When asked what most impressed him at the Venice Biennale last week, mega-art-collector and Interview publisher Peter Brant quickly replied, “From Hand to Mouth,” while pointing to the US Pavilion. The shorthand reference to Bruce Nauman’s Biennale exhibition, Topological Gardens, was taken from the title of one of Nauman’s earliest work on view in the show — a 1967 sculpture of a fragmented hand, arm, shoulder, and mouth. The seminal piece, made from wax and cloth, references the simple act of eating and serves as the perfect introduction to Nauman’s lifelong engagement of interpersonal communication, rituals, and mundane situations. Read More »
The artist duo Elmgreen & Dragset originated one of the most winning ideas of the Venice Biennale: The Collectors. The talk of the town among critics and curators, the project has contributions by 24 international artists and artists groups, along with some classic pieces of Scandinavian modern furniture, and earned Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset a special mention from the Biennale jury of the 53rd International Art Exhibition. Presented in the Danish and Nordic pavilions, which represents a first-time collaboration between Denmark and Norway and the first joint venture of two national pavilions in the Biennale, the exhibition transforms the neighboring, Modernist-style buildings into domestic settings, where the spectator becomes a voyeur to the private lives of the inhabitants. Read More »
The centerpiece of his exhibition Paraxena in the Greek Pavilion in Venice, Lucas Samaras’ video installation Ecdysiast and Viewers is a curious work of art. Continuing his fascination with narcissism and voyeurism, the 5½-minute presents 24 iMovie films of individuals recorded as they respond to the iMovie film Ecdysiast (a term supposedly coined by H.L. Mencken to describe Gypsy Rose Lee) that shows a distorted view of Samaras stripping. Read More »
The knowledge that François Pinault — owner of Christie’s, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Puma, Chateau-Latour, and other major brands — is one of the richest men in the world doesn’t make his art collection any better than the next guy with deep pockets; but the fact that he has impeccable taste in art and design certainly makes his collection, and the buildings that house it, stand out. Read More »
Two weeks ago we found ourselves with more to do than time to do it in, but we did our best in five consecutive days. The New York Photo Festival was back in Brooklyn for the third year; Asian Contemporary Art Week was taking place from uptown to downtown; and Design Week was packing visitors into stylish shops in SoHo and the Meatpacking District. We looked at art and design, made new friends at parties, ate and drank way too much, and took photos everywhere we went. We caught British book publisher Chris Boot at his Gay Men Play show in Dumbo, actress Lucy Liu at the Paper! Paper! show at Chambers Fine Art in Chelsea, and designer Philippe Starck at Material Connexion’s super-cool showroom in Murray Hill.
Photographer Walker Evans began collecting picture postcards as a child, amassing 9,000 of them in his lifetime. A new book, written by Jeff Rosenheim and published by Steidl and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, along with an exhibition at the Met in NYC, now provide the opportunity to view a sampling of this collection, and to examine the importance it had in Evans’ vision of the world. Read More »
The only time we’ve ever been to Fort Lauderdale was when passing through to Miami Beach for the December art fairs. As a result, it came as a surprise two weeks ago to find the city has an active art community, beautiful beaches, and great hotels and restaurants. We flew into the “Venice of America” on Jet Blue and checked into the Atlantic Hotel, a well-kept, five year old boutique hotel with a great spa and restaurant. Luckily we got upgraded to a large suite with a living room, kitchen, bedroom, two bathrooms — both with walk-in showers and one with a comforting Jacuzzi — and an amazing view of the ocean and beach from the balcony. With the outdoor temperature hovering around 80 degrees, the first thing on our agenda was a dip in the ocean. Read More »
Recently in Amsterdam to teach DIY art workshops at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie and the Sandberg Institute, we were able to periodically get away to check out the contemporary art and design scene. Although it’s smaller than over-abundant New York and London creative arts scenes, there are quality spaces showing interesting work and the walk to find them around the city’s cobblestone streets and canals, lined with old houseboats, is enchanting. A majority of the galleries are situated between Keisersgracht and Lijnbaansgrachts, in the western and southern sections of the city center. It’s all within walking distance, of sorts, but jumping on an occasional tram in between neighborhoods helps conserve energy. After the jump we offer a selection of the best and a list of the rest. Read More »
Amir H. Fallah — an LA artist who is also the founder and creative director of Beautiful/Decay magazine, Beautiful/Decay Apparel, and the think tank Something in the Universe — has been exhibiting his art in the Middle East since 2005, and is currently participating in the 2009 Sharjah Biennial. Paul Laster, editor of our sister publication Artkrush, caught the busy artist between tasks to discuss the Biennial, his artwork, the future of the magazine, and his relentless schedule. Read More »
VIEW THE SLIDESHOW HERE>> TEFAF Maastricht 2009 — which took place in Maastricht, the Netherlands from March 13 to 22 — was billed as “the world’s most influential art and antiques fair” and it certainly lives up to its boast. We arrived from Amsterdam on the final day of the fair to experience it for the first time. Read More »
