It is wonderful to be able to experience art under the auspices of a museum such as the Guggenheim. The Patrons Circle of the Guggenheim Museum and their International Director’s Council spent the afternoon in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Our first stop was James Turrell’s Baker Pool. This site specific swimming pool is located in a private barn in Greenwich.
With the upcoming anniversary of the D-Day invasion and liberation of Europe around the corner, we thought it would be a good time to visit Normandy.
We stayed in Bayeux, a charming and ancient town close to the D-Day beaches and American Cemetery. The town has a beautiful cathedral, the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Bayeux. The cathedral was consecrated in 1077, supposedly in the presence of William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and King of England.
There is no better combination than mixing food and art.
Our first dinner in Paris was at Le 114 Faubourg at Hotel Le Bristol. The restaurant has a flair for drama, with its bright orange walls and large extravagant flowers. They know “how to do it.” As we walked by a table that was reserved, we noticed it was decorated with rose petals — maybe a sign of something special to come, an engagement perhaps?
Pioneer video artist, Bill Viola, and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe are both the focus of large retrospectives at the Grand Palais in Paris.
For Viola, it is his first retrospective in France, and the first time the Grand Palais has had an exhibition devoted to video art. There are 20 of his videos displayed in room after room, totaling seven hours of his works. And though each video work is different, they are each fascinating, meditative and spiritual experiences…
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.
Photo Gallery[nggallery id=16]
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”
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