| The First Art Newspaper on the Net |   | Established in 1996 | Tuesday, May 30, 2017 |
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| | Painting by Wassily Kandinsky appears at auction for the first time | |
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Wassily Kandinsky, Bild mit w eissen Linien, oil on canvas, painted in October 1913 (Estimate upon request). Courtesy Sothebys.
LONDON.- Hailing from a landmark moment in Kandinskys mastery of abstraction, Bild mit weissen Linien reveals the artists discovery that colour, when disassociated from representational concerns, could become the principal subject of a painting. It is a powerful masterpiece that encapsulates Kandinskys innovation and invention in the revolutionary year of 1913, crucial within the history of modern art as it was marked by events and works across Europe and America that fundamentally changed the way art was conceived and understood. Early in his career, Kandinsky recognised that he was moving towards something that would drastically transform the landscape of modern art, writing in a letter of 1904 to his companion Gabriele Münter without exaggerating, I can say that, should I succeed in this task, I will be showing a new, beautiful path for painting susceptible to infinite development. I am on a new track
which will be recognised, sooner or later. This was a q ... More |
The Best Photos of the Day
| Kelvingrove Museum announces Dali's 'Christ of St. John of the Cross' to go on loan | | Painting by Joan Miró to lead Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale at Sotheby's in June | | A painting by Amedeo Modigliani is bequeathed to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation | 
Painted in 1951 and purchased by the City of Glasgow in 1952, Christ of St John of the Cross continues to be one of the real draws for the million plus people who visit Kelvingrove Museum each year.
GLASGOW.- One of Scotlands favourite paintings, Christ of St John of the Cross by Salvador DalÃ, which hangs in Glasgows Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is to go on loan. The iconic artwork will first travel to the Royal Academy of Arts in London in September 2017, before returning to Kelvingrove in the summer of 2018. It will then go on loan again to Auckland Castle, County Durham in autumn 2019 until spring 2020. Painted in 1951 and purchased by the City of Glasgow in 1952, Christ of St John of the Cross continues to be one of the real draws for the million plus people who visit Kelvingrove Museum each year. It will remain on show at Kelvingrove Museum for most of the school summer holiday period, before coming down in early August, in preparation for its move to the Royal Academy, London. The painting will be one of the star attractions of DalÃ/Duchamp, ... More | | 
Joan Miró, Femme et oiseau x (detail), gouache and oil wash on paper, 13 April 1940 (Estimate upon request). Courtesy Sothebys.
LONDON.- A mesmerising example of Joan Mirós celebrated lyricism and freedom of expression during the Second World War, Femme et oiseaux is the eighth in the extraordinary series of twenty-three Constellations that are considered the masterpieces of his prolific oeuvre. At the time of painting, Miró was deeply anguished about the political situation in both Spain and France and profoundly concerned about both countries future. In this work, a number of vibrant forms join together in frenzied activity to create a united cosmic vision and it was in this otherworldly subject-matter that the artist found a much needed escape. The painting does not even hint at the relentless progress of the forces of oppression, instead the artist looks to the beauty and poetry of the world that still prevailed. Appearing on the market for the first time in thirty years, the masterful Femme et oiseaux will lead Sothebys ... More | | 
Amedeo Modigliani, Woman in a Sailor Shirt (La femme en blouse marine), 1916 (detail).
VENICE.- The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundations collections have been enhanced by the acquisition of a rare oil on canvas by Amedeo Modigliani: Woman in a Sailor Shirt (La femme en blouse marine), of 1916. This was a testamentary bequest of the Venetian collector Luisa Toso. The canvas will first be exhibited at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection on June after examination and conservation by the conservator at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Luciano Pensabene Buemi, who in recent years has also carried out the cleaning of paintings at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection by Jackson Pollock and Pablo Picasso. EFG, Institutional Patron of the museum, enthusiastically adopted and funded the project, given the paintings historic and artistic importance to Italian culture. A thick layer of non-original varnish, both oxidized and yellowed, was removed. It had been applied during a prior restoration intervention which however altered the colo ... More |
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| Norway to digitise Nigerian literature | | Works by Franz von Stuck met with great enthusiasm at Ketterer Kunst auction in Munich | | Alberto Giacometti's ground-breaking contribution to Modern art 'Grande figure' to highlight Sotheby's sale | 
The National Library of Norway plans to digitise part of its Nigerian counterpart's collection.
