Eliana Willis

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    in Street Art

    Artist Retrospective: INTI

    A visual artist and muralist born in Valparaíso, Chile, INTI creates artworks surly carries out not more than the meaning, he also transmits the warm colours of it. Painting on canvasses, creating sculptures or large murals, his artwork addresses birthplace of the Latin American culture, multiplying it on a global level.INTI, whose name means the Incan sun god and the Quechua word for ‘the Sun’, gives a special orange/sun glow in his works, which has become his Moniker of sorts, INTI’s style is not only unique and outstanding but thoughtful and calm; the combination of bright Latin colours and the Ancient South American culture is stunning.Take a look below for a selection of INTI’s stunning works across the globe.“La Madre Secular 2” in Paris, France, 2016“La Madre Secular” is a series by INTI, it is a representation of the Madonna, where the sacred remains outside the religious context, and stands as something possible without breaking the laws of nature.Through the iconic composition, with symbols linked to nature and science, this Madonna replaces the apple from the biblical tale for Newton’s apple, as an allegory to the era of knowledge and skepticism.“Random” in Jishou, China, 2016“El TAMARUGO” in Chile, 2021The mural features a Tamarugo tree which is a native species from the north of Chile, which manages to survive in one of the most arid places on the planet, Atacama Desert. The ability of this species to survive has been vital to the communities that inhabit these places since ancient times, and a symbol of life and resistance to the devastation of resources caused by mega-mining in these lands.INTI creates artworks surly carries out not more than the meaning, he also transmits the warm colours of it. Painting on canvasses, creating sculptures or large murals, his artwork addresses birthplace of the Latin American culture, multiplying it on a global level.Mural in Cali, Colombia, 2014“Soleil” in Lyon, France, 1019“A Pale Blue Dot” in Grenoble, France, 2020“A Pale Blue Dot” features a woman embodying the universe with a small dot in her hands that represents the Earth. This mural was made as part of the Grenoble Street Art Fest. Together with the artwork, INTI left us with a quote from Carl Sagan. “Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves”“Exodus” in Rabat, Morocco, 2015Mural in San Antoni, Ibiza, Spain,2014Mural in Santiago, Chile, 2014“Polvere di Stelle” in Naples, Italy, 2020For more updates on the talented Chilean artist, make sure to check out our #INTI page! More

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    in Street Art

    “Tierra” by SpY in Madrid, Spain

    In “Tierra”, SpY presents an artistic project made up of a luminous red sphere caged inside a cube-shaped structure, constructed with the type of scaffolding normally used on building sites. These 2 simple geometric elements (sphere and cube) form a large-scale construction which stands almost 25 metres high and has been installed in Plaza de Colón in Madrid.This powerful visual statement is accompanied by a bright red light emanating from inside the sphere, from which one can almost feel the heat transmitted by the concept of the work.In this work, SpY asks us to reflect on the way in which our home makes up a whole of which we form part, and in which everything is connected as if it were a living creature. There have always been changing climate conditions and the Earth has always been constantly evolving. However, as a consequence of human activity, these changes are happening over a very short period of time and have resulted in worrying alterations.Unfortunately, this rapid change has created an impact which could become irreversible. We need to propose dialogue and actions that will contribute to improved collective awareness through a value system which can turn this situation around. The challenge we all face is to take small individual steps to improve and contribute to our sense of shared responsibility.Through this artistic offering, SpY invites the audience to reflect and enjoy this urban installation, where visitors will be surprised by the scale and the contrasting light set against the city background.In “DATA” pictured above, SpY offers a reflection on the rapid and widespread inclusion of algorithms in numerous aspects of our lives.  In this audio-visual work, digital abstraction is used to explore and interpret how predictive tools operated through algorithms and artificial intelligence are highly beneficial in terms of aspects such as communication, research and medicine, but can also lead us to lose some of our freedoms if they are not used ethically.SpY is an urban artist whose first endeavors date back to the mid-eighties. Shortly after, already a national reference as a graffiti artist, he started to explore other forms of artistic communication in the street. His work involves the appropiation urban elements through transformation or replication, commentary on urban reality, and the interference in its communicative codes.Check out below for more photos os SpY’s work. More

