polyurethane and feathers, covered in fabric or leather with coordinated piping. toan nguyen’s ‘masalla’ coffee table is shaped in either a square or a rectangular with MDF multicolor lacquered boards with glass or with a MDF tabletop. modular for either the home or office ‘infinito’ tables have a variety of colors for the top and bottom layers the shape allows users to interact in all four directions each ‘masalla’ table can come in either square or rectangular shapes 2016-06-10 12:50 Piotr Boruslawski
17 Buckingham Palace Releases Another Portrait of Queen Elizabeth Shot By Annie Leibovitz More Articles By The portrait was shot by Annie Leibovitz at Windsor Castle. The palace released the image on Twitter with a quote from the sovereign about her husband. “He has, quite simply, been my strength & stay all these years.” Prince Philip turns 95 today. The palace released three photographs last April, all shot by Leibovitz, showing the Queen with the youngest members of the royal family, Princess Anne and her four dogs. Britain’s longest-reigning monarch will be feted with a series of events including a service of thanksgiving today at St. Paul’s Cathedral, the annual Trooping the Colour official birthday parade on Saturday, and a picnic for hundreds on The Mall on Sunday. The picnic is a ticketed event, with attendees coming mainly from the U. K. charities the Queen supports. RELATED STORY: The Big 9-0: Britain Says Happy Birthday to Queen Elizabeth >> 2016-06-10 12:28 Lorelei Marfil
18 zach both converts a chevy cargo van into a nomadic filmmaking studio zach both converts a chevy cargo van into a nomadic filmmaking studio all images courtesy of zach both for the past year, young filmmaker zach both has been traveling across the united states in a self-built mobile studio. his nomadic atelier has been converted from an otherwise inhabitable, decade-old chevy cargo van to a minimal and functional dwelling on wheels. outfitting the interior with a sustainable and sophisticated aesthetic, both has used reclaimed wood on the ceiling and walls, sourced from a 19th century church in cleveland, ohio. inside, living spaces accommodate a futon bed, a functioning kitchen with stove, and a comfortable workspace. on the outside of the van, solar panels have been installed on the roof, powering the fridge, a mobile wifi network and a home theater system. zach both has been traveling across the united states in a self-built mobile studio ‘filmmaking by nature is a nomadic pursuit,’ both describes. ‘it’s a constant migration to and from different locations based on what the storytelling requires. with this van, I now have complete freedom to write a script surrounded by mountains, direct a shoot in a remote desert town and then collaborate with an editor or composer in los angeles — all within the same month. that would be impossible any other way.’ the nomadic atelier has been converted from an otherwise inhabitable, decade-old chevy cargo van wanting to share the knowledge he collected while building the van, both created a free online guide that provides insight to those interested in converting a vehicle into a livable space. ‘thevanual‘ offers a detailed, step- by-step guide to the construction process, while incorporating informative imagery and specific construction techniques during the conversion. additionally, a lifestyle guide presents tips and tricks for life on the road, including where to safely park overnight and advice on how to work as a digital nomad. the project is realized as a minimal and functional dwelling on wheels the interior is outfitted with a sustainable and sophisticated aesthetic reclaimed wood on the ceiling and walls was sourced from a 19th century church in cleveland, ohio both also created a free online guide that provides insight to those interested in converting a van the website offers advice on how to work as a digital nomad solar panels have been installed on the roof, powering the fridge and a mobile wifi network 2016-06-10 11:50 Nina Azzarello
19 icon 1000 dromedarii icon 1000 dismantles a triumph motorcycle ready and conditioned for the wasteland all images courtesy of icon 1000 motorcycles for long journeys need to become shaped with un-compromised functionality. the ‘dromedarii’ from icon 1000 is based on the bones of a triumph ‘tiger 800XC’ modified for the apocalyptic conditions. the ‘dromedarii’ (the name comes from the late roman empire’s camel- mounted cavalry division) features a stiffened ohlins suspension kit, off-road conti rubber tires and raised subframe increased for tough conditions. all of the original triumph’s plastic panels had been removed and replaced with steel cages and plates to protect vulnerable engine components. a custom oversized fuel tank, along with auxiliary fuel cells provide increased range. the huge headlights are combined with lithium batteries for increased overall lowlight visibility while still reducing the weight. finally, front and rear load-bearing racks where added for carrying requisite supplies and baggage. the front headlights get even more power from the own lithium upgraded batteries 2016-06-10 11:20 Piotr Boruslawski
20 Fionn Meade Paul Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan Meade Chan A common feature within Paul Chan’s three works on view in the exhibition Less Than One is the use of silhouette form to question power dynamics. Void of identifying features or specific characteristics, the animated silhouette within Chan’s restive vision invites and prompts us to project possible narratives onto reduced and impoverished images. Embracing what artist and theorist Hito Steyerl has termed the “poor image” of dubious genealogy within digital culture, Chan’s series The 7 Lights (2005–2007), works with “light and light that has been struck out” to depict a shadow cinema of the sacred and profane within contemporary culture. The tangible yet pared down outline of daily life gradually loses form in the series, with lampposts, cell phones, animals, circuitry, weapons, and people slowly breaking up into fragments that have no single point of gravity. As in 6 th Light , on view, the virtual is seen rising and falling in an animated cycle of dissolution. Score for 7 th Light , the final piece of the series, pushes toward total abstraction as a musical score of shadow fragments is laid out and contained within the strictures of the music staff across composition pages, offering near impossible instructions for the as-yet- unmade final projection in the cycle. It is in Sade for Sade’s sake (2009), however, that Chan deploys his poor cinema of the silhouette to truly epic effect, creating an immersive environment of nearly life-sized animated figures engaged in various encounters of sex and violence. Interspersed with floating rectangular forms that recall redacted imagery or censored sections of explicit texts, the mood of Chan’s work speaks to the American psyche at that time. Here, the artist has added a range of toy guns to what is a highly charged site-specific installation of the work. I recently sat down with Chan to discuss this most recent iteration of Sade for Sade’s sake , on view at the Walker, in the Lower East Side office of Badlands Unlimited , the publishing house Chan founded in 2010, devoted to e-books, paper books, and artist works in digital and print forms. Curating Less Than One I noticed a subtheme in the works I was selecting: what does it mean to become American, as opposed to being American? Thinking about your work, I immediately thought: Sade for Sade’s sake needs to be shown—right now. It just felt timely. You don’t over-explain your work, but I know that at the time you were making it there was heightened attention to the extralegal situations of US policy around Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, and some of the redacted images that were coming out from Abu Ghraib in particular resonate, I think, for a viewer who’s paying attention to these connections. So, I wanted to first just ask you how you got into the whole Sadean project. The origins of the Sade project came from my reading and thinking about Henry Darger. I did a projection piece called Happiness (finally) after 35,000 years of civilization, after Charles Fourier and Henry Darger (2003), and Sade was a part of that mix. Why was he a part of the mix? Because he was an artist and a thinker who I believe was on the same wavelength as Darger, insofar as they were both interested in the look of infinitude. Darger’s landscapes looked infinite, like a world. But what you realized if you looked a little more closely is that this world was actually composed of a finite set of elements, that he only drew something like 24 kinds of flowers, but he varied them in such a way that his landscapes were completely populated with all different kinds of flowers. It’s a basic idea of theme and variation. But he had a theme. He had, say, four types of trees, and then he varied them to a point where you couldn’t tell what was happening. And Sade, in a very similar spirit, did that in his writing around ideas and acts of sex and violence. One of the other things that I thought connected them was the spirit of escape. Darger lived a terribly lonely and isolated life in Chicago, tragic in every meaningful sense. The Marquis de Sade also led a different kind of tragic life, but it’s important for me to remember that he wrote his greatest works while imprisoned, right? The 120 Days of Sodom was written while he was in the Bastille, and the intensity and the feel of infinitude, I think, come from the desire to escape. So, Sade is a part of the mix of that early animation, but I could never make Sade fit , so I took him out and put him in the back of my mind until after The 7 Lights , when I realized, “Oh, this is a thing I should do. I should follow up with that thinking around Sade.” That’s how it came out. After The 7 Lights , I re-remembered Sade, and thinking about Sodom , and rereading it, I realized that we don’t really think about it this way, but Sodom was a book about war profiteers, that the four men who perpetrated the atrocious, sexual, violent acts of kidnapping people—girls and boys—to bring them to their chateau to do whatever they want with them, they could do that because they were war profiteers within the war of Louis XIV. They profited from the war of Louis XIV. That really struck me, because at the time that we were living, we were going through a war, the Second Gulf War. We were going through the destruction of countries in the Middle East, and we were hearing stories about war profiteering. Of your use of the silhouette form, I think of Goya and the Caprichos and other artistic approaches to the grotesquery of the silhouette as a tool for speaking to situations of power and misuse of power. In Sade , the silhouette forms are so artificial. Then the animated jitter brings them to life in a way that is artificial, and yet its artificiality prompts a disturbing effect for viewers. Can you talk about why you chose the silhouette form? I’m a terrible drawer [Laughs]. I can’t draw to save my life! And a silhouette makes it much easier. I have less to deal with! [Laugh] Just one line, really, and nothing inside. I think that’s the simplest answer. A more complicated answer may be that I may not be interested in what it is at all. I may be interested more in its movement. I’ve told this story before, but I’m nearsighted. I’ve been nearsighted since I was, like, 12. But I’m so vain that I refuse to wear glasses, and I’ve learned to live that way because I realized when I was young that I don’t have to see with clarity to know what I’m looking at. I’ve adapted, based on my vanity, so that I can recognize people and things based on their movement. So, I may not be able to tell if that’s you from your face down the street, but I’d like to think that if we hang out just a little bit more, I would know how you’d move, and I would recognize you walking down the street from a block away. That’s how I can tell people in the street since I was 15. So, to me, movement becomes the essential way in which I see things, and it may be the case that the through line for the work that I’ve done, regardless of the medium, is movement. I loved drawing the Darger stuff, the Happiness pieces. I loved drawing them all, but what I was more invested in was how they move. And so with Sade , what was important was a particular spirit or style of moving, which I call “petrified unrest.” That jittering is completely artificial, but what’s interesting is that it feels very human to me, insofar as it represents the feeling that I get when I sit in front of a computer [laughs] or when I’m anxious. That movement is the baseline for the whole piece. If you can see it musically, that jittering is the baseline. Nothing stands still; everything is moving. And even if you’re still, you’re jittery. The counterpoint, in the musical sense, is the gliding—the geometry of the squares coming from left to right. I immediately think of visual redaction. But was that tension thought of as a musical counterpart? That’s very astute. I think it’s true. I didn’t necessary think of it as redaction, but I did think of it as a counterpoint to the movement theme of petrified unrest, as the geometric shapes move qualitatively differently. They’re slow, languid, calming. Mesmeric. And I needed that, because it was too painful to watch even artificial shadows of human beings in petrified unrest. Over time, as I was making it, I couldn’t bear looking at it. It needed a counterpart. It needed something to lessen the burden. Can you talk a bit about the mood when you made the piece? My sense in working with you on this installation is that the mood has to have an update each time you install the piece. The variation includes the space itself. Yeah, I think it’s a function of the illusion of it being a shadow; that the pleasure and the challenge of shadows is that they can go anywhere. In fact, the more unorthodox a surface, the more illusionary it looks. That shadow is a sort of story. I showed some of the Lights in Europe in this institution, and because they knew that the projection would be on the floor, they assumed that the floors must look like a screen, so they cleaned the floor and painted it white and glossed it so it was like a projection screen. And it looked terrible. I told them, “It’s not a projection. It’s a shadow, and it looks better as a shadow if it functions like a shadow.” That it falls on whatever it falls on. Right. It elongates, shrinks, and expands. Right, and I think that’s the spirit in which Sade was made. The spirit of The 7 Lights transfers over to Sade insofar as it needs an unorthodox surface for it to give it the mimetic sense of it being a shadow. For the Walker installation, being able to use the former installation walls and pallets and things that call to mind almost a non-space, or a space in between modes, is just so effective, in particular in counterpoint to the kind of mesmeric left-to-right of the geometric movement. Then there are the toy guns. Can you talk about adding the toy guns? Sure. When I found out you guys were installing Sade , I thought it was great, and I knew that we were in conversation about an unorthodox projection surface. At the time, news of guns was in the air—who has a right to own them, who does not—and I thought, “If we need an unorthodox projection surface, why not have the surface be guns?” That’s when I put in the request to just buy guns. [Laughs] It brings to mind a very particular American conundrum, which is the right to bear arms and the inevitability that every decade guns are more and more an issue in American culture. And in some ways, that extends to how guns are mixed with sex, violence, and celebrity, as well as economic inequality in American society, not to mention questions around what police presence and the consideration of what a “police state” might mean in this country. These things really intermingle in ways that are very powerful. To overlay that on the piece itself in Sade , was in some ways directly responding to this moment. I think so. It’s nice to know a work can do that, and I think I’m just taking advantage of how the works are made. Sade needs an unorthodox projection surface. I don’t say what that unorthodox projection surface is, so the opportunity is always there when people install Sade to interject, to intervene in that space, to give it a kind of presence that it may not have had otherwise. I think of that old Chinese adage that the strongest force in the world is water. I think part of the pleasure of the shadow works I’ve made is precisely that they sort of “bend” themselves. There is no ideal situation for how they’re shown. They actually need a less-than-ideal space. The Lights : they need a dirty floor. Sade : you need an uneven surface. It’s almost like a dare. It’s like, “I dare you.” I remember thinking this with Sade : “I dare you to do this. I dare you to project on a brick wall in Venice.” “I dare you to project on the wall that no one uses at Carol Greene’s gallery.” I think it’s pleasurable. Do you think that less-than-ideal aesthetic is perhaps also a way of prompting or working through philosophical ideas? That philosophical engagement, or political-philosophical mix of concerns, has to have, in some ways, a less-than-ideal aesthetic to be able to actually have something to it, rather than just be a declaration or a position? I love that explanation, and I will use that from now on, because what I’ve used is that I’m an asshole. [Laughs] That’s it. We are beholden to our temperament, I suppose. I am. Whether I want it or not, whether I like it or not, my temperament is: I would rather work in less-than-ideal situations. I need it, in fact, for me to think and to feel and to work at the highest level that I think I can. Because at the end of the day, I don’t think I’ve ever been in an ideal situation for anything. And I may not have the temperament to make it, so if that’s the case, I’d rather work with what I’m willing to take. So, there is real pleasure for me in seeing the Lights projected on a dirty, wet floor. There’s real pleasure in me seeing Sade projected on a brick wall, or seeing the wooden slats that you had put in front of it. It’s like, “Oh, that’s right. Yeah, it can survive here.” Yeah, I think of it like a dare. I think of it like those weeds that you see in concrete. Like, it’ll grow anywhere. You know, you don’t have to give it much. It’ll grow anywhere. I like works that are resilient and tough. We just closed a show with German artist Andrea Büttner. Oh yeah, she’s great. I love her. She introduced a boulder as part of her exhibition and asked us to gather all these mosses that grow in Minnesota, and then we had to let it take hold for about four months before the show. For Andrea, she talks about mosses as being cryptogamous. Their sexuality is not clear, in biological or specialist terms, but also that they can survive all kinds of strange scenarios, resilient and tough. So, we had this really interesting moss garden in the gallery that made it all the way through the show. We brought in a grow light at night and things like that. I bring up the moss garden because of your Schaulager show, I sent Andrea a picture early on in the moss garden process, and I was like, “Man, check out Paul’s moss piece!” [Laughs] And she’s like, “Oh, my God. How did