A photo provided by Marco Zorzanello, via La Biennale di Venezia shows AD-WO’s “Ghebbi.” More than half of the participants at the Venice Architecture Biennale’s main exhibition are from Africa and its diaspora. (Marco Zorzanello, via La Biennale di Venezia via The New York Times)
by Sam Lubell
VENICE.- The Venice Architecture Biennale is historically where designers from around the world critique and propose new directions for our built environment. But until now, the presence of African practitioners has been the exception, not the rule. That has changed profoundly. Of the 89 participants in the 2023 Biennale’s main exhibition, “The Laboratory of the Future,” on view at multiple locations through Nov. 26, more than half are from Africa or the African Diaspora. Half are female, and the average age — fitting for a continent with the youngest median population in the world — is 43. This radical reapportionment was a priority of the exhibition’s Ghanaian-Scottish curator, Lesley Lokko. Her goal, she has written, was to depart from a “singular, exclusive voice, whose reach and power ignores huge swaths of humanity.” Lokko’s critical mass of African talent — which includes established architects like Burkina Faso-born Francis Kéré, the fir ... More
Edward Mitchell Bannister, about 1893, Hay Gatherers. Oil on canvas, 44.5 × 59.7 cm (17 1/2 × 23 1/2 in.), Museum purchase from the Dr. Nicholas Bruno Collection through the gift of Jean McDonough, the estate of Blake Robinson, the Eliza S. Paine Fund, the Sarah C. Garver Fund, and the Ruth and Loring Holmes Dodd Fund.
WORCESTER, MA .- The Worcester Art Museum has announced the acquisition of three paintings by artists Edward Mitchell Bannister and Charles Ethan Porter. Bannister’s The Hay Gatherers (about 1893) and Porter’s Still Life with Apples and Grapes (before 1900) and Carnations (1887) are now the earliest known paintings by African American artists in the Museum’s collection, expanding its scope in an important direction as the Museum seeks to represent a more diverse view of the history of art. Bannister and Porter were both natives to New England and both achieved professional success and were internationally recognized for their works. Bannister’s career was characterized by success beyond what had previously been achieved by any Black artist in the United States. His work, ... More
Born in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, in the former USSR he emigrated to Austria in 1987 and later settled in the United States.
PARIS.-Thaddaeus Ropac are deeply saddened by the passing of Ilya Iosifovich Kabakov. Surrounded by his family, he died peacefully last night at the age of 89. A loved and greatly admired artist and philosopher, he was a true pioneer in the field of concept and installation art. In 1983, Kabakov completed his first ‘total installations’ and is considered the creator of the genre. Born in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, in the former USSR he emigrated to Austria in 1987 and later settled in the United States. Beginning in 1989, he began to work with Emilia Kanevsky (née Lekach) and they married in 1992. Their works, delving into human fears, insecurities, and dreams, themes of utopia, life under totalitarian suppression, and the history of art, are invariably ... More
LONDON.-Halcyon Gallery, a leading British commercial gallery representing artists such as living legend Bob Dylan and British painter Mitch Griffiths launched a new flagship space in Mayfair, London’s historic art district this past May 25th. Coinciding with their 40th anniversary, Halcyon Gallery moved into one of London’s oldest commercial gallery spaces at 148 Bond Street. Built in 1881 and formerly occupied by the Fine Arts Society for over 200 years, this historic address has been subject to a comprehensive redesign and refurbishment in order to transform it into a cutting-edge 21st century artspace in order to optimally showcase Halcyon’s community of contemporary artists and its catalog of masterworks from artists spanning Impressionism to Pop Art. Paul Green, President and founder of Halcyon Gallery, said “When I first came to L ... More
Al Qamar (1966), by Kadhim Hayder (Iraq, 1932-1985), sold for £635,400. Photo: Bonhams.
LONDON.- Al Qamar (1966), an exceptional oil painting by Iraqi artist Kadhim Hayder (1932-1985), was the top lot at Bonhams’ sale of Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art Sale in London yesterday (Wednesday 24 May). It achieved an impressive £635,400 against a pre-sale estimate of £180,000 - £250,000. The sale also achieved a new world record at auction for Faeq Hassan (Iraq, 1914-1992), with the sale of his work Baghdadiyat (circa 1950s), which sold for £190,000. The 82-lot sale made a total of £3,297,242 with 87% sold by lot and 99% sold by value. Nima Sagharchi, Bonhams Group Head of Islamic, Middle Eastern and South Asian Art, commented: “We are delighted with the results of the sale and to have achieved such a fantastic price for a monumental work by Kadhim Hayder from his Martyrs Epic series. Painted in 1966, Al Qamar ... More
Eyvind Earle panoramic concept painting for Sleeping Beauty.
