Gemeentemuseum Den Haag Opens Important Mondrian Exhibit in the Netherlands

Gemeentemuseum Den Haag Opens Important Mondrian Exhibit in the Netherlands artlover77665588888888

Piet Mondrian, Victory Boogie Woogie, 1942-1944. EFE / Valerie Kuypers.

THE HAGUE.- To coincide with the current highly successful Mondrian in Cologne exhibition – already attended by over 100,000 people – a new book has been published entitled Mondriaan. Collectie Gemeentemuseum Den Haag. It puts paid to the popular idea that Piet Mondrian was a cold, mathematically-minded man and reveals that he was in fact an artist engaged in a passionate quest for a new formal language in which to paint. He never followed any rational, preconceived programme, but felt his way forward through a process of trial and error until he arrived at something that felt right to him. This summer his radiant paintings are back home on show in the Gemeentemuseum, illustrating this new view of Mondrian’s artistic evolution. In the new exhibition, as in the book, curator and Mondrian expert Hans Janssen rejects the common assumption that Mondrian’s work displays a predominantly rigid, linear pattern of development. Taking the actual paintings and water colours as his point of departure, Janssen provides a completely different perspective. Using explanatory texts and groups of contemporaneous works with the same subject (such as farmhouses or landscapes), or works with the same subject but differing dates, or works that seem for stylistic reasons to have been produced at around the same time, Janssen shows that Mondrian proceeded via a repetitive and improvisional process of trial and error over particular periods until he achieved a result he found truly satisfying. With the exception of the commissioned works made to order, he never knew exactly what he wanted to achieve when he started work on a piece. In fact, Mondrian emerges from the exhibition as an extraordinarily flexible and adaptable artist. The exhibition also shows that Mondrian was far from being the lone wolf making his own way in artistic isolation that Modernist critics have always suggested; on the contrary, he was influenced by his environment and the people around him. A number of artists with whom Mondrian worked at various times – including Ferdinand Hart Nibbrig, Jacoba van Heemskerk, Jan Toorop, and his co-founders of De Stijl – played a demonstrable role in his life and artistic development. The works on show reveal the reciprocal influences that resulted from their shared quest for the ultimate work of art and the conclusions to which they came. The Gemeentemuseum Den Haag possesses the largest Mondrian collection in the world. It illustrates the entire evolution of the artist’s oeuvre, from his early figurative work right through to his final abstract masterpiece, Victory Boogie Woogie. Over recent years, that particular work has been the subject of in-depth study. The results will be presented at a public meeting on the morning of Saturday 30 August 2008.

L'Hommage à BASQUIAT - Chris OVEN

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China International Gallery Exposition : 5eme round

China International Gallery Exposition : 5eme round

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La Chine, qui vient de s´imposer comme la troisième place de marché mondial derrière les Etats-Unis et le Royaume-Uni en détrônant la France, souhaite asseoir son rayonnement avec des foires d´art d´envergure internationale.

En septembre 2007, la foire Shcontemporary réunissait déjà une centaine de galeries à Shanghai. Six mois plus tard, le rendez-vous des collectionneurs d´art est donné à Pékin par CIGE (China International Gallery Exposition) qui fête son cinquième anniversaire du 24 au 28 avril 2008. Des galeries européennes et américaines seront au rendez-vous avec des artistes de toutes nationalités au cœur d´un focus sur la large scène asiatique. Ont répondu présentes des galeries coréennes, indonésiennes, japonaises et, bien sûr, un large panel de galeries chinoises. L´événement invite à découvrir des artistes encore novices sur le marché des enchères et des artistes chinois déjà consacrés, tant en Asie, qu´en Europe et dans les pays anglo-saxons.

Les sommes décrochées aux enchères par les stars de l´art contemporain chinois sont d´ailleurs de plus en plus spectaculaires en Asie et déclassent quelques records enregistrés sur les places de marché anglo-saxonnes. Le 9 avril 2008 par exemple, lors de la dispersion de la collection Estella par Sotheby´s Hong Kong, Xiaogang ZHANG, artiste de tout juste 50 ans cette année, a vu sa toile Bloodline: The Big Family No.3 doubler sa fourchette d´estimation pour une enchère gagnante de 42,255 millions de Hong Kong Dollars, soit plus de 5,4 millions de dollars, déboursé par un collectionneur privé asiatique. Ce score spectaculaire est un nouveau sommet pour l´artiste. Christie´s et Sotheby´s avaient présenté en 2007, à Londres et à New-York, d´autres œuvres de grande qualité issues de cette série Bloodline, mais aucune n´avait encore franchi le seuil des 3,5 millions de dollars… l´ascension de ZHANG Xiaogang continue ! Avec 90% des lots de la collection Estella adjugés à Hong-Kong, la vacation fut un succès qui balayait les timides résultats de l´art contemporain chinois en mars à New-York.

