| | The First Art Newspaper on the Net |   | Established in 1996 | Sunday, May 12, 2019 |
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| | Razors in the roses: Venice art Biennale gets political | |
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Installation view Martin Puryear: Liberty/Libertà La Biennale di Venezia, U.S. Pavilion, Venice, Italy, 2019 Big Phrygian (2010-14) Glenstone Museum, Potomac, Maryland Photo: Joshua White  JWPictures.com
by Kelly Velasquez
VENICE.- In the era of "fake news" and social media echo chambers, Venice's Biennale art fair is challenging preconceived biases by suggesting other ways of contextualising modern society's biggest issues. "What elevates art into something special is the fact that it resists closed mentalities," the international exposition's artistic director, American Ralph Rugoff, told AFP ahead of Saturday's opening. The theme of the world's most prestigious art gathering is "May You Live in Interesting Times", an (apocryphal) ancient Chinese curse that Rugoff says uncannily captures the world today, as the news cycle spins from crisis to crisis. "At a moment when the digital dissemination of fake news and 'alternative facts' is corroding political discourse and trust... it is worth pausing whenever possible to reassess our terms of reference," he said in his introduction to the 58th Biennale. For the 2019 edition, which runs until November 24, Rugoff, director of the Hayward Gallery in London, has invited ... More |
The Best Photos of the Day Returning for the 58th Biennale di Venezia, the sixth edition of GLASSTRESS brings together a new line-up of leading contemporary artists from Europe, the United States, Latin America, India, and China in an ambitious exhibition exploring the endless creative possibilities of glass.
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 | | Edward Hopper's Central Park scene to lead Sotheby's American Art Auction this May | | Palazzo Franchetti presents three important series by Jean Dubuffet | | Sotheby's and RM Sotheby's announce online only collector car auctions | 
Edward Hopper, Shakespeare at Dusk (detail). Estimate: $7/10 Million. Courtesy Sotheby's.
NEW YORK, NY.- Sothebys shared highlights from their upcoming American Art auction in New York on 21 May 2019. The sale is led by Edward Hoppers Central Park scene, Shakespeare at Dusk (estimate $7/10 million), as well as significant examples by American icons such as Norman Rockwell, Grant Wood, Georgia OKeeffe, and Mary Cassatt. Highlights from the auction are now on view in Sothebys newly expanded and re-imagined New York galleries, with the full exhibition of all works opening on the 17th. Following the sale of Edward Hoppers seminal Two Comedians last November, Sothebys will offer yet another outstanding work by the artist: Shakespeare at Dusk (estimate $7/10 million). Set in Central Park, this scene belongs to Hoppers celebrated series of New York cityscapesa subject matter he explored early in his career while studying under Robert Henri and continued until his death in 1967 ... More | | 
Jean Dubuffet, Laubaine, 1963. 146 x 114 cm. Private collection.
VENICE.- A strong relationship connects one of the most important French artists of the postwar period, Jean Dubuffet, to the city of Venice. This show, curated by Sophie Webel and Frédéric Jaeger, intends to celebrate and remember the importance of two famous exhibitions that, taking place in Venice, marked the path of the artist. Dubuffet chose Venice twice in order to present his more recent works for the first time: at Palazzo Grassi in 1964 and at the French Pavilion at Biennale of 1984. The exhibition is hosted in the large rooms of the main floor of Palazzo Franchetti, a prestigious Fifteenth Century palace overlooking the Canal Grande, and it is organized by ACP, the company managing the exhibition venue, with the valuable collaboration of the Dubuffet Foundation, Gandur Fondation pour l'art Geneve et Fondation Beyeler (Basel). Through the recall of the two historical venetian exhibitions mentioned above, the ... More | | 
The series kicked off on 10 May with a beautifully restored 1967 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk III BJ8. Courtesy RM Sotheby's.
NEW YORK, NY.- Sothebys and RM Sothebys announced a new series of online-only, single-lot automobile auctions. The series kicked off on 10 May with a beautifully restored 1967 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk III BJ8. Hosted on Sotheby's newly developed digital auction platform, the sales will offer new and seasoned collectors alike a unique process for discovering and acquiring cars selected specifically for the new format. Bidding for the Austin Healey opened at 10:00 am on 10 May, and will run through 23 May, during which the current high bid will be visible. While the sale format is new, the quality of cars for auction on the digital auction platform will be consistent with Sothebys and RM Sothebys offerings and will be subject to RM Sothebys mechanical and cosmetic inspection process completed by a specialist. Further, the cars offered will be available for in-person viewing ... More |
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| | | Gallery Hyundai presents Lee Kang-So: Becoming in Venice | | Seventy baby polar bears frolic, play, fight, nap, and explore the top floor of Perrotin New York | | Restoration of fifteenth-century painting uncovers amazing Renaissance attempt to save 600,000 children | 
Installation view, Lee Kang-So: Becoming at the Palazzo Caboto, Venice. Photo: Luke Walker. Image courtesy of Gallery Hyundai.
