Connecting War and the Arts
The Pavilion of the United States is – regardless of its Wartist-specific content – certainly one of the most compelling on the 54th Venice Biennale. Designed by the artist duo Allora & Calzadilla, “Gloria” consists of six sculptural installations, often including performance. The artists skilfully discuss social aspects, from the worship of money in capitalism about dealing with war and remembrance to freedom.
Another news from Korea, after yesterday’s Apology of the Japanese Prime Minister regarding the colonial rule between 1910 and 1945: German artist Dirk Fleischmann used his visiting professorship at Hansung University in South Korea’s capital Seoul, to design shirts and blouses that were produced in North Korea.
Continue reading “An Art Shirt, Made in North Korea”
A friend called our attention to the works of Peter Sauerer: his wooden sculptures are often in a small scale and address history, celebrities and our memory and imagination. For this, he is often making use of irony if not mockery without trivialising his subjects. The spatially small works condense the issues and commit the viewer to take a thorough look at them.
Continue reading “Peter Sauerer”
Christo wrapped one of the massive World-War-II AA towers in the Austrian capital – at least on a stamp that had been issued on 15 April 2009 with a nominal value of 0,55€ with an edition of 300,000 prints.
The New Museum in New York, founded in 1977, openes on 8 April 2009 its first triennale “The Generational: Younger Than Jesus” with works by 50 young artists from 25 countries, united by their age of less than 33. Some 145 works will be presented in the exhibit, making it quite varied, according to the background and themes of the artists, but also to the form, ranging from paintings and photography to film and animation, and from installation and performance to computer games. It remains interesting if the high artistic value implied in the exhibit’s title will meet its equivalent in reality.
On 5 March 2009 at 2000h, the Berlin theatre Volksbühne will show the movie Nuit de Chien (This Night). Its director Werner Schroeter will be present. the theatrical and opulent film is about Ossorio, the hero of a failed resistance movement who is looking in a ficticious South-American city for his past love Clara to flee with her, while the city is increasingly descending into chaos and the secret police and brutal militia are struggling for power. Continue reading “Nuit de Chien / This Night (Volksbühne Berlin)”
“I am a cheerful pessimist”
As it had been announced here earlier, Alexander Seiler is presenting some of his fascinating objects in the gallery Schultz Contemporary Berlin. The large-format works of the exhibition “Panthersprung” (“Panther’s Leap”, 28 February – 18 April 2009) make a visit worthwhile. Continue reading “Alexander Seiler: Panthersprung (Schultz Contemporary Berlin)”
As already announced, on 20 February 2009, Annie Leibovitz has opened her exhibition “A Photograper’s Life . 1990-2005” in the gallery C/O Berlin. In addition to many celebrety portraits, private pictures and some landscapes, there is also a small, but fine selection of her photos from Sarajevo and Rwanda. Continue reading “Annie Leibovitz: “A Photographer’s Life . 1990-2005” (C/O Berlin)”
The world-renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz presents her exhibition “A Photographer’s Life . 1990-2005” at the gallery C/O Berlin after having been shown at various venues in the USA, in France and the UK. Continue reading “Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer’s Life . 1990-2005 (C/O Berlin)”