OSLO (AFP).- The National Library of Norway said Monday it would digitise literature from Nigeria following a seemingly unprecedented agreement which organisers hope will lead to an "African digital library". In the northern Norwegian town of Mo i Rana, at the rim of the Arctic Circle, the National Library of Norway plans to digitise part of its Nigerian counterpart's collection. The library's public division is located in the capital Oslo. "Our goal is for this project to serve as a model for other countries, and that we can help create a fully-fledged African digital library," the Norwegian library's director Aslak Sira Myhre said in a statement. The agreement, which is to be signed on June 10 in Abuja, will initially cover works written in the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba languages, the library said. The costs will be shared, with the library in Nigeria responsible for collecting the works and the Norwegian one for carrying out the digitisation, with the transport covered by the Norwegian ... More | | 
Franz von Stuck, Susanna im Bade, around 1913 (detail), oil on canvas, 65,6 x 29,6 cm / 25.8 x 11.6 inches. Calling price: 75,000. Sold for: 375.000.
MUNICH.- The spring auction season at Ketterer Kunst in Munich saw a successful opening with a result of 1.3 million grossed in the department of 19th Century Art. Special attention went to the first 35 lot numbers from a collection of a Southern German art lover. Particularly the works by Franz von Stuck were met with great enthusiasm. The auction's top ranks are held by several works by Franz von Stuck, first and foremost an oil painting of Susanna im Bade (lot 20), who is surprised by two men while bathing. With a result of 375,000, nearly five times the calling price, it made for amazement among the audience in the saleroom. Even though almost a dozen phone bidders already promised an exciting bidding race before the auction, the result eventually provided by a Swiss art dealer exceeded all expectations and relegated competitors from Germany, Cyprus and Great Britain to places second and ... More | | 
Alberto Giacometti, Grande Figure, bronze with gold patina, 1947. Eest. £15,000,000-25,000,000. Courtesy Sothebys.
LONDON.- Rising from the ground like deities, Giacomettis women have a remarkable presence that capture something of the enduring dignity and grandeur of ancient sculpture. They also have the remoteness and anonymity that speak to the modern age and seem to offer a commentary on the fragile nature of the human condition. Grande figure is a rare, unique sculpture by Alberto Giacometti from the pivotal year of 1947, in which the existential anxiety of the post-war period translates into a raw and expressive female form. Conceived on an impressive scale at over a metre tall and coloured in radiant gold, this sculpture marks the beginning of the most significant period in his working life. It was in this crucial year that many of his greatest and most celebrated creations came to life, including LHomme qui marche and LHomme au doigt, and the pervasive modernity of these works is particular to the post- ... More |
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| MoMA presents the first U.S. solo exhibition of the work of Martine Syms | | Sotheby's Hong Kong announces highlights from the June series of Chinese Works of Art sales | | John Travolta donates his Qantas plane to Australia museum | 
Incense Sweaters & Ice (film still) 2017. Courtesy the artist and Bridget Donahue, New York.
NEW YORK, NY.- The Museum of Modern Art presents Projects 106: Martine Syms, the first solo museum exhibition in the United States of the work of Martine Syms (b. 1988) from May 27 through July 16. The exhibition features an immersive installation centering on a never-before-seen feature-length film, Incense Sweaters & Ice (2017). Shot on location, the film travels from Mississippi to Los Angeles by way of St. Louis, reflecting the legacies of the Great Migration. The narrative follows three protagonistsGirl, her great-aunt Mrs. Queen Esther Bernetta White, and her new acquaintance WB (whiteboy)as they move between watching, being watched, and remaining unseen. Accompanying the film is a suite of prints that superimpose photographic stills from Incense Sweaters & Ice onto found American movie posters. An artist-designed augmented reality (AR) app launched in conjunction with the exhibition and will allow viewers to unlock addi ... More | | 
A Set of Two Imperial Celadon and Brown Jade 'Daoguang Yubi' and 'Zhengzai Yangmin' Seals Qing Dynasty, Daoguang Period Est. HK$2 million 3 million / US$258,000 387,000. Courtesy Sothebys.