VENICE.- Gallery Hyundai presents Lee Kang-Sos solo exhibition, Becoming, at the Palazzo Caboto, Venice from 8 May 30 June. Breaking convention, Lee Kang-Sos pioneering artistic experimentations were integral to the development of South Koreas avant-garde performance art scene during the late 1960s and 1970s. Coinciding with the Venice Biennale, the exhibition takes place in the historic Palazzo Caboto located on the waterfront between the Arsenale and Giardini. Gallery Hyundai returns to the building for a second time, following the Seung-taek Lee exhibition in 2017. The first floor houses Void (1971), an installation of reeds taken from their original environment and resituated within the exhibition space. The work provides the audience with a sensory experience of perception, devoid of ideology or a conceptual worldview. Also included is Lees iconic work Untitled - 75031 (commonly known ... More | | 
Paola Pivi, Oh oh, 2019. Urethane foam, plastic, feathers. Green bear: 78.7 Ã 41.9 Ã 44.5 cm | 31 Ã 16 1/2 Ã 17 1/2 in. Orange bear: 72 Ã 56 Ã 36 cm | 28 3/8 Ã 22 1/16 Ã 14 3/16 in. Photo: Guillaume Ziccarelli. Courtesy of the artist & Perrotin.
NEW YORK, NY.- Perrotin is presenting Paola Pivis ninth solo show with the gallery. The artist returns to New York, 6 years after her last solo show which marked the inauguration of Perrotin New York on Madison Avenue, and following her successful solo show at Bass Museum Miami this winter. Seventy baby polar bears frolic, play, fight, nap, and explore the top floor of Perrotin New York. Instead of fur, the bears have sprouted florescent feathers. The polar ice caps are melting. In order to survive a changing climate, they have needed to adapt. They occupy a space between fantasy and realityfrozen in their stances, yet with the impression that they could spring to life at any moment. Paola Pivi originally began making full scale multicolored feather-covered bears while she lived in India. The countrys vibrant visual culture ... More | | 
New documentary by Italian Canadian filmmaker Davide Battistella, has its Cinema Premiere in Florence.
FLORENCE.- A 600-year-old painting leads two art conservators in Florence on a journey that sheds light on the story of the hundreds of thousands of children who were abandoned, and the women who saved them. The Innocents of Florence, the new documentary by Italian Canadian filmmaker Davide Battistella, has its Cinema Premiere in Florence on MAY 17, 2019 at Cinema La Compagnia, followed by 6 days of further screenings. Modern-day Florence attracts more conservators than artists. Since the Arnos tragic flooding in 1966 when Florentine women first began wearing trousers in public it has steadily grown to be a women-dominated profession. The Innocents of Florence follow two conservators, Nicoletta Fontani and Elizabeth Wicks, as they set out to salvage the mysterious painting Madonna of the Innocents, a restoration sponsored by Dr. Jane Fortune, known in Florence ... More |
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| | | Apple's 'most ambitious' retail store set for US capital | | Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art acquires Noctilucent (2018) by Liza Lou | | MGM presents their second major collaboration with artist Joana Vasconcelos in Venice | 
Architects worked to balance original windows and building features with new elements inside and outside of the new Apple Carnegie Library May 09, 2019 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/AFP.
WASHINGTON.- Half store, half museum, Apple's new location in the US capital within a historic landmark is being described as the "most ambitious" project for its retail operations. Apple invited journalists Thursday to view the renovated Carnegie Library in downtown Washington, just blocks from the White House and the Capitol Building, ahead of its public opening on Saturday. The project launched in 2015 entailed a meticulous restoration of the marble-facade 1903 building originally designed as a public library and paid for by industrialist Andrew Carnegie, who died in 1919. Apple funded the renovation and will use one of the three floors for its retail store and education programs, with the remainder dedicated to local historical exhibits. "This is really our gift to the city," said Apple development team leader Mike Brown. "We've looked around DC for a long ... More | | 
Liza Lou, Noctilucent, 2018, oil paint on woven glass beads on canvas, 97 x 97 x 3 inches. Collection of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, Missouri, Bebe and Crosby Kemper Collection, Museum purchase made possible by a gift from the Bebe and Crosby Kemper Foundation, UMB Bank, n.a., Trustee, 2019.01.01. © Liza Lou, 2018, courtesy the artist and Lehman Maupin, New York, Hong Kong, and Seoul. Photo: Joshua White.