he do that?” “What an asshole.” Something like that. Actually, she was like, “It’s really beautiful.” I thought that was just really a powerful piece in your exhibition at Schaulager. That strikes me as something along the same lines as what you’re referring to: daring something to survive in a certain situation. People always ask you about your political engagement and your philosophical promiscuity. You’re a promiscuous reader, and you also have been directly involved in political engagements and actions, though you often talk about these concerns separately. Can you talk about that? I think it’s really interesting, the permissiveness you have to engage with philosophy. I guess it’s no more different than whatever else we find pleasure in doing. The history of philosophy, for me, is a history of great comedy and drama. There’s nothing funnier and more tragic than reading men and women who think they can figure it out. Like, you read Augustine, and it’s like, “You really think you’re going to get it all, don’t you?” Or Plato. Spinoza. It’s moving to me to imagine someone out there thought once, and perhaps will think again, that they’re going to figure it out. I like that. I’m not going to do it, but I’m glad they are. [Laughs] And I like reading about it; to me it’s very pleasurable. Oddly enough, ironically enough, it’s also given me a kind of intellectual and aesthetic and maybe even emotional sustenance to deal with being on Earth, because it’s terrible here! [Laugh] Just the worst! And whatever sustenance we can find to give ourselves just a little bit more endurance and resiliency is necessary. Some people take steroids. Some people take HGH [human growth hormone]. I read Spinoza, and I think it works for me. I also think of [Giorigio] Agamben , as somebody who writes about religion and the transition from the 20th to the 21st century with an earnestness and not a kind of dismissiveness, though not necessarily as a believer. Your work has a kind of recurrent liturgical aspect to it. Can you talk about that? I think it connects a lot to philosophy. There is no history of philosophy without history of religion. Philosophy is an outgrowth of the history of religious thought in the West. So, you can’t have the one without the other. You may think that we can, but as Agamben shows, we really can’t, historically speaking, at least. He is definitely someone who understands that interrelationship between the history of religion and the history of philosophy and how they entangle each other over time, right up to now. And I think, you know, like we talked before about war. Our time involves seeing the emergence of a new religiosity in the US that, I think, has surprised everyone. Who knew in the 21st century we’d have to think about that again? I didn’t. And who would’ve thought that religion would continue to be such a mobilizing force, socially and politically? I didn’t think it was going to happen, but here we are. So, even just as a person curious about politics, I feel like it’s incumbent upon me to be open and to be curious about religion in all its aspects. I think a lot of it comes from my political work. When I was in Baghdad, religion played such a large part in social life there that it really changed my views. It was after my trip to Baghdad , my experience doing anti-war work in Iraq, that I realized I needed to learn much more, and just be familiar with it. Interesting. Roberto Calasso—you ever read him? He runs the Adelphi Publishing House in Italy, but he’s also a writer and specializes in Vedic traditions. He studied at the Warburg Institute at the same time as Agamben, so he has this kind of intermingling curiosity. And he also talks very much about how philosophy and literature cannot extract themselves from moving toward and away but also around the consideration of God or religion. What Agamben shows is the clarity with which we can look at certain aspects of contemporary culture if we allow ourselves a religious vantage point. That if the goal is to see things with a certain kind of clarity, then seeing it from an aspect that can be considered religious is an important component to that clarity. To me, you can’t understand Jeff Koons except through religion. It gives him a kind of clarity that no other outlook can give you. Same thing with the religious right, the Tea Party. If you look at it purely from a kind of secular, capitalist, class, or geographic standpoint, you can get some semblance of clarity, but not all of it. An outlook that allows religion in is, to me, a kind of greater clarity about certain aspects of contemporary life—which, again, is shocking to say because this is 2016. One of the really interesting responses to the Sade piece is— “Is he on drugs?” [Laughs] No rather a response to violence being mesmerizing in the piece. It’s disturbing in terms of a kind of artificial violence, but it also is incredibly mesmerizing. It really draws you in, and you kind of hang out with it. There’s actually a lot of engagement with portraying violence in your work. Is that just, again, a kind of gravitational pull? Maybe the simplest way of saying it is that I think violence is mesmerizing. And we have an example of this right now insofar as we hear Trump’s rhetoric. There’s a violence and aggression to it that’s mesmerizing. I think it’s mesmerizing because if one identifies with it, one feels that they can make a friend of it. And if we make a friend of that violence and aggression, we think it will protect us. You see? I think part of the appeal of belonging to something that shows those kind of tendencies is the belief that if we belong to it, it will protect us—that that aggression and that violence will protect us because we have identified with it. And if we identify with it, it may identify with us and see us as being a part of it. So, I think part of the mesmerizing-ness of it may be this. I don’t know what it is, but I think that’s the dynamic of it. I think that’s part that is the aesthetics of violence. I recently read a journalistic piece tracing a certain kind of populist American demagoguery, from Huey Long to [George] Wallace, to Trump, where this kind of appeal, as you say, is made to a protectiveness through violence, or, a promise of protection through courting a violent aesthetic. It is really sort of shocking to see it be so unfettered in 2016. It’s true. And I think it shows how powerful and compelling that draw is, that pull of violence, and how it echoes with a kind of air of authority that people feel like they ought to belong to if they want to be protected because of the precarious nature of contemporary life—which we all know and feel. I mean, talk about petrified unrest. “I would rather work in less-than-ideal situations. There’s real pleasure in me seeing Sade projected on a brick wall, or seeing the wooden slats that you had put in front of it. It’s like, ‘Oh, that’s right. Yeah, it can survive here.’” “There’s a violence and aggression to Trump’s rhetoric that’s mesmerizing. I think it’s mesmerizing because if one identifies with it, one feels that they can make a friend of it. And if we make a friend of that violence and aggression, we think it will protect us.” Paul Chan’s Sade for Sade’s sake (2009) is on view in Less Than One through December 31, 2016. Photo: Gene Pittman, Walker Art Center Courtesy the artist and Greene Naftali, New York © Paul Chan Photo: Tom Bisig, Basel Collection Walker Art Center Courtesy the artist and Greene Naftali, New York © Paul Chan. Photo: Tom Bisig, Basel Courtesy of the artist and Greene Naftali, New York Photo: Gene Pittman, Walker Art Center Courtesy the Artist and Greene Naftali, New York © Paul Chan Photo: Tom Bisig, Basel © Paul Chan. Photo: Tom Bisig, Basel Photo: Gene Pittman, Walker Art Center 2016-06-10 14:03 By Fionn
21 Cyber-Mystical Jewelry Will Boost Your Instagram Following Mixing occult powers and 3D printing technology, Wynn Mustin’s new collection of jewelry isn’t your typical accessory line. The crystal-based rings, necklaces, and other accessories of STONEDALONE promise its user a series of “cyber mystical properties,” or more concretely, a series of powers for our digital era, depending on the color crystal purchased. The orange crystal will give you followers and likes, the purple crystal will make you “look Instagram filtered IRL,” and the blue crystal naturally “simulates a sense of shavasana after a harrowing Reddit session.” “The inspiration for STONEDALONE was born out of a long meditation and deep personal connection with the ether. I was sent energies by the universe that revealed a confused state of the relationship between human spirit and technology,” Mustin prophetically tells The Creators Project. “I believe I was called to this purpose as a child of the Internet Age and because of my involvement with the occult. After I was called to this purpose, my journey with digital fabrication began, and I learned to invoke protective talismans through my oracle the Makerbot.” All Photos by Cheyenne Cohen. All images courtesy of STONEDALONED. Although the belief in the powers of crystals, particularly in their ability to heal, is not a new phenomenon, this idea is generally associated with crystals formed in nature and not the 3D-printed kind. Mustin says that she opted for artificial crystals instead of natural ones because, “The derivative 3D printing techniques involved in the crystal formation create a delicate harmony between digital fabrication and the spirituality of handcraft.” Her creative director Abi Laurel adds that “adorning 3D-printed materials help to gently guide our spirits along the path of serving our purest technological purpose.” Even though her responses are somewhat otherworldly, Mustin undoubtedly knows what she is doing. She is a candidate for an MFA in design and technology at Parsons, and STONEDALONE is her ambitious master’s thesis project. Together with Laurel, they are blurring the boundaries between mysticism and technology, creating accessories that manage to feel both “before their time” and relevant to describe our digitally obsessed moment in history. So do the powers promoted by these cyber-mystical crystals truly work? Mustin and Laurel cryptically assert yes. “3D-printed crystals are imbued with the magical energy of the human effort and knowledge it took to create the technology that forms them. As the universe instructed me to do, the crystals are energetically programmed to serve the highest purpose of the Internet Age,” Mustin states. “As with all crystals, everyone’s experience is their own. These talismans serve as tools to help us each on our unique paths. We invite you to let in the healing and know you are beautiful and worthy of many, many followers,” Laurel emphatically adds. Learn more about the hidden properties of 3D printed Jewelry and purchase the intricate designs of STONEDALONE here. Follow STONEDALONE on Instagram, too. VIDEO CREDITS: Director/Editor/Model: Abi Laurel Asst. Director: Anise Mariko Director of Photography: Mary Perrino Photography: Cheyenne Cohen Hair & Makeup: Grace Shin Music: Enayet Kabir Produced for STONEDALONE by Wynn Mustin Related: Russian Japanophiles Craft Kawaii Clay Accessories Cotton Candy Jewelry Changes with the Times Custom 3D Printer Turns Songs into Ceramics 2016-06-10 11:01 Andrew Nunes
22 Review of Manifesta 11 On June 5, Switzerland became the first country in the world to hold a nationwide referendum on unconditional basic income. "Unconditional" here meaning that the basic sum provided monthly to all citizens should be sufficiently priced to allow a dignified existence and participation in public life. If there ever was a place where this could become a reality it's here, a peaceful and affluent country in the heart of Europe—though not in the European Union—which takes pride in its model of direct democracy. Alas, the basic income proposal was voted down this past Sunday, with approximately 77 percent of those who had participated casting their ballot against it. This is the backdrop against which, five days after the referendum, the 11th edition of the roving European biennial, Manifesta, opens to the public in Zurich, with the title “What people do for money. " Curated by artist Christian Jankowski, the theme is broached by a series of 30 so-called "joint ventures" bringing artists to collaborate with professionals from all walks of life—literally, from pastor to sex worker. Jankowski's own practice often involves such interactions with professions external to the art world—the most famous being his film Casting Jesus (2011), where he asked members of the Vatican to jury a reality-show-like audition for the role, with actors performing tasks such as breaking bread. He is no stranger to giving away control of his work, either, and had invited German actress Nina Hoss to curate his retrospective in Berlin recently. What happens when an artist with such a strongly recognizable practice wears the hat of the curator? As Jankowski admitted, “I tried to conceive an exhibition that I'd also like to be invited to myself," while insisting that the biennial should not be seen as one big artwork by him. Related: Francesco Bonami Says Curators Are 'Self-Delusional' and 'Irrelevant' in Today's Art World But that's up to the participating artists and only a handful of them managed to take the rules of the game created by Jankowski and carry them forth, away from his signature witticism. Interestingly, it was often the younger and least known names on the roster. That is not to say that having a biennial full of rib-ticklers is necessarily wrong, but when the stated goal is to create interactions between artists and people working as doctors, teachers, therapists, cooks, policemen, scientists, athletes and so on, jest can feel like exoticism—or worse, render the work of artists irrelevant. Among the most delightful ventures is the work by Franz Erhard Walther, who has collaborated with a textile producer on bright orange “half-vests" now worn by staff at the Park Hyatt hotel. Walther, a pioneer of conceptual art and performance, is known for the minimalistic fabric pieces that he integrates himself into by means of wearable parts. For the staff—who seemed genuinely excited and honored to don the new addition to their uniform when I visited the hotel lobby, which is filled with some of the worst works by Sol Lewitt I've ever seen (unrelated to Manifesta)—he created half a vest with one sleeve using cotton which is less dense than the one in his artworks and more functional, yet still maintains its sculptural character. Related: Maurizio Cattelan Will Have Paralympics Athlete Ride Wheelchair on Water for Manifesta An important and utterly successful element of Manifesta 11 is that each commissioned work exists in three parts: one is displayed at one of the main venues; another at a satellite location in Zurich where a work is installed, activated, or performed; and lastly, as a short documentary, created by film students and screened every evening at the Pavilion of Reflections, a floating construction on lake Basel. So for example we learn from the film that some of the works by Norwegian artist Torbjørn Rødland, who had collaborated with dentist Danielle Heller Fontana to create images that play on the disturbing symbolism ascribed to teeth in dreams, were removed by the dentist due to patients' complaints. Perhaps it's no coincidence that several artists chose to collaborate with professionals from the world of medicine, health, and even wellness, including Jon Rafman, who shows work slightly too similar to the one presented only last week at the 9th Berlin Biennale. After all, Switzerland was historically the land of holistic Sanatoria, where tuberculosis patients came to recover and writers such as Thomas Mann and Herman Hesse came to replenish. French author Michel Houellebecq opted for conventional Western medicine and collaborated with a specialist to create a portrait of the artist from (expensive) medical data. Related: The 9th Berlin Biennale Revels in Doomsday Scenarios and Secret Spaces In the exhibition venue the Helmhaus, MRI and ultrasound imaging of Houellebecq's skull, hand, and arteries are on display. The symbolism of creating a portrait from the writer's head and hand collides with the reality that Houellebecq is a very heavy smoker, his hand tremendously nicotine- stained, and his arteries, as the doctor points out in the show's catalogue, not looking very good. At the satellite location—a fancy private clinic with a pleasantly scented lobby—viewers can pick up color printouts of Houellebecq's tests, and glean whatever they can from them. Sexual and mental health also play a role for several projects, with one standout example being Andrea Éva Györi's collaboration with a sexologist to explore the female orgasm. The list of well-conceived collaborations is long. And at times, humor—à la Jankowski—makes for grand gestures, like Mike Bouchet's blocks of excrements , or Maurizio Cattelan 's idea of a performance consisting of a paralympic athlete riding her wheelchair on water , which may or may not happen. Smaller gestures also make an impact, for example the work by German artist and filmmaker Marco Schmitt, who collaborated with Zurich police to create the film Exterminating Badges, which takes its cue from Luis Bunuel's The Exterminating Angel (1962) and switches Bunuel's bourgeois guests trapped at a dinner party (which they cannot seem to find the will to leave) with policemen inexplicably trapped in Zurich's crime museum. In the main exhibition venues, the Helmhaus and the Löwenbräu, a historical exhibition is presented alongside elements from commissioned joint ventures. Co-curated by Jankowski and Francesca Gavin, the historical show is mounted on free-standing structures, which allows viewers to walk around the works. This is a very dense addition to the biennial that positions artworks in thematic and very didactic clusters to demonstrate examples from the past 50 years of artists who integrate professionals or cast themselves in new professions. So we encounter Sophie Calle's 1980 project The Detective or Jonathan Monk's This Painting Should Be Installed by an Accountant (2011). The curators being who they are, there are also a lot of references to subcultures, and even hilarious non-art inclusions, like the Calendario Romano, a calendar known to certain insiders featuring Roman priests from the Vatican, photographed by Piero Pazzi, who all happen to be extremely attractive young men. It's available to order online for €10. But this is also where Manifesta 11 reveals its shortcomings. The exhibition in the more traditional white cube venues is weighed down by too many "historical" works, which gives the impression that the curator was not confident enough that the 30 joint ventures could stand alone and aptly convey his concept. What emerges from the biennial as a parallel theme is a questioning of the work of the artist, that amounts to navel-gazing. There is, however, a collaboration that approaches this very tendency, and is an absolute highlight of the show. Pablo Helguera created a cartoon series published in the Sunday supplement of Das Magazin. His main character, Bolito Husserl, is an overqualified unemployed male looking for a job. His ventures into the art world, presented in a series of Artoons, are hilarious, on point, and should come out as a series in and of itself. Manifesta 11 takes place in Zurich from June 11 – September 18. Follow artnet News on Facebook. 2016-06-10 10:47 Hili Perlson
