Art
2 Art Gallery Shows to Explore From Home – The New York Times
‘How Can We Think of Art at a Time Like This?’
Ongoing; artatatimelikethis.com.
The title of this online exhibition is a question I’ve been asking myself the last few weeks. A pandemic rages; people are dying — who cares about virtual viewing rooms?
And yet, culture is sustaining many of us as we stay home and try to ward off anxiety and dread. It offers comfort and distraction, and can help us feel less alone.
What I like about “How Can We Think of Art at a Time Like This?” is that it’s less of a definitive statement about this challenging time and more of an open-ended platform. Its curators, Barbara Pollack (who has written for The New York Times) and Anne Verhallen, have invited artists to submit images of relevant, though not necessarily new, work as well as an accompanying statement. A new entry has been posted every day since March 17. The process gives us a glimpse of how others respond creatively to crisis.
Highlights so far include Lynn Hershman Leeson’s hauntingly prescient video “Seduction of a Cyborg” (1996); Deborah Kass’s “Emergency” (2019), which marries Modernist monochromes and neon signage to sound the alarm; and Miao Ying’s “Hardcore Digital Detox” (2018), an interactive web collage that wryly comments on censorship and privacy. Amir H. Fallah’s paintings of cloaked figures in sumptuous interiors celebrate the possibilities of domesticity. Dread Scott and Jenny Polak shared a digital sketch that reads “Redistribute Health” alongside a list of principles and calls to action for surviving Covid-19. Art ranks 36th — necessary, they allow, but not the most important thing.
JILLIAN STEINHAUER
‘The Inaugural Exhibition’
Through April 15. Fergus McCaffrey; exclusively online at fergusmccaffrey.com.
Fergus McCaffrey’s principal location is in Chelsea, though the gallery also has outposts in Tokyo and on the French Caribbean island of St. Barts. (Now more than ever, I am thinking St. Barts needs an art critic in residence.) Just recently McCaffrey opened a “fourth location,” called FM Virtual, that places paintings and sculptures in an architectural rendering that will remind you of real estate and interior design websites. In a curious blend of the concrete and the dreamlike, McCaffrey has promoted the digital effort as a “near-physical 3,600-square-foot gallery space” with “warm 24-hour north/south facing natural light.”
I had trouble getting FM Virtual to load in my Chrome browser, though it started without incident in Safari, both on desktop and on mobile. Eventually I found its first show, which places strenuous paintings by Sadamasa Motonaga, Martha Jungwirth and Marcia Hafif, along with punk-classical sculptures by Barry X Ball, within an enfilade of “galleries” styled to please art lovers worldwide: white walls, frosted glass. These are not photographs of an exhibition, but renderings in which scans of the artworks can be plopped. Mr. Ball’s “Saint Bartholomew Flayed,” for example, an 8-foot-tall statue of the skinned saint in red striated marble, is actually installed at the moment at the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas.
The renderings-in-space are handsome, and I admit it’s nifty that the gallery can now “show” the same sculpture or painting in multiple circumstances. But these are ultimately insufficient; while you can pivot 360 degrees around a set vantage point in each room, you can’t scrutinize the sculptures from all the angles you’d like. The presentation also lacks proper documentation of each individual work, and does not permit you to zoom in with anything like the closeness you’d want before dropping more than $2 million sight unseen on Motonaga’s abstract composition of drippy ellipses.
I can complain more about glitches, but those are venial problems. The real question is: Who is this for? Ahead of exhibitions or fairs, galleries routinely send their best clients a PDF of works for sale, from which collectors can plan their attack. If a gallery’s “virtual experience” is to be nothing more than the sales PDF translated into a Corcoran walk-through, better to spend the money on research.
JASON FARAGO
[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Ukrainian sells art in Essex while stuck in a warzone BBC.com
Source link
The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House has reopened its doors to the public after a fire swept through the historic building in central London. While the gallery has resumed operations, the rest of the iconic site remains closed “until further notice.”
On Saturday, approximately 125 firefighters were called to the scene to battle the blaze, which sent smoke billowing across the city. Fortunately, the fire occurred in a part of the building not housing valuable artworks, and no injuries were reported. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire.
