Eliana Willis

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    Before He Died, Curator Okwui Enwezor Conceived an Exhibition About Black Grief. It’s Set to Debut at the New Museum Next Year

    Prior to his death in March of 2019, legendary curator Okwui Enwezor was in the process of completing an exhibition centered around the intersection of “black grief” and “white nationalism” in art, timed to the 2020 presidential election.  
    Next year, a group of curators will step in to bring Enwezor’s vision to life. “Grief and Grievance: Art and Mourning in America,” which was co-organized by MCA Chicago senior curator Naomi Beckwith, New Museum artistic director Massimiliano Gioni, artist Glenn Ligon, and independent curator Mark Nash based on Enwezor’s concept, will go on view at the New Museum on January 27.
    The announcement comes just one day after the New York Times published a scorched-earth exposé about the museum’s working conditions, in which current and former employees compared it to a “sweatshop” and a “fiefdom.” (Some on Twitter pointed out the irony of the show’s title, “Grief and Grievance,” in light of the coverage, and the fact that the museum gave the scoop on the exhibition to the Washington Post in an apparent snub of the Times.)
    Arthur Jafa, Love Is The Message, The Message Is Death (2016). Courtesy of the artist and Gladstone Gallery, New York and Brussels.

    The show will present work by 37 contemporary artists, many of whom are among the most important of their respective generations. The lineup includes Arthur Jafa (whose video Love Is the Message, the Message Is Death will be a centerpiece of the show), Kerry James Marshall, LaToya Ruby Frazier, Nari Ward, Deana Lawson, Kara Walker, and Jack Whitten. The works will fill the museum’s lobby and its three exhibition spaces. Collectively, the art examines and confronts what writer Saidiya Hartman calls in the show’s catalogue “the afterlife of slavery.” 
    In a statement, the museum’s director Lisa Phillips calls the show a “tribute to Okwui Enwezor’s courage, relentless focus, and fierce intelligence as a giant in our field and one of the most important curators of his generation.” 
    “His presence remains vivid,” the director goes on, “as does his legacy to transform the history of art and exhibition-making… On the eve of a presidential election where the stakes have never been higher, Okwui’s vision and the voices of the artists selected for this exhibition could not be more relevant.”
    Kerry James Marshall, Untitled (policeman) (2015). © Kerry James Marshall. Courtesy the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.

    The Nigerian-born Enwezor was known for ambitious, complex, generation-spanning exhibitions that teased out big ideas in cultural production, such as “Postwar: Art Between the Pacific and the Atlantic, 1945–65” at the Haus der Kunst in 2017. This marks his first exhibition tackling America as a subject.
    The show took root in the fall of 2018, evolving from a series of lectures about Black mourning and white nationalism that Enwezor had planned for Harvard University. When he died in March, he left lists of potential artworks, artists, catalogue contributors, and a working thesis.
    Shortly thereafter, the New Museum convened what it calls an “advisory team” to realize the Enwezor’s idea. Ligon, who Enwezor himself had invited to advise in a curatorial capacity, was joined by Nash, Beckwith, and Gioni, all of whom had collaborated the late curator before.
    The exhibition was roughly 85 percent complete upon Enwezor’s death, New Museum artistic director Massimiliano Gioni told the Washington Post. “We tried not to stray from the blueprint Okwui gave us. Where that was not possible, we tried to be like a restorer or conservator where you fill in the gaps.”
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    Beijing’s UCCA Broke Records With Its Blockbuster Picasso Show. It Wants to Do the Same With the Largest-Ever Andy Warhol Survey in China

    Last year, the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing smashed attendance records with its blockbuster Picasso retrospective, capitalizing on the simple fact that a major museum survey dedicated to the artist had never been staged in mainland China. 
    Now, the museum is aiming to cash in with a major survey of another ubiquitous Western master: Andy Warhol. 
    Next summer, UCCA plans to present the “most comprehensive exhibition by Andy Warhol staged to date in China.” The show, simply titled “Andy Warhol,” will present more than 200 paintings, prints, drawings, films, and photographs by the artist, as well as archival materials framed to illustrate his trajectory from a child in Pittsburgh to the king of the New York art world.  
    “We found in doing the Picasso show that the public here is extremely receptive not only to major figures, but to exhibitions that tell stories of artistic formation, development, and experimentation—shows that answer the question ‘Who is this figure, what did they do, and why are they considered so important?’” UCCA director Philip Tinari tells Artnet News.
    “The Picasso show proved that while living artists may be at the core of our program, there is also room for us to present key figures from global art history,” he adds. “In a context where there are not public museums permanently showing this kind of work, exhibitions like these serve an important educational role.”
    The UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing. Courtesy of the Office for Metropolitan Architecture. Photo by Bian Jie.