23 Yayoi Kusama’s Infinitely Stylish Moderna Museet Exhibition Related Venues Moderna Museet Artists Yayoi Kusama “Yayoi Kusama – In Infinity” at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Sweden is Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s first major presentation in Scandanavia and the first comprehensive exhibition to highlight her interest in fashion and design. The major retrospective spans Kusama’s entire career from the 1950s until today, with a particular focus on works from the late 1980s after she had returned to Japan. “To share her experiences, Kusama creates works of art that invite visitors to lose themselves in the infinite nets, mirror rooms and thousands of polka dots with which she covers the world. It is as if her installations suspend time and space – an infinity that embraces rather than overwhelms us,” explains exhibition curator Jo Widoff. From her from early nature studies to her time- and space-subverting installations, “In Infinity” brings together a diverse selection of the Kusama’s paintings, drawings, sculptures, spatial installations, and performance- related material, as well as works from the artist’s own fashion label, The Nude Fashion Company, and her fashion collaborations with Louis Vuitton and graf. Kusama’s unique and distinct practice, characterized by her obsession with repetition and accumulation, is deeply linked to the mental health problems – depressions, hallucinations, and an obsessive compulsive disorder – that have plagued her since she was a child. Since the 1970s she has voluntarily resided in a psychiatric hospital in Tokyo, opposite which she has built a studio. Since the beginning of her career, one of Kusama’s primary motivations has been the quest to create a new and peaceful, more colourful world as an antidote to capitalism and boredom. “The important thing is to reduce the class divide,” Kusama says. “I want all the countries in the world to help each other and that more people can strive to live in peace.” According to exhibition curator Jo Widoff, Kusama incorporates both her inner experiences and herself in her works, removing the distinction between art and artist. The signature imagery of her work – the bright colours and stylized motifs of polka dots (her “infinity nets”), mirrors, pumpkins, and flowers – reflects Kusama’s vivid imagination and gives form to her innermost thoughts and experiences. “The earth is a dot. I am a dot. The moon is a dot. The sun is a dot. The stars are dots. Since the dots are so infinitely many, my life has been a constant struggle to create my art,” Kusama says. “People ask me why I paint as I do, but I don’t know. I just paint and then it hits me: ‘Maybe that’s what I was thinking.’ It’s been like that all my life.” 2016-06-10 10:43 Nicholas Forrest
24 24 winners of the inaugural salone del mobile.milano award named winners of the inaugural salone del mobile. milano award named (above) ‘all plastic chair’ by jasper morrison for vitra, winner for best product (chair) founded in 1961, the salone del mobile.milano started out as a vehicle for promoting italian furniture and furnishing exports, but quickly become an international affair. today, it is considered the single most important, and anticipated, event in the design sector each year. on the occasion of its 55th anniversary, the worldwide-renowned furniture exhibition inaugurated the salone del mobile.milano award to recognize the value of creative ideas, innovation and technology in contemporary products. out of the thousands of products and designers presented at the 2016 salone del mobile.milano, eight winners were selected in the categories of: best product (chairs), best product (furnishing system), best product (kitchen), best product (bathroom section), best display, best young designer, best designer, special jury award, and the banca intesa sanpaolo award. designboom CEO massimo mini was among the high profile jury which also included: silvana annichiarico, director of the triennale design museum, milan; domitilla dardi, design curator of the MAXXI, rome; ettore mochetti, director of AD italia; margherita palli, scenographer; livia peraldo matton, director of elle décor italia; and davide rampello, professor of arts and regional skills at milan polytechnic university. together they nominated the recipients of the international award that highlights the design sector’s finest innovations that harness cutting-edge trends and consider up-to-the-minute modes of home living. ‘commodore’ by piero lissoni for glas italia, winner for best product (furnishing system) the winners are as follows, with the jury’s reasonings for why they were chosen: ‘all plastic chair’ by jasper morrison for vitra, winner for best product (chair) jury’s comment: ‘retaining all the characteristics of a traditional wooden chair, yet moulded from a single piece of plastic.’ ‘commodore’ by piero lissoni for glas italia, winner for best product (furnishing system) jury’s comment: ‘pieces evocative of the past have been shaped with contemporary sensitivity, using glass – a traditional material – to demonstrate that creativity is infinite.’ ‘air’ by daniele lago for lago, winner for best product (kitchen sector) jury’s comment: ‘because it breaks with traditional kitchen schemes, interpreting new lifestyles. it offers a return to its origins, putting ‘fire’ back into the heart of the domestic landscape.’ ‘origami’ by alberto meda for tubes radiatori, winner for best product (bathroom sector) jury’s comment: ‘for the ability to innovate through versatility of use and morphological originality.’ jury’s comment: ‘because it establishes a new display paradigm with a unique power of communication, evocative of the ‘teatrum’, providing a functional use for new digital technologies.’ jury’s comment: ‘because, as a craftsman-designer and without compromising this imprint, he knows how to move from the dimension of personal research to industrial production; and for his ability to pass on his profound knowledge of wood to the manufacturer.’ konstantin grcic, named best designer jury’s comment: ‘because he has managed to express new aesthetic connotations, while remaining true to his own rigorous technical and expressive language.’ jury’s comment: ‘for her ability, as a channel between young and older designers, to never deviate from the path of experimentation, and for her wisdom in bringing themes such as fragility, dignity and delicacy together; expressing them through intelligent design that chimes perfectly with high craftsmanship and with industry.’ simone ciarmoli and miguel queda of CQS studio, given the special banca intesa sanpaolo award simone ciarmoli and miguel queda of CQS studio given the special banca intesa sanpaolo award for the artistic direction of ‘before design: classic’— the exhibition/event on the topic of classic made in italy style, showcased at the salone del mobile.milano 2016. jury’s comment: ‘for taking before design:classic and turning tradition into the future, building a complete and exhilarating project around the world of classic furniture: from their successful collaboration with matteo garrone, which played out in an astonishing story, to the exhibition, every single detail of which was amazing. a truly contemporary way of communicating genuinely timeless style and taste.’ 2016-06-10 10:42 Andrea Chin
25 Bottega Veneta Exhibition Opens in Beijing More Articles By Bottega Veneta creative director Tomas Maier has brought the latest incarnation of his “Art of Collaboration” initiative to Beijing in a new exhibition running through June 28 at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art. Through the “Art of Collaboration” project, Maier has invited a host of photographers and visual artists to collaborate on the Italian brand’s campaigns, including Nan Goldin, Stephen Shore, Philip- Lorca DiCorcia, David Armstrong, Lord Snowdon, Tina Barney, Ryan McGinley, Collier Schorr, Alex Prager and Ralph Gibson. The designer published a book of the campaigns last year with Rizzoli. While the photos from the project have made the rounds of Bottega Veneta stores in Milan, Madrid and Tokyo, this is the first time they have been displayed in an art gallery. “Photography is one of my passions in life, and it has been very interesting for me to use photography to broaden the impression of what Bottega Veneta means today,” said Maier, who hosted an opening event for the exhibition on Tuesday. “I wanted to use the campaigns to express a wider idea of creativity and craft that Bottega Veneta stands for, beyond the normal bounds of fashion.” 2016-06-10 09:55 Amanda Kaiser
26 Duchess of Cambridge Hosts SportsAid Dinner at Kensington Palace She met former Olympians and Paralympians supported by the charity, presented a short speech and spoke about her support for the Rio Olympics that will kick off in August. She wore a long royal blue Roland Mouret dress with cut-out shoulders. While she typically favors classic silhouettes and tends to recycle her wardrobe, the duchess clearly embraced the cold shoulder trend. Today, the royal family is preparing for a weekend of celebrations marking Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday, including a service of thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral on Friday and a street party Saturday on The Mall. RELATED STORY: Young Royals Attend Houghton International Horse Trials >> 2016-06-10 09:42 Lorelei Marfil
27 Winding Back in Time: ‘Electronic Superhighway’ at Whitechapel Gallery, London Nam June Paik, Internet Dream , 1994, video sculpture, 113″ x 149⅝” x 31½”. ONUK (BERHARD SCHMITT)/©NAM JUNE PAIK ESTATE/ZKM CENTER FOR ART AND MEDIA, KARLSRUHE I n 1974 Korean-American artist Nam June Paik predicted, “Video- telephones, fax machines, interactive two-way television…and many other variations of this kind of technology are going to turn the television set into an [expanded-media] telephone system with thousands of novel uses, not only to serve our daily needs, but to enrich the quality of life itself.” The optimism that Paik and his peers felt about new technology in the late ’60s and early ’70s seems quaint today. Artists in the 21st century are much more ambivalent about the dizzying tech developments of recent years, which have connected individuals and communities around the globe but also ushered in a new age of surveillance. This dichotomy was reflected in the landmark exhibition “ Electronic Superhighway (2016–1966) ” at London’s Whitechapel Gallery. The ambitious show charted 50 years of artists’ engagement with new technologies through some 100 artworks. Having long ignored the phenomenon of digital art, many institutions have recently sought to play catch-up, as witnessed by the rash of recent exhibitions in America, Asia, and Europe about art and technology. What made “Electronic Superhighway” different was its effort to situate the phenomenon within a historical lineage. Taking its title from a phrase coined by Paik, “Electronic Superhighway” wound back in time from slick post-Internet art incorporating chat rooms, holograms, and video diaries through early interactive works to the boundary-pushing 1966 Experiments in Art and Technology, or E. A. T., that paired artists such as Robert Rauschenberg, John Cage, and Yvonne Rainer with Bell Laboratories engineers. The curators argued convincingly that E. A. T.’s marrying of then-novel equipment such as video recorders, projectors, and infrared cameras with live performance, dance, and music made it an important precursor to the mixing of disciplines commonplace in art today. This thesis provided something of a through line for the show, a sprawling, euphoric cacophony of artworks across mediums, not unlike the audio-visual bombardment of information we experience daily from television, advertising, and the Internet. Installation view of “Electronic Superhighway (2016–1966),” 2016. STEPHEN WHITE/COURTESY THE ARTISTS T hat the digital revolution has profoundly changed society and social behavior (and perhaps even rewired our brains) was one of several recurring themes. Myriad works of Internet and post-Internet art in the exhibition critiqued our tech-dependent lifestyle, in which online interactions become a substitute for real intimacy and memes replace complex experiences and ideas. At the entrance the visitor was confronted by Olaf Breuning’s Text Butt (2015), a gigantic photo of a naked bottom spouting texts in a literalization of the term “talking out of one’s ass.” One may presume this is critical of the meaninglessness of most of our digital communication, although with Breuning, one can never be quite sure. Amalia Ulman, on the other hand, investigated the increasingly hazy boundaries between public and private life in her project Excellences & Perfections (2014). In a performance lasting several months, Ulman created a semi-fictional persona, posting manipulated images of herself on Instagram and responding to viewers’ demands that she turn herself into a “hot babe.”Yet other works celebrated the upsides of digital technologies: the access to information and the ability to connect with others. Camille Henrot’s bewitching video installation Grosse Fatigue (2013) mirrors the nonlinear, fragmentary way we absorb and order information from the Internet. It offers a kaleidoscopic narrative of the universe’s creation through a montage of photography, illustration, music, spoken-word poetry, film, and computer-screen pop-ups. Ryan Trecartin exploits the visual language of reality television in his manic video A Family Finds Entertainment (2004) to paint an anarchic, gender-bending portrait of a media-saturated generation. Liberated from social and cinematic conventions, the work embodies a sense of excitement around the possibilities of technology that is also evident in pieces from decades past. One such, Roy Ascott’s La Plissure du Texte (1983), linked other tech-minded artists around the world in a computer version of Exquisite Corpse, the game beloved of the Surrealists in which each player sketches part of a body, then folds the paper and passes it on. The exuberance around new technology was especially palpable in Nam June Paik’s tele-happening Good Morning, Mr. Orwell , which was broadcast on New Year’s Day in 1984 by satellite to New York, Germany, South Korea, and Paris, and was watched by some 25 million people. Featuring artists such as John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Joseph Beuys, and Laurie Anderson, the event, a mash-up of live and pre-recorded material, was a joyous rebuttal of George Orwell’s bleak vision of 1984. Amalia Ulman, Excellences & Perfections (Instagram Update, 18th June 2014) , 2015, C-type print dry mounted on aluminum, mounted on black edge frame, 49¼” x 49¼” x 1⅜”. ©AMALIA ULMAN/COURTESY THE ARTIST AND ARCADIA MISSA, LONDON L ike Paik, Allan Kaprow harbored idealistic notions about connecting the world. His 1969 video Hello connected participants on air in four different locations in a comedic display of confusion and delight as each repeatedly declares “Hello, I see you” when the transmission works. But from 1994, five years after the invention of the World Wide Web, Paik’s Internet Dream , featuring a wall of 52 blaring, discordant television monitors, appears to offer a more equivocal reading of developments in networking and data sharing. More explicit concerns about surveillance and the erosion of privacy could be found in works such as Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s 1992 on- screen eye, which tracked the visitor’s movements around the gallery, and Addie Wagenknecht’s chandelier sculpture Asymmetric Love (2013), composed of CCTV cameras and DSL cables. The title of the latter suggests we have entered into a Faustian pact with the state by allowing ourselves to be watched constantly in exchange for the nebulous promise of security.“Reality will soon cease to be the standard by which to judge the imperfect image. Instead, the virtual image will become the standard by which to measure the imperfections of reality,” the narrator says presciently in Harun Farocki’s multi-screen installation Parallel I–IV (2012–14). This work deconstructs the ever more convincing virtual-reality environments of video games. Tracing a trajectory from Greek and Egyptian image making to the almost perfect mimesis of current computer technology, Farocki prompts questions about how such “progress” affects our perception of reality. Digital technologies have also created new platforms for political art. In 2001 Mendi + Keith Obadike’s work Blackness for Sale put Keith’s black identity up for auction on eBay with warnings to the purchaser not to use the “blackness” in situations such as court cases or elections. The satirical work exposes the exoticizing of non-white races and cultures by a predominantly white art world, while highlighting the injustices disproportionately suffered by racial minorities. In James Bridle’s 2014 Homo Sacer a female hologram recites passages from international legislation on citizenship rights, underscoring the way governments and corporations increasingly impart vital information via automation and the disempowering effect this has on the individual. Zach Blas, meanwhile, examines the theme of encroaching technological scrutiny in terms of the politics of queer culture. Fag Face Mask (2012), from his “Facial Weaponization Suite,” consists of an amorphous pink mask constructed from the biometric data of various gay men, thwarting identification of any individual’s features through facial- recognition software. Similarly subversive is Trevor Paglen’s minimalist sculpture Autonomy Cube (2014), created with the technologist and activist Jacob Appelbaum. It contains a host for several computers, creating a surveillance blind spot by routing traffic through Tor, a worldwide network of anonymous volunteer-run servers designed to conceal data. Museumgoers could use the hub to disappear off the grid and become complicit in this act of resistance against state and corporate snooping. Addie Wagenknecht, Asymmetric Love , 2013, steel, CCTV cameras, and DSL internet cables, 39″ x 59″. DAVID PAYR/©ADDIE WAGENKNECHT/COURTESY BITFORMS GALLERY, NEW YORK P aglen’s Autonomy Cube was only one of several works in the show that used interactivity to explore the twilight zone between the real and the virtual. Mouchette (1996), for instance, is an avatar of a teenage artist, created by Martine Neddam. The character Mouchette has her own interactive website that has taken on a spontaneous life of its own in the Internet community, with many users unaware that the site is part of an artwork. In the gallery, one could sit at a terminal and roam Mouchette’s gothic universe of blood-spattered images, throbbing music, and mystical symbols—and, disturbingly, offer her advice on ways to commit suicide. Ann Hirsch also broaches the theme of adolescent vulnerability online in her app work Twelve (2013), presented on a tablet. Seated at a young girl’s bedroom desk, the visitor could voyeuristically observe the girl’s participation in a chat room for 12-year-olds where she is preyed upon by an adult man. One of the joys of the show was to be able to compare the current Net art with early interactive pieces, such as Lynn Hershman Leeson’s