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    in Street Art

    Latest Installation by Gola Hundun in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

    Italian artist Gola Hundun shares his latest installation in Luxembourg wherein he did his residency at Kufa in Esch last month. He calls his piece: “Economic power must redefine its parasitic position about the world. We need to become a choral system of small self-sufficient centers that collaborate as the roots of a tree contribute to shape a trunk. Respect for other forms of life! Superior Love or extinction now!”It was the first time the artist faced a complex project. Gola Hundun worked with a lot of materials such as  iron, wood ,wicker, living plants soil. He produced a coral piece, a group of sculptures installed in the train station of Esch sur Alzette.“Roots as the beginning of a new world are the ones that my new work in Esch shows up.Roots for an interconnected existence just like railways are.Roots of a tree-scheme society where every living being collaborates with each other.Roots with an inner power capable of subverting the capitalistic system.Roots to begin a new lifestyle.Earth will always keep on existing – even after us. Without Earth in its current shape, we won’t exist.Roots connected to the Earth.”“…inside each root there is a plant pot in which Ivy plants will grow on the wicker structure and through time they will symbolize the flag of our ideal!This installation group is part of my research path Habitat , a project that start with the abandoned buildings recolonised by rest of nature, and now approach the living cities, with nature taking back some of their space.”Gola Hundun’s work shows the relationship between human beings and the biosphere. This consideration combined with the conscious decision to live as a vegetarian since the age of 16 positions the artist and his work closer to the animal sphere to the human sphere.He explores themes such as interspecies communication, shamanism, a return to the earth, vegetarianism, and spirituality.Gola Hundun’s work is often representative of the relationship between humans and nature. He has always felt very close to the natural world and describes his ideology as being closer to the animal sphere rather than the human one. His decision to become a vegetarian at the age of 16 speaks to conscientiousness of the animal world. He explores themes such as collaboration vs. domination, shamanism, vegetarianism, energies and mysticism.While best known for his paintings, Gola also incorporates sculpture, fibre, plant life, electronics and performance art into his public installations and paintings. His work has an intensely naturalistic feel to them, with many cues to the plant world including organic curves and bright colors.Take a look below for more photos of the installation. Photo credits: Gilles Kayser More

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    in Street Art

    Tbilisi Mural Fest 2021 in Georgia

    For the third time now, TBILISI MURAL FEST has introduced the beautiful capital of Georgia as an important hub for internationally acclaimed mural artists. The festival has transformed unappealing facades into works of art, addressing social, enviromental and other relevant issues.  According to Festival founder Besik Maziashvili, 33 murals were created in the frameworks of the festival since 2019, creating an open exhibition at different locations. The goal of creating beautiful messages on these open space canvas was accomplished by celebrities of the scene like Case Maclaim, FAITH47, MONKEYBIRD, 1010, etc and will be continued annually. This sudden upswing of street art affects the younger generation of local artists, who traditionally take part in the international festival alongside their renowned colleauges. Tbilisi Mural Fest 2021 line up includes MONKEYBIRD (France), FAITH47 (South Africa), JDL (Holland), APHE (Germany), NOAH (Germany), MAZZA (Brazil), 1010 (Germany), KADE 90 (Georgia), and DAVID SAMKHARADZE (Georgia).Check out below for more photos from the festival. More

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    in Exhibitions

    A Tech Company Plans to Bring a ‘Definitive Immersive Experience’ of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera to London and Washington, D.C.

