A visionary’s mind: Stanley Kubrick exhibition at the Design Museum

Posted on September 5, 2019 by Toothpicker

Although I haven’t seen all the art and design exhibitions in London this year, but out of all the ones that I have seen, I would say the Stanley Kubrick exhibition is the cream of the crop (alongside with Christian Dior at the V & A); it is certainly the best exhibition that I have seen at the Design Museum.

The exhibition is dedicated to the fans of Kubrick, so if you have not seen his films, then you are unlikely to appreciate this exhibition. But as one of most iconic and revered directors of the last century, it would be odd to not have seen any of his films, unless you were born after 2000.

Initially, I was quite apprehensive about this exhibition, and I didn’t quite see the link between Stanley Kubrick and the Design Museum (I guess I saw him more as an artist). Yet the vast exhibition really blew me away since it enabled visitors to catch a glimpse of Kubrick‘s creative mind. As we all know, he was a perfectionist or so-called ‘obsessive’. Life is never easy being a perfectionist, because you would want to control everything; nothing is adequate enough, and you believe that there is always room for improvement. However, it was Kubrick‘s drive for perfectionism that provided his audiences some of the most mesmorising cinematic experiences of their lives.

I still remember the shock of watching the rape scene in ‘A clockwork orange’, and the anxiety felt when Danny was running away from Jack in the haunted hotel in ‘The shining’ (while feeling irritated by Wendy‘s screams). I didn’t quite understand ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ the first time round because I was too young, but I was awed by his visions of the future when I watched it again (the restored version) a few years ago at the cinema.

I had no idea that this exhibition had been touring around the world since 2004. It first started at Deutsches Filmmuseum in Frankfurt, and has taken over 14 years to come to the country where Kubrick lived and worked for 38 years until his sudden death from a heart attack in 1999. It has been a long wait, but it was well worth it.

Curated by the museum’s curators with help from Pentagram’s designers, the huge archive was transported from Kubrick’s Hertfordshire home, where his wife still resides. With over 700 exhibits on display, including photographs, slides, cameras, lens, film posters, props, costumes, illustrations, sketches, personal letters, models, and storyboards etc; you could easily spend hours here and be astonished by the meticulous work that went on behind the scenes of all his films.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

This comprehensive exhibition is almost overwhelming (in a good way) because there is a lot to take in… and when you see the attention to detail Kubrick applied to all his work, you would understand why he is considered as one of the greatest directors of all times. Unfortunately, we are now living in a fast-paced world where speed has become the priority, and this attitude has lowered the standards of everything around us. Perhaps Kubrick‘s work ethic can be seen as the antidote to our speed-driven society today.

Sketches of A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) were sent to Stanley Kubrick, the original director and producer, but he later handed it to Steven Spielberg, and the film was made after his death

Spartacus (1960)

Barry Lyndon (1975)

A Clockwork orange (1972)

Extensive research was crucial in all Kubrick‘s productions, and one of the most fascinating exhibits is the set of panorama photos of Commercial Road in East London (see below), which was originally considered as the location to recreate Greenwich Village in Manhattan for the set of ‘Eyes wide shut’. Although the majority of film ended up being shot in a studio, it was still amazing to see the scrupulous research done in preparation for the film.

Eyes wide shut (1999)

The Shining (1980)

Sketches for ‘Dr Strangelove’ (1964)

After seeing this exhibition, it made me want to watch his earlier and less well-known films, as well as rewatch his famous ones. I think that at different stages of our lives, we would interpret his films differently; but one thing for sure is that I am most likely to appreciate his work even more from now on.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

“100 years of Bauhaus” celebration in Hong Kong

Posted on June 10, 2019 by Toothpicker

A hundred years ago, German architect Walter Gropius founded an art and design school in the small town of Weimar in Germany. The Bauhaus, subsequently became one of the most influential art and design educational institutions of the 20th century. Although the short-lived school only operated from 1919 to 1933, its influence and impact on art, design, craft and architecture can still be seen 100 years later.

On the occasion of Bauhaus’ centennial celebration, the Goethe-Institut in Hong Kong, collaborated with various local partners to present “100 Years of Bauhaus – Rethinking the World“, a special programme consisted of exhibitions, films, lectures, symposium, and creative workshops etc.

At Goethe-Institut in Wan Chai, I visted the “Picturing Bauhaus: Erich Consemüller’s Photography of the World’s most famous Design School” exhibition featuring historical photographs of life and work at Bauhaus from the Klassik Stiftung Weimar institute.

Photographer Erich Consemüller (1902–1957) originally trained as a carpenter before moving to Weimar to enrol in the Bauhaus School, where he studied from 1922–1927. Consemüller was commisioned by Walter Gropius to photo-document the building, his fellow students and their design work, and around 300 photographs were thus taken from 1926 to 27.

Aside from the photographs, some ensembles of the Bauhaus furniture made by the Frankenberg-based furniture company Thonet were also on display. Founded in 1819 (a hundred years before the Bauhaus) by Michael Thonet, the company pioneered bentwood furniture using veneers, and later a cheaper solid-wood alternative. The company produced furniture designed by the Bauhaus architects Mart Stam, Marcel Breuer, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe; these designs – the tubular steel chairs and tables – later became modernist classics, and are still in production today.

My personal favourite, though, is the avant-garde costumes designed by German painter, sculptor, designer and choreographer, Oskar Schlemmer for his own ballet production, Triadic Ballet (Triadisches Ballett) , first performed in Stuttgart in 1922. Schlemmer described his playful costumes as “artistic metaphysical mathematics” and a “party in form and color.”

A clip of the ballet was shown at the exhibition, while visitors were encouraged to try on the costumes and play with the props. I managed to find a reconstruction of the ballet on YouTube, which is still inspiring, unique and mesmorising to watch even after 100 years (see below)!

Triadisches Ballett von Oskar Schlemmer – Bauhaus posted by Aitor Merino Martínez

Besides the Goethe-Institut, the exhibition was also on view at HKU and City U. I only managed to go to the University Museum and Art Gallery (UMAG), which displayed more of Erich Consemüller’s photography works on the Bauhaus school, its interiors and works of the students.

In German, the word ‘bau’ means building and ‘haus’ means house. The teaching programme developed by Walter Gropius in 1922 placed ‘building’ at the centre of all the activities. Hence the school building played a significant role in this context.

Another influential aspect of Bauhaus was its teaching method, which replaced the traditional pupil-teacher relationship with the idea of a community of artists working together across different disciplinaries. Gropius aimed to create “a new guild of craftsmen”, and the school followed the ‘apprentices and masters’ structure similar to the traditional model that trained craftsmen and artisans.

Although I have never been to the Bauhaus building in in Dessau (it is on my list), I have visited the Bauhaus Archive/Museum für Gestaltung (Museum of Design) in Berlin twice. The small but intriguing-looking museum was designed by Walter Gropius but was not completed until after his death. It has a good collection of furniture, products, art work, photography, architectural drawings and models, jewellery, and textiles featuring many famous names, such as Walter Gropius, Paul Klee, Marcel Breuer, Vassily Kandinsky, Josef Albers, Anni Albers, Oskar Schlemmer, László Moholy-Nagy and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe etc. Besides the permanent collection, there are also temporary exhibitions and a design shop, so I highly recommend a visit to this museum if you are a fan of Bauhaus.

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)

Le Festival du Merveilleux au Musée des Arts Forains

Posted on January 5, 2017 by Toothpicker

Paris is renowned for its world-class museums and galleries, yet it also has many quirky museums that are off the beaten track, and Musée des Arts Forains is one of them. This private museum opened in 1996 and it is located within the Les Pavillons de Bercy, the 19th century wine warehouses built by Gustave Eiffel‘s apprentice in the 12th arrondissement. I have visited the nearby Bercy Village years ago when it first opened, but I had never heard of this museum until recently.

