London’s winter art & design exhibitions (17/18)

Posted on February 28, 2018 by Toothpicker

The most playful Christmas lights decorations by Alan Kane for Tate Britain

Anya Hindmarch’s love letter to London around Valentine’s day: chubby hearts over different parts of the city

During the winter period, the best places to hang out in London are probably inside art museums and galleries. Although it is usually a busy period for me, I would still try to squeeze in some ‘art afternoons’ during the week as a way to escape from the stress.

This winter, there were/are numerous inspirational and exceptional exhibitions being shown in the city, and here are some of the ones I particularly enjoyed:

Art

I loved the ‘Other Rooms’ exhibition by Milan-based French artist Nathalie Du Pasquier at the Camden Arts centre. It was bold, playful, enticing, and traversed the boundaries between art, graphic design, and architecture. As the founding member of the Memphis group, her works certainly reminds me of the designs by the group’s founder, Ettore Sottsass.

As you walk through the rooms, you might ponder if this is art or design, but then you would realise that her alluring works are beyond these terms… through her works, I saw humour, curiosity, beauty, and hope for the future.

Danish design collective Superflex‘s The One Two Three Swing! installation at Tate Modern

Admittedly, I am not always a big fan of Tate‘s mega exhibitions; however, I thoroughly enjoyed the two Russian exhibitions at Tate Modern this winter. Russian avant-garde artists, Ilya and Emilia Kabakov‘s ‘Not Everyone Will Be Taken Into the Future’ was delightful and imaginative, and the maze-like installation ‘Labyrinth (My Mother’s Album) 1990’ was the highlight for me.

Ilya and Emilia Kabakov’s ‘Not Everyone Will Be Taken Into the Future’ at Tate Modern

To mark the centenary of the October Revolution in 1917, almost every major museums/ institutions in London has had a Russian-related exhibition during the last year. After seeing three different exhibitions at the British Library, the Design Museum, and the Royal Academy of arts, I think that the ‘Red Star Over Russia A revolution in visual culture 1905–55′ at Tate Modern actually surpassing them all.

Perhaps the reason was that the exhibition showcased an extraordinary collection of 250,000 items from the turbulent period collected by one single person – the photographer and graphic designer David King (1943–2016) while he working for The Sunday Times Magazine in the 1970s. Behind all the items on display, there are fascinating or tragic stories which provided contexts and backgrounds for the viewers. Through the rare propaganda posters, prints, posters, letters, photographs and everyday objects, we could see David King’s passion and humanity that the other exhibitions failed to convey.

‘Red Star Over Russia A revolution in visual culture 1905–55′ at Tate Modern

From Russia to China: I often feel quite mixed about contemporary Chinese art, and I think that the hyperbolic auction prices are mostly inflated and artificial. But I was curious about ‘Zhongguo 2185 (China 2185)‘, an exhibition curated by by Victor Wang featuring ten young artists from China at Sadie Cole. The exhibition title was inspired by Liu Cixin’s 1989 ‘critical utopian’ Science Fiction novel, ‘Zhongguo 2185’, which was written during the rapid socio-political reforms of the 1980s, and remains unpublished to this day – circulating only on the internet.

I found the exhibition quite intriguing and thought-provoking. The most discernible was Xu Zhen‘s satirical ‘Supermarket’ installation located next to the gallery, which was filled with emptied grocery items that can be seen in most Chinese supermarkets. All the items (or packaging) were available for purchase, and I decided to buy an emptied water bottle just for fun. Then the cashier told me that I made a good choice, and said that their drinks were selling exceptionally well at this ‘fake’ shop!

‘Zhongguo 2185’ at Sadie Cole

The first time I saw American artist Mark Dion‘s work was at Frieze art fair, and I was immediately captivated by his nature-inspired art work. His new retrospective, ‘Theatre of the Natural World’ at the Whitechapel Gallery (until 13th May) provides a fascinating introduction to those who are not familiar with the artist’s work.

Mark Dion is an explorer, environmentalist, collector and activist, and his love for nature is palpable in his works. The playful exhibition is designed to be like the cabinets of curiosities, where visitors would wander and discover the wonders and oddities of the natural world.

There is an aviary containing 11 pairs of finches and an apple tree in room one, and a recreation of a museum’s backroom on another room upstairs. There is also a big cabinet that contains a vast array of bric-à-brac like bottle caps, fragmented ceramic pieces and shells etc that were excavated from the the river banks lead by Dion and local volunteers for the The Tate Thames Dig project in 1999.

The exhibition is fun and appealing, but not exactly provocative. While some activists/artists like to make strong statements or be persuasive, Mark Dion acts more like an observer and educator, and the exhibition is his invitation for visitors to explore and observe our relationships with nature.

Mark Dion’s ‘Theatre of the Natural World’ at Whitechapel gallery (until 13th May)

Leonor Antunes: the frisson of the togetherness at Whitechapel gallery (until 8th April)

The exhibition that I consider a must-see of the season is ‘Ocean Liners: Speed and Style‘ (until 10th June) at the V & A museum. This is a dazzling, comprehensive, and nostalgic exhibition that would transport you to a different era – an era when ocean travel was associated with glamour and luxury.

Honestly, my perception of mega cruise ship holiday was quite negative before seeing the exhibition; perhaps it was more to do with the clientele and how cruise ship holidays are being marketed these days. Although I won’t be rushing to book a cruise ship holiday soon, the exhibition has evoked some kind of curiosity and interest that I have never experienced before.

I think this is one of the best V & A exhibition i have seen in the recent years, and I was quite blown away by the scale and contents. There are rare posters, ship models, wall panels, furniture, dinnerware, fashion etc… and it even features a deck chair and a wooden panel fragment from a door in the first-class lounge on the Titanic – the most famous and tragic cruise ship of all time.

‘Ocean Liners: Speed and Style’ (until 10th June) at the V & A museum

Big names dominated the art scene in London this winter – including three excellent ones that at the Royal Academy of Arts: Jasper Johns: ‘Something resembling truth’ (a pleasant surprise), Dali/Duchamp (never knew they were friends!), and Matisse in the studio (who never disappoints).

