-2014 | VK

December 21, 2014

VK’s Reading Room:”Francesco Bonami Goes to Antarctica

I read this at Vulture written by Francesco Bonami on his trip to Antarctica very very interesting, as somehow the curator becomes the subject for study on a real life exhibition.

“………….
Now is the season to go: Some things are melting, certain parts still have waves of the frozen ocean, and in a few weeks, it will melt down and turn into water. It was quite intense. We had to fly for a long time in this unpressurized plane for 7,000 feet. It was very intense. We went from Cape Town. We went with a bag full of stuff. I brought very little for myself. We changed very little. I would drink bottled water. I think you could drink the tap water. There were icebergs that looked totally pure — we took ice from an iceberg and we used it to drink whiskey. The Russian base really drinks; you don’t want to have a hang-over there. I didn’t want to have it. I don’t think it would have been fun. And no, it’s not very good food. It is mostly frozen. You’re very high most of the time, you are slightly nauseous; you don’t have a huge appetite.”

“..I’m glad it came through, but I don’t think I want to go back — I’ve seen it. It’s not anything from a curatorial point of view; many curators have gone to Antarctica. Though it informed me in a very mystic way. I was at the American base, the Amundsen-Scott base, and I met an Australian or New Zealand scientist. And he told me something like, What if the Earth and the sun didn’t exist, we could establish if the universe has an up and a down. It got me thinking — it was a very banal talk — but you think from a Western point of view that you are upside-down, and then you look up, and you still look up! Whether we invented the universe or a God did, either way, he was very clever, he made something where nobody can look down; even if you look down, it is always up, I think it was interesting. It is a stupid thought, but I truthfully never thought about it until I was there.”

Francesco Bonami goes to Antarctica, full article here

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December 12, 2014

Munich; Espace Louis Vuitton invites Min-Jeong Seo who took up residency at Espace Tokyo and art critic Aomi Okabe

In Tokyo, In Situ-1, Espace Louis Vuitton: Sept 13, 2014-January 4th, 2015

A lovely evening last Friday at Espace Louis Vuitton to attend a conversation between the artist Min-Jeong Seo and art critic Aomi Okabe on the project where the artist has been in a residency at the Espace/Louis Vuitton, In Situ-1, in Tokyo, from September to November 2015 (conversation in japanese, with live german translation)

Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo and Munich launch the experience Of In-Situ in September 2014 by welcoming South Korean artist Min-Jeong Seo and Malaysian artist Simryn Gill, respectively.

In Tokyo, In Situ/Espace Louis Vuitton Min-Jeong Seo “opens the door to her ‘studio’ for about four months to share her experience of working in situ with the audience and show the progress of her work. She establishes a bold dialogue between creation and destruction with poetic and highly symbolic installations. By sculpting, breaking and scraping fragile materials such as polystyrene or porcelain, the artist evokes fragility and uncertainty of life, and notions of instant and time.”

photos@published photos, Louis Vuitton In Situ/Tokyo

Min-Jeong also talked about her previous work ‘Explosion”

as well as the black/white birds made out of porcelain.

photos@Min-Jeong Seo

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December 7, 2014

Munich; Neue Pinakothek: Gustave Courbet “Schleuse im Tal von Optevoz” 1854

A rainy and misty afternoon brought me to Neue Pinakothek to see the painting by Gustave Courbet and much of research about “THE RIDDLE OF ‘THE SLUICE GATE AT OPTEVOZ”

27.11.2014-09.03.2015

One painting in the Neue Pinakothek highlights the speed with which firmly established facts can dissolve in light of new research. ‘The Quarry of Optevoz’ was acquired in 1910 as a painting by Gustave Courbet, and has long been considered an important early example of the famous artist’s landscape paintings. A restoration of the painting, however, revealed that Courbet’s style and signature came from a later, posthumous revision, probably painted by Courbet’s contemporary Charles François Daubigny (1817–1878). The exhibition uncovers the thrilling story of this painting and sheds light on the context of its creation. (Neue Pinakothek press release)

Gustave Courbet
Schleuse im Tal von Optevoz, 1854
© Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Neue Pinakothek München

it is one of my favorite museums for sunday afternoons.. already the festive note is around.