Top: Les Pavillons de Bercy

Don’t expect majestic art work by great masters, this quaint museum actually contains vintage funfair objects from 1850-1950 collected by Jean Paul Favand, an actor and antiques dealer. This museum resembles an indoor Belle Epoque amusement park – there are restored merry-go-rounds, carousels, Japanese billiards, fair stalls and all kinds of attractions/ games that would transport you back in time.

The annual Festival du Merveilleux is a popular family event for Parisians

One reason why this museum has remained off-the-radar is because visitors could only visit by appointment (via guided tours), with the exception of two occasions: the European Heritage Days in September, and the Festival du Merveilleux around the Christmas Holidays for 12 days.

At the annual Festival du Merveilleux, there are daily street artists’ performances and augmented reality shows, as well as games and rides available to the public. And this year, a photography exhibition by renowned French street photographer Robert Doisneau was one of the highlights of the festival. Unpublished photographs of funfairs were captured by the photographer, and through them, we could see the social changes over the years and the (sad) demise of amusement parks.

I can’t remember the last time I visited an amusement park – let alone a retro one – and from what I gathered, most visitors were French families with young kids. Though I am certain that this maze-like atmospheric venue, and its retro games and activities would appeal to both kids and adults. The 14 Euro festival entrance fee also included a free ride/game, and it was fun to wander around and enjoy the festive atmosphere; though queues were quite long at the more popular rides and games…

There are four thematic rooms rooms at the venue, and one of the most beautiful one is the circular Magic Mirror, where the photography exhibition was held. I have always been a fan of Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Doisneau, and I think his playful and beguiling post-war photographs of Parisian fun fairs capture a bygone era that reflect how times have changed in the last few decades. While tech companies are investing heavily on the technology of virtual reality, these photographs remind us that the advanced technology does not necessarily make us happier. I am not anti-technology (I have enjoyed my VR experiences in the past), but I think human beings will always value tactile objects and direct experiences without the aid of digital machines.

And honestly, one could not expect a more apt venue for this exhibition – vintage swan and horse carousels were displayed among photos of joyous carousel riders – the nostalgic ambience made the Magic Mirror even more magical!

Robert Doisneau‘s photography exhibition at the Magic Mirror

If you are bored of visiting the touristy art museums in Paris, then I highly recommend a visit to this one-of-a-kind museum. It is beyond nostalgia; not only does it celebrates our cultural history and funfairs, but also the nameless entertainers who devote their lives in perfecting their skills to bring joy to funfair goers.

Capturing autumn colours

Posted on November 8, 2015 by Toothpicker

Hampstead heath

This autumn, we have had some beautiful sunny days with vivid blue sky in London, therefore I couldn’t resist taking the time off (during the week) to enjoy nature in this bustling city. And I didn’t have to go far since Hampstead Heath is the sanctuary for nature in London.

Hampstead Heath

I often feel that when people are disconnected with nature, they are likely to disconnect with reality. Nature reflects the universe, and it reminds us of the cycle of life. When we take time to observe nature, we would open up our minds and see things in a larger context beyond our narrow world.

Like Japan, the UK also has fairly distinctive seasons, so perhaps we can learn from the Japanese and celebrate each season with joy, gratitude and curiosity.

Yellow and brown

During the few months in autumn, I would often walk around with my eyes fixated on the pavement (not when I am crossing busy streets) because I am so drawn towards the beautiful patterns formed by fallen leaves. Aside from the different coloured and shaped leaves, there are also fallen apples and conkers with spiky green shells – all of these are great works of art created by nature.

Autumn leaves

Besides the visual aspect, I particularly enjoy trampling on dried fallen leaves and listening to the rustling sounds created by my shoes/boots on the leaves. The act somehow reminds me of childhood, when life was simple and carefree. There are times in our lives when acting childlike can make us forget the burden that accumulates over time as adults.

Apples and conkers

I truly believe that art and beauty is all around us, and if only we take the time to observe, we would be stunned by what nature has to offer. Furthermore, solitude in nature provides us the time to connect with ourselves; and if you ever experience negative emotions, an few hours in nature can be as effective as a counseling session. Try it to see for yourself.

Hong Kong on Istagram

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Toothpicker

I have been using Instagram on and off for a while now, but on this trip to Asia, I decided to use Instagram as the main social media outlet. It has been fun, but also slightly addictive.

I think Hong Kong is a beguiling city to be photographed; and during my stay, I used Instagram as a tool to capture this chaotic and vibrant city. It is remarkable what a smartphone and some filters can do these days, and although these are not ‘professional’ standard, they do document the dynamics and the occasional tranquility in this city.

Sky

Nature & countryside

Cityscape & architecture

Street life & people

Art & exhibitions

Shopping

Dining

London’s art & design exhibitions (Winter/Spring 15)

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Toothpicker

Top & bottom left: Richard Tuttle’s ‘I Don’t Know. The Weave of Textile Language’ at Tate Modern. Bottom right: Phillip King’s sculptures at Tate Britain

As usual, there is a diverse array of art, design and photography exhibitions being shown across London at major museums and smaller galleries. Here is a recap of some that I have visited during the past few months:

Major shows and retrospectives

Marlene Dumas: The Image as Burden at Tate Modern (until 10 May) – Undisputedly, South African artist Marlene Dumas is one of the most successful (and expensive) living female artist working today. Her paintings have regularly been sold for millions (each) at auctions in the past decade. This is highly significant in the male-dominated art world and yet bizarrely, she is still relatively unknown outside of the art world.

One of the most interesting aspect about her work is that they are all photo-based. Her subject matter usually revolves around social issues like injustices, racism, iniquities, as well as human emotions and desires. This is an inspiring and thought-provoking exhibition, which I think is eloquent and apt in our ever-divided world today.

Late Turner: Painting Set Free at Tate Britain (ended) – British artists J.M.W. Turner was the talk of the town in 2014, thanks to Mike Leigh‘s film and this retrospective. I have never fully appreciated works by Turner and I only visited the show out of curiosity after seeing the film. However, despite the crowds and being slightly unwell on the day, I was glad that I went. I have previously seen the artist’s famous large oil paintings on landscape and sea, yet I have seldom seen his more spontaneous holiday sketches and drawings. I can’t say that I was swept away by all his work, but I felt that I understood the artist and the relevance of his work more after the show.

Egon Schiele: The Radical Nude at The Courtauld gallery (ended) As with most art students, life drawing was a crucial part of my portfolio at school and university. It was then that I discovered Schiele‘s work and was completely blown away by it. Schiele‘s nude drawings are confrontational, grim, disturbing, and unflinchingly graphic. Yet one can’t help being fixated on his work, because its provoking and mesmerising quality. After the show, I couldn’t help but wonder what the artist could have achieved if his life was not cut short at the young age of 28.

Top row left: ‘Incident in the Corridor near the Kitchen’ by Iliya and Emilia Kabakov; 2nd row: ‘Hero, Leader, God’ by Alexander Kosolapov; 3rd left: ‘Dollar and Hammer’ by Leonid Sokov; 3rd right: ‘Confucius’s Confusion’ by Mei Dean-E; 4th left: ‘Abacus’ by Sergey Shutov; 4th right: ‘Colour vases’ by Ai Weiwei; 6th row right: ‘United Nations: Man and Space’ by Gu Wenda; Bottom left: ‘Tennis player’ by Oleg Kulik; Middle & right: ‘Deep into Russia’ by Oleg Kulik

Post pop: East meets West at Saatchi Gallery (ended) Even though I am not a huge fan of pop art, I was interested to see its influence on contemporary artists from the East and the West. Probably not for the faint hearted, the exhibition featured 250 works by 110 artists from China, the Former Soviet Union, Taiwan, the UK and the USA spanning three decades. It was full on with plenty of trashy, provocative, cynical, humourous and commercial works on display.

