Author: Linda

Cooperation and shared programming is the new trend in the art gallery world today.

Mary Boone started it when she presented a shared Julian Schnabel show with Leo Castelli in 1981.

Today, on the Lower East Side, the Lehmann Maupin Gallery is showing Czech-born and Sweden-based artist Klara Kristalova‘s engaging ceramic works. Uptown, Galerie Perrotin is also showing Kristalova’s whimsical pieces in their downstairs gallery.
 


Galerie Perrotin and Dominique Levy are jointly presenting the powerful sculptures of French artist Germaine Richier. Since both galleries are housed in the same building, viewing these sculptures is a fluid experience.
 
Robert Longo will have two concurrent shows this month. Metro Pictures Gallery is highlighting Longo’s mid-century work in black and white charcoal. Meanwhile, at Petzel Gallery, the theme is American politics. Longo’s 40-foot wide drawing of the United States Capitol Building and 17 foot high wood and wax sculpture of the American flag will be installed in their main gallery spaces.
 
Does shared programming represent a new marketing approach for galleries? Galleries are experimenting with expanding the reach and brand of their artists by sharing shows with other galleries. In this way, artists can widen the audience viewing their work, reaching multiple communities simultaneously and enhancing an artist’s brand.
 
It is difficult to compete with Larry Gagosian who has 11 galleries worldwide.  He can recycle shows all over the globe, and strengthen each artist’s international presence.  It is an interesting model; galleries will have to change their programming to keep up.

Reporting on: Oman, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Qatar

Dubai

The Art Dubai fair opened to a very glamorous crowd; more than 500 artists were represented from 80 galleries and 35 countries.

There is something for every collector. High-end works by art star Idris Khan, as well as an Anish Kapoor mirrored reflective disc. Offered in the same hall was Australian Greenway Gallery, who displayed a Juz Kitson large ceramic piece. Kitson’s installation took over an entire wall and generated a lot of buzz. Some of the pieces were removed from the wall because they were deemed too “graphic” for public viewing.

One local newspaper said of the fair “Dubai has been a trading city for such a long time, and we have seen more and more of that spirit going into the cultural sphere.”

Sharjah

Sharjah is about an hour away from Dubai and a “must see” if you are in the area. The Sharjah Art Foundation nurtures the flourishing art scene in the Gulf with both a regional and international program of cultural collaboration and exchange. The Foundation curates and commissions shows of Middle Eastern artists. Architecturally, the foundation is a stunning mix of old and new. In renovated old homes, modern, minimal architecture has taken over and presents a perfect viewing site for contemporary art, massive videos, and installations.

An artist that got our attention was Wael Shawky, who had a fantastic video of camels walking across the desert and other works in a gigantic gallery within the complex.

Susan Hefuna‘s retrospective was very strong, especially her sculpture in a courtyard in one of the foundation’s larger buildings.

Abu Dhabi

In Abu Dhabi one can see the future.

On Saadiyat Island, 500 meters off the coast of Abu Dhabi, there is a new Information Center that shows what is to come—with brilliant marketing. The Island offers “a lifetime of exclusive experiences,” selling housing, museums, hotels and an exclusive lifestyle.  These homes cost millions.

There are models of the museums that are to be built, including, the Guggenheim, the Louvre and a Cultural Center—all by famous architects such as Frank Gehry, Jean Nouvel and Zaha Hadid. It will be a true destination for every traveler.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi is one of the most beautiful in the world. Every traveler can enjoy the beauty as long as one is properly covered to enter the mosque.

Qatar

The Arab Museum of Modern Art is a little jewel. On view is Mona Hatoum: Turbulence, showing the diversity of this art star’s work.

Also at The Arab Museum of Modern Art, is a lovely show of Etel Adnan‘s work; she seems to be everywhere at the moment, including the Whitney Biennial.

We saved the most spectacular museum for last: The Islamic Museum of Art designed by I.M. Pei. Every inch of this incredible museum is beautiful and well thought out.

