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Frieze frenzy


image via TNT magazine

London’s own Frieze Week kicks off this Thursday, spiraling up in places where the city has barely recovered from economic woe. The festive extravaganza totals five contemporary art fairs (Frieze, Sunday, Sluice, Moving Image and Multiplied) setting up camp simultaneously in different borrows, bubbling up an art furor on par with Armory week in New York. (There are also other alternative fairs such as PAD and Moniker). Joining the Frieze frenzy, White Cube is opening its brand new space on 12 October in Bermondsey, and by the same occasion, snatching the title of London’s largest commercial gallery space. Many art institutions are also adding their own event in the mix: Serpentine gallery will organize a two-day “Garden Marathon” event curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist, Tate Modern just opened Gerhard Richter’s retrospective and newly commissioned work by Tacita Dean for the Turbine Hall, and a host of other galleries are opening their new shows during the same calendar period. We should expect a great many pop-up shows, talks, and other events yet to be confirmed. In all likelihood, London’s entire art scene, big and small, is taking part and throwing in the best they’ve got. As a measuring stick, Hiscox insurers estimated that the total value of Frieze’s art on show will amount to USD$350 million. A much smaller figure compared to Art Basel’s USD$1.6 billion, Frieze is however a place where dealers, collectors, curators, artists and the curious look out for the sharpest “cutting edge” in art. M-KOS will be on location at Frieze, reporting all the details.

Frieze Art Fair
at Regent’s Park,
13 – 16 October 2011
Over 170 galleries will be exhibited at the Frieze this year. In the Frame section, 25 galleries will present solo artists. Sculpture park located in the beautiful English garden will display outdoor sculptures by 12 artists curated by David Thorpe. Frieze Projects commissioned eight artists this year including Pierre Huygue, Christian Jankowski, Laura Prouvost. Plus, films, music, talks and much more.
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PINTA: the Modern and Contemporary Latin American Art Fair

The 2nd Edition of PINTA London
At Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London
6–9 June 2011
www.pintaart.com

Rivane Neuenschwander “Prosopopeia” (2010) Courtesy of Stephen Friedman Gallery/Tanya Bonakdar
Gallery/Galeria Fortes Vilaca. Photo by Helene Toresdotter. via PINTA

While it might be overshadowed by all the hype of The 54th Venice Biennale, The 2nd edition of PINTA London – Latin American Art Fair, kicks off at Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London on Monday 6th June. PINTA originally started in New York in 2007 then expanded to London last year, showcasing 60 galleries from Latin America, USA and Europe. But the London debut had a rather shaky start. Galleries including Haunch of Venison and White Cube decided not to renew their presence for this year, although good numbers of new galleries are making their debut this year and showing a strong portfolio, most based in Brazil and Spain. Continue reading “PINTA: the Modern and Contemporary Latin American Art Fair”

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Review: The Ha-Ha Crystal at Maria Stenfors, London

The Ha-Ha Crystal
Maria Stenfors, London
Artists: Allen Grubesic, Colin Guillemet, Niamh O’Malley, Jason Rohrer and David Lynch
Curated by Chris Fite-Wassilak
 

Allen Grubesic “The Last Laugh” (2007) India ink in Langton Aq 300gr. Image courtesy of the artist and Maria Stenfors

Maria Stenfors gallery’s group show “The Ha-Ha Crystal” originally refers to Robert Smithson’s analytical model for defining different types of laughter, according to what he calls The Six Main Crystal Systems, as an attempt to find answers on how to visualize the dimensions beyond our usual three:

“[R. Buckminster] Fuller was told by certain scientists that the fourth dimension was ‘ha-ha’, in other words, that it is laughter…Laughter is in a sense a kind of entropic ‘verbalisation.’ How could artists translate this verbal entropy, that is ‘ha-ha’, into solid models?” *

Here the four artists in The Ha-Ha Crystal exhibition endeavor to suggest possible responses to this rhetorical question. With Allen Grubesic’s “The Last Laugh” (2007) three identical white prints literally spell out “HA HA HA” in thick black typo, which don’t quite stand as words rather than a straightforward phonetic illustration. This quasi-iconic code crystallizes with Grubesic’s use of a generic typeface, to directly tap into our collective memory of laughter. Continue reading “Review: The Ha-Ha Crystal at Maria Stenfors, London”

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Review: Janice Kerbel “Kill the Workers!”

Currently on view: London
Janice Kerbel “Kill The Workers!”
at Chisenhale Gallery, through 15 May 2011

Janice Kerbel’s new installation “Kill The Workers!” commissioned by Chisenhale Gallery sets up four stands of multiple light fixtures facing each other to suggest a central ‘stage’ area. The theatre lights follow a series of cue scripts written by Kerbel to condense a 24-hour day-to-night period into 24 minutes. The otherwise empty gallery this way undergoes a succession of narratives and progressive plots, played out solely by the different settings of theatrical lights.

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London Art Marathon: Week 3

The 3rd week of London Art Marathon

Pino Pascali at Camden Arts Centre

Installation View. Image courtesy of Camden Arts Centre

Deutsche Börse Photography Prize at The Photographer’s Gallery at Ambika P3
The finalists: Roe Ethridge, Thomas Demand, Jim Goldberg and Elad Lassry

(Clockwork from top left) Ron Ethridge “Thanksgiving 1984″(2009); Thomas Demand “Heldenorgel” (2009);
Elad Lassry “Man 071” (2008); Jim Goldberg “Man who found a rancid goat in city dump to eat ” (2007)

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London Art Marathon: Week 2

The 2nd week of London Art Marathon

Laurie Anderson, Trisha Brown and Gordon Matta-Clark – Pioneers of the Downtown Scene, New York 1970s at Barbican art gallery

(Clockwork from top left: Gordon Matta-Clark “Open House” (1972); Trisha Brown “Roof Piece” (1973);
Trisha Brown “Walking On The Wall” (1971); Laurie Anderson “Viophonograph” (1976)

Cory Arcangel “Beat The Champ“ at Curve, Barbican Centre

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