While I was at the exhibition, there was a school outing with some young primary kids and they were utterly disgusted by Gu Wenda‘s ‘United Nations: Man and Space’ when they learned that it was made of human hair. I found their reactions quite hilarious. Over all, it was the works by Chinese and Russian artists that stood out for me. The exhibition did not change my perspective on pop art, but it was certainly the most entertaining exhibition I have visited recently.

Inflated Star and Wooden Star by Frank Stella at the Royal Academy of Arts

Disappointing shows

Rubens ad his legacy: Van Dyck to Cézanne at The Royal Academy of Arts (until 10th April) I felt slightly disappointed and misled by this highly-anticipated show because I was expecting to see more of Rubens‘ work. Yet the old master’s paintings are few and far between, instead we are presented with work by artists who were influenced by him.

The most disappointing room is the one ‘inspired’ by The Fall of the Damned. I walked around the room and examined all the paintings and labels meticulously, and I couldn’t find the actual painting. I was about to ask the security guard when it suddenly dawned on me that the painting is NOT in the room! There is not even a photo of the original work for comparison, this seems to me as rather absurd.

Yes, there are many remarkable Rubenesque work by other famous and influential artists at the show, but it doesn’t compensate for the fact that non of Ruben‘s masterpieces are being exhibited. For the ticket price of £16.50, one would expect at least one at the show… If you want to see Ruben‘s masterpiece, then perhaps it’s best to head to Banqueting house, where entrance fee is only £6.10. See my previous entry here on Ruben‘s magnificent painted ceiling.

The Institute of Sexology at Wellcome Collection (until 20th Sept) Given the subject matter, the exhibition is bound to draw attention and crowds. Yet I didn’t expect it to be so packed on a weekday afternoon, and constantly trying to squeeze my way in and get closer towards the display window. It was exhausting.

Having previously enjoyed many exhibitions at the Wellcome Collection, there is something lacking for me at this show. Sure there are many fascinating stories and objects on display, but the show merely scratches the surface of a complex and challenging subject without sufficient insight nor context. And the lack of contemporary issues is one of its biggest flaws. I didn’t feel provoked, shocked nor ‘aroused’, instead I left feeling rather apathetic. I couldn’t help but wonder what the exhibition would have been like if it was curated by the French or Italians… Oops.

Bloodhound surface-to-air guided missiles at Hayward Gallery’s ‘History Is Now: 7 Artists Take On Britain’

‘History Is Now: 7 Artists Take On Britain‘ at Hayward Gallery (until 26th April) I am not sure whether it is the curation or content (or both), but I found this exhibition inconsistent, confusing and banal. The show invited seven British to curate a section each, with the aim of reflecting on post-war British history through their choice of artworks and objects. Personally, I found Richard Wentworth‘s section upstairs the strongest of the lot, and it even features a surviving Bloodhound surface-to-air guided missiles deployed by the RAF during the Cold War out on the terrace. Otherwise, it is a missed opportunity and one of the weakest exhibitions I have seen recently.

Christian Marclay at White Cube Bermondsey (until 12th April) I suggested a viewing of the solo exhibition of London-based Swiss/American artist Christian Marclay to my friend after reading many positive reviews. But we left wondering if we had gone to the wrong exhibition! Having previously seen part of his highly acclaimed 24-hour video montage ‘The Clock’, I was genuinely disappointed with this show.

We felt underwhelmed by his pop art style onomatopoeic paintings (and there is an entire room of them), and felt nauseatic after spending five minutes watching the immersive video installation ‘Surround Sounds’.

His new video installation ‘Pub crawl’ that records impromptu street sounds of East London is the most memorable piece for me. And since we missed the sound performances, our visit to the gallery ended quicker than we anticipated.

Russian avant-garde

Adventures of the Black Square: Abstract art and society 1915-2015 at Whitechapel Gallery (6th April) Taking Suprematist movement pioneer Kazimir Malevich’s ‘Black square’ (1915) as the starting point, this ambitious and intriguing exhibition traces the course of geometric abstraction across the last century, featuring over 100 artists from around the world. This show is not to be missed if you are a fan of Russian avant-garde and abstract art. It is also timely after the major retrospective of Kazimir Malevich at Tate Modern last year. What could a simple black square inspire? There is in store for you to find out. And as soon you step out of the gallery, it would hard not to notice all the geometric forms and patterns around you!

Russian Avant-garde Theatre at the V & A museum

Russian Avant-garde Theatre at the V & A museum (ended) – This was one of my favourites of the season, partly because I am a fan of Constructivism. Curated in collaboration with the A.A.Bakhrushin State Central Theatre Museum, the show exhibited more than 150 radical theatrical set and costume designs conceived between 1913 and 1933 by 45 leading Russian artists and designers including Kazimir Malevich, Alexander Rodchenko, Vladimir Tatlin, Alexandra Exter, El Lissitsky, Liubov Popova and Varvara Stepanova.

Again, Kazimir Malevich was the starting point of this exhibition. The display began with Malevich‘s sketches and lithographs of set and costume designs for ‘Victory Over the Sun’, a Futurist opera which premiered in 1913 in St Petersburg. Interestingly, the exhibition rooms were painted in red, and arranged in a maze-like irregular format which complemented the vibrant, dramatic and experimental work on display.

Although it was a turbulent period in the Russia, the creativity and ideas that emerged turned out to be the most exciting and optimistic in Russian art. And almost a century later, the works still look radical, futuristic and startling. Amazing!

BOLT at Gallery for Russian Arts and Design

BOLT at Gallery for Russian Arts and Design (ended) This small exhibition was a good supplement to the V & A exhibition. Curated in collaboration with the St Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Music, rarely seen original designs, photographs and costumes from Dmitri Shostakovich‘s 1931 ballet ‘The Bolt’ were on display together for the first time in this vivid exhibition.

Choreographed by Fyodor Lopukhov to a score by Shostakovich, with designs by Tatiana Bruni, the satirical piece was banned after just one performance by the Soviet authorities. I love Bruni‘s playful and larger than life costumes, and again the designs and photographs reveal the height of creativity during a tumultuous period in Russia.

Top row: British illustrator and designer Julie Verhoeven‘s immersive installation on feminism at the ICA; 2nd & 3rd row: Walead Beshty’s 2,000 cyanotype prints at Barbican’s the Curve gallery; Bottom row: Mapping the city at Somerset house

Top 2 rows: Glenn Ligon’s ‘Call and response’; Bottom 2 rows: Ruth Ewan’s ‘Back to the fields’ at Camden arts centre

Ruth Ewan: Back to the Fields & João Maria Gusmão + Pedro Paiva – Papagaio at Camden arts centre (until 29th March) The London-based artist Ruth Ewan has transformed the gallery at Camden Arts Centre into a mini indoor garden! Inspired by the French Republican Calendar (used from 1793 to 1805 in the aftermath of the French Revolution), the wonderful installation reflect the restructuring of the months and seasons in accordance with nature and agriculture and not religion.

In the adjacent rooms, there are video installations by Portuguese artists João Maria Gusmão and Pedro Paiva. There are some rather meditative and enigmatic short films on animals, bicycle wheels and food being shown simultaneously. Bizarre but immensely captivating.

Asian art and architecture

Out of the ordinary exhibition at The Cass Bank Gallery

Out of the ordinary: Award Winning Works by Young Korean Architects at The Cass Bank Gallery (ended) I visited Seoul for the first time about 5 years ago, and was very surprised by the prominent and futuristic contemporary architecture scattering all over the city. This exhibition at the London Metropolitan University campus showcased award winning work by young Korean Architects curated by Hyungmin Pai.

