Louisiana Museum of Modern Art || Exhibition: Yayoi Kusama. In Infinity || until 24.01.2016

Yayoi Kusama is a true singular figure in modern art, highly original and tremendously popular. Now, Louisiana unfolds Kusama’s life’s work in a comprehensive and fascinating retrospective exhibition, the first in Scandinavia.

Based in Tokyo, Kusama (b. 1929) has gained world fame in recent decades for her universe of brightly colored, sprawling patterns covering the surfaces of paintings and sculptures and spreading across entire rooms. In the center of this boundless visual universe stands Kusama herself, often wearing patterned clothes that make her blend in with her art.

The exhibition is a presentation of Kusama’s works from more than six decades and features a variety of the many artistic media in which she has worked: from visual art to performance, film, literature and design. A special feature of this exhibition is the involvement of Kusama’s work with fashion and design including the artist’s earliest, unique fashion design from the 1960s. In addition to this the exhibition displays a selection of Kusama’s youth works from Japan, which has never been exhibited before, examples of both her earliest and newer installation works and a new series of paintings, which the 86 year old Kusama has created specifically for the exhibition at Louisiana.

The exhibition at Louisiana is supported by C.L. Davids Fond og Samling.
After Louisiana the exhibition travels on to Henie Onstad Kunstcenter, Oslo, Norway, Moderna Museet/ArkDes, Stockholm, Sweden and HAM – Helsinki Art Museum, Finland. The Scandinavian tour is supported by Japan Foundation.

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art || Exhibition: Yayoi Kusama. In Infinity || until 24.01.2016

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art || Exhibition: Yayoi Kusama. In Infinity || until 24.01.2016

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art || Exhibition: Yayoi Kusama. In Infinity || until 24.01.2016

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art || Exhibition: Yayoi Kusama. In Infinity || until 24.01.2016

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art || Exhibition: Yayoi Kusama. In Infinity || until 24.01.2016

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art || Exhibition: Yayoi Kusama. In Infinity || until 24.01.2016

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art || Exhibition: Yayoi Kusama. In Infinity || until 24.01.2016

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art || Exhibition: Yayoi Kusama. In Infinity || until 24.01.2016

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art || Exhibition: Yayoi Kusama. In Infinity || until 24.01.2016

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art || Exhibition: Yayoi Kusama. In Infinity || until 24.01.2016

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art || Exhibition: Yayoi Kusama. In Infinity || until 24.01.2016

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art || Exhibition: Yayoi Kusama. In Infinity || until 24.01.2016

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art || Exhibition: Yayoi Kusama. In Infinity || until 24.01.2016

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art || Exhibition: Yayoi Kusama. In Infinity || until 24.01.2016

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art || Exhibition: Yayoi Kusama. In Infinity || until 24.01.2016

 

 

Source: Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía || Exhibition: Andrzej Wróblewski: Recto / Verso || until 28.02.2016

Andrzej Wróblewski (1927–1957) is, despite his short life, one of the most important Polish artists of the 20 ^th century. This exhibition, the first retrospective held outside his country, enables his work to be contemplated in a way that goes beyond the reductionist clichés of socialist realism or Outsider Art, through which art from countries in the Soviet sphere of influence has been studied until recently. Wróblewski was an artist that could work on the borders between abstraction and figuration, combining formal invention with the analysis of daily life and its limits – the degradation of war and dictatorial politics – by means of a profound human and political commitment.

The exhibition focuses on his double-sided paintings (painted on both sides: recto and verso), and presents mainly two different periods of his work: its beginnings at the end of the 1940s as he searched for his own painterly language, and the very end, when, disillusioned with the politics of real socialism, he attempted to redefine his work, both formally and thematically.

The exhibition is co-organised by the Muzeum Sztuki Nowoczesnej, Warsaw, in collaboration with the Andrzej Wróblewski Foundation and Culture.pl.