groundbreaking installation Lorna (1979–84), centered on an agoraphobic female character. Immersed in a space decorated as Lorna’s living room, the visitor used a remote control to determine Lorna’s fate according to a variety of path options. Made with once-cutting-edge LaserDisc technology, the work remains impressive. Another gem was Russian artist Olia Lialina’s My Boyfriend Came Back from the War (1996), one of the founding works of Net art. An ambiguous interactive love story, My Boyfriend is told through a black-and-white browser screen divided into multiple HTML frames, which offer alternative directions for the disjointed narrative. By clicking on these frames, users create their own versions of the tale within the parameters laid down by the artist. Olia Lialina, My Boyfriend Came Back from the War , 1996, screenshot, dimensions variable. ©OLIA LIALINA/COURTESY THE ARTIST N ot all the works in the exhibition were the product of complicated technology; some employed traditional mediums while taking inspiration from the Internet’s vast storehouse of information. Celia Hempton, for instance, presented intimate, expressive portraits in oil of strangers (most of them masturbating or stripping) that she met in a chat room and painted live during the chat. The Egyptian artist Mahmoud Khaled photographed screenshots of a pick-up chat on the gay social network Grindr and developed them in a darkroom. It is as if by capturing these ephemeral online encounters in a traditional medium Khaled and Hempton are trying to give them some material permanence. Elsewhere, the chaos of the information age was visualized by the painter Albert Oehlen in his ink-jet- printed canvas Deathoknocko (2001), which layers geometric shapes and computer graphics with oil-painted smears, drips, and lines. Unlike Oehlen’s abstract canvases, Oliver Laric’s photorealist paintings of found Internet images in his Versions (Missile Variations) , 2010, question notions of authenticity and collective memory. These images created by the online community are variations on an Iranian hoax press photo from 2008 that was digitally altered to show four test missiles being launched. Oliver Laric, Versions (Missile Variations) (detail), 2010, airbrushed paint on aluminum composite board in 10 parts, 9⅞” x 17¾”. ©OLIVER LARIC/COURTESY THE ARTIST AND SEVENTEEN GALLERY, LONDON/PRIVATE COLLECTION, LONDON G iven the breakneck pace of technological evolution, the soft- and hardware tools employed by artists are often outmoded almost as soon as the works are created. (E. A. T. performances, such as Frank Stella and Mimi Kanarek playing tennis with racquets fitted with contact microphones that switched lights on and off on impact with the ball, for example, now seem strangely clunky, though the works were radical for their time.) Some artists have taken this as their focus. Jan Robert Leegte’s 2001 triptych Scrollbar Composition consists of three geometric compositions featuring images of scroll bars from different generations of web browsers. Constant Dullaart created a wall installation, Jennifer in Paradise (2013–), around the very first demo image supplied with early Photoshop software, which was widely manipulated by users and is now extinct online. While some of the early videos in the show felt slow and dated in comparison with the sophistication of today’s digital film, Peter Sedgley’s shimmering paintings of concentric circles infused with kinetic lights and Stan VanDerBeek’s computer animated “Poemfield” films—both from the late ’60s and early ’70s—still dazzled. VanDerBeek created eight “Poemfield” works, two of which were shown in the exhibition, using one of the first computer animation languages, called Beflix (from Bell Labs Flicks), designed by Ken Knowlton at Bell Labs. With their vibrant geometric mosaics of flashing patterns and text accompanied by experimental music, these immersive installations felt startlingly modern, despite employing a long-gone software. Lynn Hershman Leeson, Seduction of a Cyborg , 1994, DVD with sound, still image, 6 minutes, 48 seconds. ©LYNN HERSHMAN LEESON/COLLECTION OF ZKM CENTER FOR ART AND MEDIA, KARLSRUHE S uch works held their own in this exhibition. However, quieter mediums such as paintings, drawing, and sculpture struggled to compete for attention among all the blinking, buzzing, shouting art on display. The mechanically created plotter drawings of veterans such as Vera Molnar and Manfred Mohr, for example, and Ulla Wiggen’s pioneering paintings of the inner workings of early electronic devices, require a different environment to be fully appreciated. Paradoxically, the main weakness of “Electronic Superhighway” was its vast scope; comprising many lengthy video, text, and interactive works, it demanded a big commitment of time and concentration. And, like browsing the web, it forced one to discriminate rapidly, which meant that most visitors missed out on compelling pieces, unless they returned several times. One left the exhibition overwhelmed by the multi-sensory assault. Yet “Electronic Superhighway” was a brave, riveting attempt to chronicle living history. Its strength lay in its ability to offer bridges between past and present as artists adopt and challenge new technologies that are continually being updated. The exhibition provided a snapshot, both exhilarating and alarming, of life in today’s tech fast lane, flagging the milestones passed en route. What was left unanswered was where we go from here. A version of this story originally appeared in the Summer 2016 issue of ARTnews on page 122 under the title “Electronic Superhighway.” 2016-06-10 09:30 Elizabeth Fullerton
28 Neon Works by Keith Sonnier Light Up Whitechapel Gallery Related Events Keith Sonnier : Light Works Venues Whitechapel Art Gallery Artists Keith Sonnier Mary Heilmann Bruce Nauman Richard Serra Gallery 2 of London’s Whitechapel Gallery will soon be illuminated by early neon works from American sculptor Keith Sonnier for “Light Works,” an exhibition running from June 10 - September 11. The four works that feature in the exhibition were all produced between 1968 and 1970, when the artist was one of the first (alongside artists like Bruce Nauman ) to explore using neon light tubes in his sculptures. Just as his contemporaries like Richard Serra were experimenting with using everyday or industrial materials in their sculptures, Sonnier was creating works like “Ba-O-Ba VI,” 1970, in which the artist pairs neon strips in four colors with a foam rubber mattress in a work inspired both by Greek geometric formulae and the slang of his Louisiana childhood; the title refers to a phrase meaning “light bath.” In a statement, Sonnier explains his use of neon, saying “neon has always been a material in signage that one lays flat….but I began to lift it from the board, and use it in a much more three-dimensional form….which was not the nature of the material.” “Light Works” is on display in the Whitechapel alongside the work of Sonnier’s contemporary and friend Mary Heilmann , and fittingly the two illuminate each other. As well as settling into similar bright color palates and sharing an interest in the interplay of colors, the two share an interest in experimenting with abstraction. Just as Heilmann was including gestural processes and ceramics, a field much maligned other artist, into her works, Sonnier too was expanding abstract art by using industrial materials and the neon more usually associated with commercial art and kitsch. 2016-06-10 09:21 Samuel Spencer
29 13 Instagram Shots of Martin Creed's New Show As you might expect, Martin Creed 's balloon-filled new show at New York's Park Avenue Armory , which opened June 8, is already blowing up on Instagram. But, unlike the artist's 2015 balloon- filled exhibition at Gavin Brown's Enterprise , " Martin Creed: The Back Door " does not consist of merely a room full of cheerful red balloons. The retrospective exhibition, which has already been hailed at " New York's Grossest Art Show ," covers a much larger swath of the British artist's career, including less savory video works featuring people defecating or vomiting all over the floor of an empty white room. Scatalogical works certainly have a place in the art world, but it will be interesting to see how the social media set reconciles such envelope- pushing, Freudian videos with the more accessible, selfie-ready balloon installation. The exhibition, which is the British artist's biggest to-date in the US, features the Turner Prize-winning Work No. 227: The Lights Going On and Off , an aptly-named work in which the lights in the room switch on and off at regular intervals. (As Creed informed an audience at the New School last year, "I've always liked switching lights on and off. ") In a similar vein, the new work Shutters Opening and Closing (2016) consists of a garage door facing Lexington Avenue opening for brief intervals, revealing the passing traffic outside. As far as photo-op moments go, however, the balloons will be hard to top. In addition to the Park Avenue Armory show, Creed's roving band will be performing at National Sawdust in Brooklyn on June 14, to promote his forthcoming album, "Thoughts Lined Up. " See a few early social media moments of the exhibition below. Follow artnet News on Facebook. 2016-06-10 09:20 Sarah Cascone
30 Eliel Perez|Puerto Rico As an artist I strive to express the world I see onto a canvas to motivate, inspire, and stimulate other human minds to see the world as I do. My works inspiration is a combination of daily elements that are combined to form non-rigged and flexible images. I combine multiple materials of construction that allows me to free my ideas and create freely without material restrictions and in a freer flowing manner. 2016-06-10 07:53 tatafedez
31 ADAA Names Five New Members, Including Altman Siegel Gallery and Maccarone The 2015 edition of the ADAA Art Show. COURTESY ADAA The Art Dealers Association of America announced today that it has added five new members: Altman Siegel Gallery (of San Francisco), Baldwin Gallery (Aspen, Colorado), Danziger Gallery (New York, Jonathan Boos (New York), and Maccarone (New York and Los Angeles). These galleries join a group of 180 other ADAA members. To become an ADAA member, galleries need to be nominated by a current member and receive four letters of support. A yearlong application process ensues that then includes interviews and a vote by committee of dealers.“We are thrilled to welcome these five exceptional galleries as members of the ADAA,” Adam Sheffer, the president of the ADAA and a partner and sales director at Cheim & Read, said. “Their diverse specialties across the primary and secondary markets, the wide range of artists they represent, and their important contributions to scholarship make each of them a significant addition to the expertise and best practices that the Association represents.” 2016-06-10 09:00 Alex Greenberger
32 K-12 school by CEBRA with SLA & diamond developers K-12 green school by CEBRA in collab. with SLA & diamond developers all images courtesy of CEBRA architecture the sustainable city is an innovative urban residential community in dubai, designed to meet or exceed the U. A. E’s highest environmental standards. initiated by diamond developers, the massive undertaking includes a total land mass of 5,000,000ft2 (46 hectares), with a capacity of 2,700 full-time residents and expected daily population of 6,000+. completion is expected to reach full fruition this year, but occupancy has been ongoing since 2015. the city, amongst a plethora of amenities, includes a K-12 education facility. originating from the actNOW partnership, the school was designed by danish CEBRA architecture in close collaboration with SLA (dk) and diamond developers. very much an embodiment of the larger project’s philosophy, the design represents a fundamental re-consideration of academic approach and setting. far from another sealed, air-conditioned space characteristic of many hot climates, the school is poised to instead take advantage of local weather patterns. utilizing the innate benefits of ecosystems — albeit artificially introduced and reinforced — functions are able to occur outside in a hospitable, naturally-cooled environment. students bounce between classrooms and open learning landscapes, the latter distinguished by diverse greenery (10,000 trees of 50 species, not including other biodiversity are present in the city), cooling wind towers, shaded outdoor areas, and more. viewed as crucial not inhibitory, the climate and vegetation serve as active parameters that shape the school’s physical environment and the teaching that occurs within. upon completion, the K-12 facility will accommodate 1,000 students. designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here. 2016-06-10 08:45 www.designboom
33 Johnny Depp's Basquiats Go Under the Hammer Christie's London will hold this season's Post-War and Contemporary Art Auction s on June 29 and 30 at King Street, and there are some exciting lots up for sale. A major highlight of the auction will be a capsule selection of nine works by Jean- Michel Basquiat from the collection of actor Johnny Depp , spanning 25 years of the artists career. Depp, who is currently embroiled in allegations of domestic abuse from his estranged wife Amber Heard, is auctioning the paintings ahead of the sure-to-be costly divorce, although Christie's says the sale has been planned since the beginning of this year. "Nothing can replace the warmth and immediacy of Basquiat's poetry, or the absolute questions and truths that he delivered," Depp wrote of his love of the the artists work, as quoted in the auctioneers press release. "The beautiful and disturbing music of his paintings, the cacophony of his silence that attacks our senses, will live far beyond our breath," he added. Another Basquiat painting, an Untitled canvas, was recently snapped up by Yusaku Maezawa for $57.3 million at Christie's New York in May, setting a new record for the artist at auction. Depp's Basquiat, which is titled Pork (1981), has a more modest presale estimate of £2,500,000-3,500,000 ($3,600,000-5,000,000). Christie's major sale of Post-War and Contemporary Art is estimated to to fetch a combined total £90,000,000 ($129,726,000) across all auctions. A number of stunning early works by Pop Art icons Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein are leading the auction. Warhol's Two Dollar Bills (Fronts) [40 Two Dollar Bills in red] (1962) has a presale estimate of £4,000,000- 6,000,000 ( $5,800,000-8,600,000). A work from European titan Gerhard Richter is also a top lot. Richter's 1994, Abstraktes Bild (811-2) will go under the hammer with a presale estimate available only on request, but as the world's most expensive living painter , the price is sure to be steep. This season's auctions are complemented by those up for auction in Christie's 250th anniversary sale " Defining British Art " , including Francis Bacon 's landmark canvas Version No. 2 of Lying Figure with Hypodermic Syringe (1968) and Lucian Freud 's Ib and her husband (1992). “This June promises to be the most exciting presentation of Post-War and Contemporary Art at Christie's in many years," Francis Outred, Christie's chairman and head of Post War and Contemporary Art for Europe, the Middle East, Russia and India, said in a statement. Follow artnet News on Facebook . 2016-06-10 08:24 Naomi Rea
34 10 Mind-Blowing Ways to Use Technology at Design Miami/ Basel 2016 Related Events Design Miami Basel 2016 Venues Design Miami/ Basel Artists Joris Laarman Claude Parent Ron Arad The quantum leaps in 3D printing, digital modelling, and new synthetic materials may seem far removed from the rarefied world of antiques and art collecting, more suited to mass production lines of China and the prototypes of Silicon Valley. However, if you believe that, you would be wrong. There will be more proof at Design Miami/ Basel this year. New technologies keep making inroads into the exclusive world of art collecting via high-end design, which continues to be where the most cutting-edge innovation happens – it is the one part of the design market where experimentation is encouraged far before it has demonstrated its viability or cost-effectiveness. In collectible design, one can still play in the realm of concepts and ideas. Particularly at Design at Large, the program of large-scale outdoor installations curated this year by Martina Mondadori, the conceptual framework of nature and structure has invited some hi-tech speculation, from Ron Arad 's Armadillo Tea House, by Revolution Precrafted, to Kengo Kuma's zigzag pavilion. Historical innovation will be celebrated through the utopian work of Claude Parent , who died earlier this year. And extraordinary inventions of 3D printing pioneer Joris Laarman will be showcased with a solo exhibition at Friedman Benda. Click on the slideshow to see the technological wonders presenting in Basel. 2016-06-10 08:02 Jana Perkovic
35 Asian Art at Art Basel Unlimited: Cheng Ran's Film at Galerie Urs Meile Related Events Art Basel 2016 Venues Art Basel in Basel Artists Cheng Ran A nine-hour film by emerging Chinese artist Cheng Ran will be shown by Galerie Urs Meile at Art Basel Unlimited, the famed art fair’s platform for ambitious or larger-scale works, which runs alongside the fair on June 16- 19. As previously reported by ARTINFO in March 2016, the film, entitled “In Course of the Miraculous” (2015), tells the story of three real-life expeditions that ended mysteriously: a mountaineer who disappeared on Mount Everest, a trawler crew that went missing with only a third eventually found, and a performance artist who tried to sail a small boat across the Atlantic. To make the film, Cheng filmed each of their stories around the world, inventing his own solutions to the mysteries. As the nine-hour film is longer than the fair’s public opening hours of 11am- 7pm , the film will be stopped at the end of each day, and then continued from that point the next day. This will mean that “ every day at a certain hour another part of the film can be seen,” according to a statement from Galerie Urs Meile, the Lucerne- and Beijing-based gallery and long-standing champion of Chinese art that represents Cheng. The film will presumably be shown in full on Tuesday, June 14, Art Basel's invitation-only opening day which runs from 11am to 8pm. Cheng told ARTINFO that he “ hope[d] to take a certain period of time during the day, from dawn to dusk, to make a film about time and loss.” 2016-06-10 07:54 Samuel Spencer