KANSAS CITY, MO.- In celebration of the Museums twenty-fifth anniversary year, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art announced the first acquisition of 2019 to the Museums Permanent Collection is Noctilucent (2018), by world-renowned Los Angeles-based artist Liza Lou. Exemplifying the language of gesture present throughout the history of collecting and exhibiting contemporary art at Kemper Museum, this work demonstrates an innovative use of materials, is representative of the Museums artist-centric focus, recognizes an artist whose 1998 exhibition at the Museum remains one of the most regarded, and continues to thoughtfully grow the Museums Permanent Collection with works ... More | | 
MGM presents What are you hiding? May you find what you are looking for by Joana Vasconcelos at San Clemente Palace Kempinski, Venice, 10 May 1 November 2019.
VENICE.- Continuing MGMs mission to support art and culture, new and recent works by internationally renowned Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos are on show for the first time in Venice. The exhibition, curated by Nina Moaddel, takes place on Isola di San Clemente where the works are being exhibited across the Palace Kempinski gardens and in the San Clemente church. Vasconcelos largest Valkyrie piece was shown in Valkyrie Octopus at MGM MACAU in 2015; the Venice exhibition therefore marks a continuation of this relationship, bringing a part of the East meets West cultural tastes between Macau, China and Portugal to new audiences in Venice. The exhibitions title What are you hiding? May you find what you are looking for is a response to the 58th Venice Biennales title as selected by curator Ralph Rugoff, May you live in interesting times. Vasconcelos works contain references both to the popular culture of her ... More |
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| | | Inuit artist collective Isuma represents Canada at the Biennale Arte 2019 | | In Jerusalem's Old City, lantern maker lights up Ramadan | | Eduard Planting Gallery in Amsterdam opens 'Dare to Love' | 
Isuma, 2019. Installation view at the Canada Pavilion for the 58th International Art Exhibition - la Biennale di Venezia, May 2019. Courtesy of the National Gallery of Canada and Isuma Distribution International. Photo: Francesco Barasciutti.
VENICE.- The National Gallery of Canada is presenting an exhibition by the artist collective Isuma at the Biennale Arte 2019. It is the first presentation of art by Inuit in the Canada Pavilion and the first exhibition since the building underwent a $3-million CAD restoration in 20172018. Isumas exhibition in Venice coincides with the United Nations International Year of Indigenous Languages, offering an unprecedented opportunity to share Inuit-language creative production on a global stage. Isuma, the artist collective led by Zacharias Kunuk and Norman Cohn, presents a three-part project consisting of: One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk, a video installation of Isumas latest dramatic film; Isuma Online, a collection of Inuit and other Indigenous-language films available on iTunes ... More | | 
Palestinian craftsman Issam Zughair moves a large Ramadan lantern in his shop in the old city of Jerusalem on May 2, 2019. AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP.