I also enjoyed the small but lovely ‘Rodin and Dance: The essence of movement’ at the Courtauld Gallery, and the more conventional but still brilliant Cezanne Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery. Perhaps it is only in London and Paris where you see solo exhibitions of all these masters within the same period.

Illustrations

However, the two exhibitions that I was most eager to see this winter were ‘Winnie-the-Pooh: exploring a classic‘ at the V & A (until 8th April) and ‘Tove Jansson (1914-2001)’ at Dulwich Picture Gallery. It is great to see that illustrations are being treated more seriously, at last.

I just can’t imagine anyone not being moved by Winnie-the-pooh and its adventures. I have always loved this bear (along with other bears like Rupert and Paddington) since i was young. This exhibition proves that its charisma has not diminished after all these years. V & A has done a remarkable job in creating a fun setting that resembles Ashford Forest for children and adults. Yet it was the original sketches by EH Shepard that I was most interested in – they are wonderful and spellbinding. I can’t wait to read the books again.

‘Winnie-the-Pooh: exploring a classic’ at the V & A museum (until 8th April)

‘Tove Jansson (1914-2001)‘s retrospective at Dulwich Picture Gallery was another pleasant surprise for me. The exhibition was not just about the Moomin characters, it also showed many Tove Jansson’s earlier works as a painter. The 150 works included a selection of self-portraits, paintings and graphic illustrations, which revealed Jansson‘s talents, determination and dark sense of humour. Like Winnie-the-pooh and friends, the Moomin characters are still loved by children (and adults) of this generation. How amazing.

‘Tove Jansson (1914-2001)’ at Dulwich Picture Gallery

Calligraphy

After spending three years learning Arabic calligraphy, I would not miss the opportunity to see an exhibition of a contemporary master of this craft. Like my teacher, Hassan Massoudy is also Iraqi, and has been described by French writer Michel Tournier as the “greatest living calligrapher”. Massoudy studied figurative paintings at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in France, which I believe has had an influence on his calligraphy style.

His solo exhibition ‘Breath, gesture and light‘ at the October art gallery showcased a selection of beautiful and sublime calligraphy works that looked almost like abstract paintings. Yet as I have learnt, it takes years/decades to perfect those strokes, and unlike painting, you cannot rework a stroke (it would simply ruin it), so every stroke has to be precise. It is a very meditative activity that requires concentration, control, patience and skills. Arabic calligraphy is both an art and a craft, and Massoudy is a master of both.

Design

I tried to visit the Jewish Museum in Camden twice before, but failed to get in because of wrong timing (tip: avoid visiting on a Friday afternoon). Finally, I arranged a visit with a friend to see the ‘Designs on Britain’ exhibition (until 15th April), and we were both impressed by the size of the museum and the curation of the exhibition.

It is a shame that we are living in a day and age when anti-immigrant sentiments seem to be spreading in the Western world. Yet when we look back on the history of the Western world, many developed countries not only relied vastly on immigrants, even their citizens’ ancestors themselves were also immigrants (e.g. the US). This design exhibition reveals how 20th century design in the UK was profoundly shaped by the arrival of pioneering Jewish émigré designers from continental Europe. There are many iconic designs that can be found here, but I think the graphic design part that stood out for me. The vintage posters and logo designs are fantastic – and it made me wonder what would U.K. be like today without the contributions of these and other immigrants? I simply cannot even imagine it.

‘Designs on Britain’ exhibition (until 15th April) at the Jewish musuem

It is quite rare to see a major graphic design exhibition in London, so ‘Can Graphic Design Save Your Life?‘ exhibition at the Wellcome collection was overdue and imperative. Curated by graphic designer Lucienne Roberts and design educator Rebecca Wright, founders of publishing house GraphicDesign&, with Shamita Sharmacharja, the exhibition explored the relationship between graphic design and health. There were over 200 objects including posters, signage, packaging, advertisements and printed matters etc.

There were several free workshops that accompanied the exhibition, and I attended two of them: one was on the functions of fonts and another was about creating awareness on dementia. I had great fun at both workshops, and I think the institute is a real gem in this city.

Graphic design workshops that accompanied ‘Can Graphic Design Save Your Life?’ exhibition at the Wellcome collection

Photography & film

I have always been a fan of Wim Wenders’ films, especially his earlier works. His photography exhibition ‘Instand Stories. Wim Wender’s polaroids‘ at the Photographer’s gallery revealed his natural gift as a storyteller. The exhibition showcased a selection of his enormous Polaroid collection taken between the early 1970s and mid 80s. Some of Wender‘s photographs are stunning, and it is hard to imagine that they are taken from a Polaroid camera. And even if some of them are out of focus, they are able to convey certain emotions/moods. I found the exhibition very inspiring, and it made me want to use my mother’s recently repaired SX-70 immediately!

‘Instand Stories. Wim Wender’s polaroids’ at the Photographer’s gallery

‘Hiroshi Sugimoto: Snow White’ at Marian Goodman featured a collection of photographic works from Japanese artist Sugimoto’s Theatres series since 1978. The series began as an experiment in which Sugimoto used a long exposure to capture the thousands of moving images on a single frame of film. The aftermath of this process is one of a gleaming, pure white screen.

The haunting images of abandoned theatres and grand music halls around the globe suggest impermanence – one of the core principles of Buddhism. In recent years, there has been a growing cultural fascination with abandoned buildings, perhaps the decay, ephemerality, nostalgia, and faded beauty remind us that like these buildings, our time is also limited, and the only thing that we can do is to live fully in the present.

Hiroshi Sugimoto: Snow White at Marian Goodman

‘John Akomfrah: Purple‘ at The curve, Barbican addressed some crucial issues of our times: climate change, human communities and the wilderness. Akomfrah chose to show this through hundreds of hours of archival footage, and newly shot film via six-channel video installation. The videos reveal how human’s relationships with nature have changed over the decades, and the damage caused in a short time period. Nonetheless, no matter how much we want to ‘save’ our planet, the most powerful people in the world don’t seems to care, which is quite disheartening.