36 Nahmad Projects Launches in London With 30 Performances Over 30 Days Related Events I am NOT Tino Sehgal Venues Nahmad Projects Artists Tino Sehgal Adeline de Monseignat Steve Maher To launch the new Mayfair gallery Nahmad Projects, 30 performance art works will be executed in the space over 30 days, from June 9 to July 20. This exhibition, entitled “I am NOT Tino Sehgal ,” sees the artists and artist groups presenting works inspired by the encounter-based performances of Tino Sehgal , whose last major exhibition in London — at the Tate Modern's Turbine Hall in 2012 — was nominated for a Turner Prize. Sehgal, as the exhibition title cleverly suggests, is unaffiliated with the show. Highlights include Anna Fafaliou’s “Sleep,” in which the Greek artist “choreographs visitors to sleep in the space”; “Coined Situation” by the Italian/French VOO Collective, wherein they will convert the £1000 commission into pennies, encouraging visitors to play games with them for money ; and “Unplugged: Bands Without Sound,” during which British artist Jenna Finch “ invites a band to perform live music without instruments.” The other works are by artists, all aged between 20 and 35, from across the world. This lineup of young, international artists will likely set the tone for future exhibitions at Nahmad Projects, with gallerists Joseph Nahmad, brother of art dealer Helly Nahmad, and Tommaso Calabro, previously Project Coordinator at Sotheby’s in Milan and London — both themselves under 30 — aiming to “bring a radical edge to Mayfair’s contemporary art scene.” A ccording to their mission statement, they hope to do this by “investigating and challenging the boundaries of contemporary art practice.” The full lineup of artists performing at the gallery’s inaugural exhibition, conceptualized by Francesco Bonami, is as follows: Tomàs Diafas Danilo Correale James Rollo Adeline de Monseignat Rose Cleary Romain Gandolphe Eloise Lawson The Common Ground Jenna Finch Rishin Singh Emma McCormick-Goodhart Steve Maher Mischa Badasyan Riccardo Buscarini Dan Allon Anna Fafaliou Guildor (Guido Tarricone) Allyson Packer Minryung Lee Susanne Kass Riccardo Matlakas Tuuli Malla Damiano Fina Rafal Zajko VOO Collective Mirabella Ozerova Roberto Fassone Agata Cieslak Ioanna & Spyros Beth Fox 2016-06-10 07:20 Samuel Spencer
37 Songlines Beautifully 'Paints' Indigenous Stories on the Sydney Opera House Related Venues Sydney Opera House Vivid Sydney In just eight years, Vivid Sydney has become the world’s largest festival of lights, bringing together 90 light installations and projections this year that bath the Australian city in neon color for 23 nights. The works range from whimsical verging on gimmicky to high tech, but amongst them, the Songlines projection on the ‘sails’ of the iconic Sydney Opera House is a firm highlight, offering viewers a looped 15-minute visual feast. The spectacular animation, curated by Rhoda Roberts, head of indigenous programing at the Opera House, showcases work from six artists: Djon Mundine OAM, Reko Rennie, Karla Dickens, Donny Woolagoodja, Gabriella Possum Nungurrayi, and the late Gulumbu Yunipingu. The animation speaks to the spirituality and culture of Australia's First Peoples, illustrating the connection between indigenous astronomy and the natural world through celestial and terrestrial songlines (dreaming tracks) that helped indigenous people map their land and served as oral and visual archives about their history. Creative director Ignatius Jones describes the multi-media creation as a “wonderful combination of low tech and high tech” — i.e. the original artworks and their digital transformation by creative studio Artists in Motion, whose designers and 3D animators wove the distinctively different songlines of each artist into a seamless narrative, reconfiguring the artworks for the curved exterior surfaces of the Opera House, while also creating animations within the artworks, such as giving life to Woolagoodja's animals. “Surprisingly, they’re still using old fashioned ‘tricks’ like shading and highlights to keep the shape of the opera house. If they were just projecting the work, the ‘sails’ would just disappear because they were not mapped,” Jones remarks. Click on the slideshow to see some of the works. Jones says the decision to project indigenous art on Australia’s most iconic building is significant as it is “a way of saying that aboriginal art is at the heart of Australian art and culture.” It is also timely as the festival opened on the 49th anniversary of an historic referendum when Australia voted to give the Commonwealth the power to make laws relating to Indigenous Australians. Next year, there could also be a national referendum to recognize Aboriginal people in the Australian constitution. Amongst some of the other interesting light installations are “The Matter of Painting” — a collaboration between Western Sydney artist Huseyin Sami and the Parisian artistic collective Danny Rose — that transforms the facade of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) into a huge canvas in turn dripping with paint; the “Drone 100” performance , a seven-minute aerial light show created by 100 drones over the Sydney harbor; and the Cathedral Of Light by Richard Neville in the Botanic Garden, where a 70- meter long, 8-meter high arched tunnel is made up of tens of thousands of LEDs, some shaped like little flowers. Vivid Sydney is running through June 18 and also features 195 Vivid Music events and more than 500 speakers appearing at Vivid Idea talks and forums. Click here f or more details 2016-06-10 06:47 Sonia Kolesnikov
38 dato duo by toon welling and david menting simplified synthesizer for kids by dutch duo sparks next crop of music producers simplified synthesizer for kids by dutch duo sparks next crop of music producers all images courtesy of dato a pair of dutch designers, toon welling and david menting are combing a synthesizer and sequencer together into one fun electronic instrument for both children and adults alike called the dato ‘duo’. the way it works is, while one player plays a melody on the sequencer side, the other creates its sound and adds percussion on the synthesizer side. by carefully controlling the possible parameters, they designed the ‘duo’ so users can’t do anything wrong. the project allows kids to play together and experiment with different sounds to introduce them into the world of music. dato ‘duo’ can also be hooted up to external effects like guitar pedals, with sync a input and output as well as a full-sized MIDI port. the team have setup a kickstarter campaign to help with production with plans to ship to backers in april 2017. the bottom is a sequencer, while the top is a synthesizer designed to bring kids together to create music MIDI ports allow it to connect to other synthesizers 2016-06-10 06:15 Piotr Boruslawski
39 39 The Players Club, A Hidden Gem in New York THE DAILY PIC (#1568): One of the glories of New York is all its undiscovered treasures and corners. The other day, I got a special chance to peak into one of them: The Players , a venerable private club for theater people launched in 1888 in the gorgeous Gramercy Park mansion of its founder, the great thespian Edwin Booth. The bedroom where Booth died in 1893, shown in today's Pic, is still in the state it was in when he passed (his "last slippers" are shown below) and seeing it reminded me of one of the vital functions of all art – to take you to a time and place in the past that you didn't get the chance to witness first hand. I guess that's why I'm such a fan of the period rooms that used to be de rigeur in museums but have long since passed out of fashion. (A few older institutions, like the Met in New York and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, keep a few of theirs in fine shape.) The Players feels like a whole suite of Victorian period rooms, still fulfilling their original functions. Oh readers, lest you think I am tempting you with a vision of a place that you, in your unjournalistic humbletude, cannot visit, know that the Players will happily organize tours with just a bit of advance notice. Or if you have some Twitterly skills, you might even be able to get in this coming Sunday to watch a live broadcast of the Tony Awards, no less, with a crowd of esteemed theatrical pros who have been specially invited to attend. All you have to do to join them is head to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and post a 140- character “acceptance speech" for the Tonys, as a single rhyming couplet. Tag your couplet @ThePlayersNYC (@ThePlayersNY for Instagram), attach the hashtag #TonyCouplet, and, if your "speech" is clever enough, you could be chosen as one of 20 lucky civilians to grace the Players' hallowed halls. (Photo by Lucy Hogg) For a full survey of past Daily Pics visit blakegopnik.com/archive . 2016-06-10 06:00 Blake Gopnik
40 De Appel Faces Complete Funding Cut The troubles at De Appel show no sign of abating. The Amsterdam art institution is now under the threat of having its government funding cut completely, which would leave the landmark institution facing either dramatic changes or, potentially, a complete shutdown. Last week, De Appel sent out a statement and a petition asking that the public to voice their support. “We are shocked," the statement opened. “Recently, the Council for Culture published its advice to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science concerning the so-called basic infrastructure of the Netherlands. The Council advises to completely cut the national funding for de Appel for the next policy period. That would mean the end of De Appel in its current form. Perhaps even the end of the institution altogether. " This latest setback was preceded by a series of controversial events that started with the appointment of renowned curator Lorenzo Benedetti as director of the institution in 2014. Beloved in the art world and considered an “artists' curator," Benedetti, according to many, began to put De Appel firmly on the map. Benedetti was welcomed with open arms by all at De Appel, but the relationship appears to have soured, and 15 months after his appointment he was abruptly dismissed . Members of the international art world were outraged, and 76 renowned artists, including Ahmet Öğüt, Falke Pisano, and Francesco Pedraglio, published an open letter online supporting Benedetti. De Appel also functions as an educational facility, running highly prestigious courses for professionals in the art world. Weeks after Benedetti's dismissal, the entire team of tutors at the De Appel's Curatorial Program , including Charles Esche, Elena Filipovic, and Chus Martinez wrote a letter — shared in its entirety with artnet News —asking for the resignation of the board, stating that they were withdrawing from the course until the board complied. A court then ruled , in what appeared to be a formality, that Benedetti's contract should be dissolved based on the fact that he could not deliver strategically and that the two parties had interpreted the role of director differently and that the two parties had interpreted the role of director differently. Previously, it has also been stated that his dismissal had been due to absence from work and communication style. Three weeks ago, in late May, the entire board of De Appel resigned , releasing a brief statement which read in part: “The decision was made in part due to the developments surrounding the dismissal of director Benedetti. " In effect this series of events has left De Appel with no director, no board, and potentially no funding, which begs the question: what went down behind closed doors that could lead to the utter implosion of one of Europe's most respected art institutions? Follow artnet News on Facebook. 2016-06-10 05:42 Amah-Rose
41 'Schiff Ahoy': Minimalist Masterpieces at Brandhorst Munich Related Venues Museum Brandhorst Artists Andy Warhol Sigmar Polke Louise Lawler Lawrence Weiner Joseph Beuys Ed Ruscha Carl Andre Richard Tuttle Kerstin Brätsch Seth Price Munich’s Museum Brandhorst has delved into its archives for “Schiff Ahoy,” an exhibition of the best minimal, post-minimal, Arte Povera, and conceptual art in its collection, which will run until April 23, 2017. Although the exhibition was designed as “a counterpoint” to the two Pop- focused shows — “Dark Pop” and “Yes! Yes! Yes! Warholmania in Munich” — held at the museum in 2015, a number of artists featured in those previous exhibitions reappear in “Schiff Ahoy.” Most notably, these include Andy Warhol , whose “Oxidation Paintings,” 1977-8, in which he or others would urinate onto copper plates in order to create abstract works, is seen by many as a satirical comment on the work of the Abstract Expressionists. Other returning artists include Sigmar Polke and Louise Lawler. Among nearly 150 works in “Schiff Ahoy: Contemporary Art from the Brandhorst Collection,” many other major art names are represented. Principal among these is Lawrence Weiner : the exhibition takes its title from his “Schiff Ahoy - Tied to Apron Strings,” 1989, a collage series based on a book detailing the daily life of a German captain. Also featuring are a copper and felt box by Joseph Beuys , a painting by Ed Ruscha , and works by Carl Andre and Richard Tuttle. However, “Schiff Ahoy” looks as much at the present as it does to the past, with “a special focus [...] on recent acquisitions of the past two years,” marking “the expansion of the museum’s collection to include current artistic production.” These acquisitions include works by Kerstin Brätsch and Seth Price , both of whom are set to have solo exhibitions at the museum in the near future. 2016-06-10 05:11 Samuel Spencer
42 Mary Heilmann on 1970s New York and Her New Whitechapel Show Related Events Mary Heilmann : Works Venues Whitechapel Art Gallery Lisson Gallery Hauser & Wirth Artists Mary Heilmann David Hockney Richard Serra Donald Judd Robert Mapplethorpe Robert Morris Eva Hesse Stanley Whitney Cory Arcangel In her first major UK show in over two decades, American artist Mary Heilmann presents a survey of her work since the 1960s at London’s Whitechapel Gallery. At the opening, we spoke to Mary Heilmann about life as an artist in the 1970s — when she was taught by David Hockney , and counted Richard Serra , Robert Mapplethorpe , and Donald Judd as friends — as well as the rest of her long, influential career. We were also joined by Lydia Yee, chief curator of Whitechapel and curator of this latest exhibition. Excerpts: Since I’m in London, I’m thinking about how much I listened to the Rolling Stones when they started to get going, and the Beatles were big for me when I was in school. And then I was there in New York when the Beatles came, so that really got me into them. 2016-06-10 04:28 Samuel Spencer
43 bernard dubois designs valextra boutique in paris the ‘valextra’ store, realized by architect bernard dubois, is a seamless integration of deep-rooted milanese heritage with a visual identity that draws equally from italian and belgian preferences. located at galeries lafayette in paris, the leather goods boutique is defined by a central display piece. thought of as a scaled architectural model, its ceppo di gré construction evokes images of grandiose. due to the stone’s prevalence in the façades of milan, its use also provides a subtle homage to the company’s place of origin. designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here. 2016-06-10 04:05 Bernard Dubois
44 Masterpieces Damaged at Musée Girodet Last week's floods in France, which caused the emergency closure of both the Musée Louvre and Musée d'Orsay in Paris, have also deeply affected the Musée Girodet in the city of Montargis. The dangerously high water levels of the Seine have been wreaking havoc on museums across the country. On Monday, Prime Minister Manuel Valls announced the arrangement of an emergency fund of several million euros for the casualties of the inundations. But, while back in Paris museums are slowly but surely re-opening their doors, the Girodet museum in the Loiret region has been left with hundreds of water-damaged artworks, reports Telerama . The Musée Girodet holds neo-classical paintings by its founder and namesake Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson, as well as a number of other works by notable French, Italian, and Flemish Old Masters. Although the museum itself has been closed for renovations for the past four years, its off-site store, a vault in the basement of a former bank, was affected by the deluge and flooded to the ceiling. The onset of the flood was so rapid that the museum's team had to evacuate after only being able to secure one part of the collections. By chance, some of the more valuable works were saved, notably some of Girodet-Triosin's major works, such as the Portrait de profil du docteur Trioson, celui de Madame Reiset, and Le Sommeil D'Endymion. But others works did not fare as well. Along with plaster sculptures by Henry de Triqueti, works by Théodore Géricault, Jean-Jacques Feuchère, and even a precious painting from circa 1650 by Spanish master Francisco Zurbarán were badly damaged. The next steps for the museum will be to take an inventory of the destruction caused by the flood, and put safeguarding measures in place before they can start restoring the spoiled works. The renovation will be costly for the museum. The Société des Amis du Musée Girodet has launched a crowd-funder to help cover costs of the conservation and then the restoration of works damaged by the floods, but even if their target of €30,000 ($33,000) is met, it will only cover a fraction of the expected expense. The museum, which was previously set to reopen next year, will have to postpone its reopening. Follow artnet News on Facebook. 2016-06-10 04:00 Naomi Rea
45 London Auctions Preview, Part 2: Christie's June 22 Impressionist & Modern Sale Related Venues Christie's Artists Claude Monet Amedeo Modigliani Camille Pissarro Jean Baptiste Camille Corot Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Fernand Léger One of the sale highlights is an early Claude Monet oil on canvas, “L’Ancienne rue de la Chaussée, Argenteuil,” 1872, whose subject is a rare one for the painter: a tranquil street scene, with nary a carriage or smokestack in sight, in which Monet captures the light-suffused architecture and the charming figures of a mother and child heading to the shops. Tagged at £4.5 million to £6.5 million ($6.5-9.5 million), the striking work brings to mind that of Corot from the 1830s, as well as that of Monet’s contemporary, Camille Pissarro. According to Jay Vincze, Christie’s London head of Impressionist and modern art, Monet is “one of the names our Asian buyers especially react to strongly.” Providing a dynamic contrast, an exceptionally large Ernst Ludwig Kirchner pastel on paper, “Blaue Artisten (Blue Artists),” 1914, estimated at £700,000 to £1 million ($1-1.5 million), depicts a troupe of supple female trapeze artists clad in blue leotards performing against an electric-yellow background. The Expressionist-fueled scene, executed in Kirchner’s spiky brush marks, is related to an oil painting from 1913, and this example fully earns its “rare to market” rating. The house is also offering a sensual yet austere Amedeo Modigliani seated portrait, “Madame Hanka Zborowska,” 1917, pegged at £5 million to £7 million ($7.3–10.2 million). The swan-necked sitter, attired in a red dress, was the wife of Leopold Zborowski, the artist’s faithful and sole lifetime dealer, and the figure resembles in part an African mask carving while bearing the trademark Modigliani almond-shaped eyes and pouty lips. Held in a private collection since the 1930s, it is one of several versions of the subject, including one from 1918 at Tate Modern. Continuing chronologically, Fernand Léger’s “Deux figures,” 1929, estimated at £1.2 million to £1.8 million ($1.802.6 million), displays the instantly recognizable machinelike geometry and scaffold-like abstract forms the artist perfected earlier that decade. 2016-06-10 03:00 Judd Tully
46 Contemporary Korean Ceramics Come to Limoges Related Artists Juree Kim To mark the recent twinning of French city, Limoges and South Korean city, Icheon, the Fondation Bernardaud in Limoges is hosting “CCC.
