Ivorypress Art + Books and PaceWildenstein currently present an exhibition that represents a decision by Claes Oldenburg to re-explore a work that he and his wife Coosje van Bruggen had made together in 1990. The show The European Desktop is comprised of a number of sculptures – a shattered desk pad, a quill, an ink pot, a blotter, and postal scales. The European Desktop is the third and final work in a series of theatrical installations that grew out of Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen’s performance with architect Frank Gehry for the 1995 Venice Biennale, Il Corso del Coltello(The Course of the Knife). The first two works in this series were The Haunted House and From the Entropic Library.
Claes Oldenburg & Coosje van Bruggen: The European Desktop / Ivorypress Art + Books, Madrid / Spain. Press Preview, February 16, 2010.
This segment has been realized with the kind support of Turespaña.
Zurcher Studio New York presents Bbbrrriiiaaannn Bbbeeellloootttttt: The Joy of File. The centerpiece of Brian Belott’s solo show at the gallery is a huge installation containing images of all sorts: pictures cut out of children’s books and old science textbooks, found photos and paper painted by Brian Belott himself. Part of the installation are also sound (talking, music and ambient noises collected from found cassette tapes and records and some sampled off of YouTube), glass paintings and mixed media books.
From February 19th to May 16th 2010, La Maison Rouge in Paris, France presents Vinyl, an exhibition of records and covers compiled by the British collector, publisher and curator Guy Schraenen. For more than 30 years, Guy Schraenen’s fascination with artists’ multiples (objects, catalogues, books, magazines) has led him to amass a unique and highly specialised collection on the theme of sound. Vinyl shows LPs from an acoustic and visual angle to illustrate how artists from the 1920s and throughout the twentieth century have experimented with language and sound. The exhibition presents close to 800 albums alongside tapes, CDs, specialist magazines, reference books, catalogues and artworks.
In this video by Christophe Ecoffet, Guy Schraenen talks about his interest in the relationship between visual art and sound, and the concept of the exhibition.
Independent is a new addition to the bunch of art fairs running concurrently to The Armory Show. It’s characterized by the organizers as part consortium, part collective, a contemporary art fair that lies somewhere between a collective exhibition and a reexamination of the art fair model, “reflecting the changing attitudes and growing challenges for artists, galleries, curators and collectors.”
The gallery list includes Ancient & Modern (London), Isabella Bortolozzi (Berlin), Rodeo (Istanbul) Boltelang (Zürich), Winkleman Gallery (New York), Zero (Milan), to name a few. There are no art fair typical booths, but custom spaces that are curated in relation to one another. Apart from the galleries’ presentations there are artist projects by The Bruce High Quality Foundation, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Aaron Young, and others, and public programs such as a book signing with Ida Applebroog, performances and discussions.
This is a first look at The Armory Show 2010. This year’s edition introduces Armory Focus, a new section that features an important art community every year. The new section is premiering with Berlin, presenting 21 galleries from Germany’s capital. In total, The Armory Show features 267 galleries from 31 countries.
Skin Fruit: Selections from the Dakis Joannou Collection at New Museum in New York is the title of the first U.S. exhibition of the Dakis Joannou Collection from Athens, Greece. It’s also the first show curated by Jeff Koons. Skin Fruit includes over 100 works by 50 international artists spanning several generations.
With Skin Fruit, the New Museum launches The Imaginary Museum, a new exhibition series that will periodically showcase leading private collections of contemporary art from around the world. The New Museum invited artist Jeff Koons to curate the first in this series. Jeff Koons had his first museum exhibition at the New Museum in 1981. Jeff Koons and Dakis Joannou are close friends for nearly three decades. Dakis Joannou is a philanthropist, arts partron, and New Museum Trustee based in Athens, Greece. In 1983, Joannou established the DESTE Foundation of Contemporary Art. Ever since, DESTE has been organizing exhibitions and supporting projects and publications internationally.
Thomas Schütte: Hindsight at the Museo Nacional Centro De Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid is the most comprehensive retrospective of the German artist’s work ever organized in Europe. It offers visitors a detailed insight into his work. The works on display span from Thomas Schütte’s early works in the late 1970s to his latest creations. The show features little-known works as well as well-known ones such as the series of sculptures entitled Frauen (Women). The exhibition has been curated by Lynne Cooke and presents installations, sculptures, watercolors, etchings, photographs, and architectural models.
Thomas Schütte: Hindsight at Museo Nacional Centro De Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid / Spain. Opening reception, February 16, 2010.
LIVESupport is Nari Ward’s first solo exhibition at Lehmann Maupin Gallery in New York. The new body of work on display consists of sculptures, works on paper, and video. Subject-matter is the idea of support – physical, spiritual, social and judicial. The centerpiece of LIVESupport is “Sick Smoke”, a smoke-filled ambulance covered in opaque and transparent white vinyl, allowing only traces of its signage to be visible.
On Saturday, 6 March, 2010 at 1:30 PM Lehmann Maupin Gallery will present a discussion and Q+A session with Nari Ward. Ward’s work will also be on view at Lehmann Maupin’s Armory Show Stand (Pier 94, 911), 4-7 March, 2010.
Ward’s work is currently on view through 14 March, 2010 at the Studio Museum in Harlem as part of the exhibit 30 Seconds Off an Inch. Ward’s work has been included in the 2008 Prospect.1 New Orleans biennial, 2006 Whitney Biennial in New York and in Documenta XI in Kassel, Germany in 2003.
Nari Ward: LIVESupport / Lehmann Maupin, 540 West 26th Street, New York. Opening Reception, February 25, 2010.
With the exhibition Miquel Barceló: 1983-2009. La Solitude Organisative, CaixaForum Madrid reviews the career of the Spanish artist in a major show. Organized by “La Caixa” Social and Cultural Outreach Projects, the exhibition presents more than 180 pieces, from the huge canvasses created from 1983 onwards to his most recent works. One of the latest, the monumental cast bronze elephant sculpture Gran Elefandret (2009), welcomes the visitors on the place in front of the building.