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December 2, 2014

Munich; at Architekturmuseum “Lina Bo Bardi 100- Brazil’s Alternative Path to Modernism”

14.11.2014 – 22.02.2015
PINAKOTHEK DER MODERNE
ARCHITEKTURMUSEUM DER TU MÜNCHEN

Lina Bo Bardi would have turned 100 on 5 December 2014

A misty rainy morning in Munich; what a perfect day to re-visit the wonderful exhibition at Architecturmuseum at Pinakothek der Moderne, “Lina Bo Bardi 100. Brazil’s Alternative Path to Modernism”

Casa Do Chame-Chame, Salvador, 1958-1964/modellbauer

The Italian-Brazilian architect Lina Bo Bardi (1914-1992) defined her own particular artistic path through outstanding designs starting at the mid-twentieth century. In architecture as well as stage sets, graphic art, fashion and furniture design, she implemented impulses of Modernism, but interpreted them quite individually.

On the exhibition

Lina Bo Bardi raised and educated in Italy, she played an important role in the development of modern architecture in Brazil.. She evolved an approach to design that was unique to her and which placed the social significance of construction and its cultural ‘architettura povera’, Linda Bo Bardi can be seen as a forerunner to today’s emergent socially driven ‘architecture engagee’. One of her most important achievements was her ability to create buildings that were widely popular among the local public and which defied conventional classification. (museum press)

The exhibition beautifully conceived and installed by Dr Andres Lepik, director of Technische Universität/Architecturmuseum and his team, is featuring about 100 original drawings. The exhibition opens with a section dedicated to Bo Bardi’s formative years in 1930s Italy, as well as her first activities as editor and designer of such journals as Domus, Lo styles, and A. Cultura della Vita. An installed cement brick wall runs thru the exhibition space and model makers placed in various positions ; ink jet photos on the wall; a video screening explores her innovative exhibition concepts. ” One of her most important achievements was her ability to create buildings that were widely popular among the local public and which defied conventional classification. “

Needlees to say how much I enjoyed every single drawing as Linda Bo Bardi managed to bring me in Brazil so elegantly this misty rainy morning; as she says “I don’t produce that many drawings myself. only the essential ones.”

The exhibition is accompanied by the release of a large catalogue that sheds new light on Lina Bo Bardi’s architectural achievements, examined from different angles. Featuring texts by Renato Anelli, Zeuler Lima, Cathrine Veikos, Sabine von Fischer, and Guilherme Wisnik, the catalogue will be available in two editions (English and German), published by Hatje Cantz.

Lina siting on a Bardis Bowl
F. Albuquerque

Lina designed Bardi’s bowl chair in 1951. Here is a wonderful written piece on the project of Bardi’s chair by Dr Renato Anelli (architect and professor at the University of Sao Paulo

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November 30, 2014

Munich: presentation of Stefan Hunstein’ s new book “IM EIS” at the Kammerspiele Theater, ed. by Dr Petra Giloy-Hirtz

A beautiful sunday 12 o’clock event at the Münchner Kammerspiele Theater for the new book of photographs by Stefan Hunstein,”IM EIS” also a very famous german actor, published by Hirmer Verlag GmbH; a discussion followed with the photographer and Dr Petra Giloy-Hirtz and Dr Ulrich Pohlmann.

The photographs were exhibited (May 9-June 15, 2014) at the Münchner Stadmuseum

Stefan Hunstein, is one of those photographers that have braved the polar seas and he traveled to Greenland in 2012 and returned with an enthralling portfolio of breathtakingly beautiful images of the ends of the world…”

” The magic of the polar regions has fascinated and attracted explorers for centuries. This desolate world, characterized by gigantic icebergs, drift ice, and Arctic temperatures, conforms to everyone’s conception of a pristine, archaic landscape, which, however, is accessible only for a short time and at the cost of enormous physical effort with the aid of sophisticated technology. Those who visit this bizarre landscape of ice and snow are overwhelmed by the sensation of being just a tiny, insignificant entity in the midst of a grandiose natural spectacle.
In the last few years a number of artists, such as Olafur Eliasson and Darren Almond, have discovered these Arctic regions and responded creatively to their natural wonders in different ways.” (museum press release)

(published photos@Münchner Staadtmuseum/exhibit)

The gathering took place at the Kammerspiele Theater with the impressive and in sync staging of the now play “März” of Heinar Kipphardt; Stefan Hunstein read a beautiful text from Christoph Ransmayr, Abschlag am Nordpol (from his book: “Atlas eines ängstlichen Mannes”

photos@VK

Stefan Hunstein is represented by Andreas Binder gallery

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November 26, 2014

Munich; Espace Louis Vuitton; a celebratory private view in honor of Simryn Gill on her solo exhibition of “In Situ-1”

18/9/2014-18/01/2015

A beautiful evening at the Espace Louis Vuitton München in honor of the artist Simryn Gill on the occasion of her solo exhibition in the context of “In Situ-1” the first edition of an unprecedented residency and open studio program that spans three locations on the world-wide network:Paris, Tokyo and Munich.