John Akomfrah: Purple at The curve, Barbican

Two German photographers turned out to be the talk of town in 2017. One was Wolfgang Tillmans, whose first exhibition at Tate Modern divided many ( which I wasn’t particularly interested in); and the second was Andreas Gursky, whose retrospective was the first show at the Hayward Gallery after it reopened following a 2-year renovation.

This exhibition (until 22nd April) is about scale… almost all of his prints are mammoth in size, and yet the contents are detailed, beguiling, humourous and insightful. Capturing different corners of the world, his photos show us the beautiful, the ugly, the absurd, the hidden and the unwanted. Gursky is not only a brilliant story teller, he also manipulates, distorts and challenges the viewers. What is reality and what is fake? We live in a day and age where the boundary between the two is blurry and we no longer can trust what we see, hear and read anymore. We can’t even trust our own judgements… so what remains is our intuition.

Beyond the exhibition, I was surprised to see how little the gallery has changed after the 2-year renovation. I asked one of the gallery’s staff about this, and she struggled to give me a definite answer at first. Later, she said that a new ceiling and skylights have been installed. Two years to change the ceiling and rooftop sounds a bit ridiculous, but there you go. At least, the new exhibition is better than all the ones I have seen before the closure – surely, that’s a good sign.

The most disappointing exhibitions:

Rachel Whiteread‘s retrospective at Tate Britain could have been excellent, and yet it was let down by the curation and lack of contexts. Apart from the area outside of the main exhibition room where her sketches, texts and photos were showcased, there was almost no information on the actual pieces inside. How were visitors supposed to relate to the few concrete boxes piled up on top of each other? Apparently, they were removal boxes from her mother’s house – I only learnt about this in the ‘Imagine’ programme before seeing the exhibition. Unlike ordinary sculptures, her conceptual concrete or glass pieces convey little emotion; they may appeal aesthetically, but without context, they seem cold and empty.

Like many other British artists of her times (think Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin), Rachel Whiteread has always been controversial. People seem to either love her or loathe her. I, on the other hand, feel quite neutral towards her, and I do find some of her concepts and works to be quite bold and thought-provoking. However, this exhibition has not done her much favour, and you can’t even blame her for it. Like the Barbara Hepworth exhibition, I feel that Tate Britain’s curators have missed the mark here.

Rachel Whiteread at Tate Britain

My friend and I saw Basquiat: Boom for Real at the Barbican, and we both felt that Jean Michel-Basquiat’s works and talent have been overrated. Could it due to the fact that he died young? It was a popular show, and there were some interesting concepts and works, but that was about it.

I am aware that Gilbert and George were relevant decades ago, but in recent years, their work seem repetitive, tired and dare I say – boring. How many times have we seen their trademark multi-panelled ‘photopieces’ featuring the two of them in different outfits or without any?

At their ‘THE BEARD PICTURES AND THEIR FUCKOSOPHY‘ exhibition, they added their Fuckosophy – using the ‘f’ word repeatedly… Is this meant to provoke or make us smile? I don’t get it. To me, they are like a once prestigious brand that made its name decades ago, but has failed to innovate or excite people as time passes. They may still be highly respectable in the art world, but honestly, I think it’s about time that they consider their retirement.

Gilbert & George’s ‘THE BEARD PICTURES AND THEIR FUCKOSOPHY‘ at the White Cube gallery

I felt quite disappointed after seeing ‘Beazley Design of the Year 2017′ exhibition at the Design museum. I was surprised by the shortlists and they made me wonder if the design industry has regressed rather than progressed. Yes, there were some interesting designs, but few were ground-breaking or truly innovative. I have visited the exhibitions over the past few years, and I have never felt as disappointed as this year.

The museum’s new home is also a let down. It feels cold, austere, and it doesn’t make me want to linger. I do miss the former smaller but more inviting museum spot by the Thames.

Beazley Design of the Year 2017 at the Design Museum

I am sure that I visited Agadir in my early 20s during my first trip to Morocco, yet it didn’t leave much of an impression on me. I remember Marrakesh, Tangiers, Essaouira and Ouarzazate well – and even the disappointing Casablanca – but I cannot recall much about Agadir. Could it be due to the fact that the city was destroyed by an earthquake in 1960 and what we saw was a soulless city with little imprint?

The exhibition ‘Yto Barrada: Agadir ‘at The curve, Barbican (until 20th May) shows a complex portrait of a city in transition – how it dealt with the challenges after a seismic disaster. The modernist/Brutalist architecture drawn on the black curved walls looks interesting, but I am not sure if these buildings do look as appealing in reality. There are sketches, photographs, texts, crafts, as well as videos; but I felt that the exhibition is slightly incoherent and lacked cogency. Evidently, a lot of research had been conducted for this exhibition, so it is regrettable that it didn’t leave a strong impact on me… just like the city itself.

Yto Barrada: Agadir at The curve, Barbican (until 20th May)

Rebecca Louise Law at Kew Gardens

Posted on November 16, 2017 by Toothpicker

In the last year or so, I have visited Kew Gardens three times – all thanks to my friend who is a member, hence I was able to get free entry because of her. So, when she enthusiastically informed me about the new botanical installation by London-based artist Rebecca Louise Law , it got me excited again.

We wanted to visit the gardens on a nice day (for a change), but with the unpredictable British weather, it wasn’t exactly an easy task. Although we did meet on a sunny Sat morning, the chill wind was strong and it didn’t help by the fact that we were both slightly under the weather.

Despite that, it was still a joy to walk through Rebecca‘s interactive installation ‘Life in Death’ featuring 1000 garlands of preserved flowers, inspired by the ancient Egyptian funeral garlands of Ramesses II at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery. It is very difficult to capture the installation on camera, you’d have to walk through the room to fully appreciate the delicacy, intricate details and stunning arrangements hanging from the ceiling.

Since Rebecca hates waste, she tends to recycle and retain leftover flowers from her installations. This ‘life in death’ installation strives to create ‘life’ from no-longer-fresh-flowers and encourage visitors to appreciate age, nature and the beauty of preserved flowers.