Contemporary Korean Ceramics,” an extensive showcase of some 70 works by 14 leading artists. Curated by Hyeyoung Cho, a former commissioner for the Gyeonggi International Ceramics Biennale and art director for the Cheongju International Craft Biennale, this exhibition displays ceramic objects alongside paintings, photographs, and installations to elucidate the diverse historical influences of ceramics, while also revealing how current ceramicists are using more experimental approaches today. Examples include Sinhyun Cho’s finely worked salmon-pink porcelain vessels with surfaces resembling marble or lacquer, Ik-Joong Kang’s mixed-media-on-wood pieces inspired by the forms and figures of Joseon- era moon jars, Juree Kim’s architectural pieces made from unfired stoneware that memorialize the short-lived, ephemeral building structures of urban environments, and Kang Hyo Lee’s liquefied white clay “paintings” on ceramic panels, whose mottled patterns take on the appearance of abstracted landscapes. 2016-06-10 02:58 Darryl Wee
47 damjan bradač arhitekt's train house for slovenian railways the ‘train house’ is a basic structure designed by slovenian architect damjan bradač. its function, to host single cars for on-track storage or maintenance, is characterized by a semi- transparent façade made of context-related materials like galvanized steel. to bring a similar dynamism to the form, repetitious diagonal details are accentuated. designed as an extension of both railcar-and-way, the ‘train house’ elegantly meets its modest requirements. diagonal repetition reinforces the dynamism of its setting railway details were translated into the design semi-transparency lessens the visual weight of the train structure designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here. 2016-06-10 00:15 Damjan Brada
48 The Man in the Pink Floral Dress What does it mean to dress like a man? This is the essential question of every men’s wear season, increasingly complex as the wider conversation around gender fluidity has filtered down and out onto the catwalks. Indeed, it is probably not coincidence that just before the London Collections Men that began Friday, Channel 4 in Britain broadcast “All Man,” a much-discussed television series written and hosted by Grayson Perry, the award-winning potter and broadcaster and one of the country’s best-known cross-dressers. Mr. Perry has been exploring the relationship between identity, sex and the power of personal style in various art forms, including clothing, for years. “As a lifelong sissy myself, I have never felt at ease amongst macho men,” he announced at the start of the series, before putting himself in the midst of various stereotypical male social tribes, like cage fighters, prisoners, gang members and bankers. After each encounter, he would create an artwork in response, culminating in the final episode with a 2.2-foot-tall glazed ceramic phallus in the image of the City of London’s bankers featuring photographic transfers of bank notes and stencils of the face of George Osborne, the chancellor of the exchequer. Still, as the morning sun streamed down through the skylights of his North London studio on a Friday in May, Mr. Perry was reluctant to play dress-up. “I started cross-dressing at the age of 12, and it used to be something I did purely for pleasure,” said Mr. Perry, in a navy T-shirt and paint-splattered gray chinos. “I would go months without doing it.” “The whole process takes hours,” he said, “and frankly now is something entirely bound up to my work or social engagements that I have to do at least once a week. Of course, I wouldn’t do it if I wasn’t still a bit turned on by it, but my transvestitism today is more of an aesthetic exercise than an erotic one.” This may be true. But by persistently painting and reshaping himself in the same manner as the beautiful and stealthily subversive ceramics on which he first made his reputation, Mr. Perry, a 56-year-old married father of one, has also proved himself an astute chronicler of contemporary society. “I’ve explored the idea of default identity for a long time, and specifically how the straight, white, middle-class Default Man has taken control of society,” said Mr. Perry by way of explaining the TV series, adding that the bankers had by far the most negative reaction to the work they inspired. “Men in power have always gone out of their way to obfuscate around identity, so it can’t be used as a subjective standpoint. It was important that someone scrutinized that.” He believes that no particular tribe has a monopoly on self-awareness, and that an emotional numbness continues to define the modern male psyche, as many young men are undone by an inability to see themselves as “ongoing, constantly evolving projects.” To this end, he thinks that the growing acceptance of explorations of gender on catwalks, design studios and sidewalks alike is a good thing, though not so fast-fashion (or high street as it’s known in Britan). “The top end of fashion is like art, but the high street is just horrendous: a huge, huge industry of churn based on making the average person feel unhappy about what they’ve got in their wardrobe,” he said, leaning forward suddenly and placing his palms on the coffee table in front of him. “It is so regimented, so bland. At any one point in time, 50 percent of the world is wearing denim, like you are now,” he added, staring pointedly. “With men’s wear, it is even worse,” he said. “It’s in the nature of the modern male psyche that men are both the prison guards and the prisoners themselves, all eying each other up to make sure they behave, speak and dress exactly like other men.” Himself excepted, of course. Mr. Perry’s flamboyant, headline-grabbing alter ego Claire seems fashioned from a Crayola-box-hued more-is-more aesthetic that has referenced everything from pantomime housewives to fetish queens and even Little Bo Peep over the years. Mr. Perry is a star within Britain whose initial industry ascent came alongside such names as Damien Hirst, Tracy Emin and the Young British Artists phenomenon of the 1990s. His works regularly sell for millions on the global contemporary art market today. Shows at major public institutions including the National Portrait Gallery and British Museum have further broadened his popularity. But it was only after he began making television programs in 2005 exploring taste and class, two years after winning the prestigious Turner Prize in 2003 for his pottery, that his name really made it into the mainstream. “I think Grayson Perry completely changed the art world in England,” said Stephen Jones, the milliner with whom, alongside the singer Boy George, Mr. Perry lived a hand-to-mouth existence after he graduated from Portsmouth Polytechnic with a degree in fine arts in 1982. “Many people understand him as being somebody who dresses up in women’s clothes,” Mr. Jones said. “But Grayson is also the person who introduced the world of ceramics, the world of tapestry — all these artistic expressions, which were once deemed highly unfashionable. And that is maybe one of the most exciting things about him.” Born into a working-class family in Essex, an unaccepting environment for an experimental teenager with cross-dressing tendencies, Mr. Perry was thrown out of his childhood home. An outsider to the art world by virtue of his class, and an outsider to conventional society by nature of his transvestism, he has taken it upon himself to educate, and occasionally provoke, the masses. “Grayson has an astounding ability to speak for the maker, the student and the audience of art,” said Nigel Carrington, vice chancellor of University of the Arts London, after Mr. Perry was appointed its chancellor last August. Mr. Perry has long taught a fashion course at Central Saint Martins. Second-year students design dresses for him, and each year he buys up to 14 outfits before wearing them to high-profile events. The project is now in its 12th year. “We talk about Britain as having lost its manufacturing base, but we do manufacture an awful lot of students,” Mr. Perry said. “It is a huge industry for this country. I don’t want to be an old fuddy-duddy. I want to learn about students’ influences, their cultural world, how they operate as artists. I don’t actually think this generation of students is thinking as much about commercial success as previous ones. They have this Tumblr-like attitude to culture today and in how they portray it. They all appear committed to not committing.” Yet for all of his attempts to broaden minds and conceptual conversations about art in the spotlight, Grayson Perry is not a brand that has traveled far beyond British borders. There was a retrospective of his work this year at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, with smaller-scale exhibitions in places like Istanbul and Maastricht, the Netherlands. But he has never had a major show in the United States, where he is a relative unknown. “It’s something I’m working on,” he said. One criticism regularly hurled at him by a barbed art media is that his is a fusty, hollow and parochial aesthetic that simply can’t translate universally, and is largely propped up by his public eloquence, wit and theatrics. “I am a public figure and this is England, so the knives are inevitably out,” he said. “Anyone here who ever puts their head over the parapet risks getting shot at, and it can be a bit scary. But I feel like I am on track.” He stood up, ready to have his picture taken. There was finally a whisper of vulnerability behind the polished veneer. “This is for America right?” he said. “I have my bitchy resting face ready. Where do you want me for my close- up?” 2016-06-10 00:00 By
49 Tibet Stands Out in China’s Entries at Shanghai International Film Festival SHANGHAI — As the 19th Shanghai International Film Festival gets underway Saturday, much of the focus among participants is on the 14 contenders for the Golden Goblet, the top prize at the event that runs through June 19. From the Philippines to Denmark, Iran to Japan, the films’ origins cover the globe. But among them, one region stands out. The rugged terrain of China’s Tibetan areas forms the backdrop for two of the country’s three competitors: “De Lan,” by the director Liu Jie, and “Soul on a String,” by Zhang Yang. Together, the films highlight a shift in the cinematic depiction of China’s ethnic minorities, especially of Tibetans. “Before, Tibet was usually portrayed in Chinese films in several ways,” said Wu Jueren, who oversees the Chinese-language programming for the festival. “There were the socialist propaganda films, that were meant to show ethnic harmony and national unity, and the commercial films, which often portrayed Tibet as a kind of mythical healing land where people would go to escape.” Although such films are still being made, the scope of films about Tibet is expanding as Chinese filmmakers seek new ways to approach what can be a delicate and highly politicized subject. For years, China’s Communist Party has accused the exiled Dalai Lama, the widely revered Tibetan spiritual leader, of supporting Tibetan independence. Tensions have grown since a 2008 Tibetan rebellion, which prompted a government-led security crackdown in the autonomous region as well as a wave of self-immolations by Tibetans in protest. Still, “filmmakers are starting to more accurately capture the essence of life in Tibet,” said Pema Tseden, a Tibetan filmmaker and a member of the jury for this year’s Golden Goblet. “They are starting to let go of the old stereotypes.” The demystification of Tibet in China’s films has been driven in part by the steady rise of tourism to the region in recent decades. Although there are still restrictions on travel to Tibet, droves of Chinese and non-Chinese visitors have been able to see firsthand a part of the world previously accessible to them only through images and stories. More important, some experts say, is the emergence in the past 10 years of a contingent of Tibetan filmmakers. With films like Mr. Tseden’s “Tharlo” (2015) and Sonthar Gyal’s “River” (2015), the “new Tibetan wave” of directors has presented audiences with an unvarnished view of life in modern Tibet, stripped of fantasy and exoticism. “These young Tibetan filmmakers are trying to make us look very hard without giving us answers,” said Robert Barnett, director of the modern Tibet studies program at Columbia University. “Many of their films provide an uncompromising view of difficulty in modern society. They’re not deliberately provocative, but they also don’t offer us comfortable resolutions.” Many of the films deal with the impact of modernization on Tibetan cultural traditions. Some Chinese directors who belong to the country’s ethnic majority, the Han, say these Tibetan productions have helped them better understand their relative position as cultural outsiders. “Films made by Tibetans about themselves can serve as a kind of reference point for non-Tibetan filmmakers,” said Mr. Zhang, whose previous films have included “Shower” (2000) and “Getting Home” (2007). “They push us to break away from the traditional movie narrative that takes Tibetan culture as a novelty.” To prepare for “Soul on a String,” Mr. Zhang spent several months in 2013 living in Tibet. Some of his experience was captured in last year’s “ Paths of the Soul ,” a part-documentary, part-fiction feature by the director about a group of Tibetans on a 1,200-mile pilgrimage through Lhasa, the regional capital. “It was important to me to first understand Tibetans — what their everyday life was like and their religion — before I felt ready to make ‘Soul on a String,’ ” he said. The new film, based on a story by the prominent Tibetan writer Tashi Dawa, draws on Tibetan folk traditions and magical realist elements to relate the adventures of a man named Tabei (the Tibetan actor Jinpa) who is brought back to life by a living Buddha after being killed by lightning. The film follows him as he pursues a mission to bring a Dzi bead, or protective amulet, to a holy land. All of the actors in the film are Tibetan and speak Tibetan. Until now, some critics say, not many non-Tibetan filmmakers have succeeded in moving past a very stylized depiction of Tibetans as a people apart. “Besides the state-supported propaganda films, there are a few films down the middle that show what happens when presumably well-meaning ethnic Han directors create portraits of a Tibetan ‘other,’ ” said Shelly Kraicer, a film critic in Toronto and a scholar of Chinese cinema. What happens? “At the end of the day,” he said, “everybody is still using and exploiting images of Tibet.” Films about ethnic minorities, and in particular films about Tibet, are subject to special scrutiny in China to make sure they comply with government restrictions on discussions of the region’s history and religion. All films about Tibetan areas are sent for approval to the Tibet committee of the United Front Work Department under the Communist Party’s Central Committee — not just the state media regulator, as is the case with most films. “You have to communicate with the censors a lot,” said Mr. Liu, director of “De Lan.” “Much more than with most films.” Mr. Liu’s film, made in the Tibetan areas of northern Yunnan Province and set in the 1980s, concerns a young ethnic Han named Xiao Wang (Dong Zijian) who travels to Tibetan villages to make loans and collect payments. In one of the villages, he falls in love with a local woman, De Lan (De Ji). “It’s a very sensitive topic,” said Mr. Liu, who recalled the divided response after he showed the film to people within the industry. “One group of people said, ‘No, you can’t do that; you showed the poverty of Tibetans.’ Then another group of people said, ‘You are showing Han people giving money to the Tibetan people.’ ” To get films past the censors, some filmmakers say, they deliberately focus on narrow depictions of everyday life while avoiding larger narratives concerning religion or history. “Of course, the films will still touch on religion and history,” Mr. Tseden said. “It’s not possible to exclude them altogether, since they are so intertwined with daily life.” Despite the censorship and restrictions, many filmmakers are optimistic. Tibetans are increasingly interested in film, they say, and local directors still have a range of relatively apolitical topics to explore, including the effects of modernization and other internal issues. When it comes to non-Tibetan filmmakers, however, many observers are more pessimistic. Even as some non-Tibetan directors seek out new Tibetan stories to tell, they say, the evolution of Tibetan films will remain stunted unless the elephant in the room — government censorship — is addressed. “Non-Tibetans, whether Chinese or Western, have to confront their own history of colonialism if they are to make a serious film about a place or people colonized or semi-colonized by their society,” Mr. Barnett of Columbia University said. “Otherwise, the result is always a kind of condescending exoticism, even if sympathetic.” 2016-06-10 00:00 By