Andrzej Wróblewski, Słońce i inne gwiazdy (Sun and Other Stars), 1948, Muzeum Sztuki w Łodzi © Courtesy Andrzej Wróblewski Foundation

Exhibition view. Andrzej Wróblewski. Recto / Verso, 2015

Exhibition view. Andrzej Wróblewski. Recto / Verso, 2015

Andrzej Wróblewski, Szofer (Szofer niebieski) Chauffeur (Blue Chauffeur)], 1948, Private collection, Warszaw © Courtesy Andrzej Wróblewski Foundation

Exhibition view. Andrzej Wróblewski. Recto / Verso, 2015

Andrzej Wróblewski, Pranie (Laundry), 1956, Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie © Courtesy The Andrzej Wróblewski Foundation

Exhibition view. Andrzej Wróblewski. Recto / Verso, 2015

Source: Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía

Gemäldegalerie, Berlin || Exhibition: The Botticelli Renaissance || until 24.01.2016

The Florentine painter Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) is celebrated as one of the most important painters of the Italian Renaissance. His paintings have been endlessly reproduced and interpreted. His motifs – widely borrowed and adapted – have gone out into the world, often at a considerable remove from the originals. Indeed, they can take us so far away from the actual paintings by Botticelli that the artist’s name has come to stand for fashion and lifestyle, with no mention at all of his work. Products are named after him, displays of popular culture follow patterns established by him, and individual figures, chief among them his iconic Venus, have become part of the collective visual memory.

Botticelli’s fame today was by no means a foregone conclusion. Quickly forgotten after his death, he was only rediscovered in the nineteenth century. The English Pre-Raphaelites and their admiration for Botticelli’s work were instrumental in ushering in an extraordinary renaissance that went on to captivate the imagination of a growing circle of artists and, eventually,  to enchant the public at large.

Since then, Botticelli’s work has been interpreted in many different ways. Yet it continues to raise a multitude of questions. How does a painter acquire international fame? What made Botticelli a pop icon? Why are his works considered timeless? What is it that makes him so ‘European’ that his Venus appears on the obverse of a 10 cent euro coin? What we can safely say is that Botticelli, more than almost any other Old Master, inspired and continues to inspire modern and contemporary art.

The exhibition traces the fascinating history of these shifting appropriations and re-evaluations right up to the present and is the first to present the artist’s work – a selection of more than fifty originals by Botticelli – in the context of these adaptations and interpretations in a wide range of media spanning painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, video, fashion and design. Among the 150 works on display are numerous masterpieces by artists such as Edgar Degas, Edward Burne-Jones, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, René Magritte, Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman and Bill Viola on loan from the world’s leading collections.

Made possible by the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe, the LOTTO-Stiftung Berlin and the Kaiser Friedrich Museumsverein.

Sandro Botticelli, Tondo Raczynski, 1477 © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Foto: Jörg P. Anders

Sandro Botticelli, Venus, 1490 © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Foto: Jörg P. Anders

Edward Burne-Jones, The Mill, 1870 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Tomoko Nagao, Botticelli – The Birth of Venus with Baci, Esselunga, Barilla, PSP and EasyJet © 2012 Tomoko Nagao

Sandro Botticelli, Mystische Geburt, 1501 © bpk Berlin / Foto: Jochen Remmer

Source: Gemäldegalerie

Musée Belvue || Exhibition: Gender@war 1914-1918 – women and men to war || until 03.01.2016

Gender@war 1914-1918 shows visitors some of the many upheavals ordinary men and women faced during the First World War: its disruptive impact on work and family, the violence they both experienced, their joint contribution to the war effort, and more. This richly illustrated exhibition focuses on Germany, Belgium, France and Great Britain. Taking an original and comparative approach, it will make you think deeply about the effects of armed conflict on the status of men and women in society.

A catalogue and educational tools for teachers are also available.

Organised by the Archive and Research Centre for Women’s History, in collaboration with the BELvue Museum.

