Also, make sure to check out Gogolfest of Kiev - a week-long contemporary art festival which this time took place in an abandoned factory. The opening night was really vibrant and very energizing.
Stay tuned for a big upload on Art Biennale of Venice that I finally visited earlier this month! Still have to find time and courage to face the work of over 3000 pic selection!
And if you want to see daily updates on art and travel, like the page!
Few Sundays ago I did unprecedented thing: I woke up early! Moreover, I paid a visit to Hangar Bicocca to check out Mike Kelley’s Eternity is a Long Time (click here for a separate post).
Hangar Bicocca located in north-eastern outskirts of Milan, did not evade the hip-destiny of an industrial zone swallowed by a growing city – its spacious area has been transformed into a territory of art and design. One of the three aisles of the space is currently occupied by a permanent I Sette Palazzi Celesti (“Seven Heavenly Palaces”) by Anselm Kiefer, the only living artist in Louvre’s permanent collection, who is also best known for La Ribaute project at Barjac. The latter was a direct inspiration to the “Seven Heavenly Palaces” installation – seven towers which height varies from 14 to 18 meters made of piled food transportation containers – an enormous and ambitious project that unites Kiefer’s main themes – Judaism, post-Second World War ruins, mysticism and mythology, and philosophy. The title refers to ancient Hebrew the Book of Palaces/Sanctuaries about a symbolic and spiritual journey.
Source: Hangar Bicocca
Sefiroth – the first and the lowest tower – represents
ten names (neon lights) of the ten expressions/instruments of God
One of the names "Malkuth" ("Kingdom"). Source: Hangar Bicocca
JH&WH – surrounded by irregularly shaped meteorites in molten lead
scattered at their base represent the myth of life-creation according to
Kabbalah of the Earth and the Jewish diaspora. If joined together the
neon toppings of the towers – JH and WH – phonetically form the word
“Yahweh”, the inexpressiblename for Jews.
Tower of the Falling Pictures – the tower with invisible
framed pictures. Source: Hangar Bicocca
Remaining towers are: Melancholia – linked to Albrecht Durer 1514 engraving, Saturn planet (reference to artists’ patron planet); Ararat; Magic Field Lines – the tallest tower with a film of led (a material which repels rays of light and thus does not allow any image to be produced) that runs across the tower symbolizes the attempts of various generations to erase cultures or identity of the others (e.g., time of Luther vs. Byzantine era or Nazis vs. Jewish culture).
The ruins for Kiefer are the symbol of inevitable defeat of human ambition when aspiring towards a superior and almost divine level. Same topic was raised by The Ruins of Industrial («Руиныиндустриального») on show at Moscow’s Regina Gallery. The artist, Vladimir Logutov collected the artifacts of an imaginary industrial territory: broken and shed metal pieces scarcely located across the exhibition space that create a feeling of emptiness and solitude. The leitmotif of collapse is best seen in the video where we observe a lady leaning towards a classical balustrade peacefully and apathetically observing the chaos surrounding her.
Worth to mention that the contrast between the romantic white colonnade and industrial landscape is non-invented but found by the artist from a park in Izhevsk city.
Artist himself associates his work with caducity of Dutch still life “vanitas” with a human scull as the central object.
Vanitas (1630) by Pieter Claesz
Contemporary Vanitas - Clown Skull by Vik Muniz
The topic of evanescence is revealed from another angle in the work Senza Titolo by Jannis Kounellis, one of the representatives of “Arte Povera” movement that were exploring the incorporation of “primitive” materials, such as wood, lead, burlap sacks, coffee beans, coal, etc.
It was with the set of design for Heiner Muller’s play Mauser (1991, Berlin) that the artist first used half of a dozen cabinets suspended in mid-air. In 1993 at the Albergo dei Poveri in Palermo Jannis Kounellis further develops the project and presents in absolutely empty space Senza titolo installation currently on exposition at RISO museum in Palermo. Here, artist focuses on the relationship between the present and the past. I find this exploration even more full if one takes a look outside on a street: the installation is well incorporated not only in museum's interior but is also in harmony with tatty and decaying Piazza Bologni.
Source: Mobilita Palermo
Some artists instead of suspending objects suspend themselves.