    Jose Carlos Diaz and Patrick Moore, the chief curator and director, respectively, of the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, organized the show and loaned all of the materials headed to Beijing. (Diaz declined to say whether the Warhol Museum is being compensated for the loans from its collection.)
    “This is an opportunity to curate an exhibition that explores the artist, his work, and the various areas of his practice highlighting a large quantity of popular artwork alongside rare items that have never been displayed abroad and allow us to tell a detailed exhibition about the artist,” Diaz says. He points to one section of the show devoted to Warhol’s work as a “serious photographer parallel to his lucrative celebrity portrait commissions” as one such example.  
    Tinari says that he’s been in touch with Diaz and Moore about the show since 2018 and visited the US museum in August of 2019. The director also says that Warhol’s famous 1973 screen prints of Mao Zedong were never in discussion for the exhibition. “The focus of the show was always on lesser known works and a narrative of Warhol’s development that informed by current scholarship,” he says.  
    “Andy Warhol” goes on view July 3 – October 10, 2021 in Beijing before traveling to the UCCA Edge in Shanghai in November.
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    See the Playful Sculptures on View at Frieze London’s Sculpture Park, From an Enormous Braid to an Art Star’s Sandwich

    It’s Frieze Week, and while the Frieze London and Frieze Masters fairs are conspicuously absent this year, that doesn’t mean there is no reason to visit Regent’s Park.
    Art-hungry audiences can take an outdoor, socially distanced stroll in the lush park that typically hosts the fairs to see the 12 ambitious sculptures that comprise Frieze’s open-air sculpture display. Highlights include new commissions from Patrick Goddard, Kalliopi Lemos, and Arne Quinze, as well as Lubaina Himid’s five reclaimed doorways, which she originally created in 2019 for the High Line in New York.
    “Amid all the challenges,” says Clare Lilley, Frieze Sculpture curator and director of program at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, “it is uplifting to see artists and galleries respond so enthusiastically to Frieze Sculpture. Rarely have our public spaces been quite so important for our mental and physical well-being, and this exhibition shines a light on sculpture in the open air, creating a place of inspiration and enjoyment where people can come together safely for conversation and exchange.”
    The works on view this year explore vital and topical themes from civil rights to ecology to the role of the artist in changing the status quo. For those not able to be on the ground in London, you can see them here.
    Frieze Sculpture is on view October 5 through 18 in the English Gardens at Regent’s Park.
    Fabio Lattanzi Antinori, Ad Keywords (2020). Pi Artworks, Frieze Sculpture 2020. Photo by Stephen White. Courtesy of Stephen White/Frieze.

    Rebecca Warren, Aurelius (2017 – 2019). Galerie Max Hetzler, Frieze Sculpture 2020. Photo by Stephen White. Courtesy of Stephen White/Frieze.

    Kalliopi Lemos, The Plait (2020). Gazelli Art House, Frieze Sculpture 2020. Photo by Stephen White. Courtesy of Stephen White/Frieze.

    Gianpietro Carlesso, Torre di Saba (2009). Ronchini, Frieze Sculpture 2020. Photo by Stephen White. Courtesy of Stephen White/Frieze.

    Richard Long, Circle for Sally (2016). Lisson Gallery, Frieze Sculpture 2020. Photo by Stephen White. Courtesy of Stephen White/Frieze.

    Eric Fischl, Torso (2010). Skarstedt, Frieze Sculpture 2020. Photo by Stephen White. Courtesy of Stephen White/Frieze.

    Sarah Lucas, Sandwich (2011 – 2020). Sadie Coles HQ, Frieze Sculpture 2020. Photo by Stephen White. Courtesy of Stephen White/Frieze.

    David Altmejd, Untitled 1 (Bronze Bodybuilders) (2015). White Cube, Frieze Sculpture 2020. Photo by Stephen White. Courtesy of Stephen White/Frieze.

    Patrick Goddard, Humans-Animals-Monsters (2020). Seventeen Gallery, Frieze Sculpture 2020. Photo by Stephen White. Courtesy of Stephen White/Frieze.

    Lubaina Himid, Five Conversations (2019). Hollybush Gardens, Frieze Sculpture 2020. Commissioned by High Line Art, presented by Friends of the High Line and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. Photo by Stephen White. Courtesy of Stephen White/Frieze.