Pei’s majestic museum displays Islamic art from its collection highlighting Iran, Central Asia, Egypt, Syria, India and Turkey. There is also a temporary exhibition hall that had on view  the origins of the game of chess.

The outside plaza overlooks the Gulf and across to the dramatic architecture of the buildings of Doha. A stunning way to end an art voyage through the Gulf.

Adam McEwen
 
Adam McEwen is an authority on discarded gum.  In a visit to his studio, the British-born artist explained his fascination for the patterns created by chewed up gum, which he employs in his paintings.
 

 

McEwen is known for the obituaries he has penned about living subjects such as Jeff Koons, Bill Clinton, and Kate Moss. He worked at the Daily Telegraph in London writing obituaries, so he is quite comfortable with the process.

He is also known for creating machine graphite sculptures of everyday objects such as water coolers or air conditioners.

His upcoming show in Berlin will feature his new photographs of limousines, which have been processed in a way allowing him to stand them upright. Each limo is named for his driver such as “Mike” and “Big Mike.”  There is a maquette of the upcoming show in his studio. The cars will be shown vertically like sculptures.

“I find myself doing crazy things that take a long time, ” he said while giving us a tour of his Brooklyn studio.

 
Josiah McElheny
 

Right:(Frozen structure, White Cube), via artsy

Josiah McElheny, recipient of a 2006 McArthur Fellow Genius grant, uses the ancient craft of glass-blowing to explore historical themes.

He has two work spaces in the same building. In the downstairs space, he uses a kiln to create finely crafted glass objects. The other workspace is more research based, lined with computers and books.

His work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, White Cube, and Reina Sofia. In 2005, he collaborated with cosmologist David Weinberg on “An End to Modernity,” depicting chandeliers and “the big bang” all at once. He has also recreated objects from Renaissance paintings.

 
Julie Dault
 

 
Toronto-born Julie Dault creates in situ pieces. Armed with materials such as plexiglass, formica, and Everlast boxing wraps, her on site sculptures are fixed to gallery walls with strings and knots.

In a visit to her studio, she told us that sheets of formica are great because they are flexible and act like a mirror, adding that her on-site installation works will “never be exactly the same.”

She uses “found fabrics” such as pleather, silk and spandex to make textured paintings.

 
Michael Joo
 

(Man Made Monstrous, Blain Southern)
 

Chandeliers, antlers and 500 million year old artifacts—Michael Joo uses all these materials and more to create his pieces. His work explores concepts of identity, knowledge and culture.

After Hurricane Sandy hit Red Hook, it took Joo three months to get everything back up and running at his work space.

Now, huge fossil beds can be seen on his studio’s floors. Joo brought these ancient fossilized “sea lilies” back with him from Morocco. He also completed a residency at the Smithsonian to study science and art. Joo collects chandeliers from historic buildings, such from the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach.

Panama is poised to become the Bilbao of Latin America.
 
In Panama City, the BioMuseo designed by Frank Gehry is opening soon and will be sure to draw tourists from all over the globe. The 100 million dollar museum highlights nature, biodiversity, and the fragility of the ecosystem. One can visit the museum now for their “soft opening.” Before entering, visitors must first go to a special building where you sign in, pay a fee, and don a hard hat and vest for the tour, which lasts an hour and a half.  The building itself is remarkable with mappings that show which creatures are becoming extinct or already are extinct. Gehry’s twisted, deconstructed building in vibrant colors will be the new icon of Panama.
 

 
2014 is the 100 year anniversary of the opening of the Panama Canal.  One must visit the the Miraflores Locks to witness the boats entering and exiting the locks of the Canal. During our visit, we marveled at the engineering that was developed more than 100 years ago, and is still relevant today, connecting the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans.
 

 
When we visited Panama City’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC), we viewed an exhibition highlighting a political incident, which occurred in 1964. This small museum with a vibrant fresco on the exterior is worth a visit.
 
In Panama, food is such an integral and fun part of the culture.  Workers on the Canal from all over the world brought their food cultures to Panama City, which inspires unique culinary diversity.
 
