Marcel Dzama, The Queen’s Ghost Vanish’d From Our Sight, 2013. Ink, gouache, and graphite on piano paper (2 scrolls) Courtesy of the artist and David Zwirner Gallery, NY/London
To underline Marcel Dzama’s current exhibition “Puppets, Pawns, and Prophets“ at David Zwirner in London until 11 May, M-KOS is posting once more its interview recorded with Dzama in 2011, when he visited Montreal for the screenings of his “A Game of Chess” (2011) and “Death Disco Dance” (2011) videos at POP festival. For this latest exhibition at Zwirner, Dzama shows new drawings, sculptures and videos that include “Death Disco Dance” as well as the more recent “Sister Squares” (2012), considered the sequel to his “A Game of Chess†video. In the following interview, although already one and a half years old, Dzama talks about how the making of Death Disco Dance, and the influence of Marcel Duchamp that is undoubtedly manifested in many of his work. Continue reading “From the M-KOS archives: Marcel Dzama interview”
Homage to Marcel Duchamp. Installation view at DODGEgallery, New York (Armory Focus: USA) Photo by M-KOS
As always since 1913, Armory held this year an impressive show at Piers 92 & 94 in New York City, on the extended weekend of 7-10 March. The world’s oldest art fair surprisingly made little fanfare of its centennial edition, other than to boast historical landmarks on its website. Hardly any educational effort was exerted outside of VIP conferences, for example to nod at the initial 69th Armory Regiment venue, which the fair got its name from. Some exhibitors such as DODGEgallery and Francis M. Naumann Fine Art (both New York based) did theme their booth on iconic works by Marcel Duchamp, recalling his impact at the inaugural show, one hundred years ago. Continue reading “We’re Looking For You – The Centennial Armory Show report Pt.1”
Luc Tuymans, Allo!, 2012. Oil on canvas. Courtesy the artist and David Zwirner Gallery
David Zwirner opens his new gallery in London today inaugurating with Luc Tuymans exhibition Allo!.
The exhibition comprises a series of paintings entitled Allo! initially inspired by Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (1899), but in the end drawing more visual references from the final scene in the 1942 film The Moon and Sixpence, itself an adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham’s eponymous novel from 1919. Tuymans’s convoluted interest on the topic enacts a general negation of modernism and Hollywood’s longstanding idealization of the artist as a romantic savage. This will be Tuymans’ ninth solo show since joining David Zwirner in 1994. Continue reading “David Zwirner inaugurates new London venue with Luc Tuymans”
Last week’s 2011 edition of ArtPop – the visual arts wing of the annual music festival Pop Montreal – showcased Marcel Dzama’s recent films “A Game of Chess†(2011) and “Death Disco Dance†(2011). The former was premiered in his solo exhibition “Behind Every Curtain†at David Zwirner Gallery in New York earlier this year. This black and white film reveals Dzama’s inspiration and nostalgia of Bauhaus, Duchamp and yet retains a strong story telling sense, in a very personal aesthetic that resonates with contemporary life. An offshoot of “A Game of Chessâ€, the four-minutes colour film “Death Disco Dance†is more spontaneous and upbeat, and found a world premier at ArtPop. M-KOS interviewed Dzama during his Montreal pop-over.
M-KOS: Is this your first time back in Montreal since your retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Montreal in 2010?
Marcel Dzama: Yes. This is the first time since then. It is very nice to be here in fall instead of winter.
MK: Yes, less snow…
Dzama: Well, it’s beautiful in winter as well but it’s much nicer now.
MK: You are here for POP Festival?
Dzama: Yes. I’m showing two films – one is a short film called “Death Disco Dance”, almost like a little music video or an art film, with a Post punk soundtrack which I played with the special guest band with a live sound system.
The other one is called “A Game of Chessâ€. It’s a 15 minutes film that was shot in Guadalajara, in Mexico. I had a friend who had a ceramic foundry there. I was making ceramic sculptures. Originally I had the idea of shooting film at my studio in New York but my friend at the foundry said “shoot it here, I have all the connections of people here!â€. So I had the ballet company of Guadalajara perform in the film and I made these papier maché costumes there which was a lot of fun to be in Mexico instead of being in my studio making them. And a lot of people were helping me as well in making them. Continue reading “Interview: Marcel Dzama”
