Cultural Theory 2015 magazine MA Modern and Contemporary Art 1(4) Critical Reviews Exhibitions Cultural Studies Interviews Foreword This fourth number of C# — the Christie’s Education student-led on-line journal — reflects the unique interests, engagements and ambitions of those who have made the issue. As lecturers, tutors and teachers, our aim is to set in motion the conditions necessary for students to begin to gather together critical writing, features, essays and interviews, which map and explore the ecosystem that makes for contemporary art and its varied practices and positions. We offer advice and supervision, but mainly the opportunity to take ownership of the endeavour and shape the experience and outcome as theirs. Before you is the product of those efforts in C#15. The cohort of students that comprise the class of 2014–15 are now, as I write, finishing up their course work and preparing the transition to forging their own professional practices and positions in the art world. We take pride that they may already appreciate such a shift as akin a move into the grand theatre of objects variously arranged in space and time relative to perceiving subjects that is the lebenswelt, or lifeworld. This is ultimately the dynamic horizon against which they will continue to learn and live, laugh, love and labour. We wish them well and thank them for being excellent representatives of Christie’s Education. John Slyce Senior Tutor Modern and Contemporary Art and Art world Practice Table of Contents Features Exhibition Reviews/ London 16 Guy on the Wall 44 Carsten Höller at Hayward Gallery Kelsey Zalimeni Florence Bell 22 Pierre Huyghe: Generating Antagonism 48 Alexander McQueen at V&A Elizabeth Atkinson David Yu & Alex Mteini 34 Postmodern Vision and Beyond: 56 Freedom and Truth: Theaster The Gaze, Desire and Perversion Gates at White Cube Edward Sheldrick Laura Yakemchuk 62 Peter Kennard at The Imperial Exhibition Reviews/ World War Museum Anne de Geus 68 Christopher Williams: The Production Line of Happiness 106 Ahmet Güneştekin Million Stone Sheelan Atalla Kemal Orta 72 Shizareh Houshiary at Lisson 116 Interplay at MMCA Korea Gallery Nicola Guastamacchia Nivedita Poddar 122 Finding the Oasis of Matisse 78 Jo Baer: Towards The Land of the Giants Elizabeth Atkinson Julia Rudo 132 Never Say Goodbye 84 Inventing Impressionism Chi Chen Aurelia Clavien 140 Year 2015, 365 days: 3 Times Pollock on Show at the Peggy 94 Zabludowicz Collection: 20 Years Guggenheim Collection James Proctor Camilla Bin 100 Malachi Farrell : Duck and cover! 150 Long Lives Ding Yi! Michael Bouhanna Rosalie Fabre Interviews 160 ‘Art is Forever’: A Conversation with Edmond Francey Nelli Romanovskaya 168 Interview with Nicoletta Lambertucci Florence Bell 182 In The Studio with Anne Hardy Edward Sheldrick 192 Interview with Petronilla Silver and Penny Govett on ‘Forms Without Life’ James Proctor & Nicola Guastamacchia 202 Interview with Nadia Kaabi-Linke Nivedita Poddar & Miriam Ambatlle Features 16 17 Guy on the Wall If you thought the walls of the art world couldn’t talk, think again. The guards and guides of leading museums, art fairs, and biennials see and hear all — it’s their pri- mary duty. What’s more, they’re willing to relay their encounters and own opinions by Kelsey Zalimeni with this writer. Meet four sets of eyes and ears to art institutions, each just a Guy on the Wall. 1 The Guy overall happiness to be a part of it. Exhibition team member, Australian Albeit deflecting his true opinion on, Council. well, anything... the peppy bloke pro- The Wall vided plenty of useful and interesting Australian Pavilion at the 2015 Venice information. Biennale. The Brass 2 Bearing the official title of exhibition The Guy docent, Guy #1 has been selected thro- Entryway Security Guard. ugh an arduous application and inter The Wall view process conducted by the Australia - Art15 Fair, Artistique Design (Qatar) Council for the Arts. He is one of twenty- Gallery Booth. five successful candidates, native to The Brass Adelaide (where this year’s represen- Guy #2 approached me, pointing to tative artist Fiona Hall is also from). a small green and red flag on a shiny He also has his own artistic practice, pot-laden rickshaw piece at the centre which he describes as whimsical, child of the floor. With a large grin, he told friendly and playful. His aim in the art me it was from Bangladesh, his native world is to engage people of all ages country. He found work at the fair and backgrounds with the work on through Olympia’s provided security display. staff. Throughout the week, he was The Bull responsible for working this event, in When asked for candid thoughts on addition to the London Wine Fair next the exhibition, his canned reply con- door — which he joked should be held tained about six ‘incrediblies,’ each in the same space, as art people are followed by a positive feeling, such as eternally inbibing and the Chelsea one of excitement, privilege, luck and Flower Shop. His take on the art crowd: Features 18 19 ‘They’re just like you and me except with Michael Jackson, Bono, Axel Rose, nine years ago. He more than hap- they buy things you and me could never and Ringo Starr. The craziest shift he’s pily moved to Tate Modern, when it dream of today.’ ever worked involved tackling a mur- opened in 2000. In his words, ‘Tate The Bull derer at a Jessie J concert, attempting Britain was so serious and stuffy... To him, most contemporary art is just escape after stabbing someone in the art and visitors were both old.’ that — bull. However, when asked to the neck with a beer bottle. His job He didn’t study art, but estimated name a piece he actually liked, he at this event was to remain alert for that seventy percent of his Tate col- motioned to two large-scale 100 Yuan any of twelve notorious art thieves, leagues did or currently do. Detecting notes rendered in neon. His explana- whose faces he’d memorized, and to my accent, he shared some juicy infor- tion was simple: ‘because everyone follow them around until they became mation about the true British opinion likes money.’ spooked and fled. of Americans. ‘What you assume they The Bull say is true; they believe all Americans 3 Like Guy #2, he felt that contemporary are stupid and complain that too many The Guy art wasn’t important to people like of you are involved in the London art Patrolling Security Guard him. ‘Being from the Welsh valleys, world.’ Does he agree? ‘The British The Wall you don’t really study art or get any are grey and grim like the weather Art15 Fair, Mezzanine Level of this. I’m more into music, which is here... Americans are open, friendly The Brass why I enjoy this job.’ Looking down and really living life.’ A most entertaining conversation resulted from the railing, he noted that the The Bull from jokingly offering an exhibition only crowd-worthy work was ‘that pile Cy Twombly’s ‘scribble mess’ (by this flyer to Guy #3, a muscly Welshman, of washing’ by Kestutis Svirnelis... if it he means a large red Untitled) is the who has been working in security for caught on fire. bane of his existence. Many works in over twenty years. Immediately after Tate Modern are displeasing and gro- receiving the paper, he crinkled it, 4 tesque to him: ‘I cannot see the art in saying, ‘All art is way over my head; The Guy these things.’ He left me with a final I don’t get any of it.’ He went on to Visitor Services Staff Member comment as I thanked him for his time: criticise nearly every work in the build- The Wall ‘You see, this is the thing... I could never ing, save a couple of melting lollipop Tate Modern, Poetry & Dream Level, have this conversation with a British sculptures and a mural featuring David Joseph Beuys display person. It just wouldn’t happen. They Bowie (even though, according to him, The Brass wouldn’t think of having it. So, I am the it doesn’t look much like the singer.) The fourth and final Guy was happy to one that should thank you.’ Bowie is among the many music leg- pass his quiet morning shift with a gos- ends he’s had the pleasure to protect sipy chat. Originally from Argentina, and speak with across his career. He Guy #4 began working for Tate Britain, told me stories about his encounters in Pimlico, through a temp agency Features 20 21 Joseph Beuys Lightning with Stag in its Glare (1958–1985) Courtesy of Tate Modern, London Features 22 23 Pierre Huyghe: Generating Antagonism Chantal Mouffe describes artist) and is received by a subject our social realm to be made (the viewer).’ 4 For Bishop, subjectivity, Through Appropriation of Public Space up of sedimented practices, as premised on ‘the fictitious whole which conceal the original acts of subject of a harmonious community,’ their contingent political institution, must be replaced with the demand for By Elizabeth Atkinson thus being taken for granted as self- ‘relational antagonism’ premised on a grounded. 1 For Mouffe, every social ‘divided subject of partial identifica- order is predicated upon the exclusion tions open to flux.’ 5 Installation art of other possibilities, thus generat- is thus the ideal model for generating ing a susceptibility to challenge. 2 She such antagonism, as it ‘insists on our identifies such ‘antagonism’ within presence to subject us to the experi- artistic practices, in their ability to ence of decentring.’ 6 disrupt the smooth image that corpo- A decentred subject experiences rate capitalism spreads, bringing to feelings of division from the public the fore its repressive characters.