50 Absolut Announces 2017 Art Award Jury, New Emerging Artist Award Absolut has announced the Jury for the 2017 Absolut Art Award and launched a new Emerging Artist strand of the Award. The 2017 Jury is led by the new Jury President Daniel Birnbaum, Director of the Moderna Museet, who is joined by Simon Castets, Director and Curator of Swiss Institute, New York; Elena Filipovic, Director and Chief Curator of Kunsthalle Basel; Polly Staple, Director of Chisenhale Gallery, London; and Jack Bankowsky, critic, curator and Editor-at-Large at Artforum. The new Emerging Artist Award, which is open to artists under the age of 40 who have collaborated with the brand between January 2015 and February 2017, adds to the current Absolut Art Awards for Art Work Art Writing. The winner of the first Emerging Artist Award will be selected from a list of nominees put forward by the 2017 Absolut Art Award Jury and will receive a cash prize of 20,000 Euros in addition to a budget of 25,000 Euros to realize their winning work. “We are delighted to announce this year's Jury and begin our search for the winners of the 2017 Absolut Art Award,” said Saskia Neuman, Global Art Manager, Absolut, and Director of the Absolut Art Award. “The Award offers artists and art writers the opportunity to realize their dream project and it is great to be able to support creative talent in this way. The new part of the award – The Emerging Artist Award – will also continue our commitment to supporting young creatives.” “There are those rare awards in the cultural field that don't only honor what has already been achieved, but also function as catalysts for things yet to come,” said Daniel Birnbaum, 2017 Absolut Art Award Jury President “The Absolut Art Award has established itself as one of these inspirational prizes, both for the most relevant artists and the key voices in contemporary art writing. I am honored to chair the 2017 installment of the award.” The winners of the three Absolut Art Awards will be announced in May 2017 during the Vernissage of La Biennale di Venezia – 57th International Art Exhibition. 2016-06-09 23:40 Nicholas Forrest
51 100 Drones Dance Like Fireflies in the Sky for Vivid Sydney Related Venues Sydney Opera House On Wednesday night, 100 drones took to the sky to perform a synchronized “ballet” to live music played by the Sydney Youth Orchestra. After a coordinated ascent to 105 meters, the 100 LED-equipped quadrocopters performed a series of intricate formations, creating three- dimensional figures above the water at Sydney harbor. The spectacular seven-minute light show, created by Ars Electronica Futurelab for Intel, is a technical feat with each drone following a pre- programmed flight path with dynamic aerial formations. The performance, which plays on colors and layering, has been created especially for Sydney, and makes great use of its location and backdrop for example with the drones forming the Sydney Opera House’s instantly recognizable shape. "Drones 100" is being performed every night until June 12, weather permitting. With many people viewing from vantage points around the harbor and from boats, Natalie Cheung, Intel’s drone product manager, points out the spectacle has been created to be seen from a 360-degree perspective, with a selection of different symbols that would connect with an international audience, while also teasing out viewers’ imagination by leaving some patterns open to interpretation. In February, the chip manufacturer acquired Ascending Technologies, a German drone maker that produces different types of drones, including the “Hummingbird,” used for the Sydney performance, and ahead of the first show Cheung said, “We want to expand people’s mindset about what they can be used for. Beyond delivery and inspection, we also want to show you can combine this technology with art to create new forms of entertainment.” The drones use Intel’s RealSense technology, which Cheung explained, allows for a degree of self-navigation using camera sensors to help avoid collisions. Each drone’s pre-programed path had been tested extensively to follow its global positioning system and ‘RealSense’ allows each drone to “understand” how far away each one is from the others and automatically correct, for example, if a gust of wind blows them off their set path. While this is the second time Intel has put together a Drone 100 performance — the first having taken place in a Hamburg football field in front of a private audience — it is the first time the show is being performed live in front of the general public, and Cheung points out, “it’s also the first time it’s done above water.” The drones are launched from two barges within an exclusion zone that keeps boats that gather to see the spectacle at a safe distance and the entire swarm is under the control of one pilot with an additional four pilots also allocated a squadron in case of difficulties. Beyond creating a unique spectacle, the technology on display demonstrates large numbers of drones can be safely coordinated simultaneously, which could have useful applications such as scanning and mapping of large areas. 2016-06-09 21:20 Sonia Kolesnikov
52 U67 refers to the mandala idea in suncheon art platform proposal U67 refers to the mandala idea in suncheon art platform proposal (above) view from the inner garden all images courtesy of U67 for the suncheon art platform competition sola-based office U67 has proposed ‘mandala’, an architectural complex that focuses on the need of balance between the historical value of the old city and the most innovative issues and topics related to the eco-identity of the rich natural surrounding environment. the main strategy was to learn from the context and to rely on the existing potentialities within luncheon and the south korean culture. the first move proposes a complex able to transform the plot site in a new place that deserves to be seen and experienced in order to learn about the ‘humanities city’ that the brief addressed, a new engine within the ongoing urban regeneration. not a generic box that includes contents within its envelope but a number of devices and buildings able to represent several aspects of the south korean historical heritage of luncheon designed in a contemporary innovative way. the ‘mandala’s purpose is to make visitors learn from the direct experience in order to share knowledge about the history and the contemporary. within the complex there are: in site a, a square wall that protects an inner garden where a visitor and art center can be found; outside the wall, a rear garden made by a red pine forest and a set of pavilions: the hang-rae memorial and the palmabi. in site b, the cafe pavilion and the yeonja-ru face the river. an open flexible landscape has the aim of connecting the whole, while the parking instead is located in a lower level. starting from the east the plot is next to the joonang-ro street, which section is relevant both in vertical, because of the presence of an underground shopping centre below, and horizontal being highly polluted connecting the central joogang-market block and the fashion street with the plot. their approach is to connect the several levels with a vertical connection device, the “east descent”, highly combined with the complex and visible also from the exterior of the complex, able to lead people from the inner garden of the complex both to the parking, located in the basement, and to the shopping centre. going south, the plot takes a respectful distance from the ok-cheon stream and from the former suncheon walls that might be found below the site c, this will allow in the future to research on it without modifying the complex, keeping the needed car passage and integrating the new elements in the current settlements. close to the river is located the new yeonja-ru, born as a device of contemplation and meditation, detached from the ground level but easily reachable with the both stairs and lift. from its level the suncheon landscape is visible and people could isolate themselves contemplating the surrounding nature. in the south part of the plot, the café pavilion is located as a completion of the close-by block of the existing art-café street, in the frame of the urban regeneration of the city this in fact has to be intended crucial to experience the river and approach the old city. going west the complex become more permeable to the context, the rear garden with the small architecture located within (the hang- rae memorial and the palmabi) offer the occasion to welcome visitors arriving from this direction with a red-pine forest that as to be read as a mass to counterpart the open inner garden within the wall. as in suncheon bay garden, where the representation in scale of the biggest context create a successfully public space for the city where to enjoy and learn about the natural heritage and where there are hills that represent the surrounding mountains and a lake representing the city of suncheon, also in the mandala complex the wall with its entrances could be seen a representation of the old gated city in small where the learning about the tradition of the south korea, especially according the complex of korean garden and principle of architecture pass through the experience of the complex itself. in addition to that, the aim of ‘mandala’ is to allow a higher point of view on its surroundings to enhance the acknowledgement of the identity of suncheon working with the shifting of the public space upwards within the buildings of the complex. designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here. 2016-06-09 21:01 Fabio Gigone
53 Digital Hell: Tech Tips for the Deceased GIFs and images courtesy of the artist Though heavy line work with manga stylings, the Sydney-based artist Lynn Nguyen has developed a distinctive body of work. She combines internet culture with anime and Victorian-era vampires in black-and-white schemes with bold splashes of bloody red. "For the most part, I really enjoy making beautiful and detailed drawings—and then finding various ways to murder them," Nguyen tells The Creators Project. "In fact, corrupting files is one of my favorite therapeutic pastimes. " And so begins the process behind the creation of her series of dark illustrations and GIFs. She uses a mix of approaches for each piece, sometimes starting with ink on paper and other times using digital programs like Manga Studio 5 or Photoshop—whichever feels right. Then, she takes those illustrations and mangles them in various ways for added effect. One method involves hacking an image’s binary data with a program like Hex Edit Pro , resulting in interesting glitches. To capture them in real time, she'll often take screen caps of the work to create her final images, or even snap them with her camera phone. An approach she takes for paper drawings involves abusing her scanner. "I think low-res images can be charming," says Nguyen, who also goes by the alias, Teething. "Taking a picture of my screen will create this glowing, romantic vignette around the artwork that I really like. " At first, she was just uploading regular sketches done with charcoal on butcher's paper to LiveJournal and Facebook. But the act of blogging crept into the work itself and changed her style. "That was how I learned about digital art. I started talking to other digital artists and became really interested in tech and internet culture. I wanted to make art that combined those two things I understood and enjoyed—technology and drawing. " Technology has a direct influence on her work, alongside horror and the occult. "Many of my ideas come from memes, comics, reblogged articles on Tumblr, and just observing online behavior," she explains. "I get a lot of weird thoughts around 4 AM in the morning, when I'm way past tired, scrolling through random GIF image posts, and my YouTube playlist has gone totally off track. " In addition to internet wormholes, she's also inspired by fashion, religious iconography, and 19th century paintings. But translating that digital art into physical work brings her back into the real world. For one exhibit, she displayed her GIFs on tablets in ornate gold. Vinyl transfer prints onto clothing is another new area of exploration as well. This weekend, she's releasing her first zine for the zine fair at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. Check out more of her work below: See more of Lynn Nguyen's work on her website. Related: Pen Drawings of Hellspawn | Monday Insta Illustrator Illustration Timelapse Inks All of NYC in Under 3 Minutes Illustrations of Women Aspiring for the "New" Normal 2016-06-09 20:50 Mike Steyels
54 zim & zou crafts barcelona's architectural landmarks from pink paper french studio zim & zou has created a colorful campaign for spanish sparkling wine brand freixenet that uses paper to create a backdrop of the city of barcelona. shades of pink paper form an intricately crafted architectural landscape lined with landmarks from the catalan capital — including gaudi’s sagrada família, casa mila, and buildings in park güell. made by hand, these three-dimensional elements have been carefully cut, glued and assembled into miniature renditions of the cityscape. in its preparation for the campaign, the collection of paper buildings have been lined up in front of a vibrant blue ‘sky’ and behind a sparkling bottle of ‘mia’ wine. tethered to a string, a small cable car teeters above the landscape of paper architecture and extends to the top of the frame. the colorful campaign has been created for spanish sparkling wine brand freixenet paper pieces create a backdrop of the city of barcelona landmarks from the catalan capital include the sagrada família buildings from park güell are included in the composition the collection of paper buildings form an architectural backdrop for the campaign elements have been carefully cut, glued and assembled into miniature renditions of the cityscape small pieces of foam board create three-dimensionality between different layers of paper tiny architectural details are crafted into window frames of a gaudi building 2016-06-09 20:19 Nina Azzarello
55 55 Images of South London Heroes Bowie, Adele Join Portraits of 180 Students They Inspired Related Venues National Portrait Gallery Artists Adele David Bowie SIMON TERRILL David Bowie , Adele and Rio Ferdinand are among the well-known faces in a unique show at London’s National Portrait Gallery. They and other South London heroes were chosen as inspirational figures that have lived or worked in the areas of Lambeth and Southwark. Their portraits are shown next to a monumental work by Australian-born artist SIMON TERRILL , who has been working with art students from St Saviour’s and St Olave’s School in Southwark. The pupils have been using the gallery’s portraits of local heroes to develop a series of artworks going on display. This also led to the latest in Terrill’s “Crowd Theory” series. In each of these large-scale works, groups of people gather in a place significant to them. Terrill placed a large format camera on a nearby tower block for a panoramic dusk shot of the school, illuminated with arc lights. Nine groups of students struck poses that related to each hero’s portrait for long- exposure photos on March 7. (Bowie died on January 10.) The initiative comes amid differing demographics and perceptions between the city north and south of the river Thames. There has long been a divide between the two, with each having its firm favorites. Northerners mock “Sarf” London for its working-class accents and lack of Tube trains; Southerners scoff at prices and pretention on the other side of the divide. Both are based on generalization and long-held prejudices. Bowie was born in Brixton, lived in Beckenham and championed the south; Brixton resident Adele wrote her first song “Hometown Glory” about south London, and soccer star Rio Ferdinand lived on Peckham’s Friary estate. Among others photographed: musician Roots Manuva; scientist James Lovelock; author Malorie Blackman; activist Peter Tatchell; designer Vivienne Westwood; and soldier Johnson Beharry, who all have links to south London. The project, supported by the Palley family, is the final part of the Creative Connections initiative to connect young people in London with contemporary artists. There are now plans to extend it outside the British capital. 2016-06-09 19:25 Mark Beech
56 Celebrate the Little Things with a Fireworks Deathstar Explosion Screencaps via How do you celebrate big accomplishments? The gentle pop of a champagne bottle is dwarfed by UK inventor Colin Furze, who celebrated his three millionth YouTube subscriber with 58 boxes of fireworks, each with a 58-shot payload, and electronically wired together to create the 5,000-shot Firework Deathstar. The mad genius who brought you the Flamethrower Guitar posted his insane firework creation today and it’s as crazy cool as the name suggests. The explosions last for a full minute-and-a-half, bursting from the top of a 250-foot crane to create a safe distance between the explosions and their creator. The Furze shouts of excitement as he runs around his invention are almost as exhilarating as the fireworks themselves. He has set the Guinness World Record for world’s fastest pram in 2012, fastest mobility scooter in 2010, longest motorcycle in 2008, and the largest bonfire in 2006. He worked as a plumber for most of his life and has no engineering qualifications. He says the keys to success are having a workspace, friends who will lend you a hand, and someone telling you you’re going to fail so that you push yourself. Recently, he made a hoverbike with no, seat, or brakes— and it flew! Check out the Firework Deathstar in action below. To see more of Colin Furze’s wild inventions, visit his website and YouTube channel . Related Links: All Hail Colin Furze’s Flamethrower Guitar A Plumber Built a Hoverbike in his Garage How to Make a Bazooka for Fireworks 2016-06-09 19:25 Francesca Capossela
