Ólafur Elíasson, Baroque Baroque

Ólafur Elíasson, Five Orientation Lights, 1999; Stainless steel, colored glass, halogen bulbs, Fresnel lenses, each lamp: 200 x 70 x 70 cm, installation: dimensions variable; The Juan & Patricia Vergez Collection, Buenos Aires; Baroque Baroque installation view at the Winter Palace of Prince Eugene of Savoy, Vienna, 2015; image © Ólafur Elíasson
Ólafur Elíasson, Five Orientation Lights, 1999; Stainless steel, colored glass, halogen bulbs, Fresnel lenses, each lamp: 200 x 70 x 70 cm, installation dimensions variable; The Juan & Patricia Vergez Collection, Buenos Aires; Installation view at the Winter Palace of Prince Eugene of Savoy, Vienna, 2015; image © Ólafur Elíasson

At the Winter Palace in Vienna, a selection of works by Ólafur Elíasson forms a site-specific exhibition titled Baroque Baroque. More than a dozen works, created during the last twenty years, are installed within the architecture of the 18th century palace. The contrast of Elíasson’s contemporary works inside grand Baroque staterooms alters perceptions of space and history for an experience that supersedes both.

Continue reading “Ólafur Elíasson, Baroque Baroque”

La Biennale de Lyon, La Vie Moderne

Yuan Goang-Ming 袁廣鳴, Landscape of Energy, 2014; single-channel video, 7:30, edition of 5; image via La Biennale de Lyon
Yuan Goang-Ming 袁廣鳴, Landscape of Energy, 2014; single-channel video, 7:30, edition of 5; image via La Biennale de Lyon

La Biennale de Lyon was launched in 1991 and has become one of the largest contemporary art events in the world, with greater attendance and broader representation than Manifesta and the Whitney Biennal. For its 13th edition in 2015, the Biennale de Lyon brings together 60 artists from 28 countries to explore the theme of La Vie Moderne. Continue reading “La Biennale de Lyon, La Vie Moderne”

Anish Kapoor at the Château de Versailles

Anish Kapoor, C-Curve, 2007; stainless steel; installation view at the Château de Versailles, 2015; photo courtesy of Kapoor Studio, Kamel Mennour, and Lisson Gallery, © Tadzio
Anish Kapoor, C-Curve, 2007; stainless steel; installation view at the Château de Versailles, 2015; photo courtesy of Kapoor Studio, Kamel Mennour, and Lisson Gallery, © Tadzio

From June 9 through November 1, the Château de Versailles presents an exhibition of sculptural works by Anish Kapoor. It is the eighth exhibition of contemporary works at Versailles since 2008, and coincides with the tercentenary of the death of Louis XIV.

Continue reading “Anish Kapoor at the Château de Versailles”

Björk at MoMA

Björk, Biophilia dress, 2011; dress by Iris van Herpen; installation view at MoMA, 2015; photo by Timothy A. Clary / Getty Images
Björk, dress from Biophilia, 2011; dress by Iris van Herpen; installation view at MoMA, 2015; photo by Timothy A. Clary / Getty Images

From March 8 through June 7, the Museum of Modern Art presents a mid-career retrospective of work by Björk. The eponymous exhibition examines the Icelandic singer’s career with a custom-built pavilion and a specially developed augmented audio guide for an immersive visitor experience. Continue reading “Björk at MoMA”

Anila Quayyum Agha, Intersections

Anila Quayyum Agha, Intersections
Anila Quayyum Agha, Intersections (installation view, Grand Rapids Art Museum), 2014; image courtesy of Anila Quayyum Agha

In Michigan’s Grand Rapids Art Museum, Anila Quayyum Agha’s Intersections is installed after being named the winner of ArtPrize 2014. The installation consists of a light source inside a laser-cut wooden cube, casting shadows that evoke Islamic sacred spaces.

Continue reading “Anila Quayyum Agha, Intersections”

Water Theater Restoration at the Château de Versailles

illustration of Jean-Michel Othoniel's fountain sculptures of the Water Theater grove, image © Jean-Michel Othoniel
illustration of Jean-Michel Othoniel’s fountain sculptures of the Water Theater grove, image © Jean-Michel Othoniel

This summer, André Le Nôtre’s 17th-century Water Theater grove at Versailles has been restored by the landscape designer Louis Benech with contemporary sculptures by Jean-Michel Othoniel – the first new permanent artworks added the garden in over 300 years.

Continue reading “Water Theater Restoration at the Château de Versailles”

Richard Serra and Qatar

Richard Serra, East-West/West-East, Image via Qatar Museum Authority
Richard Serra, East-West/West-East, image via Qatar Museums Authority

This spring, coinciding with his first major exhibition in the Middle East, American sculptor Richard Serra launched a public art commission in Qatar entitled East-West/West-East. Serra’s large-scale assemblies of sheet metal are famously minimal and massive, and this site-specific work in Qatar is absolutely monolithic.

Continue reading “Richard Serra and Qatar”