Practical info

• From 09/09/2015 to 03/01/2016
• From Tuesday until Sunday, Monday only for groups with reservation
• Entrance rates: €8 (adults), €7 (groups and seniors); €6 (18‑25 year-old, jobseekers and disabled persons); free (under 18 year-old, teachers and monitors).
• Combineds tickets expo Gender@War+ Coudenberg are available: http://www.coudenberg.com/en/prepare-your-visit/practical-information#.VglcPxGqpHw 

Musée Belvue || Exhibition: Gender@war 1914-1918 – women and men to war || until 03.01.2016

Musée Belvue || Exhibition: Gender@war 1914-1918 – women and men to war || until 03.01.2016

 

Source: Musée Belvue

The State Tretyakov Gallery || Exhibition: The mark of Malevich. Graphics from the State Tretyakov Gallery’s collection || until 14.02.2016

December 19th (old style) 2015 will mark the one hundredth anniversary of the opening of the legendary “Last Futurist Exhibition of paintings: 0.10”, which showcased Kazimir Malevich’s “Black Suprematist Square” for the first time and marked the moment when Suprematism was declared a new movement in art.

The objective of the exhibition is to show the graphic heritage of Malevich and his circle of artists from works stored in the Tretyakov Gallery and to explain how the  experiments of the leading masters of the Russian avant-garde  preceded the appearance of Suprematism, and also exactly how this movement developed under his influence.

К.С.Малевич. Автопортрет. 1908–1910 Бумага, акварель, гуашь. 27 х 26,8. Третьяковская галерея

И.Г.Чашник. Жак Ферлан. Роман. Эскиз обложки. Середина 1920-х Бумага, графитный карандаш, акварель, тушь, коллаж. 18,7 × 14. Третьяковская галерея

Н.М.Суетин. Беспредметная композиция. 1932 Бумага, цветные карандаши. 30 х 21,1. Третьяковская галерея

Л.С.Попова. Знак Общества художников “Супремус”. 1916–1917 Бумага, тушь, перо, кисть. 8,2 х 5,8. Третьяковская галерея

Kazimir Malevich. Dynamic Suprematism. An airplane flies. 1920 Paper, lithography. 11,9 x 9,9. Tretyakov Gallery

Kazimir Malevich. “Sausage maker came to Lodz…”. 1914 Paper, colored lithograph. 37,8 × 55,8. Tretyakov Gallery

I.G.Chashnik. Composition (sketch of relief). 1922–1923 Paper, watercolor, graphite pencil. 20,3 х 10,8. Tretyakov Gallery

Source: The State Tretyakov Gallery

Munch Museum || Exhibition: Vigeland + Munch: Behind the Myths || until 17.01.2016

For the first time a major dual exhibition will be devoted to two giants in the history of Norwegian art, Edvard Munch and Gustav Vigeland. Their work, development and ambitions have many interesting traits in common, which will provide the public with an opportunity to discover new connections between the two.

Munch (1863-1944) and Vigeland (1869-1943) worked during the same period. One primarily as a painter and printmaker, the other as a sculptor. With only a six-year difference in age, they were affiliated with the same circles and influenced by the same contemporary art movements. And for a period they both lived and worked – even in adjoining rooms – in Berlin.

The connection between Munch and Vigeland has often been mentioned, yet has never been the subject of in-depth investigations. Many are of the opinion that the two were rivals. This exhibition wishes to clarify the connections between them by presenting their artistic careers side by side, from the time they began studying at The Royal College of Design in Kristiania, to the time they became well-established artists at Ekely and Frogner respectively. A red thread running through the exhibition is their common development with regard to choice of motifs. For example when they followed the contemporary trends and depicted angst-filled characters, ambiguous love motifs or ominous Judgement Day motifs. The works of a young and not yet famous Vigeland are highlighted here, from a time when his sculptures had a more dramatic content and were smaller in format than the ones we know from the Vigeland Park. An interesting similarity from a later period can be found in the artists’ works representing monumental renderings of entangled piles of human bodies, such as Munch’s painting The Human Mountain and Vigeland’s sculpture The Monolith.