JERUSALEM (AFP).- At his shop in Jerusalem's Old City, Palestinian craftsman Issam Zughair makes traditional lanterns for Muslims marking the holy month of Ramadan, battling competition from cheap Chinese imports. Zughair's shop is decked out with lamps both large and small, some hanging from the ceiling and others displayed outside to draw the attention of passers-by during lively Ramadan evenings. He learned the trade from his father, a carpenter who originally made lanterns out of wood. "My father opened this shop in the 1950s -- we want to protect that heritage," Zughair said, sitting with his wife in their small home above the business. The largest lantern in the shop is two metres tall, shaped to resemble a mosque and created specially for Ramadan. It was made from sheet metal and glass, using a technique that is believed to date back to the Fatimid ... More | | 
Aleksander Willemse, Chemical love at first sight. Courtesy Eduard Planting Gallery
AMSTERDAM.- Eduard Planting Gallery in Amsterdam presents from 11 May until 13 July 2019 an exhibition of Dutch photographer Aleksander Willemse. The artist exhibits with 'Dare to Love' for the first time at the gallery. The colorful and carefully stylized images of flower collages reflect a message of positivity, love and happiness, in response to the current information age. Flower power in optima forma. The photographic artist has been an avid flower collector since his childhood and now he has an extensive archive of images. For the compositions of his artworks all flowers are photographed individually. He creates modern still lifes to dream away from everyday reality. The intriguing creations can disguise harsh reality with a field of tension between seeing and feeling. Aleksander Willemse (Leiden, 1968) worked for years as a concept creator and copywriter in the advertising industry. With nominated and award-winning ... More |
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The Unified Vision of Jane Davis and Richard Lang
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 Harvard GSD announces winner of 2019 Wheelwright PrizeCAMBRIDGE, MASS.- Harvard University Graduate School of Design named Polishborn and U.S.-based architect Aleksandra Jaeschke the winner of the 2019 Wheelwright Prize, a $100,000 grant to support investigative approaches to contemporary architecture, with an emphasis on travel-based research. Jaeschkes winning proposal, UNDER WRAPS: Architecture and Culture of Greenhouses, aims to explore the culture and architecture of greenhouses around the world, focusing on the interactions between plants and humans across a spectrum of contexts and cultures, as well as the spatiality of horticultural operations. Jaeschke was among three remarkable finalists selected from more than 145 applicants, hailing from 46 countries. The 2019 Wheelwright Prize jury commends finalists Maria Shéhérazade Giudici and Garrett Ricciardi for their promising research ... More LE BAL opens German artist Barbara Probst's first exhibition in ParisPARIS.- Frrom May 9 to August 25 2019, LE BAL presents the first exhibition in Paris of the German artist Barbara Probst. Using a radio-controlled release system, Barbara Probst triggers simultaneous shots of the same event, gesture or action from different distances and angles. This moment multiplied into several views constitutes an exposure, a constellation of perspectives that induces multifaceted, sometimes contradictory readings of the image. Barbara Probst is not interested so much in what is represented as in the way it is represented. Using gestures, faces and objects that are as neutral as possible, she minimises the narrative character of each view and seeks a more open, more ambiguous rendering. She has always been intrigued by the 1960s writers and filmmakers who broke with classical narrative, like Alain Robbe-Grillet and Jean- ... More Peru to limit Machu Picchu access to prevent deteriorationLIMA (AFP).- Peru announced on Friday a two-week restriction to three important areas at Machu Picchu to prevent greater degradation to the iconic Inca citadel. From May 15-28, access to the Temple of the Sun, Temple of the Condor and Intihuatana Stone will be strictly controlled at the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the government said. "These measures are necessary to conserve Machu Picchu, given the evidence of deterioration" on stone surfaces caused by visitors to the three areas, the culture ministry said. Almost 6,000 visitors a day are permitted onto the 15th century site in two waves. The new plan will give tourists just three hours to visit the three emblematic areas. Authorities will evaluate the impact of the measures before applying new permanent rules from June 1. Machu Picchu, which means "old mountain" in the Quechua language indigenous ... More Susanin's announces May 21st and 22nd auctions, online and in ChicagoCHICAGO, IL.- An original gouache painting done around 1930 by the French painter Maurice Utrillo, an engagement ring set boasting a 3.28-carat, prong-set emerald cut center diamond, and an 18kt yellow gold Patek Philippe Calatrava mens watch with original alligator band are a few expected top lots in back-to-back auctions planned for May 21st and 22nd by Susanins Auctions. The auctions will be held online as well as in Susanins gallery located at 900 South Clinton in Chicago. Start times both days are 10 am Central. For those unable to attend in person, online bidding will be facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be taken. The Tuesday, May 21st auction will contain nearly 600 lots of fine jewelry, timepieces, paper currency, numismatics and costume jewelry, while the May 22nd Spring Premiere Auction will feature ... More Art New York 2019 closes with important sales across modern and contemporary marketsNEW YORK, NY.