The installation features 375,000 flowers cultivated from across the world, including her entire collection of preserved flowers from the past decade. All the flowers were treated by freezing in Kews’s giant freezer to kill off any potential pests before being turned into garlands. Each of the 1000 garlands took a day to make – luckily, the effort paid off.

After seeing the installation, we walked up to the Treetop Walkway to enjoy some autumn foliage. Even though it was rather chilly, it was still pleasant to see the gardens from above. I think the gardens are lovely all year round, but the mix of yellow, brown, green and red colour tones undoubtedly make autumn slightly more endearing than other seasons.

Rebecca Louise Law: Life in Death will be showing at Kew Gardens until 11 March 2018.

The Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden

Posted on November 3, 2017 by Toothpicker

Ahead of winter, I wanted to take advantage of the mild autumn weather before the cold sets in. After an awe-inspiring trip to Dungeness, I was ready for another mini adventure, and I chose to visit The Hannah Peschar sculpture garden in Surrey before it closed for the winter season.

I have never heard of this garden until recently, and the images I saw online intrigued me immensely. I thought a few miles walk via the public footpath from Ockley station would be quite straight forward, but I was wrong – the first part through the woods was fine, then I got lost in the open field and somehow went off track.

I eventually ended up at The Cricketers Arms, a Grade II listed traditional pub circa 1450 in Ockley. I love the large inglenook fireplace and oak beams, and decided to have lunch here. The friendly staff gave me some directions towards the garden before I set off again.

By the time I reached the office of the sculpture garden, I was already feeling a bit tired. The friendly curator Vikki was surprised to learn that I walked all the way from the station (I guess not many visitors would do that) and offered to give me a lift back before my train’s departure time. Her warmth and kindness immediately made me feel that this garden is not an ordinary one.

This special garden used to be part of a large estate, laid out between 1915 and 1920. Later it was split up and sold in several lots, and the garden fell into decline after the estate was sold. In 1983, art curator Hannah Peschar bought the ten-acre land, which included a grade II listed 15th Century cottage and a large water and rock garden. The garden was subsequently redesigned and replanted by her husband, the award-winning landscape designer Anthony Paul, who introduced many large-leaved plants in bold groups, tall grasses and created 3 new ponds. Over the past 30+ years, the garden has grown from a handful of sculptures to over 200 pieces exhibited every year, featuring artists from the U.K. and Europe.

Later, I learnt from Vikki that her mentor Hannah Peschar decided to step back from her role two years ago, and now the garden is run and curated by her and Anthony Paul. Though Peschar still resides in the lovely ancient cottage, and her husband also has a landscape design office within the garden.

Unlike the Yorkshire sculpture park, most of the art works here are available for sale and all visitors are given a map with the list of work and prices upon arrival. The vast array of work varies from figurative to highly abstract, using both traditional and innovative materials. All the sculptures here are placed heedfully so that they would blend harmoniously with nature and other works within the garden.

The garden looked beautiful in spite of the drizzly and misty weather; I particularly love seeing the sculptures against the autumn colours. And I secretly congratulated myself for wearing the correct footwear for a change.

Since there were not many visitors during my weekday visit, I was able to enjoy the tranquility that the garden has to offer. The garden is enchanting because you never know what you would encounter as you walk along the trail. There are hidden surprises as the landscape changes; and during the few hours walking in the garden, I felt excited, inspired, intrigued, and contemplative.

Unlike the National trust or English Heritage properties, there is no cafe, picnic area nor souvenir shop here, so it feels somewhat less commercial. When almost every airport in the world has become more like a shopping mall nowadays, I found it a relief to not see a shop/cafe here (although I am sure some people would disagree with me).

When i finished the tour around the garden, Vikki said she would close the garden earlier as it was a quiet day, and we had an interesting chat about art and design as she drove me to the train station. Enviously, I told her that she is lucky to be working in such a wonderful and peaceful environment, and she agreed. She said that the garden looks different in every season and she recommends that I return again next spring/summer.

And yes, I definitely will return again – I can’t wait to see the garden in bloom!

Note: The garden will reopen on 1st April 2018.

The wonders of Musee Guimet

Posted on September 17, 2017 by Toothpicker

Undoubtedly, Paris is a city with many outstanding world-class museums and art galleries, but sometimes the sheer volume of visitors at Louvre, Musee D’Orsay and Grand Palais is simply overwhelming and off-putting. Hence, I would rather spend my time lingering at some excellent but lesser known or less popular museums. And one of my favourites is Le musée national des arts asiatiques – Guimet/ Musee Guimet, which houses one of the largest collections of Asian art outside of Asia.

This museum was established by Emile Guimet in 1889, and it showcases 5000 years of Asian art with a vast array of sculptures, murals, decorative objects, ceramics, paintings, furniture, textiles, graphic prints and manuscripts etc. It is easy to spend a few hours here, and it rarely gets very crowded.

During my visit, I was very pleasantly surprised by French contemporary artist Prune Nourry‘s exhibition “HOLY, Carte Blanche to Prune Nourry”. Throughout the museum, installations of her past ten years’ work could be seen. I thought the most impressive was the giant Buddha statue that has been broken up, and strategically placed on different floor levels like old ruins. On the top floor was the head of the Buddha (where one could walk into it through the ears), a hand on the floor below, and the feet were placed on the ground floor, all of which were covered with red incense sticks. This intentionally fragmented installation reminds me of the blown up Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan. It is poetic and mesmerising.

Her Terracotta Daughters sculptures created in 2013, consisted of an army of 108 girls, the eight original ones of which will be shown in the museum, refers to the first emperor’s terracotta soldiers, and is a tribute to the millions of girls that will not be born because

of pre-birth selection.

“HOLY, Carte Blanche to Prune Nourry” exhibition

Japanese graphic artist Hokusai‘s sold-out exhibition at British Museum revealed that traditional Japanese woodblock printing still fascinates the Western audience in this day and age. Unfortunately, the exhibition was so packed that I found myself constantly being blocked by older women who did not want others to get close to the prints or paintings.