There are many interesting connections that open up to new ways of viewing the two artists. From reciprocal influence and common sources of inspiration, to thematic and formal similarities. In certain instances it is difficult to distinguish one from the other, while in a larger perspective one can clearly see the striking differences.

Edvard Munch: Blossom of Pain (“Quickborn”), 1897

Edvard Munch: The Scream, 1895. National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design.

Edvard Munch: Man’s Head in Woman’s Hair, 1896. National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design.

Gustav Vigeland: Man Embraced by a Tree, 1900. Vigeland Museum

Gustav Vigeland: Double Portrait, 1895, pencil. Photo: Vigeland Museum

Gustav Vigeland: Hell II,1897. Photo: National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design

Gustav Vigeland: Fear,1892. Photo: Vigeland Museum

Source: Munch Museum

Astrup Fearnley Museet || Exhibition: The World is Made of Stories || until 28.02.2016

Works from the Astrup Fearnley Collection

Nobody can see, perceive or apprehend the whole world on their own. We all learn about the world through others, through different kinds of stories told by the media or by individuals. The exhibition ‘The World is Made of Stories’ is a constellation of narrative works that tell private and public stories. Together, they make up a multi-layered narrative referring to different times and geographical places. It is a story about art history, urbanism, politics, memory, sexuality and violence, religion and aesthetics, to name just a few of the themes that the artists have addressed in their works using a variety of materials, techniques and narrative structures. ‘The World is Made of Stories’ offers a polyphony of voices, objects and images, which enlighten while also raising important questions.

Astrup Fearnley Museet || Exhibition: The World is Made of Stories || until 28.02.2016

Source: Astrup Fearnley Museet

Sweden History Museum ||Hidden Histories – LGBTQ at the Swedish History Museum || Wednesdays 11:00 – 20:00

Museum exhibitions often adopt the perspective of those who represent present or past social norms, which makes those who diverge from such norms invisible. Hidden Histories sets out to highlight narratives relating to sexuality and gender identity that are otherwise absent in our exhibitions.

If you don’t know you have a history, it can be hard to believe you have a future. We invited members of the LGBTQ community to share their thoughts and reflections on some of the exhibits. Based on their commentaries, we have created a trail through the Swedish History, Medieval Massacre and Medieval Art exhibitions.

Old maid

“Behind every face portrayed, there is a life. Are these people the artist saw on the street, or people that modelled for the artist in private? Is any of the men his lover? Is any of the women the old maid who was the subject of so many rumours? The one who approached other women with groping hands and pounding heart? The one who managed to eke out an existence among the dirty streets and mean gazes of the city before ending up immortalized in oil on canvas. I can always dream.”

Hanna, 24, lesbian

(LGBTQ – an umbrella term for those who identify and express themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer.)

Valdemar Atterdag plunders Visby on 27 July 1361 – painted by Carl Gustaf Hellqvist 1882 – shows how the citizens of the town are victims to the pillaging of the conquering King Valdemar and his men. From the exhibition “Medieval Massacre – the battle of Gotland 1361”.

Source: Sweden History Museum

 

Fotografiska || Exhibition: Up Close || until 07.02.2016

A strong desire to get behind the facade, to capture the unique moment rather than confirming the received image has taken c far. One of the world’s most respected portrait photographers, Schoeller’s pictures capture that which is both unique and universal for each person, whether it is Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Barack Obama, Katie Perry, Hilary Clinton, Jay Z, a female bodybuilder or someone he has met on the street.

Fotografiska’s exhibition Up Close will be the first time Martin Schoeller’s four photographic series have been exhibited at one venue. “The exhibition at Fotografiska is my most comprehensive to date. It is absolutely wonderful to see all the works together,” Martin Schoeller explains enthusiastically. Both the artist and his works are characterised by enthusiasm and warmth and it is evidently clear that the photo sessions have been conducted in both an inspiring, playful and at the same time extremely technically professional way.