Simryn Gill has been working since September to produce an amazing exhibition of a large vitrine that runs thru the whole downstairs exhibition and a number of large colorful drawings and numerous small ones on the upstairs space. A small set from the new series “channel” photographs was presented.

Anja Keahny, director of the Espace Louis Vuitton München presented us with a lovely and informative presentation of the programme and the particular residency of the “In Situ 1”.

Plenty champagne to please all the guests. A beautiful publication, edition, Simryn Gill “Channel” designed by Simryn Gill & Andreas Tetzlaff (probsteibooks, aka Livres Saint Georges, Cologne)

VK, Villy Giovaniti, and Simryn Gill (right)

left, Tracy Williams (Simryn’s NY gallerist) and Katja Eichinger, author & filmmaker

Andreas Tetzlaff, Simryn Gill (center), Venetia Kapernekas

VK & Michael Janssen (Berlin/Singapore gallerist)

photos@VK

The exhibition will be on view till January 15, 2015

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November 18, 2014

Paris; visiting the paris photo et more…

A lovely weekend in Paris by train to visit the Paris Photo at Grand Palais and some more nice exhibitions, not efficient time to visit the Louis Vuitton new bldg by Frank Gehry.. (good excuse for soon again new visit)

Katy Grannat : upstairs exhibition; new MoMA acquisitions

Collier Schorr, “Picture of Women”, 2010, MoMa aquisition

a crowded Ropac booth, a fantastic installation of Robert Mapplethorpe, curated by Isabelle Huppert.

And of course my favorite gallery from New York with fabulous presentation, Howard Greenberg gallery

A Saturday visit at Patrick Seguin gallery in Paris’s Bastille neighborhood (ccupying a 300 sqm (3200 sq ft) space, rearchitectured by Jean Nouvel)

The exhibition at the present is called “Kurimanzutto“ hosting works by Damián Ortega, Gabriel Kuri, Jonathan Hernández, Gabriel Orozco, Jimmie Durham, Gabriel Sierra and Rirkrit Tiravanija. “… this exhibition unfolds around considerations on the themes of accessibility to the public, of restriction to domestic use, but also of travel experience, of exile and areas of conflict.
kurimanzutto was established in 1999, in Mexico City, with the aim of bringing together and supporting the work of a group of young artists, both Mexican and foreign.” (gallery press release)

photos@VK

more here http://www.patrickseguin.com/en/exhibitions/2014/kurimanzutto/

continued to Marais area, at Ropac gallery; downstairs a lovely exhibition by Lisa Lou “Ixube” and upstairs “Tomorrow’s Man” curated by Jack Pierson.

Liza Lou at Ropac @ Ropac gallery

photos@VK by permission

at Marian Goodman, a Giovanni Anselmo beautiful installation

@published photos on gallery site

Saturday late afternoon at Gagosian gallery, a solo exhibition by Cecily Brown (her first one in Paris- all new works), exhibition runs October 19-December 20, 2014

Something that’s just glimpsed seems more real than something that’s fully described.
—Cecily Brown

more on the exhibition here http://www.gagosian.com/exhibitions/cecily-brown–october-19-2014

An amazing evening dinner (thanks to an invitation by my doctor Dr Rubinger, at “Porte 12“ at Rue de Messageries, on 10th, with heading Chef Vincent Crepel; Taiwanese chef André Chiang (whose restaurant Andre in Singapore) opened Porte 12 just 2 months ago: interesting journey to wonderful high taste menu. “Reactivating what was once a textile and lingerie atelier, Porte 12 has been created in harmony within the fundamentals of its predecessors – e marvelous artistry works of one’s pair of hands and ceaseless interminable inspirations – merged in a blend of contemporary and old, creativity and simplicity.”

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November 7, 2014

Munich;Haus der Kunst-Anri Sala-conversation on his “The Present Moment ” ; Giorgos Sapountzis at Barbara Gross Galerie “Die Landschaften Griechenlands”

Last night at the Haus der Kunst, a very interesting discussion/analysis with Anri Sala; Bridget MacRae, solo cellist with the Münchener Kammerorchester [Munich Chamber Orchestra]; and Alexander Liebreich, artistic director of the Münchener Kammerorchester. Moderated by Patrizia Dander, curator of the installation “The Present Moment”.

photo@VK

The discussion addressed differences and points of contact between musical and visual artistic approaches, particularly in relation to the realization process of “The Present Moment”.