57 Photos Become Sculptures in These Collage- Like Works Installation view of “Things Of Shapes” at Neumeister Bar- Am, Berlin (photo courtesy of Neumeister Bar-Am) By experimenting with images and their physicality, artist Kate Steciw creates multifaceted works she calls "constructions" that can be referred to as photography sculpture. The shaping and layering process behind Steciw’s compositions remind us that perspective is something that is meant to be played with. By taking images out of their initial context she is able to create intricate dialogues between forms and textures that are materialized through a dye-sublimation to aluminum process to make physical objects of the photographs. Trained as a photographer, Steciw’s approach to art is both liberal and personal in the sense that she collects images from her daily life to later dissect and assemble into painterly compositions that can be hung by from a chain attached to several mountain-climbing hinges or stacked up neatly in the confines of a frame. She tells The Creators Project, “All these images do is exist in this ephemeral digital space where they get saved and stored and they never have any materiality, why don’t we make a thing out of it? Let’s see how they exist out in the real world.”> Construction 143 from “Shapes Of Things” at Brand New Gallery, Milan (photo courtesy of Brand New Gallery) By creating outlines of original and default shapes on her computer, Steciw draws upon the photograph to create a unique form that is assembled into a multidimensional composition. She says, “The less contextualized the images become the more they can act as form or color within the composition.” The quality of the image is not the point when Steciw takes a photograph. She says, “I love knowing that I’m going to use images regardless of their technical aesthetic. I can be out in the world doing my thing and collecting images.” Construction 1029 from “Things Of Shapes” at Neumeister Bar-Am, Berlin (photo courtesy of Neumeister Bar-Am) The way that Steciw applies the photographs to her compositions is almost like using stock material from her own personal journeys. Each one of her works is directly linked to a personal experience. “My work is about my life, I’m obsessed with images and taking and saving and creating a connection with how I deal with images in my day to day world,” she says. From natural elements such as water and fire to mundane objects such as a balloon animal, Steciw captures all sorts of images that provide a one-of-a-kind texture for her intricate assemblages. Steciw’s lively works have garnered a lot of attention in past months due to their morphable qualities that keep pushing the boundaries of photography, providing new insights into experimentation. She just exhibited two new series of work Shapes of Things at the Brand New Gallery in Milan and Things of Shapes at Neumeister Bar-Am in Berlin. The artist says, “Right now feels like a very liberating time to be working with images, I’m happy for that because I’ve always felt a little estranged from the photography world. " Installation view of “Shapes Of Things” at Brand New Gallery, Milan ((photo courtesy of Brand New Gallery) Construction 1021 from “Things Of Shapes” at Neumeister Bar-Am, Berlin (photo courtesy of Neumeister Bar-Am) Construction 1026 from “Things Of Shapes” at Neumeister Bar-Am, Berlin (photo courtesy of Neumeister Bar-Am) To learn more about the artist click here. Related: LEDs and Polycarbonate Tubes Free Photography from the Picture Frame No Cameras Necessary: 8 Camera-Less Photographers You Need To Know Large Scale Prints Blur the Lines Between Painting and Photography 2016-06-09 19:21 Rodrigo Campuzano
58 58 Uncanny GTA V Photos Remind Us We Might Be in a Simulated World Images courtesy the artist Elon Musk recently stated his belief that we are probably living inside a simulated reality. Those paying attention might have noted the simulation argument he references, made by Swedish philosopher Nick Bostrom. The theory is a bit heady, but Bostrom basically argues that it's statistically likely we're living in a simulation. London-based portrait photographer Ollie Ma’ is also intrigued by Bostrom’s simulation theory. So much so that he decided to create a photo series that explores it through the digital imagery of Grand Theft Auto V , interspersed with his usual photographic portraiture titled Open World. The output is a striking mirror of Ma’s carefully framed and staged photographs. “Bostrom believes that if humans get to the stage where we can create what he calls ‘ancestor-simulations’ then there is a very high probability that we are living in a simulation ourselves,” Ma’ tells The Creators Project. “I made photographs in both Grand Theft Auto and in the real world to show what our current simulations look like in relation to reality. A side effect of this is that when compared with a simulation, reality itself begins to look like a simulation.” Ma’ shot his Grand Theft Auto V images in “director mode,” which allows users to choose actors and stage scenes. “You can then move around freely with a camera to compose the photograph,” Ma’ explains. “The process of constructing scenes in this way is similar to how I work in the real world.” The genius of Ma’s work is that, at least at first glance, a viewer has a hard time telling the difference between real and virtual photographs—a very clever conceptual riff on Bostrom’s simulation thesis. Imagine how difficult it will become distinguish the real from the virtual as graphics and rendering power continues to multiply exponentially. Click here to see more work by Ollie Ma’. Related: 'GTA V' Captain Planet, He's Our Hero So This Is Why GTA 5 Was Made For PC These Are the First Great 'Grand Theft Auto V' Videos Made by Players 2016-06-09 19:07 DJ Pangburn
59 kevin hviid symbolizes the perfection and value of togetherness with bob the bench kevin hviid symbolizes the perfection and value of togetherness with bob the bench (above) the design of the bench references the memphis philosophy of color and kitsch image © hans h. baerholm designer kevin hviid is a copenhagen-based architect and the man behind the studio of the same name who has created ‘bob is a bench’. its design references the memphis philosophy with its color and kitsch. ‘form does not have to follow function. design is about communication'; this tells the ground idea behind designing ‘bob the bench’ very well. the seating object symbolizes the perfection and value of togetherness. coming together can be a beautiful thing, and is something much needed in these days. it is a very graphical piece of furniture, which strives to communicate and attract attention to its presence. the bench is not just a piece of furniture, but also an image of entity and harmony. the seating object symbolizes the perfection and value of togetherness image © hans h. baerholm the design plays with the geometric rigor, wit and the structure and shapes of seating, with the aim of merging structure and decoration, but still in a very simple shape. the bench has a circular cutout, with an oversized front and back. for the viewer, the bench has the same immediacy as snapshots. the construction is in steel with rectangular steel pipes, and horizontal circular pipes in the semi-circles. the armrests are in raw brass, a natural disinfectant. it is a very graphical piece of furniture, which strives to communicate and attract attention to its presence image © hans h. baerholm the bench has been selected to be presented at re f o r m 2016 design biennale, a biannual exhibition space, which strives to assemble the strongest field within modern danish design. the bench has been accomplished in a collaboration with the danish national workshops for arts and crafts. the design plays with the geometric rigor, wit and the structure and shapes of seating image © hans h. baerholm designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here. 2016-06-09 18:25 Kevin Hviid
60 Richard Prince Splits from Gagosian Superstar appropriation artist Richard Prince has left Gagosian Gallery. An anonymous source close to the artist's studio confirmed that Prince has broken ties with the world- renowned gallery, which began in Los Angeles in 1980, and has been expanding ever since. artnet News reached out to Gagosian Gallery and the artist's studio, but did not receive an immediate response. Since joining the gallery in 2005, Prince has had nearly a dozen solo shows at its various international locations, and been part of countless other Gagosian group shows. Related: Millionaires Love Richard Prince and Christopher Wool artnet News' source said increasing tension arose between the artist and the gallery over issues of representation. Though Prince reportedly was signed to the Gagosian Gallery exclusively, he has had numerous other solo shows at other blue-chip venues in the past five years alone, as detailed on his website at spaces including his former gallery Barbara Gladstone , Blum & Poe, Luxembourg & Dayan, Nahmad Contemporary, Almine Rech, Skarstedt , and Sadie Coles, London. This appears to be bad news for Gagosian, since Prince is a market force to be reckoned with. His "Nurse" and "Joke" series paintings often sell for millions at auction. The current auction record of $9.7 million was set at Christie's last month, and the artnet Price Database lists nine paintings that have sold for more than $5 million each, and nearly 50 paintings for more than $2 million each. "It's not that money has nothing to do with it…," Prince cheekily told Damien Hirst in a 2009 interview on ASX. "Money means you can buy a better pencil sharpener…" Prince has frequently sparked controversy over his appropriation practice, including a string of copyright lawsuits in which Larry Gagosian personally, and the Gagosian Gallery business, have been drawn in to as defendants. In the most high-profile and drawn out one to date, it was photographer Patrick Cariou who sued the artist and the gallery over use of his distinctive Rastafarian imagery, that Prince then used in his highly successful "Canal Zone" paintings, which were shown at Gagosian Gallery in 2011. Joshua Schiller of Boies Schiller represented Prince and Gagosian; the notable firm previously represented the Warhol Foundation against a class action suit, and more recently defended art dealer Ann Freedman in connection with the massive Knoedler forgery scandal. The Cariou v. Prince case was eventually settled in 2014. More recently, suits against Prince and the gallery have come from well known photographer Donald Graham , once again over use of a Rastafarian image on the blown-up Instagram photo series. And last week, another photographer, Dennis Morris, who trailed the Sex Pistols on tour in the 1970s, sued Prince and Gagosian for use of his image of Sid Vicious also in the blown-up Instagram series and as part of a show centered on Jackson Pollock that was held in Eastern Long Island in 2011. Another source who was also aware of the split cautioned against reading too much into the often fickle artist-dealer relationship. After all, another art star, Hirst, who "left" Gagosian a few years back, recently showed his greatest hits at its Frieze New Yor k booth. Follow artnet News on Facebook . 2016-06-09 18:11 Eileen Kinsella
61 61 Divine Vessels Force Us to Break the Walls of Perception | City of the Seekers A Place n. IV, 2015. All photos courtesy of the artist. In the late 19th century, Southern California attracted misfits, idealists, and entrepreneurs with few ties to anyone or anything. Swamis, spiritualists, and other self- proclaimed religious authorities quickly made their way out West to forge new faiths. Independent book publishers, motivational speakers, and metaphysical-minded artists and writers then became part of the Los Angeles landscape. From yogis, to psychics, to witches, City of the Seekers examines how creative freedom enables LA-based artists to make spiritual work as part of their practices. When glancing at images of objects by sculptor and site-specific installation artist Galia Linn , even the most arts-savvy might be quick to dismiss them as conceptual, deconstructivist relics of a centuries-old arts tradition. But if we take a moment to really look at the sculptures themselves and their relationship to their environment, we can see that these objects are actually about the way we're looking at them. As a philosophy, "phenomenology" refers to an object outside the physical perception that the senses and mind notice. It's also about the experience that comes from interacting with an object, and deeply admiring what gives it form and meaning. In this way, Linn's art is more about the moment of understanding that arises after looking beyond an object's aesthetics to grasp its core, and it's that moment of recognition that finally gives the object its meaning. Studio shot "There is a first-person body experience that occurs while interacting with an object," Linn explains. "It happens before thought, before feeling. It exists in the knowing part of your existence that requires no explanation. " Originally from Israel, Linn fled her country during the Gulf War when bombs drowned out the sound of her husband's jazz band. Soon, the couple found themselves living in Southern California, sharing a three-bedroom house in Venice with 12 other adults, two kids, and their pets. That experience comes through in Linn's art, too. Not only does Linn's work embody the power of nature in the face of the human gaze (and that fleeting, thereafter unobtainable moment of grasping an object's essence), but it's about the artist's own early childhood experiences in Israel surrounded by relics of antiquity. Now that she's in LA, though, her environment shapes her work in another way. She says, "Living in Los Angeles gives me freedom through distance, and perspective through separation. " Single Horn Guardians, 2015 (Paper clay, crawl crackle, and white glazed stoneware. Approx. 40" x 22" x 17" each) While Linn's experiences inform her art, she maintains that when it comes to her creative process, "there is no room for intent," only a nearly obsessive attitude to work. As with many visual artists, Linn toils to the point of exhaustion and beyond coherent thought so that her body becomes the vehicle for her unconscious to manifest itself physically. The result is a range of curious objects with indefinable form and texture that simultaneously attract and challenge the would-be viewer's gaze. Linn's Single Horn Guardians look like they've been held together and torn apart for centuries, resembling vertical, shaft-like ancient termite mounds with carefully placed timeworn fissures and deliberate discolorations. The strange figures are grouped together as a gang of ungainly sculptures daring you to look at them, and only when you look closely do you truly see the magic unfold. Single Horn Guardians (Black mountain clay and gunmetal glazed stoneware, 44" x 25" x 20" each) "I manipulate sculptures to the edge of their endurance; pushing and pulling between the memories emerging from the stones that survived to the artist’s hand," Linn says. "The outgrowth becomes evidence of time and action. " Some of Linn's objects take the form of gigantic, unidentifiable fossils while others such as the black mountain clay Single Horn Guardians resemble melted Hershey kisses covered in blood, cast and settled like cement, with intestine-like tentacles reaching beyond the space. There is a palpable balance that comes from the tension between private and public space, often resulting in making the two indistinguishable from one another. But in the end, Linn's art is not only challenging our own perceptions, but hers as well. Untitled, 2013 (Paper clay, crawl, and white glazed stoneware, 22" x 34" x 30") "My journey is to break the stone wall of my own perception, what I appear to be and what I know I am," she says. "My art reverberates that wall; a constant battle between the effort to drill a passage and the acceptance of what is on the other side. " Ancient Vessel of the Divine II, 2013 (Paper clay, white glazed stoneware, 50" x 20" x 20" each) Big Mama III and Big Mama IV, 2015 (Black mountain clay, gunmetal, and clear and white glazed stoneware, 45" x 36" x 39" each) Single Horn Guardian, 2015 (Bronze and pressure treated timber, 65.5" x 27.5" x 23") Linn will be featured in a duo Exhibition at MaRS Gallery and a group exhibition at 101 Exhibit in Los Angeles in July. Athenaeum will present Linn’s first solo exhibition in La Jolla, California in September. See more of Linn's work here. Related: Meet the Soft-Sculpture Artist Making Beaded Paintings | City of the Seekers Can Visionary Art Also be Conceptual? | City of the Seekers Worship the Ceramic Booty | City of the Seekers 2016-06-09 18:10 Tanja M
Total 61 articles. Created at 2016-06-10 18:06