Parmi les autres artistes contemporains chinois incontournables que se disputent les collectionneurs : rappelons les noms de FANG LIJUN, WANG GUANGYI, YAN PEIMING, YUE MINJUN ou CAI GUO-QIANG… aucun d´entre eux ne manquaient d´ailleurs à l´appel des ventes d´art chinois contemporains des mois de mars et avril 2008 (Sotheby´s New-York et Hong-Kong).

La demande soutenue et la progression rapide des prix placent les amateurs dans une urgence d´acquisition. De fait, les plus grands noms de l´art contemporain chinois trouvent aisément preneurs aux enchères, pour peu que les œuvres soient de qualité. Par exemple, parmi les 15 toiles du très prisé Guangyi WANG (1957) soumises à enchères entre la fin du mois de février et le 10 avril 2008, seule une toile n´a pas séduit suffisamment les amateurs du genre : intitulée Eternal Halo (28 févr. 2008, Phillips de Pury & CompanyNY), sa bichromie noire et blanche était peu habituelle face aux toiles criardes de la série Great Criticism. Les autres œuvres proposées, chez Artcurial, Phillips de Pury & Company et Sotheby's étaient adjugées entre 45 000 dollars pour les plus petits formats (40 x 50 cm) et 400 000 dollars pour les plus grands (plus d´un mètre).

Jeunes et pourtant déjà confirmés aux enchères, ces météores de l´art chinois accélèrent l´émergence de pléthore de leurs concitoyens depuis 2006. Ils sont souvent peintres mais aussi sculpteurs, photographes ou adeptes de l´installation. Ils se nomment par exemple SU, Xinping (1960), WANG, Yuping (1961), SHENG, Qi (1965), GUO, Wei (1960), FENG, Zhengjie (1968), YANG LIU (1982), LI, Tianbing (1974), SHEN, Ling (1965), HAN, Qing (1965) pour la peinture. SUI, Jianguo (1956), CHEN, Wenling (1969) SHI, Zhongying (1975) pour les œuvres en trois dimensions, HUANG, Yan (1966) ou CHEN, Jiagang (1962) pour la photographie.

Experts Say Oil Painting Originally Started in Asia not Europe After Studying Bamiyan Caves

Experts Say Oil Painting Originally Started in Asia not Europe After Studying Bamiyan Caves artlover45566888788788

Wall paintings in the Afghan region of Bamiyan. National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo (Japan).

NEW YORK-The world was in shock when in 2001 the Talibans destroyed two ancient colossal Buddha statues in the Afghan region of Bamiyan. Behind those statues, there are caves decorated with precious paintings from 5th to 9th century A.D. The caves also suffered from Taliban destruction, as well as from a severe natural environment, but today they have become the source of a major discovery. Scientists have proved, thanks to experiments performed at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), that the paintings were made of oil, hundreds of years before the technique was “invented” in Europe. Results are published today in the peer-reviewed Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry. In many European history and art books, oil painting is said to have started in the 15th century in Europe. But scientists from the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties in Tokyo (Japan), the Centre of Research and Restoration of the French Museums-CNRS (France), the Getty Conservation Institute (United States) and the ESRF have recently identified drying oils in some of the samples they studied from the Bamiyan caves. Painted in the mid-7th century A.D., the murals show scenes with Buddhas in vermilion robes sitting cross-legged amid palm leaves and mythical creatures. The scientists discovered that 12 out of the 50 caves were painted with oil painting technique, using perhaps walnut and poppy seed drying oils. A combination of synchrotron techniques such as infrared micro-spectroscopy, micro X-ray fluorescence, micro X-ray absorption spectroscopy or micro X-ray diffraction was crucial for the outcome of the work. "On one hand, the paintings are arranged as superposition of multiple layers, which can be very thin. The micrometric beam provided by synchrotron sources was hence essential to analyze separately each of these layers. On the other hand, these paintings are made with inorganic pigments mixed in organic binders, so we needed different techniques to get the full picture" Marine Cotte, a research scientist at CNRS and an ESRF scientific collaborator explains. "There are 50 synchrotrons in the world, and the one in Grenoble, with 844 meters in circumference, is one of the largest in the world," declared to EFE ESRF spokesperson, Montserrat Capellas. The results showed a high diversity of pigments as well as binders and the scientists identified original ingredients and alteration compounds. Apart from oil-based paint layers, some of the layers were made of natural resins, proteins, gums, and, in some cases, a resinous, varnish-like layer. Protein-based material can indicate the use of hide glue or egg. Within the various pigments, the scientists found a high use of lead whites. These lead carbonates were often used, since Antiquity up to modern times, not only in paintings but also in cosmetics as face whiteners. “This is the earliest clear example of oil paintings in the world, although drying oils were already used by ancient Romans and Egyptians, but only as medicines and cosmetics”, explains Yoko Taniguchi, leader of the team. The paintings are probably the work of artists who traveled on the Silk Road, the ancient trade route between China, across Central Asia's desert to the West. However, there are very few studies about this region. “Due to political reasons research on paintings in Central Asia is scarce. We were fortunate to get the opportunity from UNESCO, as a part of conservation project for the World Heritage site Bamiyan, to study these samples and we hope that future research may provide deeper understanding of the painting techniques along the Silk Road and the Eurasian area”, says Taniguchi. The results were presented in a scientific conference in Japan last January, but are only published today in a peer-reviewed journal.