- The fifth edition of Art New York closed on Sunday, May 5, where it reported consistent high-value sales and stellar attendance, with 33,600 prestigious private and institutional collectors, connoisseurs, and advisors attending throughout the weekend. The fair, which opened on Thursday, May 2, presented robust and dynamic presentations from 74 international galleries, and work from influential artists from the contemporary, modern, post-war and pop eras. Renowned as one of the citys leading contemporary and modern art fairs, Art New York presented premium works of art from more than 300 artists combined with curated programs of special projects, non-profit partnerships, and CONTEXT, a destination for new and established contemporary galleries to present emerging, mid-career and cutting-edge talent. The collectors afternoon VIP Preview, ... More Contemporary artist Dennis Chan exhibits his iconic HAHA PANDA art pieces in Hong Kong for the first time HONG KONG.- LANDMARKs A Year of Play campaign brings an exciting collaboration with award-winning creator Dennis Chan, who is presenting his HAHA PANDA exhibition in Hong Kong for the first time this May. Under the theme, Harmony in Play, the collection explores aspirations for true happiness and harmony. The HAHA PANDA series at LANDMARK features exclusive HAHA PANDA merchandise and a specially curated tea set at CAFE LANDMARK, in addition to the HAHA PANDA exhibition. The exhibition showcases a selection of 12 HAHA PANDA art pieces by Dennis Chan, whose multidisciplinary portfolio of work covers sculpture, design, photography and more. A series of HAHA PANDA art pieces will be on display at the LANDMARK ATRIUM and LANDMARK PRINCES from 10th to 24th May. With vibrant colours and design elements, the collection ... More Exhibition recounts the metamorphosis of the landscape of the Marche devastated by an earthquakeROME.- The visions of three great photographers recount a changing landscape: Olivo Barbieri, Paola De Pietri and Petra Noordkamp are the first artists to be involved in the project Terre in movimento (Lands in movement), curated by Pippo Ciorra and Carlo Birrozzi, in collaboration with Cristiana Colli, at MAXXI from May 11 to September 1, 2019. Three auteurs for a photographic commission regarding the Marche landscape devastated by the earthquake of 2016 that is intended to re-establish the image of places, works of art, ruins, fragile, temporary settlements and the people inhabiting them. The project is promoted by the Fine Arts and Landscape Archaeological Superintendency of the Marche, in collaboration with MAXXI, National Museum of XXI Century Arts and the Associazione Demanio Marittimo.Km-278. ... More Exhibition in Venice presents three internationally acclaimed artists from Dubrovnik VENICE.- Once the most powerful Mediterranean trading points, Dubrovnik and Venice managed to coexist using skillful diplomatic strategies that reflected in today's context by signing a historical town-twinning agreement in 2012 that puts forward the agenda of strengthening cultural exchanges between sister cities. The group exhibition Point of Interrupted Departures presenting three internationally acclaimed artists from Dubrovnik hence presents a fulfillment of the cooperation agreement with Venice welcoming a large-scale contemporary art exhibition. Rather than solely focusing on their rich heritage, with this project both cities put an emphasis on the contemporary moment and the demonstration of the strong contemporary art scene presence. Boasting a spectacular 600 m2 space, the group show gathers Dubrovnik born and bred artists who graduated ... More Paintings dominate bidding action at Clarke Auction GalleryLARCHMONT, NY.- Paintings took four out of the top five spots in Clarke Auction Gallerys May 5 sale that was filled with strong and surprising results with many items defying their estimates. Leading the top paintings were two watercolors on paper made in 1969 by Shiy De-Jinn (Xi Dejin, China, 1923-1981). The top lot of the auction was a vibrant street scene of a market and crowds outside a temple and bright storefronts that attained $30,000. The other was a river landscape depicting the rolling mountains of Taiwan and misty waterways splashed in blues and greens $18,750. Both works measure 18 ¾ by 24 ¾ inches. Both paintings were notable for their bold use of color and resonated with buyers, said Senko Imamura, Clarkes Asian art and antiquities specialist. Japanese artists were also represented in the auction, including a pair of abstract ... More New short film by Tourmaline is the debut film for High Line OriginalsNEW YORK, NY.- High Line Art announces Salacia, a new short film by Tourmaline, as the debut film for High Line Originals. Intended to support the work of local, emerging artists, High Line Originals commissions new film and video work. Tourmaline's Salacia will screen on the High Line at 14th Street from May 10 through July 3, 2019. A visioning of historic figures and events, Salacia unfolds in the style of Black fantasy and folktales such as Virginia Hamiltons The People Could Fly. The film takes place in Seneca Villagea 19th-century free Black community in upper Manhattan that was demolished to create Central Park in 1855. Salacia follows Mary Jones (born 1803), a Black transgender New Yorker as she discovers her power in the face of heightened systemic racism and transphobia. Tourmaline is an activist, filmmaker, and writer. Her ... More |
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Flashback On a day like today, English painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti was born May 12, 1828. Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti (12 May 1828 - 9 April 1882), generally known as Dante Gabriel Rossetti was a British poet, illustrator, painter and translator. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in 1848 with William Holman Hunt and John Everett Millais. In this image: Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Mnemosyne, 1876. © Private collection c/o Christie's Images Ltd., 2010.
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