BONN.- Liam Gillick was born in England in 1964. Since the early 1990‟s he has been among the leading representatives of the continuing development of conceptual art. In 2009 he was chosen to design the German Pavilion at the 53rd Venice Biennale. The Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany has dedicated an extensive solo exhibition to Liam Gillick. This is the first show of its kind, not only in Germany but also internationally. About 60 works from two decades will be on display. The development of his oeuvre will be shown according to groups of works and themes from the late 1980‟s to his contribution for the German Pavilion in 2009. The work of this artist, who lives in New York and London, cannot be allocated to any specific artistic media: he is at one and the same time, an object maker, painter, composer, curator and critic. Furthermore, Gillick can boast of an extensive list of publications
Exhibition Explores the Recurring Tension Between Figuration and Abstraction
EAST SUSSEX.- This spectacular exhibition comprises drawings, prints and experimental films, and explores the recurring tension between figuration and abstraction throughout the 20th century and the ways by which ideas and concepts evolve. Presented non-chronologically, it encompasses movements such as Russian Constructivism, Futurism and Vorticism, Abstract Expressionism and Minimalism, and comprises works by key artists, as well as works of artists who have been sidelined in the mainstream of art history. Film-maker, painter and curator Lutz Becker traces a personal path through the art of the 20th century and sees two major strands of drawing emerging – the geometric and the gestural. He writes: ‘It is the awareness of time as the measure of the distance between thought and realisation, of the value of the transient and sense of the fragility
Pinazo and Watercolour on View at the Valencian Institute of Modern Art
VALENCIA.- The director of the IVAM, Consuelo Ciscar, Ageval director general, Enrique Perez Boada, corporate sponsor of the exhibition and the curators of the show, Aida Pons Moreno and Francisco Javier Perez Rojas, have presented the exhibition “Pinazo and the Watercolor “, which opens to the public at 20.00 hours today and can be visited until the next May 23. Within the frame of the exhibitions being organized by the IVAM in order to show different approaches of Ignacio Pinazo’s work (1849-1916), “Pinazo y la Acuarela” [Pinazo and watercolor] will be the first exhibition to thoroughly study the technique aspects of his work, which have been scarcely taken into account in the former analyses dedicated to the artist. The exhibition, which gathers together more than 60 artworks, most of them unedited, includes some examples of Picazo’s early work regarding the washing technique or the drawings with
Tate Modern Announces First Major Gauguin Exhibition in Fifty Years
LONDON.- Gauguin (1848-1903) is one of the most influential and celebrated artists of the late nineteenth century. Remarkably, this is the first major exhibition in London to be devoted to his work in over half a century. Opening at Tate Modern on 30 September 2010, “Gauguin: Maker of Myth” will trace the artist’s unique approach to storytelling. Bringing together over 100 works from public and private collections from around the world, the exhibition will take a fresh and compelling look at this master of modern art. A Post-Impressionist and a pioneer of modernism, Gauguin’s powerful and bold images were seen as radical as he distanced himself from the influence of Impressionism. Gauguin’s life has for generations epitomised the idea of the artist as romantic bohemian, looming as large as his art in the public imagination. This exhibition will challenge commonly held assumptions about the artist and his practice.