    An immersive experience about the legacy of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera is opening in London and Washington, D.C. in Spring 2022. Titled “Mexican Geniuses: A Frida & Diego Immersive Experience,” the exhibition aims to present the “definitive immersive experience of the two most iconic personalities of Mexican art.”
    Created by tech firm Brain Hunter co., “Mexican Geniuses” will present digital projections of some 300 images by and of the famous artist couple around the exhibition spaces, which are yet to be revealed.
    “This unique and mesmerizing digital exhibition transmits all the beauty, emotion and transcendence of Frida and Diego’s works, which continue to make an impact even today,” a statement on the booking website claims. “Discover what lies behind the minds of the two revolutionary Mexican painters as you walk through their art: see their world, their life, their dreams, and everything that influenced them, surrounding you in a flurry of sound and color.”
    Full details and the locations of the exhibitions in both London and D.C. are yet to be disclosed but organizers have revealed that the experience will last between 60 and 75 minutes. Tickets for Spring costing from $19.00 in DC and £24.90 in London are available to purchase on their website.

    In addition to experiencing Kahlo and Rivera’s art, the organizers say that visitors will also have the option to step into the streets of Mexico City that inspired them. Through a VR headset visitors will be able to walk the streets of this world-famous city with input from experts, academics and guides. Access for this will be inclusive of VIP tickets or can be purchased separately from standard access.
    “Mexican Geniuses” is not to be confused with “Frida,” another immersive experience that was organized by the multimedia events company Cocolab in Mexico City in July, which included seven-meter-high projections of her self-portraits as well as imagery of her letters and other interactive elements.
    The experience is the latest in a line of multimedia experiences of famous artists’ work, which have proven extremely popular among the public. “Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” has found particular success and it, as well as other similar experiences are currently running in several cities around the world including London and Los Angeles. While some art aficionados have been critical of their intellectual depth as well as hefty price tags, if done well, they present an interesting opportunity to engage new audiences with art history. Artnet News reached out to confirm whether “Mexican Geniuses” had the Kahlo family’s stamp of approval but did not immediately hear back.
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    in Exhibitions

    In Pictures: Artist Kenzo Digital’s New, Multilevel Installation Atop a New York City Skyscraper Has to Be Seen to Be Believed