BOSTON, MA.-RR Auction's June Fine Autographs and Artifacts sale boasts over 900 lots, highlighted by a special animation section of 200+ pieces of original production drawings, animation cels, and concept paintings from Disney classics like Snow White, Cinderella, and Alice in Wonderland. Highlights include Mary Blair's concept painting for The Song of the South which captures the essence of the film's Southern setting and the charm of its characters. In this stunning piece, Blair depicts Br'er Fox leading Br'er Rabbit and Br'er Bear down a fence-lined road, surrounded by vibrant flowers in full bloom. The painting pays homage to the classic folktale as told by Joel Chandler Harris in his 'Uncle Remus' stories. Blair's expert use of tempera brings the scene to life, with a blazing orange sunset dominating the sky. This original concept painting, executed for Walt Disney Studios in 1946, ... More
Installation view of Artis Naples.
NAPLES, FL.-Artis—Naples has announced that The Baker Museum will remain open year-round for the first time in its 23-year history. While in recent years the museum had been closed from late July through Labor Day, the museum will now remain open during that time period, with the usual operating hours of Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 4pm and Sunday from noon to 4pm. The museum’s adjacent cafe, Heidi’s Place, will also operate through the summer to accompany this change. Additionally, Artis—Naples has planned two evening programs in Daniels Pavilion to complement the museum’s expanded schedule. Other related events, including Art After Hours, a Prison Nation exhibition lecture, Make-and-Take family workshops and docent tours are also planned. “With the size and breadth of our museum’s permanent collection ever–expanding, and as we see the population and diversity of the Southwest ... More
Crew members remove debris from a hiking path on the Navajo Loop Trail in Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, May 9, 2023. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times)
by Linda Qiu
NEW YORK, NY.- The majestic peaks, desert blooms and geological wonders of the United States’ national parks have beckoned to billions since Yellowstone was established in 1872. Nearly 312 million people visited last year, signaling a return to pre-pandemic levels. Spring and summer months are particularly packed at the hundreds of sites managed by the National Park Service. To prepare for peak season at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah — essentially, an island of crimson rock spires perched at about 8,000 feet — rangers begin restoring trails and training staff before the snows even melt. This summer may be the busiest yet for Bryce Canyon, which is celebrating its centennial this year. Conservation is a key part of th ... More
Exhibition View. Over the course of more than a century, the Rothschild family has entrusted Christie’s with many prestigious sales.
NEW YORK, NY.-Christie’s is proud to present Rothschild Masterpieces, taking place this fall. These will be the first-ever North American sales of objects belonging to one of the great collecting families in history, an unprecedented opportunity for collectors and connoisseurs. The sales will include a magnificent selection of decorative and fine art that reflects the discernment, art de vivre, and – above all – the taste of this storied dynasty. Rothschild Masterpieces brings together some 600 lots, with a total estimate in excess of $20 million, of furniture, enamels, maiolica, Renaissance jewels, silver, and paintings of the highest quality, assembled by two generations of Rothschilds in France, largely during the latter half of the 19th century. Christie’s will conduct this landmark series of auctions at Rockefeller Center, with an evening ... More
The works are realistic enough to confuse visitors and transport them to a world at the borderland between fake and real.
ROME.-Palazzo Bonaparte in Rome is hosting for the first time an exhibition dedicated to hyperrealistic sculpture, exhibiting 43 mega-installations by the greatest contemporary artists. The sculptures are so impressive, and the details so realistic down to the minutest particulars, that it is hard to distinguish a real body from an artwork. The artists on display, 29 in total, are leading stars on the international scene: from Maurizio Cattelan (present with such iconic works as the pigeons in his Ghosts installation or his famous banana, properly titled Comedian) to Ron Mueck, who is showing a gigantic man’s head with Dark Place, joined by George Segal, Carole Feuerman, Duane Hanson, and a host of others. An exhibition. that provokes, that raises questions. A show that brings together the artists who have caused more debate than ... More
From the exhibition Tête-À-Tête, Cherry Aribisala and David Olatoye.