National Postal Museum Launches the Arago Featured Collection: “The Free Franks”
WASHINGTON, DC.- The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum has added the featured collection “The Free Franks” to its award-winning Arago Web site at http://www.arago.si.edu/flash/?eid=424|s1=6| “The Free Franks” collection covers the history of the use of free franks and the evolution of the government franking system, including official stamps and penalty mail. The first use of free franks was authorized for selected government officials by the English Parliament. The Continental Congress adopted the free frank as a way for elected officials and constituents to communicate freely. The free frank is still used today by Congress and is authorized for certain other individuals, such as service members in time of war. The executive and judicial branches of government use penalty-mail envelopes. The featured collection exhibits free frank and penalty covers selected from the Nationa
Creative Time Announces 6 Artists to Travel the World to Explore Burning Questions
NEW YORK, NY.- Creative Time announced The Creative Time Global Residency Program, an initiative that offers 6 artists an unprecedented opportunity to travel to specific regions in the world and investigate social issues by immersing themselves in communities abroad. Through a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation’s New York City Cultural Innovation Fund, Maya Lin, Walid Raad, Emily Jacir, Judi Werthein, Sanford Biggers, and K8 Hardy have each been awarded global residencies, allowing each artist to take the time to investigate a burning question they have about our world, without the demands of producing a project. In an increasingly globalized art world, artists travel more and more frequently to produce work in far-flung locales. But it is rare for artists to be afforded time specifically to connect with the places they travel to, or have meaningful interactions with local communities. Creative Time reinvents the ty
Chess Up Your Interior at Christie’s Interiors: Style & Spirit Sale
SOUTH KENSINGTON.- Christie’s South Kensington’s second Interiors: Style & Spirit sale of the year, to be held on 18 May 2010, includes a special section dedicated to the ancient game of chess. Twenty-five chess sets are on offer, sure to excite and intrigue chess players and aficionados, as well as those captivated by their character and workmanship. The selection on offer is of the utmost quality and condition. Made from a variety of materials, including carved and turned ivory, amber, blood stone and agate pieces, the sets offered originate from all over the world including many examples from China, Russia, India, Cambodia, Mexico, Europe and the UK. This specialised section within the popular multi-category Interiors sale builds upon Christie’s past successes of collection sales dedicated to the ancient sport of chess. Although it is possible to play with the examples on offer, many are highly regarded as mi
National Gallery of Canada Foundation Outlines Future Direction
OTTAWA.- The National Gallery of Canada Foundation outlined yesterday its plans for its future direction and activities, following the broader organizational realignment announced by the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) on March 25. The Foundation expressed its strong support for the “institutional realignment” announced by Gallery Director and CEO Marc Mayer and approved by the Gallery’s Board of Trustees. “The steps taken by the National Gallery of Canada to achieve greater overall effectiveness in delivering its mandate as a leading national and global centre of excellence is totally consistent with the aims and objectives of the Foundation,” said Foundation Chair Thomas d’Aquino. The Foundation has a proud and successful history of achievement since its Board of Directors met for the first time in 1999. “The generous support of donors from across Canada and from beyond our borders h
International Slavery Museum Proves to Be Popular
LIVERPOOL.- The International Slavery Museum at Albert Dock has welcomed its millionth visitor. The venue, situated on the third floor of the Merseyside Maritime Museum, opened in 2007 and looks at aspects of historical and contemporary slavery. It had been receiving more than 350,000 visitors a year and hit the millionth mark this week. Richard Benjamin, Head of the International Slavery Museum, said: “We’re delighted to have welcomed so many visitors over a relatively short period of time. “Liverpool’s role in the transatlantic slave trade has often been taboo. But clearly people want to learn about this subject and the impact of slavery worldwide. “We are unique in that no other museum in the world offers slavery-related collections as well as exhibitions focusing on contemporary forms of slavery.” The museum is an international hub for resources on human rights issues and actively campa
Teotihuacan Lineage at Tikal Studied
MEXICO CITY.- Iconographic studies of Teotihuacan murals confirm the extension of the lineage of a ruler of the ancient city of Tikal, Guatemala, already revealed by epigraphists of the Maya area. The aforementioned investigation sums up to interpretations of Stele 31 of Tikal that relate to the dynastic line of Atlatl-Cauac (“Dart-thrower Owl”), possible ruler of Teotihuacan between 374 and 439 AD, and whose son, Yax Nuun Ayiin I, was seignior of Tikal. The emblem of this lineage would be represented by the image of a bird with a shield, observed in Teotihuacan murals, declared Dr. Raul Garcia Chavez, researcher at the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). There would be a relation between the register at Tikal and other Maya sites of late 4th century, which refers to the son of Atlatl-Cauac, Yax Nuun Ayiin I, as ruler of Tikal between 379 and 404 AD, commented the researcher during his participation