- Holasek Benefit - Monday, April 7th 6-9PM
fundraiser for Vanina Holasek, owner of the Vanina Holasek Gallery in Chelsea -- huge hospital bills due to a brain tumor
tags: art benefit
March 2008 Archives
installation view of The Modern Institute's booth at The Armory Show
I'm pretty sure I'm done with my art fair coverage over at the ArtCal Zine, so run over there and read all of my posts.
- The Playgoer: Recession Drama
Pinter's "Homecoming" on Broadway (starring Ian McShane of "Deadwood" fame) has nearly 2/3 empty seats near the end of its run
tags: pinter broadway theater
- Art Fag City: The New Has Never Looked So Old
Paddy Johnson reviews the Whitney Biennial
tags: art criticism review whitney-biennial
Here is some entertainment while I'm blogging elsewhere.
The last one reminds me of James and me at plays with badly-behaving audiences.
- Sotheby's to bring home the Bacon--and Sonnabends too? - Crain's New York Business
The late Ileana Sonnabend had a great eye, but no estate can outrun the taxman, and now her art collection is being readied to go on the block to allow her executors to pay taxes on her $400 million estate.
tags: sonnabend art auction
Dan Levenson, The Art Dealer At Work [from the Disarmory newspaper]
During the art fair madness this week, James will be writing on his own blog, but I will be one of the people posting to the special ArtCal Zine coverage. The image above is of Dan Levenson, who as Little Switzerland is the only gallery at Disarmory, one of the interesting alternative events going on.
The latest press release from the Brooklyn Museum, titled "THE BROOKLYN MUSEUM ANNOUNCES THE INCLUSION OF AN EXCLUSIVE LOUIS VUITTON STORE WITHIN THE RETROSPECTIVE OF JAPANESE ARTIST TAKASHI MURAKAMI" contains this interesting tidbit in the fourth paragraph (their bold not mine):
The Louis Vuitton store at the Brooklyn Museum will be located in a 550-square-foot gallery within the retrospective on the fifth floor of the Morris A. and Meyer Schapiro Wing for the duration of the exhibition. Louis Vuitton has fully underwritten the construction of the store and will be responsible for its staffing and operation. A selection of Monogram Multicolor bags and small leather goods will be available for sale for the duration of the © MURAKAMI exhibition. Styles for sale include the Alma, Speedy, Ursula, Beverly, Rita, Eugénie, and Alexandra. Just as the MOCA store presented a number of limited-edition Monogram canvasses revisited by Takashi Murakami, the Brooklyn store will also offer a new version of these "Editioned Canvasses," signed by the artist and sold as exclusive art products. The new version, called Monogramouflage, is an exciting new pattern created by Takashi Murakami for Louis Vuitton, and gives viewers a glimpse of a bright new product line that will be launched at the Brooklyn Museum Louis Vuitton store on June 1 before being sold in selected Louis Vuitton stores worldwide. Louis Vuitton plans to donate a portion of the revenues generated at the Louis Vuitton store within the Brooklyn Museum on the evening of the Gala to the Federal Enforcement Homeland Security Foundation.
The foundation's website may be found here.
Update: I just read more about what the foundation does:
The Federal Enforcement Homeland Security Foundation (FEHSF) is a non-profit corporation formed to assist Federal Agents and law enforcement officials through supporting their families with emergency funding, financial assistance and community outreach. In particular, FEHSF provides monetary support to families of Agents and officers who are seriously injured or killed on duty protecting the nationÂ's citizens or enforcing our laws. Additionally, FEHSF supports those Agents or Agents' families during times of personal difficulties.
Frankly, I should think our federal government should provide these resources rather than expect private fundraising to take care of these people and their families. Perhaps we should stop cutting taxes for the people that can afford Louis Vuitton bags so that the feds can afford it?
Note: The press release is not online. I received it via email.
- artblog - Spacing Out at Space 1026
libby reviews a Cinders Gallery-curated show at Space 1026 in Philadelphia
tags: philadelphia art review cindersgallery space1026 - From the Gallery to the Street?
Hrag Vartanian spots a work on the street he once saw in a gallery.
tags: art street-art jason-eisner
I was reading this otherwise pretty good article on a young activist in today's City Section of the New York Times today when one thing leapt out at me.
To the Ramparts (Gently)
By BEN GIBBERD
Published: March 23, 2008
...
“I actually think violent action isn’t radical at all,” he said firmly. “Radicals go to the root of the problem, and they want to change society. Violence doesn’t change society, and if it doesn’t go to the root of the problem, it’s not radical.” Mr. Kelly paused. “I don’t know what it is,” he added, “but it has nothing to do with what I want to do.”
Drama, Yes. Violence, No.
Despite his attitude toward violent protest, Mr. Kelly has not shied away from dramatic tactics. He has been arrested twice, once two years ago during a protest on PaceÂ’s Manhattan campus, and once a year ago when he and about 20 other S.D.S. members were detained for occupying an Army-Navy recruiting center in Lower Manhattan. Neither arrest led to any charges.
...
Is this writer implying that getting arrested in non-violent protests is somehow a moral equivalent of using a bomb or other violence to make the same point? I find that a rather dangerous position.
Related: James's post titled Times Square bomblet outperforms march of a million
- The Real Story of 'Curveball': How German Intelligence Helped Justify the US Invasion of Iraq - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News
I haven't seen this kind of coverage from US media.
tags: germany iraq war wmd
... to a smaller space will be this one night art exhibition / dance party curated by Nicholas Weist.
Saturday, March 22: one night only! 8-11PM.