LONDON.-Pi Artworks London is now presenting Tête-À-Tête, a duo exhibition featuring the works of emerging Nigerian contemporary painters Cherry Aribisala, (UK) and David Olatoye, (Nigeria). Co-curated by Kayode Adegbola and Jade Turanli, this exhibition triggers a dialogue between two artists whose practices transcend the realm of portraiture and point towards the future of contemporary African art. Coinciding with London Gallery Weekend, this show aims to champion the distinct pictorial style and influences of these two emerging artists. Cherry Aribisala draws inspiration from comic books and the Pop Art Movement of the 1960s to create figurative portraits of Black subjects surrounded by recurring floral motifs. Her new series of paintings interweaves escapism, world-building, and visual storytelling while rejecting artistic limitations on media or form. David Olatoye, on the other hand, ... More
Anne Marie Laureys, Crossover of Thoughts, 2020. Belgian Clay. 50H x 38W x 38D.
GENEVA.-Taste Contemporary is presenting Going Beyond; a two-person exhibition featuring the work of textile artist Michael Brennand-Wood and ceramic artist Anne Marie Laureys; two artists the gallery has worked with since its establishment. The exhibition runs at Cromwell Place, London from 30th May to 4th June 2023. Both artists reform our vision of what is possible with their chosen material; for Michael textiles and for Anne-Marie, ceramics. Each of them continuing to push their interaction with the material they work with to go beyond the expected. Michael Brennand-Wood taps into his lifelong knowledge of embroidery and lace-making in combination with modern day techniques to create multi-layered sculptural textile works. Anne Marie Laureys begins her process by throwing a classic vessel that she then alters with the help of time and gravity; reshaping, remoulding and refolding the clay over and over again until ... More
Workers at Museo Picasso Málaga have voted in favour of a strike on Friday 2nd June, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. It just so happens that in October 2023 the museum will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of its official opening and is also be taking part in the international Celebrating Picasso. 1973-2023 project.
MALAGA.- 93% of Museo Picasso Málaga’s employees took part in a vote, with 85% of voters backing a strike on Friday 2nd June, from 10.00 a.m. until 1.00 p.m. After more than seven months of negotiations and very few actual meetings, which the Works Council has described as “beating about the bush”, the ultimatum offered by the company, a wage increase of 8% (with no retroactive effect for 2022), was a long way from the 25% drop in purchasing power that workers have suffered after eleven years without an increase in either their wages or the Consumer Price Index, a drop in salary of between 3-5% in 2012, and two temporary layoff adjustments (ERTES) during the pandemic. Furthermore, the proposed annual reduction in working ... More
Quote The content of art is never its subject. Leo van Puyvelde
More News
Two paintings by Francesco Guardi return to Venice for exhibition at The Gritti Palace LONDON.-Robilant+Voena is presenting an exhibition of two paintings by Francesco Guardi (1712–1793), in partnership with The Gritti Palace, Venice. The exhibition is open from 6 April to 18 July. Returning to Venice after three centuries in private collections, the pair of works are a testament to the enduring magnificence of La Serenissima. The paintings, Outward Voyage of the Bucintoro to San Nicolò del Lido and The Return of the Bucintoro to the Doge's Palace, depict the most magnificent and historic of Venetian traditions: the annual celebration of the Festa della Sensa. Still taking place on Ascension Day every year, the festival culminates in a spectacular ceremony representing Venice’s Marriage with the Sea. In these richly detailed paintings, Guardi captures the grand procession of the Bucintoro, the state barge, with the Doge and Senate ... More
As China ramps up scrutiny of culture, the show does not go on NEW YORK, NY.- The cancellations rippled across the country: A Japanese choral band touring China, stand-up comedy shows in several cities, jazz shows in Beijing. In the span of a few days, the performances were among more than a dozen that were abruptly called off — some just minutes before they were supposed to begin — with virtually no explanation. Just before the performances were scrapped, authorities in Beijing had fined a Chinese comedy studio around $2 million, after one of its stand-up performers was accused of insulting the Chinese military in a joke; police in northern China also detained a woman who had defended the comedian online. Those penalties, and the sudden spate of cancellations that followed, point to the growing scrutiny of China’s already heavily censored creative landscape. China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, has made ... More