There is a small but flourishing art scene in Panama. Visit Galleria Habitante to see some of Panama’s leading artists. We visited artist Olga Sinclair’s beautiful home and studio with an extraordinary view of Panama.
 

 
The Waldorf Astoria in Panama City was lovely, but there are also many new hotels from which one can choose. We met many people who were visiting from the United States and Canada who came for a long weekend looking for sun, good food, and fun—they found all this and more in Panama City’s thriving art and food scene.
 
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Don’t be daunted by the long lines around the Frick Collection to see the treasures inside. On view are Girl With the Pearl Earring (circa 1665) by Johannes Vermeer and Carel Fabritius’s exquisite Goldfinch (1654). These works and thirteen other masterpieces are from Mauritshuis, The Royal Picture Gallery, The Hague which is being renovated. Painted in the 17th century, the Golden Age of Dutch culture, these works are on an international tour while construction is completed on the Mauritshuis.
 

Other artists represented in this extraordinary exhibit are Frans Hals, Rembrandt van Rijn, Jan Steen, Adriaen Coorte, Pieter Claesz, Nicolaes Maes, and Gerard ter Borch.

Plan to spend at least an hour or more marveling at these masterpieces and give yourself time to wander through the rest of the Frick Museum encountering other masterpieces that Frick assembled. It will be a memorable art experience—but hurry because the show closes on January 19th.
 
About the Frick Collection

The Frick Collection is housed in the former residence of industrialist Henry Clay Frick. It is one of the “Gilded Age” mansions that is open to the public.

The collection is known for its Old Master Paintings, European sculpture and decorative arts. Artists represented in the Frick Collection, which opened as a museum in 1935, are Bellini, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Gainsborough, Goya, and Whistler.
 
If you cannot see this special exhibition, you can go to the Frick’s extraordinary website that shows the exhibition virtually. Access their “Checklist” and there is a picture of each painting with an audio explanation. It is fantastic.
 
Touring Tips

• You do not have to wait in line if you are willing to join the museum—$75.00 for individual membership and $120.00 for dual membership. Walk into the front of the museum and sign up. Very easy.
 
• Use the audio-guide which is excellent not only for this traveling exhibition but for the works throughout the museum.

How do you train to see the massive amount of art fairs, private art foundations, museums, and pop-up installations available during Art Basel Miami Beach?
 


We tried very hard. Our first stop was the new Pérez Art Museum Miami designed by Herzog & de Meuron. The opening show is a spectacular Ai Weiwei retrospective called “According to What?” that was co-organized by the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo. Many of his iconic works are shown, such as his porcelain crabs and pottery with the Coca-Cola logo.
 
Back in Miami Beach, the main fair is thrilling and you can feel the energy and excitement as you enter. One needs to go many times to see it all. The best strategy is to study the map beforehand and have a choreographed idea of which galleries you want to see. It is easy to get distracted by the abundance of visual riches—works by Anish Kapoor, Marina Abramović, Pedro Reyes, Sarah Lucas, Tom Sachs, and hundreds upon hundreds more art world superstars.
 


 
We had the “best seat in the house” when we took a break and sat across from Regen Projects‘ booth as we drank our coffee and enjoyed a frenetic video by Ryan Trecartin. Maybe the most shocking works were the Richard Meier collages—who knew that the architect of such pristine buildings also makes provocative art? Will Cotton’s cake sculpture was heaven—like a Wayne Thiebaud on steroids. Not only does it make me happy, it makes me drool!
 

Next stop, across the street from Art Basel is Design Miami. The award-winning design by architects Garrett Ricciardi and Julian Rose is a large pile of sand with an aluminum roof on top. Inside this tent, one felt a Zen relief from the intensity of the main fair. The designs were beautifully curated and very compelling.
 