The exhibition featured a diverse range of work, from private homes, public housing and schools, to museums, commercial developments, rural schemes and small-scale interventions. Once again, the work by these young Korean architects provide a glimpse into the rapidly changing Korean society and their determination to innovate while searching for a new identity in the global world.

Top & 2nd right: Chu Enoki: Enoki Chu at White Rainbow Gallery; 2nd row left & middle: Nam June Paik at Tate Modern; 3rd row: Morimura Ray’s ‘Garden in Moonlight’ at Contemporary art of Japan: Not just woodblock prints; Bottom two rows: Sketches from the Poem Road exhibition at Poetry Cafe

Chu Enoki: Enoki Chu at White Rainbow Gallery (until 11th April) Chu Enoki is a self-taught seminal figure in contemporary Japanese art who is still relatively unknown outside of Japan.

Walking down Mortimer Street, it would be hard to miss the several rows of de-activated weapons: ‘AK-47/AR-15’ (2000–03) and a life-size cannon replica ‘Salute H2C2’ (2009) in a reference to the cold war at the front of the gallery.

This exhibition also details one of Enoki’s pioneering performance, ‘Going to Hungary with HANGARI (1977)’, which was inspired by Marcel Duchamp’s act of shaving a star shape into his hair. The project documented Enoki shaving all of the hair on the right side of his body in Hungary, which subsequently attracted the attention of the police several times. But he returned four years later to complete the performance by shaving his left half of his body.

If you are unfamiliar with the artist’s work, this small but fascinating exhibition would make an excellent starting point.

Contemporary art of Japan: Not just woodblock prints at The Hospital Club (until 5th April) I am not a member of The Hospital Club, but I walked past it one day and saw the exhibition being advertised. I walked in to enquire about the exhibition, and I was told that the work is displayed on the 2nd floor inside the restaurant and bar.

The selection of prints are hung on the walls throughout the restaurant and bar area, hence I felt slightly out of place towering over some business men seated next to the walls. However, if you are interested in Japanese woodblock prints and calligraphy, then this exhibition is not to be missed as it is curated by leading Japanese gallery, The Tolman Collection, which specializes in contemporary Japanese graphic prints.

Sketches from the Poem Road at The Poetry cafe (until 25th April) Not far from The Hospital Club is The Poetry cafe, where you will find another exhibition related to Japanese art and calligraphy.

The exhibition features drawings and poems by London-based Japanese artist Isao Miura, whose work is inspired by 17th century Japanese poet Matsuo Basho’s iconic work, ‘The Narrow Road to the Deep North’. The work at the exhibition is the result of Isao collaborating with poet Chris Beckett on an interpretative journey from text to image, and often back again.

Graphic design

Preview of 100 years of graphic design at Kemistry Gallery’s pop up space

100 years of graphic design at Kemistry Gallery (ended) 100 Years of Graphic Design was Kemistry Gallery’s first pop-up incarnation since it was forced out of its Shoreditch home by property developer in December 2014. Subsequently, this leading graphic design gallery started a Kickstarter campaign to pledge support or donation for a new permanent space.

As one of the 500+ supporters, I was invited to the preview of this exhibition in Shoreditch one evening. The exhibition was a retrospective of some of the most iconic and exciting moments in graphic design history ranging from 1914 to the present day with work by renowned designers like Milton Glaser, Saul Bass and Anthony Burrill.

I am appalled by the growing power of profit-driven property developers in London, and I don’t think they are any different from the City bankers. I supported the campaign not only because of my graphic design background, but also I don’t want the city to lose an important arts & cultural institute to pave way for more chained shops and restaurants that are making our high streets ever more homogeneous.

Photography

Conflict, Time, Photography at Tate Modern (ended) In the last 6 months, I have visited many excellent photography exhibitions in London, but this was undoubtedly the most powerful and poignant.

Most of us have seen harrowing photographs of war and its devastating impact on the victims and landscape around the world. Yet this exhibition was arranged according to the time elapsed between the conflict and when the picture was taken. Images were taken minutes, days, weeks, months and years after the event; thus making the viewers become more aware of the brutal and tragic aftermath of these conflicts.

This was not an ordinary photography exhibition, but one that evoke viewers to contemplate and question human’s intrinsic values and meanings in life.

Top row: ‘Guy Bourdin: Image maker’ at Somerset House; Bottom row: ‘Human Rights Human Wrongs’ at The Photographers’ gallery

Guy Bourdin: Image maker at Somerset House (ended) It is hard not to be mesmorised by Surrealist photographer Guy Bourdin‘s uncanny, witty and provocative images. Over 100 colour exhibition prints were exhibited at this major retrospective, of which many were created for the then prestigious French fashion house, Charles Jourdan in the 1960s & 70s. As the protégé of Man Ray, Bourdin was a master of story-telling. All his photos were often staged meticulously with strong contrasts, simple and yet unusual compositions, rich textures and bold colours. Decades on, his images are still striking to look at and they out today’s highly-photoshopped fashion images to shame.

Human rights, human wrongs at The Photographers’ gallery (until 6th April) This exhibition explores 50 years of photojournalism (1945 until early 1990s), showcasing more than 200 original press prints from Toronto’s prestigious Black Star collection. It examines major political upheavals, conflict, war and struggles against racism, poverty and colonisation after World War II. Akin to the ‘Conflict, Time, Photography’ exhibition, there are many brutal and haunting photos that are almost too shocking to digest. Yet these photographs serve as a reminder of the importance of human rights, and they celebrate the courage of those who sacrificed their lives for their beliefs and humanity.

Art & design exhibitions in Portugal (Jan 2015)

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Toothpicker

Casa Das Historias Paula Rego

Lisbon offers an abundance of world class museums and galleries, and on my previous trip, my friend and I visited some excellent ones like National Museum of Ancient Art, National Tile Museum, Fado Museum and the wonderful Puppet Museum. On this trip though, the seaside resort Cascais turned out to be a prodigious surprise for me. Aside from Casa Das Historias Paula Rego, I did not have any concrete plan for the day, and yet I ended having quite an ‘art-full’ day!

The highlight of the day was undoubtedly Portuguese artist Paula Rego‘s stunningly-designed museum. It was impossible to miss the earthy red pyramid-shaped towers from a distance! Designed by Portuguese architect and Pritzker Architecture Prize winner, Eduardo Souto de Moura (chosen by Rego herself), the building was inspired by the region’s historical architecture (i.e. the twin chimneys of the National Palace in the nearby Sintra) and it is surrounded by a lush garden.

Architecture aside, the museum’s current exhibition is ‘Parodies – Paula Rego/ Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro’ (until 12th April), a non-illustrative dialogue between the works of the two artists, separated by over a century, yet both express a critical view of the Portuguese life and customs of their times through their art.

Rego and Bordalo Pinheiro‘s works share a great deal in common despite living in two completely different era. Both artists’ works frequently feature humanised animals and animalised humans; they are dark, perspicacious, critical with a sense of sarcastic humour. This is a thought-provoking exhibition that reveals the creativity of two important Portuguese artists and how they used/use art to express their critical voices towards politics and society.

Centro Cultural de Cascais – 2nd & 3rd rows: Bryan Adams exposed; 4th & 5th rows: Carlos Marques; Bottom middle & right: Painted glasses of red hall

After some random sightseeing, I stumbled upon a massive dark pink building, which turned out to be the Centro Cultural de Cascais. Housed inside the former 19th century Palace of the Viscondes da Gandarinha, the centre has been turned into an art centre with permanent and temporary exhibitions. While I was there, I saw the photography exhibition ‘Bryan Adams exposed’ (which I missed in London) and discovered the singer’s talent in creating powerful images through the lenses. Downstairs, there was also a fascinating exhibition by Portuguese artist Carlos Marques, who created a set of shrines dedicated to different artists as his tribute towards them.