HONG KONG.- Sothebys Hong Kong June series of Chinese Works of Art sales will take place on 1 and 2 June at Sothebys Hong Kong Gallery. The highlight of the Chinese Art sale is a set of two Imperial Qing dynasty jade seals from the collection of Emile Guimet (18361918), the founder of the eponymous Asian Art Museum in Paris. Also featured is a collection of archaic jades assembled in Hong Kong from the 1950s, Yixing stoneware from a prominent English collection, and a selection of Song ceramics with early Buddhist sculptures and bronze animal paperweights. Incorporating for the first time other collecting categories, this sale will feature a fine group of Japanese woodblock prints from a private Hong Kong collection, among them the eminent Under the Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai (17601849), from the series of the Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji. ... More | | 
A file photo taken on July 12, 2002, shows Hollywood star and Qantas "Ambassador-at-Large" John Travolta, standing in front of his Boeing 707 at Sydney Airport. Greg Wood / AFP.
SYDNEY (AFP).- Hollywood star John Travolta has donated his "beloved" Boeing 707 plane to an Australian aviation museum and is aiming to be part of the crew to deliver the vintage aircraft. Made for Qantas Airways in 1964, the "Saturday Night Fever" heartthrob and qualified pilot acquired the jet when Australia's national carrier retired it more than 30 years later. "It gives me great pleasure to make this exciting historical announcement that my beloved Boeing 707 aircraft has been donated to the Historical Aircraft Restoration society (HARS)," Travolta, a Qantas ambassador since 2002, said in a statement. Australian aircraft preservation organisation HARS will help restore the plane so it can make the journey from the United States to their base some 90 miles (145 kilometres) from Sydney. A date for the flight is not yet fixed but the actor, a long-time aviation buff, said he ... More |
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| Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens exhibits treasures from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston | | The Arts Club of Chicago presents "Bettina Pousttchi: Suspended Mies" | | Sørlandets Kunstmuseum presents installation by the Danish artist Jeppe Hein | 
Star tile with Shahnama imagery (Iran (probably Kashan), early 13th century, fritware with polychrome and luster decoration on opaque white glaze, 10 5/8 x 8 7/8 x 13/16 in., Julia Knight Fox Fund, 31.495. Photograph © 2016 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA.- The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens is presenting Ink, Silk, and Gold: Islamic Treasures from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, on view May 19 through September 3, 2017. Ink, Silk, and Gold is an exhibition illuminating Islamic and Middle Eastern history, culture, religious beliefs, and their contributions to global society. Exceptional objects from the Islamic art collection belonging to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston make a final stop in Jacksonville before returning to their home institution. The objects highlighted in this exhibition not only cover a wide variety of artistic traditions, they also span centuries and vast territories. Ranging from the 8th to the 21st century, the works originated in an Islamic world that spreads from Spain ... More | | 
A large-scale photograph of the Seagram Building printed on textile, extends the length of the entire west gallery.
CHICAGO, IL.- The Arts Club of Chicago is presenting Bettina Pousttchi: Suspended Mies. Berlin-based artist Bettina Pousttchi is best known for her large-scale photographic interventions in public space, covering entire facades of buildings with images redolent with historical or architectural meaning. In her photography and sculpture she further explores the connections between systems of time and space from a transnational perspective. For her exhibition at the Arts Club of Chicago, the German-Iranian artist (born 1971, Mainz) has developed a new site-specific photo installation that responds to the work of architect Mies van der Rohe, who designed the famed floating staircase at The Arts Club. The installation is comprised of three parts that bring together Miess legacy in New York, London and Chicago. The first ... More | | 
Jeppe Hein, Distance, 2004.