    Brooklyn artist Kenzo Digital has transformed the heart of Midtown Manhattan into infinite artwork in the sky in Air, his new, permanent art installation at Summit One Vanderbilt, the Snøhetta-designed top three floors of the 93-story skyscraper that opened next to Grand Central Station last September.
    A reflective chamber of light and glass in which nearly every surface becomes another vantage on New York City, Air has to be seen to be believed, an observation deck that doubles as an immersive work of art. Altogether, there are 25,000 square feet of mirrors.
    “Even if I wanted to describe what you’re about to walk into in words, language is a bit limiting,” Kenzo warned Artnet News at ground level, before our visit began.
    The experience begins in the darkened hallway approaching the elevators, which are completely mirrored, with a dramatic light and sound show (titled “Launch”) marking the ascent to the 91st floor.
    Kenzo Digital, Air, “Transcendence,” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    From there, visitors walk down a curving white hallway bathed in shifting colored light and into the mirrored abyss, the city streets and skyline suspended in front, above, and beneath you, into infinity, reflected over and over again. (Guests are advised to wear pants or opaque tights, but complimentary black shorts are available on request.)
    “You have Central Park, where New Yorkers can escape the city, and I think of this almost as a Central Park in the sky—it’s a surrealist nature experience that can only happen in New York,” Kenzo said. “I think of it as a modern monument that represents the future of the city.”
    The view is stunning, especially as you’re staring down at the Chrysler Building, or watching the lights of the Empire State Building flicker on as twilight settles over Manhattan. Pro tip: lie down on the floor and stare up into the endless ceiling, contemplating existence.
    Kenzo Digital, Air “Affinity” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    “Living in New York, you’re so cut off from nature. In the shadows of the buildings, you never see the sun. Here, you get reacquainted with the nature that you live amongst,” Kenzo added. “I’ve seen storm systems blow in from New Jersey. You’ll watch this dark cloud of thunder approaching from the west, and you look down at the streets of Manhattan, and everyone is oblivious to what’s about to happen. As the storm begins to hit, you start to see the city as a real organism, reacting to the weather. You see fewer people outside, you see umbrellas, traffic moves differently in relation to the wet streets.”
    As such, Air is a work in constant flux, changing in response to the light and weather. A soundtrack from sound designer Joseph Fraioli, who has worked with director Christopher Nolan on such films as Tenet, is carefully synced to the time of day, adding to the effect.
    Air will also evolve over time, both in response to the city’s never-ending development, and by the artist’s design—Kenzo has five years’ worth of versions of the shifting light show that begins each day at sundown, the twinkling lights cascading through the never-ending layers of the mirrored chamber.
    Kenzo Digital, Air, “Transcendence,” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    “It has a life of its own,” Kenzo said. “I wanted to create a space that has a deeply emotional relationship with human beings over time.”
    The 41-year-old artist, who also serves as the creative director of the estate of Nam June Paik (his great-uncle), spent three and a half years on the project, which opened last month. Most of the on-site work took place during lockdown, when the bustling Midtown neighborhood was eerily empty.
    “I spent most of 2020 in a gas mask in abandoned New York. It was like living in a sci-fi movie,” Kenzo said.
    Yayoi Kusama’s Clouds on view in Kenzo Digital’s Air at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo by Sarah Cascone.
    Air‘s spaces are divided into “chapters,” and the main space “Transcendence,” constitutes the first and third. It spans two floors, with a balcony overlooking the mirrored space where you enter.
    Chapter two, “Affinity,” is a smaller mirrored space filled with round silver Mylar balloons that swirl around the room in constant motion, recalling Andy Warhol’s Silver Clouds. Chapter four, “Unity,” is a massive, 47-foot-wide video screen that transports viewers into the clouds. (Kenzo is known for his digital art, such as the video background he created for Beyoncé’s Billboard Awards performance in 2011.)
    “This screen is the newest Samsung micro LED technology—this wasn’t possible a year ago,” Kenzo said. “It’s a constantly generative cloudscape that integrates the faces of visitors.”
    Kenzo Digital, Air, at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo by Sarah Cascone.
    There’s also an art gallery, in which Kenzo is curating presentations of the work of other artists. His first selection is Yayoi Kusama’s Clouds (2019), roughly 100 mirror-finished, stainless-steel blobs that spill across the floor, continuing the reflective theme. (It was acquired by the building from David Zwirner Gallery.)
    In addition, guests will want to step out onto the ledge of Levitation, a glass box that projects over over the building, so you can stare down at the street below. (It’s not part of the art, but it’s pretty cool.)
    Tickets start at $39 for adults, with $10 surcharge for sunset visits. For an extra $20, you can also experience Ascent, a glass elevator perched on the building’s exterior up even higher, suspending you over 1,200 feet in the air. (New York City residents get a $5 discount on admission.)
    See more photos below.
    Kenzo Digital, Air, “Transcendence,” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    Kenzo Digital, Air, “Transcendence,” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    Kenzo Digital, Air, “Transcendence,” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    Kenzo Digital, Air, “Transcendence,” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    Kenzo Digital, Air, “Transcendence,” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    Kenzo Digital, Air, “Transcendence,” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    Kenzo Digital, Air, “Transcendence,” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    Kenzo Digital, Air, “Transcendence,” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    Kenzo Digital, Air, “Transcendence,” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    Kenzo Digital, Air, “Transcendence,” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    Kenzo Digital, Air, “Transcendence,” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    Kenzo Digital, Air, “Transcendence,” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    Kenzo Digital, Air, “Affinity,” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    Kenzo Digital, Air, “Transcendence,” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    Kenzo Digital, Air, “Transcendence,” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    Kenzo Digital, Air, “Affinity,” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    Kenzo Digital, Air, “Transcendence,” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    Kenzo Digital, Air, “Transcendence,” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    Kenzo Digital, Air, “Transcendence,” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    Kenzo Digital, Air, “Affinity,” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    Kenzo Digital, Air, “Transcendence,” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    Kenzo Digital, Air, “Transcendence,” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    Kenzo Digital, Air, “Transcendence,” at Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of the artist and Summit One Vanderbilt.
    Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of Summit One Vanderbilt.
    Summit One Vanderbilt. Photo courtesy of Summit One Vanderbilt.

