The final entries of our advent calendar series have the following artists and works featured -
Venue Design by Kevin Carmody & Andrew Groarke for Frieze Art Fair 2011
With the return of Frieze Art Fair to its home town after a trans-atlantic conquer in New York earlier this year, it would be interesting to see how its spin-off fair Frieze Masters would fare among fellow art critics and audience. Continuing its well-praised tradition last year, Carmody & Groarke is reappointed (see photo above) to design the venue of the main fair this year. The Masters show next door would be, interestingly, designed by New York-based Selldorf Architects. It seems the competition between the two global cities are everywhere.
As usual, apart from the Giant Frieze, Moniker Art Fair in Village Underground and Sunday Art Fair in Ambika P3 are catering to a slightly more specific audience and do not cost a penny to get in. For the numerous shows in galleries around the whole city, we have shortlisted the followings for those who have no time to do the window-shopping: (in no particular order)
Kris Ruhs in the Wapping Project - full photo set here
Landing on Earth by Kris Ruhs in the Wapping Project -
Kris has created a series of large installations in the power station (see photo above) that have a dialogue with each other as well as the space.
Elmgreen & Dragset's transformed attic space in Victoria Miro
Harvest by Elmgreen & Dragset in Victoria Miro (@victoriamiro) -
The duo who put a bronze boy on a rocking horse on the 4th plinth is making two distinct spaces inside the gallery's two floors in their latest show in town.
snails on junk in one of Bertozzi & Casoni's works in the show
Regeneration by Bertozzi & Casoni in All Visual Arts (@allvisualarts) -
Examine the bizarrely colourful life-like works of the Italian duo which are almost renaissance paintings come alive in 3D.
Left: Untitled 12050; Right: Untitled 12044 (2012) by Lee Knagwook
Invisible by Lee Kangwook in Hada Contemporary -
Korean artist Lee uses colour pencils and charoal to create minimalist works (see photo above) that look vibrant yet intriguing in order as a whole. The sparkle highlights in his works make a glam touch to the works.
Revolver 2 in Matt's Gallery -
Revolver presents works by ten artists made between 1983 and 2012 in discrete spaces in the gallery in a three-part series of short exhibitions. Show 2 features Anna Barham's live installation, Graham Gussin's sepia toned photographs and Tai Shani's sound-tracked installation.
Spazio di Luce by Giuseppe Penone in Whitechapel Gallery (@_thewhitechapel) -
No other artist have made a more poetic piece for Whitechapel Gallery's columned room yet than Penone (see photo above).
Ligurian Sea Saviore (1993) by Hiroshi Sugimoto
Dark Paintings & Seascapes by Rothko and Sugimoto in Pace (@pacegallery) -
If you think David Chipperfield's museum space is a must-see, a joint show of Mark Rothko & Hiroshi Sugimoto inside a space designed by Chipperfield would be one that is seen to be believed. See the above teaser photo. We hope the show can stay forever, it is timeless.
Blastfurnace by Atelier Van Lieshout in Carpenters Workshop (@cwgparislondon) -
Carpenters Workshop is renown for their taste of craft designs. It is showing a few pieces of AVL's works that viewers can view the chemistry among them when they are all in the same space.
On a sidenote, there was outrageous queue everyday in the Barbican Curve gallery since its current show opened last week (see below photo), those who live in London should avoid getting there in frieze week to save your valuable time in this period.
Random International (also represented by Carpenter Workshop)'s interactive Rain installation in the Barbican Curve gallery
A Kassen's work in Sunday Art Fair 2011 represented by New Gallerie Paris
A Kassen's work in Nettie Horn, 17A Riding House Street
17A Riding House Street by A Kassen in Nettie Horn (@nettiehorn) -
Danish Collective A Kassen is known for their reaction with the environment and space in their works. The show would see how they respond to the relocated gallery (from Vyner Street) in its new premise and hence an one-off not to be missed.
Salon (London)
02-11.09.2009
295 Regent Street
full photo set here
full photo set here
The pop-up space at 295 Regent Street are filled with interesting works ranging from photography & installations to paintings and live performances. Having a colourful walking man in the middle of a disused floor space is quite an amazing encounter.
*****
Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton
09.07-20.09.2009
Whitechapel Gallery
Elizabeth Peyton's show in Whitechapel Gallery, as reported by "art & music" magazine (summer 2009 issue)Something special about her works is that she seems to use small formats most of the time - 95% of the paintings are so small that they could be fit in your handbag or messenger bag. Yet despite the tiny size of each piece, the subject is usually of big fame. As seen in the show and as listed in wikipedia, her celebrity subjects have included Noel and Liam Gallagher of the rock band Oasis, Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, Jarvis Cocker of Pulp, Chloë Sevigny, Princes William and Harry, Abraham Lincoln, Graham Coxon, Keith Richards, John Lennon, Marc Jacobs, Kurt Cobain, Eminem, Ludwig II of Bavaria, and members of The Kennedy Family.
Another signature of her works is the vivid palette she uses. However, the vivid background and/or surrounding would very often leave the subject looks particularly pale and stand-out in the painting. She also manages to capture gestures well.
To see the show is like witnessing a period of time which Elizabeth Peyton captured with her selection of the 'icons of the era'.
*****
Anthony Burrill: In a New Place
24.07-05.09.2009
Kemistry Gallery
Kemistry Gallery at Shoreditch featuring Anthony Burrill's trademark at the garage door
Anthony Burrill's new works in Kemistry Gallery is a collection of rainbow synthetic perspex cuts with the very mastery black, white and a bits of reflective mirror surfaces. There are also a few pieces about the meterological symbols - clouds, lightning and so on. Highly conceptual yet simple and pleasant.
For those who don't know him, A.B. (as his initials like what's shown above) is a reknown designer famous for his many websites for Air, Kraftwerk, David Holmes etc.
*****
Cold Corners by Eva Rothschild
Duveens Commission series
30.06-29.11.2009
Tate Britain
The pointy metal pipes bounce up and down across the main passage
*****
The Rootstein Hopkins Parade Ground
First time I visited this place which is next to Tate Britain. Nice open ground ideal for public exhibitions and/or performances. Would get to know more about its upcoming events and the works &/or artists on display.
Further reading -
Official page for Salon - 295 Regent Street
Wikipedia's entry for Elizabeth Peyton
Official gallery of Anthony Burrill's installation for the Kemistry Gallery show
Anthony Burrill's interview with Pixelsurgeon
Official page of Eva Rothschild's installation in Tate Britain
Anish Kapoor Opens London's New 'Gallery Without Walls' by Marian Cleary for culture24
Chelsea College of Art & Design's online archive about the parade ground