“The Present Moment” is on view at Haus der Kunst. Anri Sala’s point of departure was the string sextet “Transfigured Night (Op. 4)”, a chamber music composition by Arnold Schönberg. For this sound and video installation created in the context of the annual commission “Der Öffentlichkeit – Von den Freunden Haus der Kunst”, Sala adopted Schönberg’s piece in a sensitive manner, translating it into a spatial-temporal mediation on the experience of “temporal presence” in an art form that is fleeting and ephemeral.

http://www.hausderkunst.de/en/agenda/detail/anri-sala-der-oeffentlichkeit-von-den-freunden-haus-der-kunst/

opening evening for Giorgos Sapountzis, new work at Barbara Gross galerie. “Die Landschaften Griechenlands”

…with materials familiar in his practice, traversing the colorful fabrics, tubular metal rods, and a great animation video film.

still from the animation film@VK

Ludwig I commissioned one of his favourite landscape artists Carl Rottman (in 1832, foreign powers established a monarchy in Greece after its liberation from Ottoman rule). Rottman travelled to 23 locations in Greece’s mainland and coastline, during a 12 month trip to study the country’s scenery….

exhibition photo@VK

…Sapountzis interested in how a scenography of a place effects its inhabitants, he considers -crucially-how the past is embedded in the present rather that reading the history of Rottman’s Greek style directly in his work….

a tasty and intimate small dinner afterwards at Flower Cafe.

Giorgos Sapountzis,classy thinker

photos@VK

more here http://www.barbaragross.de/artists/53

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November 4, 2014

Athens: a vibrant Theater scene: “Mephisto”, “Ασκηση για Φονο”, ‘Η μητερα του Σκυλου”, “Πεντε”

My 5 day visit to Athens, with Four amazing evenings at the Athenian vibrant theatrical scene, thanks to lovely invitations by my dear friend Ariana Nichogianopoulou and Akis Charalambidis.

a fantastic performance of “ H Μανα του Σκυλου” written by Pavlos Matesis, directed by Stravros Tsakiris at Συγχρονο Θεατρο

then..at Θεατρο Αγγελων Βημα “Ασκηση για Φονο” of Victor Chan, directed by Dimitris Giamloglou from the theatrical group Square Theatre Company

players: Giannis Laspias, Daphne Manousou, Ioanna Stavropoulou

“ Ο Έντριαν, γοητευτικός τυχοδιώκτης και πρωταθλητής στο σκάκι,απολαμβάνει τον,πλούσιο γάμο του με την μεγαλύτερή του,αλλά ακόμη σέξυ, Τζάνις,πρώην μοντέλο και νυν ιδιοκτήτρια γιγαντιαίας αλυσίδας γυμναστηρίων. Όσο ο ένας δεν χώνεταιστα πόδια του άλλου,όλα στη σχέση τους μοιάζουν ρόδινα. Σχεδόν…
Μέ την εμφάνιση της Έιμυ, νεαρής «ρεπόρτερ» μέ σκοτεινό παρελθόν και ακόμη πιο σκοτεινό παρόν,μπαίνει σε κίνηση ένα γαϊτανάκι αποκαλύψεων, σχεδίων δολοφονίας και ανατροπών και ξεκινάει μια αδυσώπητη και αφάνταστα αστεία παρτίδα φονικού σκακιού..”

see more here http://www.theatrikaprogrammata.gr/άσκηση-για-φόνο-λαμπερή-πρεμιέρα-στο/

and here http://www.paraskhnio.gr/askisi-gia-fono-toy-victor-cahn-sto-aggelon-vi/

…. a fabulous performance at the National Theater at Ziller building, Main Stage, of “Mephisto” adapted from the novel by Klaus Mann by Ariane Mnouchkine, directed by Nikos Mastorakis, music: Stavros Gasparatos

Cast:
Erika Bruckner Marina Aslanoglou
Carola Martin Vicky Volioti
Myriam Gottschalk Maria Zorba
Singer, Emelyne Danae Katsameni
Publisher, Jostinkel Thymios Koukios
Otto Ulrich Dimitris Mavros
Madame Efeu Ivonni Maltezou
Julius Stephanos Mwange
Theophile Sarder Alkis Panagiotidis
Ludwig Ektoras Liatsos
Lorenz Tasos Pirgieris
Theresa von Herzfeld Youlika Skafida
Knurr Yiannis Stollas
Pamela von Niebuhr Konstantina Takalou
Hans Miklas Harris Tzortzakis
Hendrik Hofgen Thanos Tokakis
Alex Enke Fezollari
Klaus Brickner Haris Frangoulis
Thomas Bruckner Minas Hatzisavvas
Magnus Gottschalk Nikos Psarras