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    In Pictures: See the Sharp, City-Spanning Art From the Long-Awaited Return of the Prospect New Orleans Triennial

    The title of Prospect.5 New Orleans, this year’s long-awaited return of the city-spanning triennial art event, is “Yesterday We Said Tomorrow.” That’s a riff on a song title from local jazz star Christian Scott—but the suggestion of both promise and delay has proven prophetic, unfortunately so.
    Curated by Naima J. Keith and Diana Nawi, Prospect.5 has been pushed back multiple times, first by the global pandemic (it was originally set for 2020) and then by the catastrophe of Hurricane Ida earlier this year. Nevertheless, the curators and the team behind the triennial have pressed on, settling on a phased opening that has now delivered most of the show to the city.
    Some of “Yesterday We Said Tomorrow” still remains in the realm of promises, including, according to the program, planned projects by E.J. Hill and Tiona Nekkia McClodden, both set to open in coming days, and a sculpture by art star Simone Leigh, which won’t go up until early January.
    But the show’s key hubs, which include the Contemporary Art Center and the Newcomb Art Museum, are fully alive with artworks. Prospect has always made an effort to implant art in venues throughout New Orleans, and this edition is no exception. Even in its incomplete state, there are enough one-off artist projects and smaller shows to make it difficult to take everything in all in one go.
    Even if it I can’t provide the full picture just yet, here’s a sampling of images to give a sense of some of what Keith and Nawi’s vision looks like.

    Contemporary Art Center (CAC)
    The Contemporary Art Center, New Orleans. Photo by Ben Davis.
    Curator Diana Nawi explains Mark Bradford, Crates of Mallus (2020–21) at the Contemporary Art Center, New Orleans. Photo by Ben Davis.
    Works by Jamal Cyrus. Photo by Ben Davis.
    ektor garcia, ppportales mariposas (2021). Photo by Ben Davis.
    Works by Hương Ngô. Photo by Ben Davis.
    Works by Hương Ngô. Photo by Ben Davis.
    Detail of Eric-Paul Riege, + (2021). Photo by Ben Davis.
    Beaded curtain by Cosmo Whyte. Photo by Ben Davis.
    Works by Cosmo Whyte. Photo by Ben Davis.
    Film by Beatriz Santiago Muñoz. Photo by Ben Davis.
    Carlos Villa, First Coat (1977). Photo by Ben Davis.
    Works by Laura Aguilar and Felipe Baeza. Photo by Ben Davis.
    Felipe Baeza, You have to save eery piece of flesh and give it a name and bury it near the roots of a tree so that the world won’t fall apart around you (2021). Photo by Ben Davis.
    Keni Anwar, Untitled (i am…) (2021). Photo by Ben Davis.
    Works by Kiki Smith and Karon Davis. Photo by Ben Davis.
    Karon Davis, Mary (2021). Photo by Ben Davis.
    Kiki Smith, Skymap (2021). Photo by Ben Davis.
    Sky Hopinka, The Island Weights (2021). Photo by Ben Davis.
    Dave McKenzie, 831-195-G Hope (2021). Photo by Ben Davis.

    Ogden Museum of Southern Art
    Celeste Dupuy-Spencer, Don’t You See That I Am Burning (2021). Photo by Ben Davis.
    Installation view of “Yesterday We Said Tomorrow” at the Ogden Museum. Photo by Ben Davis.
    Beverly Buchanan, White Shacks (1987). Photo by Ben Davis.
    Willie Birch, View Inside Studio with Self Portrait (2021). Photo by Ben Davis.
    Tau Lewis, God Is King (2021) and Tree of God (2021). Photo by Ben Davis.
    Two paintings by Jennifer Packer. Photo by Ben Davis.
    Three works by Welmon Sharlhorne. Photo by Ben Davis.
    Katrina Andry, Nouveau Noir. Testing Their Comfort Discovering Our Worth (2020) and None More Possessed With Feminine Beauty Than Snow(ish) White (2020). Photo by Ben Davis.
    Display from “Called to Spirit: Women and Healing Arts in New Orleans,” curated by Rachel Breunlin and Bruce Sunpie Barnes as part of Prospect New Orleans. Photo by Ben Davis.
    Display from “Called to Spirit: Women and Healing Arts in New Orleans,” curated by Rachel Breunlin and Bruce Sunpie Barnes as part of Prospect New Orleans. Photo by Ben Davis.
    Project by Glenn Ligon. Photo by Ben Davis.
    Project by Glenn Ligon. Photo by Ben Davis.