Cannes Film Festival Poster, a Tribute to David Lynch, Presented

Cannes Film Festival Poster, a Tribute to David Lynch, Presented artlover7766888888588

Red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. © FIF

CANNES.-The poster of the 61st Festival de Cannes is a work by Pierre Collier, a cinema poster artist, inspired by a photograph by David Lynch. This tribute to the talent of David Lynch provides the tone for the 61st Festival de Cannes. Pierre Collier has designed an aesthetic environment for festival goers that can be seen outside and inside the Palais, as though declaring it the land of film from May 14th to 25th. The Festival de Cannes is the most important motion-picture event in the world, with more than 35,000 accreditees representing all the professions of the film industry - including more than 4,000 journalists. For 60 years, the Festival has reinforced its role as tribune of world cinema with the constant concern to serve the development of cinematic art, from the discovery and promotion of films and artists, to reception and service to professionals, implementation of new dynamics to support creation, and organisation of cultural and artistic activities which enrich the event: forums, tributes, masterclasses, exhibits... A privileged venue for meetings and cinematic discoveries alike, the Festival de Cannes reflects the dual nature of cinema, both an art and an industry. For, if the Festival evokes first and foremost the surprise of a Selection and suspense of the Awards Ceremony, it is equally the rendezvous of choice for all motion-picture industry professionals for whom the Marché du Film (Film Market) was created at the Festival in 1959. Closely in tune with the talent of the artists who contribute in return to its influence, the Festival equally develops programmes in support of cinematic creation throughout the world. 20 years after the Caméra d'Or, prize awarded to best first film, the Festival created in 1998 the Cinéfondation to enable young film-makers, at various stages of their creative careers, to step up to direction and gain international professional recognition. Over the years, the Festival has acquired a fame based on the balance between the artistic quality of films and their commercial impact, thus providing the films which it presents with a unique and international springboard, it prefigures as much as it reflects the evolution and trends of film industries and production all over the world by striving to privilege what was called, in a celebrated formula, "cinema d'auteur for the general public".

Nous vous présentons Sylvette AIGUIER à la Galerie Autour de L'Art à Antibes

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Kunsthalle Wien Invites People to Participate in Spencer Tunick New Body & Landscape Sculpture

Kunsthalle Wien Invites People to Participate in Spencer Tunick New Body & Landscape Sculpture artlover778866888888

Spencer Tunick photograph in abandoned train station in Buffalo.

VIENNA.-The contemporary artist Spencer Tunick creates a new body & landscape sculpture in the Ernst-Happel-Stadium, Vienna. You have the opportunity to become part of a synthesis of the arts. Spencer Tunick is recognized world-wide for his elaborately posed still and video images of multiple nude figures in public settings. His temporary site-specific installations have taken place around the globe in cities including Montreal, Melbourne, Lyon, Santiago, New York, Mexico City and Barcelona to name a few. Tunick gathers volunteers to take part which in the past have totaled anywhere from 100 - 18,000 participants. His work combines sculpture, performance and land art that consistently features skillfully posed nudes juxtaposed in urban and natural environments. This very special ephemeral installation that we are inviting you to be part of is devised to capture and combine the spirit of sports, the grand sweeping waves of stadium architecture and the abstract relation of the human form to modern structures. We are encouraging people from neighboring countries and cities to come to Vienna and be part of this memorable artwork. The first 2,008 registered participants will receive a free return train ticket (coach) within Austria from the ÖBB. Arrival is possible as of May 10, 2008, departure until Sunday, May 11, 11.59 pm. The affirmation for your return journey will be certified at the Ernst-Happel-Stadium in the scope of the installation. In return for your voluntary participation all participants will receive a limited edition photograph of the installation in the Ernst-Happel-Stadium. Only participants will have access to the stadium. You will only be nude for a short period of time. The installation will happen Rain or Shine (the stadium's seats are covered). Participants under 18 years of age may only take part in the installation with written consent of a parent or guardian. You will be contacted one week before the installation with more information and arrival time. Kindly check your email junk box if you do not receive an email from us by one week before the installation.