Next door at the Casa Duarte Pinto Coelho, there is a small but intriguing exhibition “Painted glasses of red hall” (until April), which showcases some East-meets-West paintings from 18th century China. The production of glass and painted mirrors were introduced to China by Jesuit missionary G. Castiglioni in the early 18th century, and soon after glass paintings developed into a highly skilled art form in China. These works were commissioned by Europeans, and they were intended primarily to satisfy the West’s passion for Eastern-inspired products. Although glass-blades were produced in Europe, particularly in England, they were being sent to the factories of Guangzhou in China where they were painted after returning to the Western market. This manufacturing process is not so different from how things are made today in the 21st century! Perhaps the world has not changed THAT much after all!

Cidadela art district

As I was walking down the road back towards the town centre, the Cidadela art district signage by the old fortress wall caught my eye and so I decided to explore the district ‘hidden’ behind it. The art district is part of the Pousada de Cascais, Cidadela Historic Hotel set within the walls of the historical fortress of the emblematic 16th century Citadel of Cascais. The Art District comprises six galleries, including six Open Studios where artists can be seen during their creative processes.

Palácio da Cidadela de Cascais – 2nd & 3rd rows: Frenéticas no pós-guerra exhibition; Bottom row: Capela de Nossa Senhora da Vitória

Within the same square, there is the Palácio da Cidadela de Cascais, a former summer palace for the Portuguese monarchy until 1910 when the country became Republic. Neglected for fifty years, restoration and renovation work by the architect Pedro Vaz was commissioned by the President of the Republic, and the palace was opened to the public in 2011. The former palace now serves as the summer residence of the President of the Republic, but the public can visit it when it is not being occupied. Usually a minimum party of two is required for a guided tour around the palace, but the friendly staff kindly offered to show me around, hence I was able to enjoy a private tour of the palace with a humourous and knowledgable guide.

Due to the recent renovation, the palace looks newer than most other palaces that I have visited. One notable aspect is that the wall hangings are mostly contemporary art works including some unfinished tapestry drafts. This is highly unusual but quite refreshing to see as most palaces are just filled with old Master paintings or simply ‘old’ paintings. Another surprise is that Eastern-style objects and antiqes are ubiquitous; from tiles to furniture, lighting and decorative pieces, this again reveals the Portuguese’s passion for Eastern style as previously seen at the glass painting exhibition earlier. The tour ended at the stunning baroque style Capela de Nossa Senhora da Vitória, with azulejos on both sides of the walls depicting Portugal’s glory past.

The palace also hosts temporary exhibitions, and during my visit, I saw ‘Frenéticas no pós-guerra’, an exhibition showcasing more than 100 articles, objects and original documents from the 1920s post war period in Portugal. The main focus was on women and so there was an interesting selection of fashion garments, accessories and some wonderful art deco style objects on display.

A free exhibition of Christmas trees made by recycled materials in Cascais

Top row: Igreja de Sao Joao Evangelista in Evora; Bottom two rows: a paper craft exhibition at Palácio dos Duques de Cadaval

In the historical town of Evora opposite the Temple of Diana stands a beautiful 15th century church, Igreja de Sao Joao Evangelista, which belonged to the monastery Convento dos Lóios. Now the monastery has been converted into a historical hotel Pousada dos Loios and the church became part of Palácio dos Duques de Cadaval.

It would be hard not to be awestruck by the church’s sublime floor-to-ceiling of blue azulejos by António Oliveira Bernardes (early 1700s), which depict scenes from the life of São Lourenço Justiniano, founder of the Lóios order. This church is considered to be one of the most beautiful private churches in the country, and it certainly does not disappoint. The palace next door however, is pleasant enough and has some interesting art work and artifacts, but it lacks the grandeur that one would expect from a ‘palace’. Without much antipication, I followed a set of narrow staircase that led me up to the attic… which turned out to be the space for a temporary exhibition called ‘Four corners of the world’. The die-cut cardboard installation of architecture from around the world was not what I was expecting and it immediately brought a smile to my face.

Top & 2nd rows: Fórum Eugénio de Almeida – As high as the eye can reach exhibition; Bottom: Carriage Collection

After visiting the historical Cathedral and its museum, I decided to skip Museu de Évora and opted for something more contemporary opposite – Forum Eugenio de Almeida. The contemporary art and cultural centre was endowed by the privately-owned Eugénio de Almeida Foundation, as part of the scheme to regenerate and restore the city of Évora.

Their current exhibition ‘As high as the eye can reach‘ (until 15th March) proposes a cross-reading between sacred art and contemporary art, marking the culmination of more than a decade of inventorying the artistic heritage of the Archdiocese of Évora and dissemination of contemporary art. The exhibition approaches the question of the relationship between art and transcendence in the past and present day. This is an ambitious exhibition, however, the lack of context esp. with the contemporary art works was an issue for me. Perhaps I am biased as I am not a big fan of contemporary art, but instead of feeling stimulated, I left the exhibition feeling somewhat apathetic. I applaud the curators’ effort in tackling a subject that is quite inscrutable and provocative, though I think they have only scratched the surface of a complex subject.

The foundation also owns the nearby Páteo de S. Miguel, a group of buildings including the Paço dos Condes de Basto (the Palace of the Counts of Basto), the Eugenia de Almeida Archive and Library, the Coach Collection and the S. Miguel Chapel. The palace, library and archive can be visited by appointment with a guide, whereas the Carriage Collection is open to all. The small Carriage Collection has an interesting display of coaches, carriages and harnesses of different styles and traveling from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Museu do Artesanato e do Design

On the other side of town, I walked past the Museu do Artesanato e do Design (Museum of craft and design) and was curious to see what was inside. The museum is not very big, but the display includes a wide range of locally made crafts, ceramics and furniture etc. Aside from local crafts, there is another section that displays an impressive selection of household and industrial objects designed by world-renowned designers like Dieter Rams, Ettore Sottsass, Philippe Starck and Kenneth Grange etc. It’s not exactly MOMA, but it is worth visiting if you happen to be doing some sightseeing nearby.

Museu Calouste Gulbenkian

Back in Lisbon, I was keen to visit one of Portugal’s best museums, Museu Calouste Gulbenkian as I missed it on my last trip. I did not anticipate to spend most of my day there (but I did), and so I ended up feeling like I had completed an epic art marathon. I had not realised that the museum is connected to Centro de Arte Moderna, and the complex is enormous, so be prepared to spend hours here! At the museum, the ‘A Shared History: Treasures of the Royal Palaces of Spain‘ exhibition showcased significant art works and artifacts from the Spanish monarchy spanning 350 years. The historical ties between Portugal and Spain could be seen at this exhibition through portraits, drawings, paintings, furniture and even decorative objects.

Centro de Arte Moderna – Top two, 4th middle & right, 6th left: António Dacosta; 4th left: Paula Rego’s ‘The Vivian Girls as Windmills forms’ & 5th row: Paula Rego’s ‘Proles wall’; 6th row right: Julio Pomar’s ‘Le Luxe’; 7th & 8th rows: Salette Tavares

At the Centro de Arte Moderna, there were several exhibitions taking place at the same time including: ‘António Dacosta 1914 I 2014‘, ‘Salette Tavares: Spatial Poetry‘ and the ongoing ‘Arshile Gorky and the Collection‘ (until 31st May). It was a great opportunity to see the retrospective of Portuguese artist António Dacosta, and a small selection of works by Arshile Gorky. However, it was Portuguese artist Salette Tavares‘ (1922-1994) work that blew me away. I have never heard of this artist before, but her visual exploration of text and poems still seems ground-breaking in today’s standards. I love the fact that she experimented with a wide range of media and materials, I am merely astonished that she was not as recognised internationally.