    Newcomb Art Museum of Tulane University
    Barbara Chase-Riboud, Mao’s Organ (2007). Photo by Ben Davis.
    A guest looks at Mimi Lauter, Untitled (2018). Photo by Ben Davis.
    Works by Mimi Lauter. Photo by Ben Davis.
    Two works from Barbara Chase-Riboud’s “Malcolm X” series. Photo by Ben Davis.
    Barbara Chase-Riboud, Mandela Monument, Capetown (1996). Photo by Ben Davis.
    Elliott Hundley, The Balcony (2020–21). Photo by Ben Davis.
    Detail of Elliott Hundley, The Balcony (2020–21). Photo by Ben Davis.
    Works from Elliott Hundley’s “Antennae” series. Photo by Ben Davis.
    Works by Naudline Pierre and Ron Bechet. Photo by Ben Davis.
    Naudline Pierre, Don’t You Let Me Down, Don’t You Let Me Go (2021). Photo by Ben Davis.
    Amistad Research Center
    Visitors view Kameelah Janan Rasheed, Future Forms (2021), an archive related to Nkombo, a Black literary magazine published between 1968 and 1974. Photo by Ben Davis.
    The final issue of Nkombo. Photo by Ben Davis.

    UNO Gallery
    Battleground Beacon by Nari Ward. Photo by Ben Davis.
    Installation by Candice Lin. Photo by Ben Davis.
    Installation by Jamilah Sabur. Photo by Ben Davis.

    3162 Dauphine Street
    Outside 3162 Dauphine Street. Photo by Ben Davis.
    Installation view of Sharon Hayes at 3162 Dauphine Street. Photo by Ben Davis.

    Happyland Theater
    Rodney McMillian at the Happyland Theater. Photo by Ben Davis.

    New Orleans African American Art Museum (NOAAM)
    Outside the New Orleans African American Museum. Photo by Ben Davis.
    Paul Stephen Benjamin, Sanctuary (2021). Photo by Ben Davis.
    Kameelah Janan Rasheed, Spirit (2021). Photo by Ben Davis.
    Dineo Seshee Bopape, Master Harmonizer (lle aya, moya, la ndokh) (2021). Photo by Ben Davis.

    Capdevielle Place Street
    Anastasia Pelias, It was my pleasure (2021). Photo by Ben Davis.
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    in Exhibitions

    5 Institutions to Visit During Shanghai Art Week, Where Museum Shows of Western Contemporary Art Reflect Regional Demand

    Shanghai Art Week returns this year with yet another edition focused a domestic audience rather than those coming from abroad due to stringent Covid-19 travel restrictions. But this does not mean that the art on show is primarily domestic.
    While foreigners may still have trouble with setting foot in China, (some) art does not. Between the works on offer at gallery booths at the two art fairs opening this week—West Bund Art & Design and Art021—and the auction houses’ sale previews, art aficionados stuck in the country will be treated to a veritable buffet of art from abroad. Western artists, who have been selling well at auctions in Asia, are also the stars of some of the biggest institutional shows in Shanghai this month. Read on for the highlights.