This comes across in the images of the many celebrities that have posed in front of Schoeller’s camera such as when Jay Z relaxes in a diner, Quentin Tarantino attempts to break loose from his straight jacket surrounded by the ultimate symbol of peace – white doves, or when Marina Abramovic hangs around with good-looking naked people on the subway. They all share themselves with Martin, and via his gaze he shares them with us. As an emergent photographer Schoeller managed, through life’s twists and turns, to secure a position as assistant to Annie Leibovitz, whose constantly innovative style perfectly suited the young creative artist, who was brought up in Munich. Since then his creativity has continued to expand in all directions.

Soon, he was sought after by the world’s major magazines and newspapers, and in addition to portrait commissions he has pursued his own projects, which he is just as strongly dedicated to. The best known of these is perhaps Close Up – a series in which he asks those he portrays to pose for an intimate picture taken in a specific way that focuses on certain facial characteristics. “I use the flash and lighting in order to highlight the eyes and mouth. I think that these two features of the face best show each individual’s uniqueness, while at the same demonstrating how similar we are, all of us,” Martin says. It is a clearly democratic endeavour where photography in a smart and efficient manner helps open both the viewer’s eyes and heart: What really differentiates Hilary Clinton from Denise Martin who lives on the street? What is it that makes their respective expressions unique – and what do they have in common?

Martin Schoeller’s photographic work also comprises a series featuring female bodybuilders, a group that is rarely portrayed outside of the specialised fitness press. Schoeller explains why he fell for this particular group. “Few others care about the outcome of these women’s struggle to obtain, in their eyes, the best body. But they are so dedicated to the task they have set themselves that the response from others is not really important, only the response from their own group. For me the commitment that these people display for what they have chosen to pursue is deeply fascinating, regardless of what the majority might think.” Martin finds such an attitude very attractive and a meta-communication about what you choose to show and what you choose to hide can also be discerned in many of his other works. Sometimes there is a dialogue between the image we are accustomed to seeing of the sitter and the unique encounter of the moment. An example is when he has George Clooney hide his eyes behind a crumpled image of himself. Is this how George hides behind his persona? What is he trying to say to us? This question could be asked of many of the portraits in the exhibitions, “How is it – really?” You may find the answer in the exhibition and perhaps you will also discover something new about yourself…

Fotografiska || Exhibition: Up Close || until 07.02.2016

Fotografiska || Exhibition: Up Close || until 07.02.2016

Fotografiska || Exhibition: Up Close || until 07.02.2016

Fotografiska || Exhibition: Up Close || until 07.02.2016

Fotografiska || Exhibition: Up Close || until 07.02.2016

Fotografiska || Exhibition: Up Close || until 07.02.2016

Source: Fotografiska

Tate Modern || Exhibition: The EY Exhibition: The World Goes Pop || until 24.01.2016

Whaaam! Pop! Kapow! This is pop art, but not as you know it.

Tate Modern is ready to tell a global story of pop art, breaking new ground along the way, and revealing a different side to the artistic and cultural phenomenon.

From Latin America to Asia, and from Europe to the Middle East, this explosive exhibition connects the dots between art produced around the world during the 1960s and 1970s, showing how different cultures and countries responded to the movement.

Politics, the body, domestic revolution, consumption, public protest, and folk – all will be explored and laid bare in eye-popping Technicolor and across many media, from canvas to car bonnets and pinball machines.

The exhibition will reveal how pop was never just a celebration of western consumer culture, but was often a subversive international language of protest – a language that is more relevant today than ever.

Ushio Shinohara
Doll Festival 1966
Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art (Yamamura Collection)
© Ushio and Noriko Shinohara

Kiki Kogelnik
Fallout c.1964
Private collection © Andrew Rinkhy / Kiki Kogelnik Foundation, Vienna / New York

Isabel Oliver Cosmética (from the series La Mujer) 1971
Private collection © Isabel Oliver

Source: Tate Modern