I love to go to the Rubell Family Collection on the Thursday morning of Art Basel Miami week. Jennifer Rubell, the daughter of Don and Mera Rubell, creates a breakfast art installation every year. In previous years, she engineered homemade yogurt with honey dripping from the ceiling, and in 2010, covered an entire gallery wall with donuts hung on nails.  This year, her installation featured custard pies on a white slab that resembled a teeter totter. When you picked up a pie to eat, the change in weight on that side might cause the slab to move up or down. The collection of spectacular works by 28 Chinese artists at the Rubell Family Collection was also exciting.
 

The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse got “most improved” space. We loved the Tony Oursler piece, as well as “Wisdom of the Poor: A Communal Courtyard,” by Song Dong, featuring a maze of doors enclosing sculptures by several famous artists that you had to navigate to get to the next room.
 

The De La Cruz Collection Contemporary Art Space was as spectacular as ever. The many different faces on works by Rob Pruitt are fantastic. The site-specific Aaron Curry installation is still on view—and the artist seems to be everywhere, his outdoor sculptures can be seen at Lincoln Center in New York City.
 
CIFO, Ella Fontanals-Cisneros’ Collection, shows works by Latin American artists—a growing trend in the art market we’ve been following this year.
 

At the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami, Tracey Emin has a show of her neon pieces. It is the first exhibition of her work in the United States.
 

The Bass Museum always has great shows. This year they are highlighting Piotr Uklański. The title “ESL” references “English as a Second Language.” The artist emigrated from Poland to the United States.  He has a very diverse style, as you can see by the photographs.
 
It is impossible to do everything associated with Art Basel Miami Beach, but our top five favorites are:
1) The Main Fair
2) Pérez Art Museum Miami 
3) The De La Cruz Collection Contemporary Art Space
4) Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami
5) The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse
 
Five things we wish we had time to see:
1) The Craig Robins Collection at Dacra
2) Debra & Dennis Scholl Collection at World Class Boxing (WCB)
3) Tour of Wynwood Walls
4) Conversations—Doug Aitken
5) World Premiere of “A Portrait of Marina Abramović”

You can see the 2013 Carnegie International, The Mattress Factory, and The Andy Warhol Museum in one day!
 

If you live in the New York area, you can visit all three venues in a day. One has to get up early in the morning and leave from Newark to catch a United Airlines flight to Pittsburgh. The flight departs at 8:21 a.m!
 

The Carnegie International is an exceptional exhibition. Thirty-five artists are represented from 19 different countries all over the world. As we walked into the venue, we came across Pedro Reyes from Mexico. His work is astounding—he has built musical instruments and sculptures from voluntary donations of weapons from Mexico, which were displayed in the rotunda; they are truly fantastic. Reyes seems to be everywhere. He is also showing a huge installation at the newly renovated Queens Museum in New York at this moment.
 

British “Bad Girl” Sarah Lucas installed a large body of provocative work at the Carnegie International. Her sculpture reflects the narrative of how the female  body is viewed.
 
The Carnegie Museum of Art also displays pieces that were purchased from previous Carnegie Internationals, including works by such renowned artists as On Kawara, Agnes Martin, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Mark Grotjahn, and Tony Oursler.
 

The Mattress Factory is a foundation open to the public, which invites artists to join their residency program and exhibits their works. Artists such as James Turrell and Yayoi Kusama have been part of their program and their works are on view.
 

A “must see” when visiting Pittsburgh, The Andy Warhol Museum is a jewel of a museum. On view when we visited was a show of photographs by Yasumasa Morimura. No matter, one still gets a feeling that this is a Warhol shrine and his brilliance shines through.
 
We departed the museum to the airport and were back home by 7:30 p.m. A full and rewarding art day.
 
The  2013 Carnegie International runs from October 5, 2013–March 16, 2014 at the Carnegie Museum of Art.
 
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The art world came together, at least for a weekend, to celebrate the opening of a private art museum created by Eugenio López. Museo Jumex is a private art museum designed by star architect David Chipperfield. López’s collection boasts over 2,000 works of Latin American artists, as well as artists from Europe, Asia and the United States.