Luckily, the exhibition “Paysages japonais, de Hokusai à Hasui” enabled me to enjoy Hokusai‘s famous prints up close without crowds nor disruption. Aside from Hokusai, there were also prints by other famous ukiyo-e artists like Hiroshige, Utamaro, Kuniyoshi and Hasui. The exhibition also showcased some rare vintage photographs of Japan, which were extremely fascinating.

The “Paysages japonais, de Hokusai à Hasui” exhibition

The “113 Ors d’Asie” exhibition

Even though the British Museum has an excellent collection of ancient Buddhist art and sculptures, I think Musee Guimet’s collection is quite staggering too. I particularly love the ancient Buddhist sculptures from Afghanistan that were evidently influenced by the Greeks. The hair and the draping of the robes were more Western than Eastern, which demonstrated that ancient cultural exchanges did have an strong impact on the development of Buddhist art in Asia.

Not far from the museum is Hôtel Heidelbach, a well-hidden annexe that houses a Buddhist Pantheon gallery, a lovely Japanese garden and a tea house for tea ceremonies. Entry to this gallery and garden is free, and it should not be missed.

The Japanese garden and tea house at Hôtel Heidelbach

Yorkshire sculpture park

Posted on August 26, 2017 by Toothpicker

Tony Cragg

I have long wanted to visit Yorkshire Sculpture Park, and my wish finally came true this summer. Like Hepworth Wakefield, the park also won the Museum of the Year award (back in 2014), and deservedly so. Sometimes high expectations may bring disappointments, but not in this case – the park is idyllic, inspiring, and full of wonderful surprises.

Celebrating its 40th birthday this year, the 500-acre park was initially instigated by an art lecturer, Peter Murray at Bretton Hall, a stately home turned further education college with a strong emphasis on fine art (which eventually closed in 2007). Sculpture park was a new idea in Britain at the time, while Storm King in the New York state had already evolved into a major art centre. Having visited both parks (see my blog post from last year here), I think they are both equally impressive, though I am slightly biased towards YSP because of the beguiling Yorkshire landscape and the historic Bretton Estate. And like Storm King, the park has been growing since the 1970s, from 200 acres to over 500 acres. Considering YSP had little funding (£1,000 grant from Yorkshire Arts) and support at the beginning, it was remarkable how it managed to become the leading open-air gallery in Britain, attracting more than 400,000 visitors each year.

Top: Zak Ové’s Black and Blue: The Invisible Men and the Masque of Blackness; 2nd row: Anthony Caro’s Promenade; 3rd row: Henry Moore’s Reclining Figure: Arch Leg; Bottom row: Barbara Hepworth’s The Family of Man

As I didn’t have a car, I had to rely on the infrequent bus service, which meant that my hours at the park was restricted. I could have stayed for longer if I didn’t have to catch the last bus back, so that was a slight letdown. Be prepared to spend at least 4 hours here if you want to see the major outdoor works and temporary indoor exhibitions. I was fortunate enough to see the excellent exhibition ‘Tony Cragg: A Rare Category of Objects‘ (see photos below) before it ended, but a selection of open-air works will be on display until March 2018.

Top: Ai Weiwei: Circle of Animals / Zodiac Heads; 2nd row: Dennis Oppenheim: Trees: From Alternative Landscape Components; 3rd row left: Peter Randall-Page: Shapes in the Clouds III; 3rd right: Niki de Saint Phalle: Buddha; 4th row: Sophie Ryder: Crawling; 5th row: Marialuisa Tadei: Octopus; Bottom row: Sol Lewitt: 123454321

I was also very lucky with the weather; as we all know, the British weather is very unpredictable, so when I bought my train tickets a month earlier, I had no idea whether it would be sunny and rainy.

Sculptures aside, the park itself is also full of wonders. The Grade II listed Palladian style Bretton Hall, the pleasure grounds and parkland all date back to the 18th century, and there are several historic structures within the compound: Camellia House, St Bartholomew’s Chapel (now restored as a gallery space), Archway Lodge, the summerhouse, the Cascade Bridge and the Dam Head Bridge.

Top left: Leo Fitzmaurice: Litter; 2nd row: Marc Quinn: Wilder Shores of Desire; 3rd row: Bretton Hall; 4th row: Dam Head bridge; 5th row: Greek temple: Bottom two rows: James Capper: TREAD PAD pair 1

At the far end of the park is the Longside Gallery, a contemporary space designed by Tony Fretton Architects, which hosts temporary indoor exhibitions and offers panoramic views of the park. I took a free shuttle bus from the entrance to the Gallery and then walked back through the woodlands, which enabled me to enjoy some spectacular views of the nearby landscape, as well as seeing some unusual ‘camouflaged’ installation works like David Nash‘s ‘Seventy-one Steps’, Hemali Bhuta‘s ‘Speed Breakers’ and Andy Goldsworthy‘s ‘Hanging Trees’.

Top two rows: Rasheed Araeen’s Zero to Infinity at the Longside Gallery; 3rd row: Occasional Geometries: Rana Begum curates the Arts Council Collection; 4th row left: Jesse Darling’s March of the Valedictorians; 7th row: Andy Goldsworthy: Outclosure; 8th & 9th row left: Andy Goldsworthy: Hanging Trees 9th row right: David Nash: Seventy-one Steps

Sometimes visiting a vast sculpture park feels like a treasure hunt, and it is almost impossible to locate all the sculptures during a visit. But that is part of the fun as well – knowing that you have missed some, which gives you an excuse to return again.

However, having learnt that the Bretton Hall will be converted into a luxury hotel and spa with conference and wedding facilities is causing me some concern – will this be turned into a ‘Disneyland’ type of park? I sincerely hope not. Since the park is one of its kind in Britain, I hope it continue to remain so in the future.

Tony Cragg: A Rare Category of Objects

Asian art exhibitions in London (Feb 2017)

Posted on February 26, 2017 by Toothpicker

Transcending Boundaries by teamlab

Is contemporary Asian art gaining more recognition in the West today? Apparently so. Interestingly, three prominent contemporary art galleries in London held exhibitions on three very different Asian artists/collective around the same period, and one of the most talked about exhibition must have been the immersive “Transcending Boundaries” at Pace Gallery by Japanese interdisciplinary collective, teamlab.