    Arne Quinze, Lupine Tower (2020). Maruani Mercier Gallery, Frieze Sculpture 2020. Photo by Stephen White. Courtesy of Stephen White/Frieze.

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    in Street Art

    “REBOOT” by Ludo in Beirut, Lebanon

    Ludo recently worked on a new project entitled “Reboot” in Beirut. “Reboot” is a series of murals done in the capital of Lebanon wherein a massive explosion that caused great damage to the city happened last August. Ludo’s installations amidst the ruins of the area somehow sheds new light and hope to the rebuilding city.

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    The project was done with the help of Art of Change Global, Beirut who dealt with the army, police, protests, fires, virus, and other circumstances as Ludo worked on the installations.

    The work of Paris-based Ludo (Ludovic Vernhet) explores a world where biotechnological chimeras offer to merge plants and animals with our technological universe. Through his work, Ludo aims to reveal the opposites that cohabit our world, often taking unlikely pairings to absurd lengths. These dualities are reconciled by the artist through the creation of hybrid organisms.
    Check out below for more images of “Reboot”. More

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    in Street Art

    “The Silent Mirror” by David de la Mano in Galicia, Spain

    Prolific muralist and painter David De La Mano recently finished his latest mural for Vigo, Cidade De Cor, an art festival in public spaces held in the city of Vigo, Galicia, Spain since 2015. The mural is entitled “The Silent Mirror” which depicts his signature repeating silhouettes of human and animal figures.

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    David de la Mano is a Spanish contemporary artist best known for his stunning murals often featuring silhouettes, trees and other monochromatic imagery. de la Mano is a versatile artist who excels from drawing to sculpture. The artist experiments with different techniques among which acrylics, watercolours, ink and collage.
    His art highlights a vision of humanity with a lot of metaphor and poetry. He is often playing with shadows and lights, forms and contrasts to convey his vision of the world to us.
    Scroll down below for more images of the mural. More

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    in Street Art

    New Murals by Mantra, Mohamed l’Ghacham, and Oli-B in Wevelgem, Belgium

    All About Things recently painted three new murals in Wevelgem, Belgium with street artists Mantra, Mohamed l’Ghacham and Oli-B. These works were derived from extensive neighbourhood participation; they have been talking with the residents for over one year prior to the first drop of paint. Through neighbourhood participation, they were able to create art which strengthens communities, develops a sense of belonging, and contributes to the everyday quality of life of the residents.

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    Scroll down below for a walk-through of the stunning murals.

    Still Life of Lysandra by Mantra, Gullegem, Belgium

    “Still Life of Lysandra” a freehand mural painted by Mantra in Gullegem, Belgium.Born in Metz, France, Mantra is a self-taught street artist that has been painting in the streets since 2008. He grew up between the noise of the city and the whispers of the surrounding countryside. In his paintings and street canvases, the Artist pays tribute to his childhood heroes (butterflies, owls, spiders, birds…) in a realistic and lively style. Mantra creates magnificent murals with the combination of exquisite colors and in-depth background, with the intention to leave his footprints in the urban areas like repeated mantras, hence his nickname.

    Mural by Mantra, Gullegem, Belgium

    Mural by Mantra, Gullegem, Belgium

    Mural by Mantra, Gullegem, Belgium

    Mural by Mantra, Gullegem, Belgium

    Family Portrait by Mohamed l’Ghacham in Wevelgem, Belgium

    The next mural is done by Mohamed l’Ghacham entitled “Family Portrait” which is done in one of the social buildings in Wevelgem, a small town near Brussels. Mohamed l’Ghacham usually paints large figurative murals based on scenes from vintage family photos and everyday objects. Often choosing photographic “accidents” for their authenticity, the artist paints meals, table settings, toasts, and other communal rituals performed by normal people.

    Family Portrait by Mohamed l’Ghacham in Wevelgem, Belgium

    Family Portrait by Mohamed l’Ghacham in Wevelgem, Belgium

    Family Portrait by Mohamed l’Ghacham in Wevelgem, Belgium

    Family Portrait by Mohamed l’Ghacham in Wevelgem, Belgium

    Mural by Oli-B in Wevelgem, Belgium

    The last mural is by contemporary artist Oli-B who hails from Brussels, Belgium. It features his signature abstract and figurative shapes charged with vivid colors. Oli-B loves the hustle and bustle of big cities and their crowds and uses the public spaces as a playground. He also makes his art living by integrating it in the urban jungle through mural painting and collage.