The Levitation of Saint Teresa, 2010, Marina Abramovic
Contemporary artists nowadays experiment with traditional arts (Faiq Akhmed or Murat Palta) or refer to easily recognizable art pieces by reinventing their form/representation (Vik Muniz, Alejandra Zapata, Rauf Mammadov) or giving a new interpretation to these iconic images (Kristyna Milde, Banksy, Eugenia Gapchinska, Alex H. Parker).
Below is the compilation of works in various techniques by very different artists united under a wide name "new old".
Vik Muniz
Started as a sculptor, visual artist Vik Muniz is probably the most best known contemporary artist recreating famous imagery from art history or pop culture with everyday objects such as chocolate, pasta, puzzles, waste or some luxury ones such as diamonds or black caviar.
Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte after Seurat
Mona Lisa after Leonardo Da Vinci
The Tower of Babel after Bruegel
Chad Wys
Nick van Woert
Banksy
Eugenia Gapchinska
Eugenia calls herself "Happiness Supplier #1" and indeed creates very positive art. Below are the images from Alice's Dreams book.
Alice's Dreams
Alice's Dreams
Alice's Dreams
Heldrik Kerstens
Dutch artist likes to experiment with "daily objects" converting them into medieval head wear.
Bubble Wrap
Lamp
Napkin
Paper Roll
Towel
Davide Quayola
A London-based visual artist, or better, architect, transforms the reality, "investigates dialogues and the unpredictable collisions, tensions and equilibriums between the real and artificial, the figurative and abstract, the old and new" (Vimeo channel).
Bence Hajdu
Another "architect" of painted reality erases people or animals leaving famous paintings abandoned and deserted.
The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci
Seaport with the Embarkation of St. Ursula (1641) after Claude Lorrain
Oath of the Horatii (1784) after Jacques-Louis David
The Skating Minister (1790s) after Raeburn
Oculus in the camera degli sposi (1473) after Andrea Mantegna
Murat Palta
“A miniaturist creates his art by heeding his conscience and by obeying the principles in which he believes, fearing nothing. he pays no attention to what his enemies, the zealots and those who envy him have to say.”
In the times that book describes, a miniaturist was assassinated because of his revolutionary very Western-like style of drawing. Nowadays we can only admire sense of humor and idea of Murat. In his graduation portfolio West (cinema) meets East (Ottoman miniatures).
Star Wars
Star Wars, Detail
Star Wars, Detail
Star Wars, Detail
Alien
Alien, Details
Goodfellas
Goodfellas, Detail
Inception
Inception, Dretail
Inception, Dretail
Kill BiII
Kill BiII, Dretail
Kill BiII, Dretail
Kill BiII, Dretail
The Pulp Fiction
Scarface
Scarface, Detail
Scarface, Detail
Terminator II
Terminator II, detail
Terminator II, detail
Faiq Akhmed
Faiq's art is directed towards transforming traditional boundaries of Eastern tradition icon, a carpet,beyond any recognition - he distorts or pixelizes the patterns, colors them into unusual colors or even adds some cartoon-like creatures.
Carpet Equalizer, 200 x 230 cm Plastic, woolen handmade carpet 2012
Conversation, 150 X 100 sm Woolen handmade carpet 2011
Tradition in Pixels, 150 X 100 sm Woolen handmade carpet 2011
Rabbit, 150 X 100 cm Woolen handmade carpet 2011
Wim Devoye
Ah Xian
Another artist reinterpreting ancient craft is Chinese artist Ah Xian currently living in Australia who uses traditional Chinese art materials and techniques such as jade, cloisonne, bronze, porcelain and lacquer-ware to form contemporary sculptures.
Kristyna Milde
Czech artist recreates famous paintings with blond or dark hair naked Barbie dolls - an attempt to "show the similarities between stereotypical representation in the past and the present time."
The Dressed Maja After Goya, 2008. Source: Flickr
The Naked Maja After Goya, 2008. Source: Flickr
Consequences of war after Rubens, 2008. Source: Flickr
Alejandra Zapata
Mexican photographer paraphrases iconic historical images bringing them into context "so confusing and indeterminate in the present social and cultural aspect" (artist's Saatchi Online profile).
Re-production of Breakfast on the grass
Re-productrion of Gabrielle d'Estrees and one of her Sister
The Meninas
Re-production of The Last Supper
Rauf Mammadov
The Last Supper photo features models with Down's Syndrome in Moscow's Frolov Gallery
The Last Supper, Detail
The Last Supper, Detail
REMAKE photo project
Hispter in Stone photo project by Léo Caillard and Alexis Persani
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