Established in 2001, the collective merges art, anime, technology, design and the natural world to create immersive installations that transcend the physical and conceptual boundaries for visitors. I was unaware that I had to prebook a time slot to visit the free exhibition, and was told that tickets were all sold out upon arrival. Luckily, the kind gallery staff let me and other non-ticket holders in after a brief wait.

In the three dark rooms, visitors were encouraged to interact with the digital installations. Visitors could manipulate the flow of the waterfall; enabled flowers to spread and grow on them; and watched butterflies flap around them. It took me some time to be absorbed by my surroundings, but once I did, I was quite mesmorisized by the interactive experiences.

Back in Japan, the Teamlab staged the largest digital art exhibition “DMM.Planets” last year, and the queues lasted for hours daily. Many trend forecasters and journalists believe that digital, interactive and virtual reality technologies will change and disrupt the art world in the years to come, so it will be interesting to see how the technologies evolve over time.

Pak Seo-Bo’s ZIGZAG: Ecriture 1983-1992 at White Cube Mason’s Yard

At the nearby White Cube, the second solo exhibition of Korean artists Pak Seo-Bo couldn’t have been more disparate in form and style. The 86-year old is a leading figure in contemporary Korean art, and is famous for his Ecriture series which began in the 1970s. He is an artists associated with the Dansaekhwa (monochrome painting) aesthetics in post-war Korea, which redefined modern Korean art.

The exhibition featured his ‘zigzag’ paintings from the Ecriture series made between 1983-1992. Inspired by Western abstraction in painting, Korean calligraphy, as well as Taoist and Buddhist philosophy, Park’s abstract paintings undoubtedly resemble paintings by American abstract minimalists Agnes Martin and Robert Ryman.

Park said that the repetitive gestures and monochromatic environments of these works are a way of emptying the painting of the self, and achieving a unity with the nothingness in nature. His Zen-like paintings appear to be similar and repetitive from a distance, but up close, it is hard not to be engrossed by the textures and extraordinary subtle tones. Meditative and calming, Park’s works are best appreciated in person because viewing them on paper/ via the computer would not do his works justice.

Do Ho Suh: Passage/s at Victoria Miro

Without forerunners like Park Seo-Bo, the contemporary Korean art scene would probably be quite different today. One of the ‘hottest’ Korean artists of today must be the London-based Do Ho Suh. I have seen works by the artist through print/internet for a long time, but I finally encountered the artist’s Passage/s installations at Frieze art fair a few years ago. Unlike Park Seo-Bo’s understated style, Do‘s Passage/s installations are conspicuous, colourful and distinctive. At Victoria Miro gallery, his nine one-to-one scale translucent fabric architectural structures occupied the 25-metre-long of the gallery, thereby creating a walk-through corridor for visitors to pass through.

Inspired by his peripatetic life, Do Ho Suh‘s works explore the boundaries of identity and the connection between the individual and the group across global cultures. In the globalised world we live in today, finding your identity is no longer easily discernible. Suh‘s attempt in capturing time, memory and space prompted him to create the fascinating man-size installations, which offer an insight into the issues of migration, transitions and identities that many of us face in this day and age. Coincidentally, Suh used to live at 348 W22nd Street in New York, whereas I used live at no. 318 on the same street and around the same period, so it was quite possible that we walked past each other in the street all these years ago.

I was also drawn to the intricate stitched objects inside the installations like water pipes, door handles and hinges, and even fire escape instructions… these familiar and yet seemingly mundane everyday things are wonderfully highlighted in his works.

Top: Entrance, Unit G5, Union Wharf, 23 Wenlock road, London, N1 7SB

Elsewhere at the gallery, there were Suh’s signature architectural pieces compressed into large-scale two-dimensional ‘drawings’; photographic images of interior spaces from various locations are digitally ‘stitched’ together; and a three-channel video Passage/s: The Pram Project, in which the artist, accompanied by his daughters, explores streets in South Korea and around his home in London.

Numerous artists have explore the theme of identities and migration, but Suh’s tactile three-dimensional installations enable visitors to share his memory and experiences in a more direct and tangible way. In the exhibition’s press release, Suh said, “I see life as a passageway, with no fixed beginning or destination. We tend to focus on the destination all the time and forget about the in-between spaces. But without these mundane spaces that nobody really pays attention to, these grey areas, one cannot get from point a to point b.” And I couldn’t agree more with him.

Zaha Hadid: Early Paintings and drawings

Posted on February 15, 2017 by Toothpicker

‘Metropolis’ (1988) by Zaha Hadid at the entrance of the exhibition at the Serpentine Sackler Gallery

I have previously written about the late British Iraqi star architect Zaha Hadid (click here), and I showed little enthusiasm about her later works. However, I was a fan of her earlier paintings – the conceptual ones heavily influenced by the Russian avant-garde Kazimir Malevich – and the focus of the “Zaha Hadid: Early paintings and drawings” exhibition (until 12th February 2017) at the Serpentine Sackler Gallery, which she redesigned in 2013.

Right: Malevich’s Tektonik (1976-77)

Not so long ago, I watched a BBC documentary about the Russian avant-garde artist Kazimir Malevich presented by Zaha Hadid; it was no secret that the artist heavily influenced her especially when she was student at the AA. And the works at this show demonstrated his impact on her, not only aesthetically but also metaphysically. Malevich‘s utopian vision is prominent in Hadid‘s earlier bold abstract paintings – they are imaginative, futuristic and idealistic.

Constructivism and deconstructivism are both evident in her earlier works

Aside from Malevich, one could also detect the influence of another Russian Constructivist Vladimir Tatlin (see above) and Arabic calligraphy (since I spent three years learning Arabic calligraphy under an Iraqi calligrapher, I could undoubtedly see the strong connection between the two). Her signature buildings often display bold geometrical forms and curves, which are inspired by her Arabic background.

Zaha Hadid’s grand vision failed to be realised at the early years of her career

During the early part of Hadid‘s career, she was known largely as a theoretical architect, and her buildings were deemed as unbuildable. And walking around the exhibition, it is not hard to see why they thought that way. Her early paintings proof that she was a visionary, an artist who was willing to take risks, break barriers and create new grounds.