KRISTIANSAND.- Sørlandets Kunstmuseum is presenting the installation Distance by the acclaimed Danish artist Jeppe Hein. Jeppe Heins installations and sculptures play with our sensory experiences and invite the audience to take an active role. Public participation is also central to the installation Distance. When you enter the exhibition room, your presence is registered by a sensor and a ball is set in motion. The ball rolls at different speeds through several hundred meters of loops, lifts and spirals. You can follow your own personal ball through the labyrinth that transforms the exhibition space into a dynamic structure. Distance was originally created in 2004, but for the exhibition at Sørlandets Kunstmuseum a unique version has been made. Each time the work is presented the result is contingent on the specific exhibition space. In this way, the work invites us to question how we as viewers experience our environment and ... More |
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Documentation of "Van Gogh's Bedrooms" Digital Experience
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 Multimedia exhibition project by Oto Hudec on view at Kunsthalle LABBRATISLAVA.- This years second exhibition in Kunsthalle LAB presents the project Archipelago by the Slovak multimedia artist Oto Hudec, whose artwork has been also cherished by the prestigious museum Centre Georges Pompidou as a part of their collections. The exhibition will run until June 11, 2017. People say that Cova da Moura, the immigrants district of Lisbon is just another of the Cape Verde Islands. Between the Cape Verde Islands and the diaspora there exists a lively connection. Mostly once a year the immigrants return home to their families, showing off their most shiny branded outfits and nourishing the dream about the rich world out there for next generations. Thanks to the money the immigrants are sending their families, the Cape Verde Islands grow. Immigration, though, also brings along stories of disappointment when in crisis-stricken Portugal the ... More Exhibition celebrates one of 20th century America's most wildly talented innovatorsGRAND RAPIDS, MICH.- The Grand Rapids Art Museum announces The Art of Rube Goldberg, an exhibition that celebrates the groundbreaking artwork of one of the most influential cartoon illustrators of the twentieth century. The exhibition is on view at GRAM from May 20 through August 27, 2017. Marking the first comprehensive retrospective exhibition of Goldbergs work since 1970, The Art of Rube Goldberg chronicles all aspects of the artists seventy-two-year career, from his earliest published drawings and iconic inventions to his Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoons and beyond. Bringing together never-before-exhibited original works of art, preparatory drawings, video, and related ephemera, this exhibition offers visitors an unprecedented opportunity to witness the development of Goldberg's artwork and trace his rise to prominence. The Grand Rapids ... More Sotheby's launches film series that goes behind the scenes of Chatsworth's House Style exhibitionLONDON.- Sothebys three-part series, presented by C.W. Sellors Fine Jewellery and produced by Chrome Productions, goes behind-the-scenes of the acclaimed exhibition House Style and provides unique access to the making of this extraordinary journey through five centuries of fashion at Chatsworth. Curated by Hamish Bowles, International Editor-at-Large at American Vogue, and Lady Laura Burlington, with creative direction and design by Patrick Kinmonth and Antonio Monfreda, the landmark exhibition spans 24 rooms in the house and layers art history fashion, jewellery & design, bringing to life the captivating individuals from 16 generations of the Cavendish family. The recreation of some of the exquisite jewellery pieces for the exhibition by C.W. Sellors Fine Jewellery also features in the series. Sothebys ... More Exhibition of new work by Filipino artist Louie Cordero on view at Jonathan LeVine ProjectsJERSEY CITY, NJ.- Jonathan LeVine Projects is presenting Under Heavy Manners, an exhibition of new work by Filipino artist Louie Cordero in what is his second solo show at the gallery. Corderos renowned for paintings that reference his native Philippines, a nation with a complex mixture of eastern and western influences thats currently plagued by an overwhelming amount of violence. This condition, at times, has veiled the land with an air of uncertainty and susceptibility to vindictiveness. It is a condition that is slowly setting in into the consciousness of its people. Under Heavy Manners is comprised of paintings that depict this vulnerable state, which through observation and contemplation, has prompted Cordero to examine the unsettling imagery that arises from this situation. It is a by-product of certain enigmas that danger generates, which can breed feelings of both ... More Ronchini Gallery opens solo exhibition of Dutch artist Berndnaut SmildeLONDON.- Ronchini Gallery is presenting its second solo exhibition of Dutch artist Berndnaut Smilde. This multidisciplinary exhibition features a new video installation, sculpture and neon wall works alongside his well known Nimbus photography series. The exhibition also coincides with the release of Smildes first monograph, Builded Remnants, published by Damiani. Smilde explores the physical de-construction and re-construction of materials; light, space, atmosphere and experience in relation to his architectural environment. Creating a new moment between the realms of reality and the temporal, each element in the exhibition forms a physical construct, if only for a fragment of time. The title of the exhibition, Dismantled Ruben, is an anagram of Smildes name and features as one of three neon works along with Traumbild Senden and Builded Remnants. These ... More Angela Su's first solo exhibition at Blindspot Gallery on view in Hong KongHONG KONG.