George Maharis, TV heartthrob of 'Route 66,' is dead at 94 NEW YORK, NY.- George Maharis, the ruggedly handsome New York-born stage actor who went on to become a 1960s television heartthrob as a star of the series “Route 66,” died Wednesday at at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He was 94. His longtime friend and caretaker, Marc Bahan, confirmed his death. Maharis’ greatest fame arose from the role of Buz Murdock, one of two young men who traveled the country in a Corvette convertible, finding a new adventure and drama (and usually a new young woman) each week on CBS’ “Route 66.” In a 2012 reappraisal of the show, New York Times critic and reporter Neil Genzlinger praised the literary quality of the scripts and commented, “This half-century-old black-and-white television series tackled issues that seem very 21st century.” Several actors who went on to greater renown appeared ... More
How a novel about video games became a surprise bestseller NEW YORK, NY.- Five and a half years ago, Gabrielle Zevin was in a slump. She had recently published her ninth novel, and sales were sluggish. She needed a distraction, so she turned, as she often does, to video games. But when she tried to play the adventure game Gold Rush, she discovered that the version she had played obsessively as a kid no longer existed. It felt like a chapter of her childhood had been erased. “This part of my life was gone,” she said. The feeling of loss yielded a kernel of an idea, which Zevin jotted in a notebook: “Story of two game designers. The games they make are their lives." Those two sentences eventually grew into her latest novel, “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow,” which follows two video game developers who endure creative highs and lows that parallel Zevin’s own meandering path as a novelist. Zevin had init ... More
The Fundació Joan Miró presents a photographic exhibition featuring portraits of residents of Rotterdam by Shehera Grot BARCELONA.- Rotterdammers is a series of portraits of the inhabitants of Rotterdam, the city where Shehera Grot lives. It reveals her interest in the personal stories of her subjects, many of whom are, like her, people from different origins and cultures. The photographic project aims to give visitors insights into the lives of people who transit every day between diverse identities. Rotterdam is one of the most diverse cities in the world; it is home to people of more than 170 nationalities, and half of its population is of migrant origin. According to Martina Millà, the exhibition’s curator, ‘the relationship that Grot forged with her subjects has enabled her to share doubts and questions about life in Rotterdam with them. As a mirror ... More
'I'll Bet The Devil My Head' by Carlos Alba to be published in July LONDON.- I’ll Bet The Devil My Head is a visual fable in which urban foxes are the protagonists to tell the tale of inequality in London—the proximity of power and poverty in one of the richest cities in the world. Over a period of 6 years, whilst living in Tower Hamlets, Spanish artist Carlos Alba documented the daily life of a family of local red foxes (Vulpes vulpes). In the borough of Tower Hamlets, 43% of children live in poverty—the highest rate in London—yet his neighbourhood is surrounded by two of the most important financial areas in the world: The City of London and Canary Wharf. To make this project, Alba would begin photographing in the hours when both the city brokers left their offices and the foxes came out onto the streets. Echoing the methodology of a wildlife photographer, Alba studied the behaviour of his subjects and waited patiently ... More
Intesa Sanpaolo presents 'Una collezione inattesa' at Gallerie d'Italia in Milan MILAN.-Gallerie d’Italia, Intesa Sanpaolo’s museum in Milan, is now presenting Una collezione inattesa. Viaggio nel contemporaneo tra pittura e scultura [An unexpected collection. A journey through contemporary painting and sculpture], curated by Luca Massimo Barbero, Associate Curator of the Bank’s Collections of Modern and Contemporary Art. Running from 26 May to 22 October 2023, the exhibition will present a selection of works from the Intesa Sanpaolo collection in dialogue with works that form part of the permanent exhibition, “Cantiere del '900”. Gathering over 70 works - all of which form part of Intesa Sanpaolo’s most recent acquisitions and have never before been exhibited at Gallerie d’Italia in Milan - the exhibition unfolds as a journey through modern and contemporary Italian and international art. Specifically, it aims to stimulate reflections upon the different research of several of t ... More
