Author: Darko Topalski

CULVER CITY,
CA.-In 1994 German
artist Thomas Schutte produced a small group of figurative sculptures
and corresponding photographic images, which bear the common title
‘United Enemies’ Each of these works consists of two little men, tied together
on a piece of pvc pipe which serves as a base, dressed in colorful scraps of
fabric and placed under a bell jar for display. The faces resemble the
character studies of Daumier: ruthless, yet imbued with a love of the human
species. In their grotesque features, one can easily read anger, shrewdness and
mutual distrust – and the types of concern that these wicked figures may well
force upon each other. But one never knows with Schütte. They might as well be
friends, united in word, but just as divided by their own plans and
ambitions.

LONDON.-WW Gallerypresents ‘We Love 77’, an
exhibition of 77 paintings by artist duo Sardine & Tobleroni,
chronicling the evolution of punk rock, with special
appearances from the legendary Don Letts and punk rock icon Poly Styrene
of X-ray Spex, plus screenings of major punk documentaries, surprise gigs
and many of the featured musicians in attendance at the London
launch. On view 20 February
through 21 March, 2010.

BUFFALO,
NY.-On February 19,
2010, the Albright-Knox Art
Gallery will present a major exhibition that
will trace the evolution of the work of Argentine artist Guillermo Kuitca
through more than fifty paintings and twenty-five works on
paper that span twenty-eight years of the artist’s career. Organized by
Douglas Dreishpoon, Chief Curator at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the
exhibition traces Kuitca’s investigations of physical and social systems, public
and private arenas, emotional drama, and the poetic exploration of space. Its
opening in Western New York provides a rare opportunity for audiences in this
region and in Canada to experience of the achievements of this extraordinary
artist.

DENVER,
CO.-The Museum of Contemporary Art
Denver(MCA Denver) announces the opening of
Looking for the Face I Had Before the World Was Made, six exhibitions focused on
the metaphysics of the human figure. The exhibitions bring together
very different types of art and artists including figurative paintings and video
by Belgian artist Michaël Borremans (b.1963), a video of a short play by the
late Irish writer Samuel Beckett (1906 – 1989), abstract paintings, sculpture,
and works on paper by New York artists Eric and Heather ChanSchatz (both b.
1968), photographs by New York artist Lorraine O’Grady (b. 1934), architectural
renderings as portraits by late San Francisco draftsman A.G. Rizzoli (1896-1982)
and drawings by Denver artist William Stockman (b. 1965). The
exhibitions open as one on January 29, 2010. A public reception will be held the
same day from 8–10pm, with a preview for MCA Denver members from 6–8pm.

GREENWICH,
CT.- The Bruce
Museum in Greenwich, Connecticut, presents the
new exhibition Writing the Earth: 2,000 Years of Geography and Mapping from
January 30 through May 2, 2010. The exhibition features a
selection of world maps that were printed between 1511 and 1800 and are on loan
from a private collection. The show also includes a small group of maps
from 1570 featuring the Americas. The Bruce
Museum promotes the understanding and appreciation of Art and Science to enrich
the lives of all people.

MAASTRICHT, NL – The Bonnefantenmuseum will be
presenting the first comprehensive retrospective of Elizabeth Peyton’s oeuvre on
the European mainland, which comprises over 90 works (paintings, watercolors,
drawings and lithos) from the past 18 years (1991-2009). From her first
portraits of 19th-century heroes to her more recent works, peopled with friends
from the world of music, fashion and literature, Elizabeth Peyton has presented
herself as a contemporary ‘painter of modern life’, in the words of Charles
Baudelaire. Peyton’s miniature portraits capture the spirit of the times in an
artistic language that unmistakably reflects late 20th-century urban
sensitivity. On view through 21 March,
2010.

TOKYO – China has been much in the news recently for its rapid economic growth and also for hosting the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. It is also becoming the subject of worldwide attention for its contemporary art. Artistic expression that departed from socialist realism emerged in the late 1970s, after the country implemented its reform and opening-door policy. In 1979 artists known as the “Star Group” held an exhibition, blazing the trial for much freer forms of expression that put the Chinese artists’ individuality front and center.

BURLINGTON, VT.- Nearly twenty
years after the demise of the Soviet Union, the Fleming Museum brings to Vermont
an extraordinary collection of Soviet graphic arts. The exhibition
Views and Reviews: Soviet Political Posters and Cartoons opens at the Fleming
Museum and presents a stunning array of images spanning more than six decades
from the time of the Russian Civil War (1918-1921) – during which period the
Bolsheviks and their western-backed opponents struggled for control of the new
state – to the late Soviet period.

LINCOLN, NE.- The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s
Sheldon Museum of Art presents “Rediscovering Slobodkina: A Pioneer of American
Abstraction” beginning Jan. 26. On view through April 18, the retrospective
showcases Esphyr Slobodkina’s role in the development of American
abstraction. The exhibition includes her noted abstract artworks from
the 1930s to 1950s, two original 1939 “Caps for Sale” book illustrations, her
sculpture and assemblages, including Sheldon’s 1939 piece, “Sailor’s Wife.”