    Mural by Oli-B in Wevelgem, Belgium

    Mural by Oli-B in Wevelgem, Belgium

    Mural by Oli-B in Wevelgem, Belgium

    Mural by Oli-B in Wevelgem, Belgium

    Photo credits: Jules Césure More

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    11 London Gallery Shows to See During an Unusual Frieze Week, From Laure Prouvost’s Surreal Health Checkpost to Danh Vo’s Plant Sculptures

    It’s October, and that means it’s Frieze Week in London. As usual, galleries around the city are showcasing the best of their rosters, despite the very unusual circumstances of 2020.
    Back in July, it was announced that the physical Frieze fairs would be cancelled. By now, it seems almost unimaginable that holding a large event inside an unventilated white tent ever seemed like a good idea. But while the concourse in Regent’s Park was a convenient place to bump into the who’s who of the art world, London’s vibrant art scene always really happened outside of the circus tent anyway.
    This week, booze-fueled festivities such as gallery openings and swanky dinners are out; face masks are in. And with many galleries requiring visitors to book slots for exhibitions in advance, art lovers will have to be strategic about their approach.
    Here are our picks for what to make room for in the schedule.

    “Laure Prouvost: Re-dit-en-un-in-learning CENTER” at Lisson GalleryOctober 6–November 7, 2020
    Laure Prouvost’s THIS MEANS LOVE, (2019-2020) © Laure Prouvost, courtesy Lisson Gallery.

    The French artist will transform the gallery into a “mock-pedagogical, health-focused institutional setting,” inviting viewers to learn and un-learn a new lexicon and visual language created by Prouvost.
    To schedule a visit, click here.

    “Rashid Johnson: Waves” at Hauser & WirthOctober 6–December 23
    Rashid Johnson, The Broken Five(2020). Photo by Martin Parsekian.

    New paintings and ceramic tile mosaics by the American artist will fill both of the mega-gallery’s London spaces. The work responds to anxiety and escapism, themes that recur in Johnson’s oeuvre but are also very relevant to the socio-political climate of 2020.
    Tickets to see the exhibition must be booked online in advance, here.

    “Helen Cammock: I Decided I Want to Walk”Through October 17
    Installation view, Helen Cammock, “I Decided I Want to Walk,” Kate MacGarry, 2020, courtesy the artist and Kate MacGarry, London. Photo by Angus Mill.

    The Turner Prize-winner’s debut exhibition at the gallery includes Cammock’s most recent film, They Call It Idlewild. Drawing on the work of poets and philosophers from Audre Lorde to Jonathan Crary, the film ruminates on the politics of idleness and who gets to be lazy in a time when the spiraling demands for hyper-productivity are being pulled into question.
    The gallery encourages but does not require visitors to book in advance, as just five people will be admitted at one time.

    “Tavares Strachan: In Plain Sight” at Marian Goodman GalleryThrough October 24
    Tavares Strachan, detail of EIGHTEEN NINETY(2020). Photo by Lewis Ronald.

    For his first major UK solo exhibition, Strachan has created an unforgettable immersive experience. Backdropped and enhanced by new and existing painting and sculptural work, the captivating 45-minute journey involves a theatrical and operatic performance inspired by the artist’s research into marginalized historical figures such as the African American explorer Matthew Henson, the first person to reach the North Pole.
    Tickets for the exhibition must be booked online in advance.

    “Oliver Beer: Oma” at Thaddaeus Ropac, Ely HouseThrough October 24, 2020
    Installation view, Oliver Beer, “Oma,” Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, London. © Oliver Beer. Courtesy Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, London • Paris • Salzburg. Photo: Eva Herzog

    This deeply personal exhibition looks at the influence and knowledge passed between generations in families. Beer, who often mines his own family history in his work, delves into the story of his grandmother, who began composing music late in her life.
    There is no time-slot needed to visit, but visitors numbers will be controlled. Oliver Beer will also be offering small, in-person tours Friday, October 9 at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 5 p.m. Tickets to this are free of cost, but must be booked via the gallery’s website.

    “Gillian Wearing: Lockdown” at Maureen PaleyThrough October 25

    Gillian Wearing, Untitled (lockdown portrait) (2020). Courtesy of the artist and Maureen Paley.

    In a series of self-portraits created during lockdown, Wearing perfectly captures moments of malaise and melancholy, quietude, contemplation, and occasionally, contentment. Another timely addition to her oeuvre is the sculpture Mask, Masked, a title alluding to the theoretical masks we don to fashion identities as well as the literal face shields keeping us safe.
    Online via the gallery website for 15-minute appointment viewings.