Shadows of Asia at Museu do Oriente

The Portuguese first established their roots in India around 1500, and gradually they moved eastwards and became a dominant powerhouse in the region through force, religion and trade. Even today, we can see the influences and imprints left by the empire in their former colonies like Goa, Malacca, Macau, and Nagasaki in Japan. Not many people acknowledge that the beloved Japanese tempura (the Portuguese version: Peixinhos da horta) was introduced by Portuguese Jesuit missioneries when they founded Nagasaki during the 16th century. And the popular Chinese egg tarts that are ubiqutious in Hong Kong and Macau today can also trace its origin back to the Portuguese custart tarts (pastel de nata).

Opened in 2008, the Museu do Oriente is situated in a massive former 6-storey factory used for the processing of salted cod (bacalhau) by the port in Alcântara. Originally designed by Portuguese architect João Simões Antunes in the 1940s, Carrilho da Graça Arquitectos was commissioned to convert the factory to a museum containing a collection of artworks from Portugal’s Asian colonies. The museum has an impressive array of historical artifacts, paintings, furniture, crafts and puppetry and over 13.000 pieces were donated in 1999 by Paris’ Musée Kwok on after its closure.

I have never seen such an extensive range of shadow theatre puppets before. The permanent collection here is diverse and extraordinary, and the collection focuses on China, India, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malasia and Turkey where shadow theatre played was seen as a highly significant form of folk art.

Top right: ‘Woven Languages / Linguagens Tecidas’ and the rest: Lisbon impact by Deviprasad C Rao

The two temporary exhibitions that took place while I was there were: ‘Woven Languages / Linguagens Tecidas’ on traditional ikat textiles from Indonesia; and ‘Lisbon impact’, a solo exhibition of Lisbon-inspired art works created by self-taught Indian artist, sculptor and muralist, Deviprasad C Rao. The artist created his perspective on Lisbon through abstract drawings, paintings, photographs and a video installation. His works capture the city’s vivid colours, density, geography, architecture and essence stupendously and it is hard not to be amazed by his metculous abstract streetscape of Lisbon.

Museu do Design e da Moda – ‘From Matrix to Sleeping Beauty’

Housed in a historical building that used to be the headquarters of the bank BNU in the city centre, it is worth visiting the MUDE (Museu do Design e da Moda) for its architecture/ interiors alone. The building has had several major transformations, first in the 1920s by architect Tertuliano Marques and then by Modernist architect Cristino da Silva in the 1960s. The third transformation took place around 2001 but the project was abolished after its interiors had been demolished. Finally in 2008, Lisbon City Council acquired the building and commissioned Ricardo Carvalho + Joana Vilhena Arquitectos to create a new contemporary space while conserving the historical elements.

The ‘deconstructed’ museum space reminds me of Paris’ Palais de Tokyo where the concrete structure is exposed rather than being painted over. The industrial rawness allows the design objects and colourful fashion articles to stand out more. And this is best demonstrated at one of its current exhibition ‘De Matrix a Bela Adormecida’ or ‘From Matrix to Sleeping Beauty’ (until 29 March), which showcases around 300 pieces (clothing, hair props, jewellery and shoes) designed by Portuguese set designer, costume designer and artist, António Lagarto. The stunning dresses, architecture and lighting all work brilliantly (see above), creating a theatrical effect that is immensely captivating.

Museum of design and fashion – Top row: From Matrix to Sleeping Beauty

The ground floor of the museum houses its permanent collection, providing a chronological history of design through its display of fashion items, furniture and other classic design objects. I was lucky to be able to catch the two Japanese-themed exhibitions before it ended: ‘Naked shapes‘ and ‘Boro: Fabric of life‘.

At the ‘Boro: Fabric of life‘, 54 pieces of kimonos, purses and tatamis created by the traditional Japanese technique Boro method were on display. The technique consists of stitching and weaving different fabrics together (like patchwork) and subsequently dyed with indigo. The technique was employed especially by peasants from the late eighteenth century to mid-twentieth century. It also embodies the Japanese motto of ‘mottainai‘ or ‘waste not‘ as it creates garments that are eco-friendly and practical.

At ‘Naked shapes‘, I was thrilled to see the 200 aluminium household objects, home appliances, furniture, and toys manufactured in Japan between 1910 and 1960. The minimalist designs reflect the Japanese aesthetic values perfectly, and the beauty of these objects lies in its simplicity and bareness. Functionality, craftsmanship and material are the priorities here, and so little design is required for their creations. I am sure that design guru Dieter Rams would appreciate them too!

Last but not least is the exhibition on eyewear ‘Behind the shadows‘ (until 29th March) in the basement of the museum. The setting of the exhibition is the highlight because over 400 vintage eyewear are displayed inside the safety deposit boxes behind the bullet-proof steel door! It is no doubt one of the coolest exhibition venue that I have come across, what a playful and cool idea!

Atelier Museu Julio Pomar

The best thing about Lisbon is that you can wander around the city and you will always come across something interesting. After a disappointing visit at the Casa Fernando Pessoa, I came across Atelier Museu Julio Pomar by chance, which I think is a well hidden gem in the city.

Housed inside a former warehouse, the spacious and bright museum was designed by the same architects behind MUDE, Ricardo Carvalho + Joana Vilhena Arquitectos (see above). The collection here includes paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, ceramics, collages and assemblage by Portuguese neo-expressionist artist, Julio Pomar. On the ground floor, there are many of the artist’s delightful woodblock prints, while the larger and more abstract paintings are upstairs. You can also find his other well-known works at the Centro de Arte Moderna (see ‘Le luxe‘ above).

British Council: 3rd row: The tile panel at the entrance by José António Jorge Pinto

Being curious can be a positive trait as it often brings me surprises (pleasant or not)! I was intrigued by a pink building as I was walking uphill in Estrela district (which has strong British roots and connections), and when I saw the British Council sign, I decided to go inside to explore further. After walking past the gate, I was immediately drawn towards the two long panels of azulejos that depict rural farming scenes from the past. I later found out that they were designed by José António Jorge Pinto, a Portuguese Art Noveau artist.

The current site of the Coucil was once the Palácio do Menino de Ouro, and it was acquired by the British Council in 1942. This historical building has quite a fascinating story behind it. Originally built by José Luís Seixas Fernandes in 1885, who was a collector of art and porcelain, and therefore transformed his home into a private art museum for himself. Three years after his death in 1925, the building was purchased by Alves dos Reis, a famous fraudster/criminal who printed counterfeit notes in London (of all places!) in the name of Banco de Portugal (Bank of Portugal). Considered to be one of the largest frauds in history, the ‘Portuguese bank note crisis‘ has inspired TV series in Portugal and Italy in recent years.

Once inside, I asked the receptionist if it was possible for me to visit the building and she said ‘fine’ as long as I didn’t take photographs inside. And to my surprise, the building is filled with works of art by an amazing array of famous artists including a huge painting by Paula Rego (who studied and lives in London) in the foyer. Currently on display is a selection of British contemporary art in the last 60 years, and you can find works by Damien Hirst, Rachel Whiteread and Julian Opie etc.

Unfortunately, aside from the structure, foyer and main staircases, most of the rooms have been turned into MFI style offices and classrooms except for the former music room (now a conference room) at the back. The room has wooden panels, exquisite early 20^th century tiles made by the Sarreguemines factory in France, and some exceptional stained glass windows.

After my self-guided tour, the receptionist urged me to visit the garden at the back. As I expected, the garden is well-maintained with some outdoor sculptures, a traditional well, lemon trees, exotic plants and a lovely groomed hedge around the back stairs.