Το μυθιστόρημα του Κλάους Μαν, που γράφτηκε στο Άμστερνταμ το 1936, είναι εμπνευσμένο από τον μύθο του Φάουστ. Ο επιφανειακός φιλελευθερισμός του κεντρικού ήρωα γρήγορα δίνει τη θέση του στην ανάγκη για κολακεία και εξουσία, αφού, για να εδραιωθεί στο χώρο του, συμμαχεί με τον «διάβολο» έναντι οποιουδήποτε ανταλλάγματος. Το έργο αποτελεί μελέτη πάνω στις σχέσεις τέχνης και πολιτικής, εξουσίας και ηθικής, εμβαθύνοντας όχι μόνο στην άνοδο του φασισμού, αλλά στις κοινωνιολογικές και πνευματικές προϋποθέσεις που έκαναν δυνατή μια τέτοια άνοδο.

…Klaus Mann (son of Thomas) wrote the novel in 1936 as a roman à clef about the decisions the theater artists of his time were making during the rise of fascism. Hofgen represents Gustaf Gründgens, the actor/director who was married to Mann’s sister, Erika. The events onstage closely resemble those in the lives of the real players. In real life, Gründgens was reportedly homosexual, as were Klaus and Erika Mann. The black girlfriend signals this unacceptable sexual partner. In the play, as in real life, Gründgens’s marriage to Erika dissolves as she goes on to found an anti-fascist cabaret and Gründgens becomes part of the Nazi state. The novel was banned in Germany until Ariane Mnouchkine’s stage version appeared in Berlin in 1979

more here http://www.n-t.gr/el/events/mef

and “Πέντε” (το ψυχογραφικό θρίλερ του Κώστα Μπίγαλη, που λέγαμε), στο Χυτήριο.

Πέντε άνθρωποι με ονόματα κοινότοπα (εντάξει, το “Θαλής” δεν είναι και τόσο κοινότοπο) συναντιούνται (το ‘χει φροντίσει ο κύριος Κονταράτος, ο ιδιοκτήτης μιας κλινικής για ασθενείς με ψυχικές διαταραχές) στην κλινική του κ. Κονταράτου, αλλά ο κ. Κονταράτος λείπει. Ο γιατρός, μέσω ενός σημειώματος, τους ενημερώνει πως, όποιος καταφέρει (κατά τη διάρκεια της παραμονής του στην κλινική) να διώξει τους υπόλοιπους τέσσερις και ο ίδιος να μείνει εντός του σπιτιού, θα κερδίσει το ποσό των 500.000 ευρώ. Κανένας από τους πέντε δεν είναι τόσο υπεράνω, ώστε να πει “δε μας παρατάς, ρε φίλε” και να φύγει. Αμέσως, ο γιατρός, η νηπιαγωγός, η επιχειρηματίας, η γυμνάστρια και ο νεκροθάφτης, με τον πανικό να τους έχει πάρει τα μυαλά, αρχίζουν να σκέφτονται πώς θα τσεπώσουν τη χαρτούρα

more here http://www.onlytheater.gr/magic_bus/_arthra_/9722-stin-premiera-tou-pente-sto-xitirio.html

photos@ published , theater productions

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October 23, 2014

Munich; Haus der Kunst; opening exhibitions:Mohamed Bourouissa, Tilo Schulz, and Victor Man

A wonderful Preview opening last night at Haus der Kunst for the Freunde of the new series of Capsule Exhibition:

“Capsule 01: Tilo Schulz”; “Capsule 02: Mohamed Bourouissa”; and “Victor Man – Zephir”

Tonight, before the public opening was an Opening Talk with Dorothea von Hantelmann, who has been a visiting professor for Documenta Studies at the University of Kassel since 2013, with the artists Tilo Shulz and Mohamed Bourouissa.

Haus der Kunst inaugurates a new program of focused one gallery exhibitions that explore recent developments amongst a generation emerging international artists. The goal of the Capsule Exhibition series is to engage audiences in the production of new works by artists at critical points of artistic breakthrough in their careers.

Through his multimedia works, the French-Algerian artist Mohamed Bourouissa (born 1978) investigates strategies of subjectivation and representation that reside in the social, cultural, and economical margins of society. His works deal with value systems and how these impact their protagonists’ identities and self-perceptions. (Hdk press release)

A beautiful reception at the Golden Bar followed last night and tonight a party with DJ NOMAD UNO – africaine 808, berlin

more on the exhibitions here http://www.hausderkunst.de/agenda/detail/eroeffnung-anri-sala-mohamed-bourouissa-tilo-schulz-victor-man/?no_cache=1

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Category: -2014