Featuring Amanda Riner, Billy Miller, Colby Bird, Dave McDermott, David Gilbert, David Benjamin Sherry, Dike Blair, Eric Huebsch, Jacques Louis Vidal, Jeff Tranchell, Jonah Groeneboer, Jonathan Hartshorn, Josh Tonsfeldt, Joshua Smith, Julia Weist, Kate Levant, Lorenzo de Los Angeles, Mara Sprafkin, Matthew Robert Lutz-Kinoy, Michael Magnan, Michael Smith, Nolan Simon, Scott Hug, Tatiana Kronberg, and Timothy Hull.
Music by Kingdom, Michael Magnan, and Jimmy Im
Curated by Nicholas Weist
If I told you you were beautiful, would you date me on the regular? is a one-night-only group show featuring artists who have used media and its by-products to make objects. The title is a quote from Justin Timberlake's My Love, a song that asks how little Timberlake would have to do for you to devote yourself to him utterly. Artists included in the show invert this relationship, demanding culture yield its materials to them for reinvention or repurposing.
This will be the last event at Oliver Kamm's current location—a final dance party designed to privilege interaction and social engagement. In the spirit of a dramatic rejection of systemized forms of cultural production, and as a reaction to the speed with which media is consumed today, the show was conceived, planned, and executed in only three weeks.
My latest gallery client, Keith Talent Gallery in London, has moved to a new location, and launched their new website powered by ArtCat.
- Contemporary Confections: Red Velvet Cupcakes and Banana Pudding: Talking to Gabriel J. Shuldiner
James and I have one work by Gabriel
tags: gabriel-shuldiner interview artist art
This is a VernissageTV video of a performance by Rachel Mason at Kunsthalle Zürich, Switzerland. In this clip she performes "Dzhokhar Dudayev (Chechen Wolfes)". Visit the VernissageTV website for more information and more video.
Here is my quick video of Flora Wiegmann's performance during the preview of the Whitney Biennial as part of the "Animal Estates" project of Fritz Haeg. Click the screen icon on the lower right for a bigger version. She's a wood duck!
Visit this New York Times article for more information on the artist.
Click here if you don't see the video above.
- Montague Projects Blog
artist Julian Montague has a blog`
tags: art artist blog - The Playgoer - "Subsidiary Rights"
Did you know the contract Roundabout Theatre Company offers for new plays it premieres claims 40% of all the play's subsequent "subsidiary rights" for 10 years?
tags: theater nyc economics roundabout - One culture and the New Sensibility: GIVEN ENOUGH EYEBALLS: Kendall Bruns
Annette Monnier curates a show in Philadelphia
tags: art philadelphia
Kim Jones, Untitled, 2001-2007
Acrylic, Ink on Color Photograph, 18 × 12 inches
Today is the last day for the Kim Jones exhibition at Pierogi. I recommend a visit if you can fit it in today, as the painted photographs in the back room are some of my favorite works I've ever seen by him. I think there is a bit of William Blake in these magical works.
[image from Pierogi's website]
Dancers in Mark MorrisÂ’s production of "King Arthur" at New York City Opera (Richard Termine for The New York Times)
Here is a reminder that the $25 tickets program continues at NYC Opera. Check the website for schedule and details. We're going to see Purcell's "King Arthur" (with costumes by Isaac Mizrahi), which is frankly somewhere in between a masque and an opera. We fell in love with it after watching a DVD of a Salzburg production. Ignore the bitchy "I don't like my opera productions to be too innovative" comments on Amazon.
video still
installation view
Julika Rudelius
Economic Primacy, 2005
two channel video
17:56 min., color, sound
edition of 7
James and I saw this video last week as part of the "Bare Market" exhibition and I keep thinking of it. The description from the press release is below.
In Julika RudeliusÂ’ two-channel video Economic Primacy, an all male cast of Dutch CEOs share their thoughts about power, money, and success. Interviewed using a hidden earpiece, they respond to RudeliusÂ’ questions over the phone while she is situated in another room. Set in a generic office space of RudeliusÂ’ own construction, the intensity of focus and sense of observation are penetrating. The blankness of the office tells of a certain lofty separation, perhaps out of touch, from the rest of society. With this framing in double-screen, she heightens the candid nature of the conversations. Views on the role and importance of money as the ultimate measure of love, image, and success follow with snide quips on class and race.
The man on the right in the installation shot talks about how good money is as an objective measure, even for love. He speaks of asking a woman how much money it would take to make her leave her boyfriend.
Much of the discussions end up on the subject of the modern welfare state at some point, with these CEOs talking about people who don't work hard enough. One thing that shocked me was hearing the man in the top image mentioning what his monthly salary is. It's surprisingly low, and is more in the range of what a corporate lawyer with a few years of experience earns in New York. Our CEOs would laugh at the thought of such a salary.
I just realized that I first saw the artist's work in an open studios event for the international studio & curatorial program (iscp) at Elizabeth Foundation. It was work from her series "Forever." See this Time Out NY review by Lauren Cornell for information on that project.
All photos are courtesy of Thierry Goldberg Projects. The artist also has a website.
I met the lovely couple that run Marx & Zavattero at Schroeder Romero's last opening, as they represent David Hevel as well. When they changed the gallery's name from Heather Marx Gallery to Marx & Zavattero, they promoted the name change with this combination mini level and tape measure.
James took the photo for me. Look for my notes on the Whitney Biennial's press preview tomorrow or Friday.
- I Was a Squatter, Reveals German Chancellor Merkel
During her 20s, she explained, she lived illegally in an apartment in the district of Mitte, a now gentrified neighborhood in the heart of what was once communist East Berlin.
tags: germany east-germany angela-merkel squatting 1970s
This is what the canvas looked like after Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen's re-enactment of "Anthropometries of the Blue Period" (1960) by Yves Klein. Go here to see my full flickr set. Unfortunately I ran out of space on my camera before she did Yoko Ono's "Cut Piece." I also added one more video at blip.tv.
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