Despite the disruption, art lovers queued outside the gallery before it reopened at 10:00 BST on Sunday. One visitor expressed his relief, saying, “I was sad to see the fire, but I’m relieved the art is safe.”
The Clark family, visiting London from Washington state, USA, had a unique perspective on the incident. While sightseeing on the London Eye, they watched as firefighters tackled the flames. Paul Clark, accompanied by his wife Jiorgia and their four children, shared their concern for the safety of the artwork inside Somerset House. “It was sad to see,” Mr. Clark told the BBC. As a fan of Vincent Van Gogh, he was particularly relieved to learn that the painter’s famous Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear had not been affected by the fire.
Blaze in the West Wing
The fire broke out around midday on Saturday in the west wing of Somerset House, a section of the building primarily used for offices and storage. Jonathan Reekie, director of Somerset House Trust, assured the public that “no valuable artefacts or artworks” were located in that part of the building. By Sunday, fire engines were still stationed outside as investigations into the fire’s origin continued.
About Somerset House
Located on the Strand in central London, Somerset House is a prominent arts venue with a rich history dating back to the Georgian era. Built on the site of a former Tudor palace, the complex is known for its iconic courtyard and is home to the Courtauld Gallery. The gallery houses a prestigious collection from the Samuel Courtauld Trust, showcasing masterpieces from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Among the notable works are pieces by impressionist legends such as Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, and Vincent Van Gogh.
Somerset House regularly hosts cultural exhibitions and public events, including its popular winter ice skating sessions in the courtyard. However, for now, the venue remains partially closed as authorities ensure the safety of the site following the fire.
Art lovers and the Somerset House community can take solace in knowing that the invaluable collection remains unharmed, and the Courtauld Gallery continues to welcome visitors, offering a reprieve amid the disruption.
Sudbury’s annual art and music festival is marking a significant milestone this year, celebrating its long-standing impact on the local cultural scene. The festival, which has grown from a small community event to a major celebration of creativity, brings together artists, musicians, and visitors from across the region for a weekend of vibrant performances and exhibitions.
The event features a diverse range of activities, from live music performances to art installations, workshops, and interactive exhibits that highlight both emerging and established talent. This year’s milestone celebration will also honor the festival’s history by showcasing some of the artists and performers who have contributed to its success over the years.
Organizers are excited to see how the festival has evolved, becoming a cornerstone of Sudbury’s cultural landscape. “This festival is a celebration of creativity, community, and the incredible talent we have here in Sudbury,” said one of the event’s coordinators. “It’s amazing to see how it has grown and the impact it continues to have on the arts community.”
With this year’s milestone celebration, the festival promises to be bigger and better than ever, with a full lineup of exciting events, workshops, and performances that will inspire and engage attendees of all ages.
The festival’s milestone is not just a reflection of its past success but a celebration of the continued vibrancy of Sudbury’s arts scene.
Alouettes receiver Philpot announces he’ll be out for the rest of season
David Lipsky shoots 65 to take 1st-round lead at Silverado in FedEx Cup Fall opener
Canada’s Marina Stakusic advances to quarterfinals at Guadalajara Open
12 Bizarre Things People Did Just To Make Social Media Content
dynaCERT Inc. Invites You to Join Us at the Vancouver Resource Investment Conference | INN – Investing News Network
AP source: Bears acquiring quarterback Nick Foles from Jaguars – Sportsnet.ca
-
News9 hours agoB.C. to scrap consumer carbon tax if federal government drops legal requirement: Eby
-
News9 hours ago
A linebacker at West Virginia State is fatally shot on the eve of a game against his old school
-
Sports10 hours ago
Lawyer says Chinese doping case handled ‘reasonably’ but calls WADA’s lack of action “curious”
-
News20 hours ago
Reggie Bush was at his LA-area home when 3 male suspects attempted to break in
-
News10 hours ago
RCMP say 3 dead, suspects at large in targeted attack at home in Lloydminster, Sask.
-
Sports4 hours ago
Canada’s Marina Stakusic advances to quarterfinals at Guadalajara Open
-
News9 hours ago
Hall of Famer Joe Schmidt, who helped Detroit Lions win 2 NFL titles, dies at 92
-
News10 hours ago
Bad weather and boat modifications led to capsizing off Haida Gwaii, TSB says