The architect, David Chipperfield, spoke to us at the opening preview about the natural light he utilized when designing the space. Fluorescent lights are used only at night. One star of the opening show has to be minimal artist Fred Sandback. His works divided the large gallery space in the most beautiful way. As one enters the building and experiences Damián Ortega’s kinetic sculpture on the plaza, it is immediately clear that something equally special awaits visitors inside the museum.

Speaking with artist Pedro Reyes for an hour was a highlight. Reyes seems to be everywhere.  His work was represented in the 2013 Carnegie International with his installation of musical instruments made from guns. He is opening the newly renovated Queens Museum with a very large installation in mid-November. Reyes is an architect, as well as a social and environmental activist. He is a man who encouraged us to eat grasshoppers because their carbon footprint compared to cows is so small, and they can be stored months without refrigeration. He is a genius with a wonderful sense of humor and a twinkle in his eye.

What could be more fantastic than chatting with artist Danh Vo all evening at Museo Casa de La Bola? His family came from Vietnam and emigrated to Denmark in the 1970’s. His parents wanted him to be an engineer and didn’t understand his need to be an artist.  Now they understand—his works are shown and lauded all over the world. He is thinking of moving to Mexico City, buying property and setting up his studio in this newly energized city.

Lunch at international art star Gabriel Orozco’s home was a memorable experience. Everything in his house, which was formerly a monastery, is aesthetic. It is like living in a sculpture. Besides being brilliant, Orozco is a lot of fun. He introduced us to Mezcal, a very potent and delicious drink.

We visited Damián Ortega’s two studios. One is for dusty, dirty work. For example, in this studio, he casts the interior engine of a Volkswagen in cement. The other studio is where he lives and creates some of his kinetic sculptures and installations. He shared with us his newest project, embroidering fabrics and charting the hours it took to do the work. They are very beautiful and meditative.

The commercial gallery scene in Mexico City is vibrant. Kurimanzutto is a an architecturally stunning gallery representing world class artists. Another noted gallery is Proyectos Monclova. It is one of the new, exciting galleries that should be visited.

There are two historical museums that are a “must see” when visiting Mexico City. One is The National Museum of Anthropology, which contains one of the largest collections of pre-Colombian artifacts. The other “must see” is the Diego Rivera Anahuacalli Museum, designed by the artist himself and completed after his death, it is devoted to the display of Rivera’s own collection of over 52,000 works of pre-Colombian art.

Another museum displaying a private collection is the Museo Soumaya, owned by Carlos Slim, noted for its many Rodin sculptures. It is situated next to the Museo Jumex.

It is almost impossible to see and do everything that is available in Mexico City—it is so vast. One must return again and again to experience the energy and excitement of this vibrant city.

In the last ten years there has been a major shift in the general public’s interest and perception of Latin American Art. The driving force behind this shift is that many significant collectors have been sharing their collections with the world. One such collector is Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, whose collection of modern and contemporary art has traveled the globe. The Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros (CPPC) works to support innovation, education, creativity, and research in the field of Latin American Art, with initiatives like their recently-launched bilingual e-books series.
 

 
Axel Stein, Senior Vice President and head of the Department of Latin American Art at Sotheby’s, explained that while themes in Latin American art were very politically charged in the first half of the 20th century, during the second part, many artists went to Paris where they were embraced by that art community. There was a fertile exchange of ideas and new directions, especially exploring kinetic and abstract art. This helped to make Latin American artists true players in the world market. “Abstraction and kinetic art are like music, a universal language,” says Stein.
 
The Museum of Modern Art started collecting Latin American artists in the 1930s, and Diego Rivera was the subject of the museum’s second  exhibition in 1931. Even museums that were late to collecting in this area have recently begun actively pursuing Latin American works, such as the Louvre, which launched its initiative with a show of colonial-era Mexican paintings last March. In 2002, the Tate appointed their first Associate Curator of Latin American Art, and expanded their acquisition efforts, showing their continued commitment in 2012 upon hiring Colombian curator José Roca. Stein said “museums started doing their job,” referring to the groundbreaking 2004 exhibition “Inverted Utopias: Avant-Garde Art Latin America” at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston as the “fireworks” signaling a shift in the public view of this genre.
 