This British Council must be one of best hidden gems in Lisbon as it is not even listed in guide books! This is the reason why a guide book is not needed to explore Lisbon, all you need are a pair of comfortable shoes (for walking up hilly cobbled streets) and your eyes, then you will uncover a city that is full of history, beauty and charm.

The other art & Parallax art fairs

Posted on November 2, 2014 by Toothpicker

Top: 50 ft installation of work by David Shillinglaw; Bottom left: Jack Teagle; Bottom right: Ego Leonard

Although I am not a big fan of mega art fairs, I would support smaller art fairs and independent artists who may not be represented by galleries. These fairs also provide an opportunity for visitors to meet and talk to the artists directly rather than through gallery representatives.

The annual joint The Other art fair and Moniker art fair at Old Truman Brewery offers a platform for emerging talents as well as street artists. Once upon a time, street art was seen as subculture, now it is becoming more mainstream and collectors can purchase unconventional artworks produced by urban artists at the Moniker art fair.

Top left: Mark Powell‘s ‘Junkyard games’; Top right: Berlin-based artist Vermibus; 2nd row: Mister E Dawe’s ‘Anvil’; Last row: Fidia Falaschetti’s ‘Cuntdown’ & ‘Freaky Mouse’

At The Other Art Fair, aside from paintings and sculptures, there were also ceramics, illustrations and prints, paper crafts and photography by 130 emerging artists. The event was casual and less glamourous than Frieze but a good place to start for a new art collector.

Top left: Keira Rathbone‘s typewriter art; Top right: Nicolas Moussette‘s ‘Cité imaginaire’ 2nd row: Vas Zavialov‘s London slang map; 3rd row left: Damilola Odusote; 3rd row right: Timothy Information Limited; Bottom: printmaking workshop

Top left: Gerry Buxton‘s Barbican screen print; Top midde: Dan Rawlings; 2nd row left: Chowwai Cheung‘s collagraph ‘Villa Musica’; 2nd row right: Myung Nam An‘s ceramics; 3rd row: Olivier Leger‘s illustration; Bottom left: Roys people; Bottom right: Alexander Korzer-Robinson‘s hand cut art

Parallax art fair at Chelsea Town Hall; Bottom right: Duda Marques dos Santos‘s ‘lights’ series

The week after, I attended the preview of Parallax art fair (free entry) at Chelsea Town Hall for the first time. With over 200 established and emerging artists, there were many interesting artworks to be found too.

I was glad to have met Japanese artist/sculptor Kiyomi Sakaguchi, who has had her solo exhibitions in Japan and Germany and was exhibiting at the show for the first time. Ms Sakaguchi‘s sculptures are installed in many institutions, public spaces in Japan, but at the fair, she showed mainly her ink drawings on Japanese paper.

This art fair is probably not as well known as the other art fairs in London, but I think it is worth checking out and being free does not mean the standard is lower than other fairs.

The next show will take place at Chelsea Town Hall from 28th Feb until 1st March.

Top left: Sally Dunne‘s illustrations; Top right: Karina Savage‘s ‘Red Parabola’ Lino cut with chine collé; 2nd row: Kiyomi Sakaguchi; 3rd row left: Hae Byn Yoon‘s ‘Perspective studies’; 3rd row right: Luigi Visconti; Bottom row: Three eyes man design‘s hand-drawn wood work

London’s summer exhibitions highlights

Posted on October 22, 2014 by Toothpicker

Gilbert & George: Scapegoating pictures for London at White Cube Bermondsey

There were many excellent exhibitions that I visited in London this summer, and here are 10 of my favourites ( in no particular order):

1. Matisse: The Cut Outs at Tate Modern

2. Malevich: Revolution of Russian Art at Tate Modern

3. British Folk art at Tate Britain

4. Digital Revolution at Barbican (I have written about it here).

5. Shelagh Wakely: A View from a Window at Camden Arts Centre

6. Primrose: Early Colour Photography in Russia at The Photographers Gallery

7. Lorenzo Vitturi: Dalston Anatomy at The Photographers Gallery

8. Made in Mexico: The Rebozo at Fashion & Textiles museum

9. Hans Hillmann: Film Posters at Kemistry Gallery

10. Time Machines: Daniel Weil and the art of design at Design Museum

Top row: Phyllida Barlow’s sculptural installations at Tate Britain; Middle row: Outdoor sculptures at The Human Factor, Hayward Gallery; Last row: Matisse: The cut outs at Tate modern

Art

Although I have commented that I am not a fan of big blockbuster art exhibitions, I found both ‘Matisse: The Cut Outs’ and ‘Malevich: The revolution of Russian art‘ at Tate Modern outstanding. And at Tate Britain, I also enjoyed the lighthearted and beguiling ‘British folk art’ exhibition, where many bizarre, hilarious and eccentric historical objects were on display. These objects reflect the British history, culture and tastes, which I found very enchanting.

I often think that the exhibitions at The National Gallery as rather ‘old school’ and rather somber, but their summer hit ‘Making colour‘ was not the case. The exhibition was quite eye-opening, informative, and essential for any one who has to work with colours.

Meanwhile, British Library staged the biggest comics exhibition, ‘Comics Unmasked: Art and Anarchy at the UK’, featuring an extensive collection of work that traced the history and cultural significance of British comic art. I found the exhibition interesting, but not as exciting as I had hoped. However, I am sure this exhibition excited many comic fans, and I appreciated British Library’s decision to put British comic art in the spotlight which it rightly deserves.

I am still rather undecided on iconic British art duo Gilbert & George‘s exhibition, ‘Scapegoating pictures for London‘ at White Cube Bermondsey. The photomontage series is very much about London, and it is related to religion (mostly Islam), terrorism, drug abuse and youth culture etc. These huge pieces occupied almost the entire gallery, but after two rooms, I found them to be quite repetitive. Hence, I went into the screening room and watched about 20 minutes of their feature-length film, ‘The World of Gilbert & George’ made in 1981. The film is witty and bonkers, and I absolutely loved it!

The duo have never played by the rules and this exhibition demonstrated that they are still alert, controversial and bold as ever. Their attitude has always been ‘take it or leave it’, and perhaps this is the reason why they are still highly respected after being around for decades.

Shelagh Wakely: A view of a window at Camden Arts Centre

One big surprise for me was pioneer British installation artist Shelagh Wakely’s (1932-2011) exhibition at the Camden Arts Centre. I have often enjoyed exhibitions and events at this art organisation, and this exhibition was a revelation for me as I was not familiar with Wakely‘s work previously. Like two of my most admired female artists, Barbara Hepworth and Georgia O’Keeffe, Shelagh Wakely‘s work is very much inspired by nature.

With career spanning over 40 years, Wakely‘s work ranged from sculptures and installations to canvases, drawings, watercolours, prints, photographs and videos. I was particularly engrossed by her gilded fruits and vegetables that were left to rot on two trolleys; one contained items that have decayed and wrinkled, while the other contained fresh and healthy looking ones… yet we know the fate would be the same. The transiency of life is depicted perfectly in this work, and as I was there, a hint of rotten smell could be detected in the room…

Another memorable installation was ‘Turmeric on parquet‘(1991), a large, swirling Baroque pattern made of the spice turmeric, sprinkled on the floor with a stencil. The work is delicate, exotic and ephemeral, and this time, the room was filled with the smell of sweet turmeric.

Wakely‘s work explored the thresholds between things; vessels, space and aromas permeating boundaries between people and objects. I am slightly surprised that she was not as recognised as other British artists from her period. I am grateful that Camden arts centre has consistently enabled me to discover inspiring artists that operated or are operating outside the mainstream art world. If you have not been there yet, then I urge you to go and explore this airy, laid-back and tranquil (I especially like hangout in their back garden in summers) art centre.