    “Anne Tallentire: As happens” at Hollybush GardensThrough October 31
    Anne Tallentire, Area (2020). Installation view, “As happens,” Hollybush Gardens, London, 2020. Photo by Andy Keate.

    In this show of new work, Tallentire continues her ongoing interrogation of the invisible social systems that create conditions of precariousness and contingency.
    No more than 6 people will be admitted to the gallery at once, you can book your slot online. The artist will also be in conversation with the writer Chris Fite-Wassilak over Zoom on Tuesday, October 13, at 3 p.m. BST (10 a.m. New York), and you can RSVP directly with the gallery.

    “Danh Vo: Chicxulub” at White Cube, BermondseyThrough November 2, 2020
    Danh Vo “Chicxulub,” White Cube Bermondsey. © the artist. Photo © White Cube (Theo Christelis).

    Vo has brought nature inside the gallery. Trees and plants reference the setting where the artist made this body of work, his studio and farm in East Germany. In this large show, Vo continues his examination of Catholicism, global branding, and flora.  
    To schedule a visit, click here. You may also take a video walkthrough tour of the show.

    “Sung Tieu: What is your |x|?” at EmalinThrough November 7, 2020
    Installation view, Sung Tieu, What is your |x|?, Emalin, London. © Sung Tieu. Courtesy of the artist and Emalin, London Photography: Plastiques

    For her first solo exhibition with Emalin, the Berlin-based artist has built a gallery inside the gallery, resembling a cross between a prison, a bank vault, and a site of a dream. The works, all on sheets of cut stainless steel, speak to Tieu’s research into psychologies and their potential for manipulation.
    There is no time-slot needed to visit, but visitor numbers will be controlled.

    “Nathaniel Mary Quinn” at GagosianThrough November 21

    Nathaniel Mary Quinn, Lunch (2020). © Nathaniel Mary Quinn, courtesy of Gagosian.

    Quinn’s first solo show at Gagosian’s London outpost presents the artist’s shape-shifting portraits rendered in luscious charcoal, gouache, and oil paint. The compositions, which appear collaged, are informed by flashes of the artist’s own memories and encounters.
    You can schedule an appointment via the gallery website.

    “Dana Schutz: Shadow of a Cloud Moving Slowly” at Thomas DaneThrough December 19

    Installation view, “Dana Schutz: Shadow of a Cloud Moving Slowly” at Thomas Dane Gallery.

    For her inaugural solo show in London with gallery veteran Thomas Dane, Schutz’s new paintings and sculptures are populated with bedraggled, goblin-like characters who fill the space with their contorted physicality and obvious psychological turmoil.
    No early booking available, social distancing enforced upon entry; no groups allowed.
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    in Street Art

    Elian Chali new works in Argentina, USA, and Taiwan

    Elian Chali was born and raised in Cordoba, where he currently lives. His relationship with the streets began with adolescent tagging and although his background is in graphic design, as an artist he is self-taught. Elian’s work focuses on creating a dialogue with the urban fabric, letting the characteristics of the wall inform the piece. He identifies with urbanism and architecture more than muralism or graffiti.

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    Known for his abstract and anamorphic compositions through which he reflects and modifies the perception of architectural spaces he intervenes, Elian’s work is characterised by the use of subtle gestures and strong and contrasting colour choices that give shape to vibrant and elegant murals.

    Centro Cultural Recoleta, Argentina

    Elian Chali‘s murals, with their bold colors, clear-cut shapes and flat surfaces, immediately grab your attention. His aesthetics are inspired by the Pop-Art, minimalism, Russian constructivism, and neoplasticism. Through his work, the artist seeks to open a discussion that goes from the social problems to the poetry of the habitat in which he creates.
    Through numerous travels around the world, Elian is constantly exposed to both the beauty and ugliness which surrounds us in equal measure in every day life and invites the viewer to process these issues with him through his paintings.
    Check out below for more images of Elian’s works.

    Centro Cultural Recoleta, Argentina

    Barrio Cofico- Cordoba Capital, Argentina

    Barrio Cofico- Cordoba Capital, Argentina

    “The path of memories: cleaning the makeup” Fall River, USA

    “The path of memories: cleaning the makeup” Fall River, USA

    “Tensión” Córdoba, Argentina

    “Tensión” Córdoba, Argentina

    “Sewing Corner” Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    “Sewing Corner” Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    “Tajo/Costura” Tandil, Argentina

    “Tajo/Costura” Tandil, Argentina

    “Tensión” Córdoba, Argentina

    “Tensión” Córdoba, Argentina More