The process of collecting Latin American Art is exciting because collectors discover artists that have been overlooked on every level and the material is fresh. Swiss philanthropist Ruth Schmidheiny started collecting in this domain 15 years ago, and in 2013 opened Casa Daros in Rio de Janeiro. Curator Hans-Michael Herzoy explained in a press conference “In Europe at that time there was zero interest because people knew nothing about Latin American Art.”
 

 
This is changing, with many Latin American artists rapidly ascending to the heights of the international art scene. Contemporary Mexican artist Pedro Reyes is featured in the 2013 Carnegie International in Pittsburgh. Ninety-eight year-old Cuban-born artist Carmen Herrera was “discovered” just in the last five years. Her gallery in London is the renowned Lisson Gallery, which also represents Ai Weiwei, Anish Kapoor and Sol LeWitt. In Mexico City, Eugenio López’s Colección Jumex will find a new home at the Museo Jumex, a private museum that will house one of the largest collection of Latin American art. The David Chipperfield-designed museum will open its doors in mid-November of 2013.
 
Collectors are opening their own museums and foundations highlighting Latin American artists. These artists are now part of the “global art network,” producing exciting works and are a force to be reckoned with.
 
Visit the  seventh-annual PINTA New York fair opening to the public November 15th.
 
Images from artsy.net.

Visiting the Istanbul Biennial is like going on a treasure hunt.

In response to the demonstrations earlier this year, the Biennial’s curator, Fulya Erdmci, withdrew the art works from public spaces and placed them in five “private buildings” throughout Istanbul which are open to the public and free to all.

 

After visiting many of the biennial spaces, my favorite artist is Maider Lopez, whose work is shown in two different Biennial sites. The first work we encountered was “The Traffic Jam” (2005), with photos and a video.  Lopez choreographed a traffic jam in a small Basque village and shot the work from high above.  The colorful cars are like paint pigments giving a unique design and form to her composition.

The video accompanying the photographs shows interviews with people who participated in the making of the art work.  We learned that she put an ad in the newspaper and radio asking people to bring their cars to join this art project.  Some car owners said it was a family affair, bringing their children and having a picnic in the countryside.  There were many volunteers as part of her team trying to navigate cars into perfect positions, as in any traffic jam worldwide.

 

The second work we encountered of hers were photographs, diagrams and a written strategy of how to cross a very, very busy street in Turkey, titled “Making Ways” (2013). She gives the viewer 10 steps on how to cross a very busy street, that could also be used in cities all over the world, such as Rome and Cairo. A few of her important tips are: “Visualize the destination and make a plane,” “Find the right moment,” “Seek eye contact,” and “Taking action is easier when a group is generated.”

 

In Istanbul all the museums and foundations that show contemporary art are privately owned by wealthy families and corporations that support the arts.  Even the Sakip Sabanic Museum, which had a blockbuster show of Anish Kapoor, is privately owned, as is the Istanbul Modern.

 

An especially unique location is The Borusan Collection, an art-filled private office building during the week and private museum open to the public on the weekend. We have discovered at least six private museums in Turkey, and it is worthwhile to make the effort to experience these collections.

I met many artists while visiting studios and seeing works in their galleries. One artist that I met said that she was imprisoned for six months because of her art. Another artist was brought to trial, but not convicted. What a contrast to the freedom an artist can enjoy in America!

The Four Seasons Bosphorus; with beautiful views of the water is a fabulous place to stay in Istanbul. Dinner at Mikla is a glamorous experience—they have panoramic views of Istanbul and delicious food. For a casual authentic dining experience, try Iskele Restaurant, with gorgeous views of the water and bridge. Treat yourself to Turkish Air—voted Europe’s best airline in 2013—if you want an incredible luxurious experience in their VIP lounge at Istanbul Atatürk Airport.

To view these and other Turkish foundations, you can visit our Directory.

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