A while ago, a well-respected architect (whose name I can’t recall) criticised Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid as artists rather than architects, and I couldn’t agree more. However, they did achieve the almost impossible task of turning their art works into brick and mortar, and this certainly required an immense amount of perseverance and dedication.

The Peak (1982-83)

One of my favourite earlier projects by Hadid was the award-winning ‘The Peak’ in Hong Kong, which was intended to be a private sports club and spa. Judging from her drawings, I think this deconstructive structure was buildable, but I believe the developer lacked the vision and guts to go ahead with it (and they later opted for a hideous design that I consider a serious eye-sore that stands on the top of the peak now).

The project proposed excavating the hills to form a site by using the excavated rock to build artificial cliffs. In her paintings, the dramatic fragmented design display jagged edges that resemble its surrounding rocks. They also show the perspective of how the Peak looked down on the rest of the city of Hong Kong, how it stood in stark contrast to other architecture, and how it used the mountainside almost as a launching pad. Yet the most striking aspect of her paintings is how futuristic and coherent the city looked, which was more of an ideal than reality.

2nd row: Hadid’s sketchbook; Bottom row: Hadid’s furniture and products from the later period

At the exhibition, visitors could also see the abstract artworks transformed into 360-degree virtual environments thanks to the collaboration between the Virtual Reality department at Zaha Hadid Architects and Google Arts and Culture using a HTC Vive headset.

Serpentine Sackler Gallery’s new extension was designed by Hadid in 2013

Leaving the exhibition, I felt that the exhibition revealed Hadid as more of an avant-garde artist full of utopian ideals than a practical architect. Practicality, conventionality and banality are words that could never be applied to her designs. She was controversial, daring and larger-than-life. In a world full of conformists, Zaha Hadid stood out for her unorthodox ideals, and whether you like her architecture or not, you would have to respect her for her visions and uncompromising approach to life and work.

Collect art fair 2017

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Toothpicker

Top: Improving The Everyday (In Support Of Grand Dad Vistor Center) by Laure Prouvost; Bottom left: Primal pottery project by Ole Jensen; Bottom right: Hanna Järlehed Hyving

The annual Collect art fair (2-6th February) organised by the Craft Council did not take place last year (according to their website, they had to take the time off to regroup and revamp), and so I was eager to see the new changes at the Saatchi Gallery.

This reputable craft fair showcased works by established and emerging contemporary artists and craftsmen who are represented by 35 leading art and craft galleries from around the world. Works included ceramics, glass, jewellery, wood, metal and textiles; and as usual, there were many stunning and intricately crafted pieces at the fair.

This year, aside from the exhibitions, there was an interesting programme of daily talks and activities; and a fund-raising Benefit Auction featuring works by top artists and makers.

Top left: Vessels on stilts by Adi Toch; Top right: Malcolm Appleby; 2nd row right: Tulipere 1 by Coilin O Dubhghaill; Bottom left: Gouttes de lune by Hitomi Uchikura; Bamboo series by Chien Wei Chang

On the ground floor, I was particularly drawn to an unconventional piece of work: “Improving The Everyday (In Support Of Grand Dad Vistor Center)” by Turner Prize winner Laure Prouvost (see above) at Cass Sculpture Foundation. Prouvost’s dining table is drawn from her project Wantee, which she won the Turner Prize for in 2013. Based on two fictional grandparents, she has created a tale out of ceramic tiles by turning symbols like eyeballs and lips into domestic functional objects. The ceramic eyeballs are in fact salt and pepper shakers and the ceramic mounds suggestive of breasts can be used as butter dishes (these may satisfy many men’s secret fantasies!). I like the playful concept and the organic style and forms, which are distinctively different from the more polished and refined works at the fair.

Top left: Broke by Sue Paraskeva; Top right: Lime tress by Marc Ricourt; 2nd row: Construct by Irina Razumovskaya 3rd row left: Halima Cassell; 3rd row right: Jun matsumura; 4th row left: Katie Spragg; 4th row right: Moonlight by Fuku Fukumoto

Top: Valeria Nascimento; 2nd row left: Swell by Sara Dodd; 2nd row right: Zemer Peled; 3rd row: Glass sculptures by Simone Crestani; Delusion by Aya Mori

Top: Cabinets for Small Curiosities by David Gates and Helen Carnac; 2nd row left: Enignum Shelf XXVII by Joseph Walsh; 2nd row right: Jongjin Park; 3rd row left: Michel Gouèry; 3rd row right: Misnad by Aljoud Lootah; Bottom left: Constructed feast by Tinkah; Bottom right: Sarood by Sheikha Hind Majid

At the Gendras Reginer Gallery, I was captivated by the quirky and fantastic terracotta alien-like sculptures by French sculptor, Michel Gouèry. The works stood out because they evoked our imaginations, and they are also beautifully made.

It was also interesting to see The Irthi Contemporary Craft Council from the UAE exhibiting at the fair for the first time. The Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council is an initiative established as part of the NAMA Women Advancement Establishment, under the patronage of the wife of the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of NAMA. The three pieces shown at the fair (see above) showcased the merge of traditional Arabic crafts with new technologies by female designer makers from the UAE today.

Top: Lines by Lauren Nauman; Bottom left: Breathing Wings by Yoichi Takada; Bottom middle: Tomomi Tanaka; Bottom right: Nostalgia 1016-TWt01 by Osamu kojima

Top: Diamond dots IV by Marian Bijlenga; 2nd row left: Queen’s chair by Isabel Berglund; 2nd row middle: Rikke Ruhwald; 2nd row right & 3rd row: Shibori textiles by Shihoko Fukumoto; Bottom left: Mika Kenmoku; Bottom right: Mikiko Minewaki

Grayson Perry’s Essex House tapestries: Julie Cope’s Grand Tour

One of the hightlights of the fair was a room dedicated to Craft Council’s latest acquisitions: two of Grayson Perry‘s Essex House tapestries. They depict the story of a fictional Essex woman, Julie Cope, accompanied by a long, tongue-in-cheek poem, which provides a social history of Essex since the Second World War.