Philbrook receives transformative $10 million gift TULSA, OK.-Philbrook Museum of Art has received a $10 million gift from the A. R. & Marylouise Tandy Foundation to build a major new feature within the Philbrook Gardens. The approximately 6,000-square-foot Tandy Pavilion and 2,000-square-foot covered patio takes advantage of an underutilized area of the Museum’s grounds, creating a hub for art education, nature programs, special events, and general recreation. The Tandy gift also enables Philbrook to enhance the campus, adding new lighting, accessible pathways, much-needed infrastructure like restrooms, and updated security measures to more safely and efficiently use the outer edges of the property. Philbrook is working locally with Tulsa’s Selser Schaefer Architects and Manhattan Construction to oversee design and construction. Site prep is set to begin this summer, with a planned groundbreaking ... More
Impressions of Perspective: Multitudes Lifted into Dynamic Relief at Bill Hodges Gallery NEW YORK, NY.-Bill Hodges Gallery has opened Printed Paper, an exhibition that surveys the bounds of color and composition, explored in exquisite relief. A powerful selection of works that span photographic, fragmentary, engraved, and scorched mediums; this exhibition brings into conversation a group of artists from a variety of genres and perspectives. From prints by Jacob Lawrence and Pablo Picasso to photographs by Lorna Simpson and Zanele Muholi, a vivid range of aesthetic and historic impressions emerge; instantiating the versatility of the printmaking practice. Though these striking editions of artistic expression vary in scale and sensibility, they remain allied in medium. With figural and abstract works brimming with detail and brilliant hue, Printed Paper invites viewers to appreciate the harmony found between portrait and palette in this finely curated exhibition. ... More
Here and Now by Moki Cherry is now on view at ICA London LONDON.- From May 2023, ICA London presents the first sofio exhibition in a UK institution of Swedish artist, designer and educator, Moki Cherry (1943 – 2009). The exhibition explores Cherry’s expansive and collaborative practice across textile, sculpture, painting, drawing, writing, collage, and video. Here and Now displays over 30 artworks and archival material of Moki Cherry including works that have never been shown in the UK. The exhibition celebrates her exploration of where art and life meet, her collaborative and interdisciplinary practice, and her inventive resolve in the face of gendered challenges working both as an artist and mother – issues which remain pertinent to artists and audiences today. Drawn entirely from the Estate of Moki Cherry, this exhibition presents a rare chance for the public to view these privately ... More
Henry Threadgill's musical spring is varied and extreme. Like he is. NEW YORK, NY.- Even as a child, Henry Threadgill liked to experiment. In this Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and saxophonist’s new memoir, “Easily Slip Into Another World,” he recounts a youthful attempt to fly from a window using a “contraption” of his own devising. He managed to escape the ensuing, predictable crash without breaking any bones, but the young Threadgill did earn a reputation for daring in his Chicago neighborhood. His mother’s response — “Henry, why do you have to be so extreme?” — became, as he writes, “the refrain of my childhood.” That same question may have occurred to a few listeners. But Threadgill, 79, has done plenty of soaring, on stages, over the years: composing music intended for social dancing, and pieces for orchestra and string quartet in which players are encouraged to improvise. He has also led some ... More
Gustavo Dudamel in New York: Selfies, hugs and Mahler NEW YORK, NY.- The violins were tuning, the woodwinds warming up and the trumpets blaring bits of Gustav Mahler. Then the musicians of the New York Philharmonic began to whistle and cheer. Gustavo Dudamel, one of the world’s biggest conducting stars, strode onto the stage this month for his first rehearsal with the Philharmonic since being named the ensemble’s next music director. On the program was Mahler’s epic Ninth Symphony. “I will have the opportunity in the next few days to hug everybody,” he told the musicians, smiling and pumping his fist. “I’m very honored to become part of the family.” As it happened, the orchestra’s new hall, the recently renovated David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, was occupied that day, so Dudamel’s first rehearsal took place at its old home, Carnegie Hall. Dudamel said he felt a connection to Mahler, ... More
On a day like today, American painter Robert Ryman was born
September 30, 1930. Robert Ryman (born May 30, 1930 - February 8, 2019) was an American painter identified with the movements of monochrome painting, minimalism, and conceptual art. He was best known for abstract, white-on-white paintings. He lived and worked in New York City. In this image: Robert Ryman, Untitled, signed and dated 61; signed four times and dated 61 three times on the overturned left edge, oil on canvas, 48 3/4 x 48 3/4 in. 123.7 x 123.7 cm. Est. $15/20 million. Photo: Sotheby's.