    Yuz Museum, Shanghai
    Herman Bas, “Choose Your Own Adventure”October 28, 2021–January 9, 2022
    Shara Hughes, “The Bridge”November 6, 2021–January 9, 2022
    Hernan Bas, The Young Man & the Sea (2020). Private collection, Korea. Courtesy the artist and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Hong Kong, Seoul, and London.
    The Shanghai museum founded by Chinese-Indonesian entrepreneur and collector Budi Tek has given the stage to two Americans who are making their solo debuts in mainland China. “Choose Your Own Adventure” is a survey of the career of Miami-born artist Herman Bas over the past two decades, featuring more than 20 paintings and early video installations. Among the highlights are his detailed and alluring figurative paintings. “The Bridge,” meanwhile, is a solo presentation by the Brooklyn-based painter Shara Hughes, with examples of her most recent enigmatic landscapes created during the pandemic featuring in the museum’s Yuz Project Space.

    Long Museum West Bund
    George Condo, “The Picture Gallery”September 26–November 28, 2021
    Pat SteirOctober 23, 2021–January 3, 2022
    Pat Steir, Rainbow Waterfall (2021). © Pat Steir. Courtesy of Lévy Gorvy.
    Two more solo exhibitions of Western artists can be found at the West Bund branch of Long Museum, founded by mega-collector couple Liu Yiqian and his wife, Wang Wei. Billed as the largest solo exhibition of George Condo to date, “The Picture Gallery,” curated by the New Museum’s Massimiliano Gioni, is a sizable retrospective of the American artist. The exhibition showcases nearly 200 paintings, sculptures, and drawings that reflect Condo’s trajectory from the late 1970s to present. Since the artist introduced in Hong Kong in a selling exhibition at Sotheby’s in 2018, where he was presented side by side with works by Pablo Picasso, Condo has been a cause célèbre in the Asia market.
    The eponymous solo presentation of the American artist Pat Steir, on the other hand, is marketed as the artist’s “love letter to China.” The show is the first in the country to take a deep dive into the artist’s ink-inspired practice over the past four decades and foregrounds her iconic “Waterfall” series paintings, from those that she began creating in the late 1980s to the new, large-scale painting Rainbow Waterfall (2021).
    Longlati Foundation
    Derrick Adams, Amoako Boafo, and Vaughn Spann, “Behind This Wall”
    Tala Madani, “It Was as if the Shadows Were Lit Up”November 9, 2021–February 28, 2022

    Cofounded by Singapore investor David Su and Chinese artist Chen Zihao, the Hong Kong-registered Longlati Foundation has chosen a the triumverate of Derrick Adams, Amoako Boafo, and Vaughn Spann—whose works have been popular at auctions in Asia in recent years—to inaugurate its new Shanghai space, which pledges to support young artists. The portraits featured in this group show, drawn from the foundation’s collection, seek to explore and redefine the idea of Blackness. Concurrently, the foundation is presenting the “Corner Projections” painting series by Tehran-born, Los Angeles-based Tala Madani.
    Prada Rong Zhai
    Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg, “A Moon Wrapped in Brown Paper”November 11, 2021–January 9, 2022
    Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg, Dark Side of the Moon (2017). Courtesy of the artists and Tanya Bonakdar Gallery.
    A historic, circa-1918 residence restored with precision by Prada is the jewel-box setting for a show by the Swedish artist duo Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg. Staged with the support of Fondazione Prada and curated by Yang Beichen, the exhibition features a range of sculptures and videos made between 2000 and 2019 that take visitors on a journey through an imaginative universe conjured by dark fairy tales. The monstrous characters may seem like they have traveled from a different realm, but, says Yang, the stories have profound connections with the complexity of our contemporary world.
    Shanghai Fosun Foundation 
    Alex Israel, “Freeway”November 10, 2021–February 15, 2022
    A self-portait by Alex Israel in the collection of Derek and Chrsten Wilson. Photo by Eileen Kinsella
    The American artist Alex Israel’s first museum-scale exhibition in China has taken two full years to realize and delivers a vast body of work in a range of media, from paintings and moving images to sculptures, installations, and interviews. Highlights include his “Self-Portrait” and “Sky Backdrop” series. “I hope to invite the Chinese audience into my head,” the artist said in a video about the exhibition. “I hope the exhibition makes you ask questions, makes you feel, think and reflect on our culture.” Following the presentation in Shanghai, the exhibition will travel to Chengdu, where the Fosun Foundation will open a new space next spring.
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