Top: Collect Open exhibition – 2nd & 3rd row left: Paper craft by Domitilla Biondi; 2nd row right: White by Soojin Kang; 3rd row right: Tending the fires by Claire Curneen; 4th row: Vessels by Tanya Gomez; 5th row left: Ruth Glasheen; 5th row right: Wooseon Cheon; Bottom: Crystalline Constellation by Shelley James

On the top floor, Collect Open showcased 14 up-and-coming designer makers from around the world selected by a panel headed by Faye Toogood. And there was Showtime, an exhibit celebrating the history of the Craft Council, which included many wonderful posters from its archive and objects from its previous exhibitions.

Showtime exhibition – Ring change spectrum by Ann sutton; Poster for Eric Ravilious’ exhibition; Poster designed by David King

The popularity of the fair demonstrates that craft is being more recognised than before, however, it is still nowhere near as prominent as other art forms such as paintings, sculptures and photography – which is a real shame. I hope that we will see more positive changes in the future because craft is an important art form that needs to be celebrated and appreciated by the masses and not just an elite group of buyers/insiders.

Save

Matt Mullican: Art & hypnosis

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Toothpicker

Matt Mullican: The Sequence of Things at Camden Arts Centre

I am not a fan of mega blockbuster art exhibitions, often I find them over-hyped and mentally exhausting. There are some smaller and out-of-the-centre art centres/galleries that I love visiting and Camden Arts Centre (in Hampstead) is one of them.

Recently, I went to see American conceptual artist Matt Mullican‘s ‘The Sequence of Things’ exhibition and I was completely blown away by it. I wasn’t familiar with the artist’s work before the exhibition, but I was enthralled by the plethora of works that filled the two gallery rooms upstairs.

Born in 1951 in California, Matt Mullican is the son of artists Lee Mullican and Luchita Hurtado. Now based in Berlin, the artist has been active in the American art scene since the 1970s, and he was a member of the “Pictures Generation” along with such artists as Cindy Sherman, Jack Goldstein, James Welling and Sherrie Levine etc. For over 40 years, Matt Mullican has been experimenting with hypnosis to create art that examines his subconscious mind and act as a strategy to break from the patterns of everyday life. He has developed a codified language of symbols and diagrams in an attempt to articulate the complexities of existence and the human condition. The colour codes are as follows: green for material, blue for the everyday world, yellow for ideas, white and black for language and red for the subjective.

Inspired by Camden Arts Centre’s history as a public library, ‘The Sequence of Things’ layers Mullican’s multiple methods of categorisation and ordering. The works include pin-boards, posters, drawings, flags, objects, photography and videos, all depicting his various maps, charts, diagrams and symbols.

3rd right & last row: Matt Mullican giving a lecture at the Camden Arts Centre

Matt Mullican is renowned for his lectures and performances under hypnosis and in a state of trance. Hence, I was eager to attend the lecture given by the artist on the final day of the exhibition. The 2.5-hour long lecture comprises a demonstrative blackboard talk, a slide show, video, followed by a Q & A session.

The long but intriguing lecture enabled the audience to learn more about the concepts behind the artist’s works. Yet due to the complexity of his ideas and theories, sometimes it was difficult to grasp or digest them easily. During the last few decades, the artist has continued to explore the topics of cosmology and the subconscious, and has performed in a trance state at many world-renowned art museums including Tate Modern.

In recent years, scientists are conducting more research on the relationships between consciousness, hypnosis/hypnotherapy and meditation. And since we still know very little about our minds and consciousness, ground-breaking works by artists like Matt Mullican have contributed to the understanding of the subject matter.

You can watch a video of Matt Mullican performing while under a state of hypnosis at Tate Modern in 2007:

Save

Jeff Koons at Newport Street Gallery

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Toothpicker

Ok, I am not a fan of Jeff Koons nor Damien Hirst, so what was I doing at Hirst‘s art gallery for Koons’ Now exhibition? One reason: architecture. This month, Newport Street Gallery in Vauxhall was named as the winner of this year’s Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba) Stirling Prize for the UK’s best new building.

The 37,000 sq ft gallery facing the railway line is made up of almost an entire street of listed Victorian industrial buildings, and they were converted into one new building by the architecture firm Caruso St John. Interestingly, I took the train out of London a few months ago, and from the train window, I could see the striking red brick building with the spiky saw-tooth roof which intrigued me immensely.

The quiet location of this gallery makes it rather special. The area hasn’t been too gentrified (yet), and the nearby Vauxhall pleasure gardens offers some historical context of the area from the mid-17th century onwards.

The spiral staircases at the gallery

As soon as I entered the building, I was immediately impressed by the bright and spacious white space. The simple and minimalist interior reminds me of John Pawson‘s work; so it would be interesting to see how he has converted the former Commonwealth Institute into the new Design museum when it opens next month.

The stunning spiral staircases on each side of the five interconnected buildings are probably highlights of the building, and they are certainly very ‘instagrammable!’

Jeff Koons: Now exhibition – Top left: Balloon Monkey; Top right: Acrobat; 4th left: Jim Beam – J.B. Turner train; 4th right: Three ball 50/50 tank; Bottom row: Play-Doh

Architecture aside, what about the art? Well, I tried to keep an open mind before the visit, but I have to admit that Koons‘ work did nothing for me. His earlier Marcel Duchamp-inspired installations are shallow and banal, and his signature inflatable objects just look kitsch and rather outdated… a bit like Hirst‘s work. If the two artists were to launch their careers today, I doubt they would have had so much success. We are now living in a different era, and their shock tactics are unlikely to cause as much controversial as they did back in the 1980s/90s. The reason why I am not keen on contemporary art (especially from the 90s) is because I find most of the work cold, calculating, superficial and intentionally disturbing; and I fail to connect with the art work on an emotional level. This is also how I feel towards Koons and Hirst‘s work – emotionally detached.

However, despite my distaste for the art work, I would recommend a visit to this beautiful free art gallery especially if you are an architecture fan.