- Blindspot Gallery is presenting The Afterlife of Rosy Leavers, Angela Sus first solo exhibition at Blindspot Gallery. The exhibition showcases the artists newest works that include drawing, video, hair embroidery and installation. This is the culmination of Sus extended research on mental illness and social control, offering a dissection of her own state of mind to explore the im/possibility of autonomy, agency and empathy in ones daily struggles. The exhibition is a self-reflexive journey that begins with Sus exploration with hallucination to question the perception of reality, and subsequently how she positions herself in these uncertainties. Interlaced with different key concepts, recurring motifs and historical facts, the journey contains two main intersecting narratives: the first thread focuses on the inner self and introduces doubling, hallucination and virtual reality; the se ... More Block Universe: Performance art festival kicked off today in London with an exciting programmeLONDON.- Londons international performance art festival Block Universe opened this Monday 29 May for a week-long programme of performances, including 5 new commissions, 4 UK premieres and an exciting public programme. This years edition addresses notions of nationhood, the power of collective voices and identity politics set against a changing socio-political landscape. Looking at networked communities and the power of collective voices, Block Universe champions work that questions the status quo in divisive times. Now in its third edition, Block Universe brings together cutting-edge performance art at the cross-section of contemporary visual art, dance and music, and presents work by some of the most exciting UK-based and international artists working with performance today. This year, audiences will experience Liz Magic Lasers political ... More Stars raise $20 million at Cannes AIDS galaCANNES (AFP).- A galaxy of stars including Leonardo DiCaprio, Dustin Hoffman, Nicole Kidman and Will Smith raised more than $20 million (18 million euros) at the AIDS benefit that is the social highlight of the Cannes film festival, organisers said Friday. The annual amfAR Foundation for AIDS Research gala dinner late Thursday saw celebrities and benefactors paying up to $500,000 for a table at the exclusive Eden Roc hotel just along the French Riviera at Cap d'Antibes. Actresses Jessica Chastain, Milla Jovovich and Eva Longoria, former footballer David Beckham, and directors David Lynch and Pedro Almodovar were among the other A-listers present for the auction to help the charity founded by the late Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor. The starry guest list which also included Uma Thurman, Tobey Maguire, Adrien Brody, Christoph Waltz and model Bella Hadid were ... More Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow and artist Marlie Mul confirm this exhibition has been cancelledGLASGOW.- At Muls request there is no exhibition and the gallery will remain empty. Although there is no exhibition in Gallery 1 the public are encouraged to visit and interact with the space. The only things visible are billboards that advertise the exhibitions cancellation. While the gallery is empty, GoMA hopes the local community will seize this opportunity and propose alternative uses for the space. Removing the exhibition from the gallery space forces us to question the value and function of cultural institutions such as GoMA in contemporary society today. Marlie Muls exhibition has been cancelled and GoMA has not replaced it with another programmed exhibition, leaving Gallery 1 vacant. The public are invited to propose alternative uses for the space during the time that had been set aside for Muls show. Instead this creates space to involve GoMAs existing audience ... More The Kraszna-Krausz Foundation 2017 Book Awards in Photography and Moving ImageLONDON.- The Kraszna-Krausz Foundation announces the winners for their Book Awards championing books in photography and moving image. Recognising practitioners who have made an original and lasting educational, professional, historical and cultural contribution to the fields of photography and moving image books, the Awards celebrate excellence, seeking to broaden perceptions on the importance of books in both fields. Winning the Award for Best Photography Book 2017 is Provoke: Between Protest and Performance by Diane Dafour, Matthew Witkovsky, Duncan Forbes and for Best Moving Image Book Anatomy of Sound: Norman Corwin and Media Authorship by Jacob Smith and Neil Verman, with the prize money of £10,000 being divided between each Award. These exceptional and varied books were chosen by an international panel of leading ... More Stephenson's to auction antique & vintage toys, trains, dolls on June 11SOUTHAMPTON, PA.- Located in suburban Philadelphia, family-owned Stephensons Auctioneers is a favorite source for collectors of all types of antiques, art and vintage collectibles. While the gallery is always a busy place during auction previews, its never more animated than when the occasion is a Stephensons Doll, Toy & Train Auction, like the one planned for Sunday, June 11, 2017. Weve definitely been discovered by the toy community, said Cindy Stephenson, owner of Stephensons Auctioneers. Weve been known as estate specialists since 1962, but primarily to buyers of antiques and fine art. When we started hosting sales dedicated exclusively to toys, a whole new crowd of collectors started following us. They love the thrill of discovering things that have remained in the same family home for multiple generations, which is quite typical in Philadelphia ... More |
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Flashback On a day like today, Westminster's Big Ben rang for the first time in London May 30, 1859. LONDON.- Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and is often extended to refer to the clock or the clock tower as well. Big Ben is the largest four-faced chiming clock and the third-tallest free-standing clock tower in the world. It celebrated its 150th anniversary in May 2009 (the clock itself first ticking on 31 May 1859), during which celebratory events took place.
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