Top: Inside the White Cube collective exhibition at White Cube, Mason’s Yard; 2nd & 3rd rows: Pangaea: New Art from Africa and Latin America at the Saatchi Gallery – Fredy Alzate’s ball of bricks and Rafael Gómezbarros’s ant installation; 4th row: Art & life: The paintings of Beryl Bainbridge at Kings College, Somerset House

Street art &

Sick boy: Make it last forever at The Outsiders gallery

The first London gallery exhibition of UK street art pioneer, Sickboy was shown at The Outsiders gallery in Soho. Originally trained in fine art, the artist emerged from Bristol’s infamous graffiti scene and has been active since 1995.

The exhibition’s ground floor displayed a range of colourful, humourous and satirical paintings, along with his collection of objects including many vintage Disney memorabilia. A large and playful installation was the dominant display in the basement, featuring his distinctive Sickboy coffin floating in a 1950s style display case.

Twenty years ago, graffiti artists probably never thought that their work would end up being exhibited in galleries or sold at prestigious auctions. I wonder how graffiti and street art will evolve in another twenty years’ time? Will kids be taught the techniques at schools? Will these artists become politicians? Only time will tell.

Culture & design

Work and play behind the Iron Curtain at Gallery for Russian Arts & design

I am not if it has anything to do with more Russians living in London now (I hear Russian speakers almost daily these days), but I have noticed more Russian-related arts and cultural events taking place in town. And I was a bit surprised to find out that there is a gallery that is dedicated to Russian Arts & design near Oxford Street.

I visited Work and play behind the Iron Curtain at Gallery for Russian Arts & design, an exhibition that examined Soviet design featuring everyday life objects, models and photographs from the famous ZIL factory. There were many kitsch, quirky retro objects on display and I am quite certain that many can still be found in people’s homes in Russia from what I gathered while I was living there! Fascinating and nostalgic.

Made in Mexico: The Rebozo at Fashion and Textile Museum

Moving from cold Russia to hot Mexico… I thoroughly enjoyed my first visit to the Fashion and Textile Museum where I saw the exhibition, ‘Made in Mexico: The Rebozo’. The exhibition examined the classic Mexican shawl made famous in the 20th century by artist Frida Kahlo. The vivid, exotic and delightful exhibition traced the origins and historical contexts of the rebozo, featuring paintings, photography, textiles, fashion, folk art and shrines etc. Most importantly, it was informative about the production methods and the skills required to produce this traditional garment. Like with many other traditional crafts around the world, there are fears that this skill may be lost if it is not being supported.

The curation here was excellent, and the exhibits blended well inside a museum designed by award-winning Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta. It is fantastic to see brilliant exhibitions being organised by smaller art organisations, galleries and museums in London. It is a shame that many tourists (and even locals) don’t venture beyond the major museums and galleries.

Left & middle: Time: Tattoo Art Today at Somerset House; Right: Tove Jansson: Tales from the Nordic Archipelago at ICA

Photography

Sadly, I missed Dennie Hopper‘s photography exhibition at the Royal Academy of arts, but I did catch internationally-renowned British photographer Martin Parr‘s ‘Signs of the Times‘ at Beetles + Huxley gallery. The exhibition showcased modern and vintage prints documenting the personal tastes of people in the British home, they were created to accompany a documentary made by the BBC in the 1990s of the same title.

Parr‘s photography is an insightful observation of culture, history and people. He captures humour and social changes in ordinary life, objects and people. His humour is very British but his photography language is universal.

Top left & middle: Lorenzo Vitturi’s Dalston Anatomy; Top right & 2nd row left: Primrose: Early colour photography in Russia; 2nd row right: Martin Parr’s ‘Signs of the Times’ at Beetles + Huxley gallery; Bottom: ‘Return of the Rudeboy‘ at Somerset House

At The photographers’ gallery, I saw two excellent exhibitions: Lorenzo Vitturi’s ‘Dalston Anatomy’ and ‘Primrose: Early colour photography in Russia‘. I love London-based Italian photographer Vitturi‘s photography series that captures the threatened spirit of Dalston’s Ridley Road Market (I am also a fan of this wonderful market where you can buy exotic fruits and vegetables like mangoes and lychee for 1/4 of the price you pay in the supermarkets!).

Vitturi arranged found objects and photographed them against backdrops of discarded market materials, in dynamic compositions. These are combined with street scenes and portraits of local characters to create a unique portraits. I was enchanted by the vivid colours and the surreal still life compositions. It also saddens me to think that London’s gentrification means that the city is losing local characteristics and it is replaced by homogeneous chained shops and people of the same class. Vitturi‘s series celebrates London’s multiculturalism and individualism that makes this city unique.

‘Primrose: Early colour photography in Russia’ examined the history and development of colour in Russian photography from the 1860s to the 1970s. There were propaganda photomontages, films, Socialist realist and humanistic photography. The exhibition served as a documentary of Russian history, its people and culture throughout the turbulence period.

Graphics, design & architecture

Hans Hillmann: Film Posters at Kemistry gallery

Kemistry gallery is a small gem in Shoreditch dedicated to graphic design, a design discipline which is often overshadowed by other forms of art and design.

The exhibition was a tribute to one of the most important Modernist German graphic artists, Hans Hillmann, who died in May this year. Hillman designed 130 film posters between 1953 and 1974, and his style varied from the painterly illustration of the 1950s to more experimental works of the 1960s and the Minimalist offerings of the 1970s.

Hillmann‘s work reaffirms that that good design stands the test of time. He designed mainly for arthouse films, including Akira Kurosawa‘s The Seven Samurai and Robert Bresson‘s Pickpocket, as well as films by Jean-Luc Godard, Ingmar Bergman, Jean Cocteau, Michelangelo Antonioni, Federico Fellini, and Luis Buñuel (what an impressive resume!). His film posters are bold, minimal, stylish and eye-catching, and each one is related to the essence or nature of the film itself. Outstanding and inspiring work.

Form through Colour: Josef Albers, Anni Albers and Gary Hume at Somerset House

I went to the Design Museum to see ‘Designs of the Year 2014‘ and ‘Louis Kahn: The Power of Architecture’, but I ended up spending most of my time at ‘Time Machines: Daniel Weil and the Art of Design’ admiring objects created by Argentinian designer and former partner of Pentagram Daniel Weil.

chineasy

Design museum exhibitions – Top 2 rows: Designs of the Year 2014 – Top left: PET lamp by Alvaro Catalán de Ocón; Top right: Public voted winner – Phonebloks by Dave Hakkens; 2nd row: Chineasy by ShaoLan; Last row: ‘Louis Kahn: The Power of Architecture’

People always talk about ‘think out of the box’, well, Daniel Weil literally did that in 1981 when he designed Bag Radio, removing the standard box and putting all the radio components – a circuit board, speaker and battery pack into a clear plastic bag before sealing it. This later became a postmodern design icon.

daniel weil's bag radio

Time machines: Daniel Weil and the art of design at the Design museum

The exhibition provided an overview of Weil‘s 30 year career in the design industry including his role at multidisciplinary design consultancy Pentagram. There were many versions of the Bag radio on display, but I was particularly intrigued by his recent projects in the design of timepieces. These new ‘deconstructed’ timepieces are constructed to show the mechanism as the focus of the design, and they look more like sculptural pieces.

“This new group [of clocks] tries to address how we relate now to machines and to instruments,” Weil explained. “The clock has been so conventionally arranged behind the face and the identical quartz movement that’s been around since the 1970s so I wanted to create this relationship between the movement and the power source.”

Simple, beautiful, insightful and inventive. This is what good design is all about.

toothpicnations

is a theme-based online shop and platform that showcases contemporary Asian designs.

Tag Archives: photography