On the Timeless Bond Between Humans and Horses — through the Lens of Art History

By Anna Archinger

Horses (1933) by Pablo Neruda

As an equine photographer, my artistic fascination with horses is boundless and continually expanding. Like many artists, I am captivated by their majestic power and elegance, key features that contribute to, as Neruda so eloquently put it, ‘the light of the horses.’  Artists and writers’ fascination with horses motivates me to look more into my own bond with horses and reflect on the reasons why they are so inspiring, making one experience an almost unearthly joy and, strangely, a sense of purpose.

Both Western art history and literature are fountains of inspiration, proof of the artists’ timeless fascination with these creatures whose presence has contributed to the quality of their lives by enhancing commerce and goods exchange, transporting traders from village to village (hundreds of years before e-commerce), or helping their human partners on the frontline. In war scenarios, to rely on a horse meant literally that – to trust the horse with your life. No other animal would be capable of such a deep connection and devotion, but building rapport with them is an art form that – equestrians or not – we all can learn and would gain from reflecting on this gracious, almost mythical bond. I first acknowledged this by studying not only through my photographic lens but also the “academic art of riding” itself, which has proven to be a never-ending source of inspiration for me.

When riding became an art form

The art of riding is a complex process that involves communication and creative negotiation. Its history, as trainer researchers like Bent Branderup have extensively documented, helps us gain insight into how the horse as a means of combat transitioned throughout centuries until what can be called today as “leisure riding.”

Academic horsemanship dates back to the Renaissance when horses were important military vehicles – a tradition that’s been inherited from ancient times. In times of war, horses had, for centuries, two very precise purposes: -1- to protect the prince on the battleground; -2- to help fearless warriors win the battle. The goal was, to quote other professionals, very practical: “As long as the princes themselves fought in the front ranks on horseback on the battlefield, … it was simply a matter of survival, so the weapons exercises were given higher priority than the dressage.”

As princes and key members of European monarchies slowly withdrew from close combat, the demand for war horses decreased, and riding became a practice based on the concept of art for art’s sake. Cavalry schools began to recruit passionate people instead of professional soldiers. With this, the old riding techniques that involved a lot of training to handle weapons on horseback were also given up, and riding started experiencing its highest perfection.

The art of riding flourished for the first time in Naples around 1530, when Frederico Grisone founded the first riding academy in 1532. During the Renaissance, riding academies became so popular that horses captured the interest of artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael—all of whom left us some fascinating horse representations. Sandro Botticelli’s Pallas and the Centaur, a mythological painting tempera that fits in the Early Renaissance Genre, depicts two life-seize figures from classical mythology and probably, like most of his allegorical masterpieces, forms an allegory whose iconography still remains an enigma. The two figures dominate the bare landscape displayed in a vertical composition, focusing one’s gaze on the relationship between the two subjects. Though the composition does not unfold horizontally, its narrative force lies in the symbolism of the figures, which enhances the reading of the piece.

The centaur, a hybrid half-men half-horse creature from the Greco-Roman mythologies, was viewed as a lusty being, a wild and untamed beast, even a barbaric creature who commits violent acts to indulge their lust. Boticelli’s artwork represents the centaur being brought under control after having trespassed on forbidden territory. The tamer, an armed woman depicted as a confident guard, grabs the trespasser by the hair, determining him to take a submission posture. The female figure has been identified by art historians both as the goddess Pallas Athena and the Amazon Camilla, the chaste heroine of Virgil’s Aeneid — the Greek and Roman goddesses of wisdom and strategic warfare.

Some art historians have interestingly expanded the interpretations of this artwork to the point of explaining the political influence of the Medici family in the epoch – with Pallas as the embodiment of the Medici virtues and vision for peace (the rings emblem and the olive branches). Others have claimed that the female guardian encodes the state of alertness that Lorenzo de Medici maintained in Florence against the chaotic and cunning adversaries represented in this artwork by the Centaurs. What is without doubt hard to dispute is the moral content of the painting, in which virtue is depicted as victorious over sensuality and fierce behavior.

Connecting with a 500+ Kg horse requires their consent, and that’s captivating

I’ve been personally invested in horses as an equine photographer and a horse trainee, so I prefer to say that I connect with horses instead of taming them. Adult horses can weigh 500 kg (+/-). If you learn to connect with them, you can reach the point where you truly feel their power and that they generously share control over their own strength, making you feel almost like a centaur. To put it short, the bond can be empowering and, at the same time, humbling.

It became increasingly accepted that you can establish a predictable dialogue and body coordination with a horse by showing them that you are safe and know what you are doing. That means working with horses is based on learning to control your energy and compensate for the horses’ vibe. Riding, or horse training in general, is a sport that requires excellent control over your own body and coordination. But it is also a lot of intention. A high-energy horse requires a calm presence to calm them down. A low-energy horse, you can bring up by adding energy into the communication. Sometimes, just thinking of a correction will convince the horse to behave as expected. It’s like unconsciously giving them a signal with your body language, but there is definitely also a mental connection, especially with the more sensitive horses. Simply put, the relationship between a rider and their horse is based on respect and trust. Yet, there is no such thing as full control of horses. If they would change their mind, they could simply run us over. It is more about “consent,”  about building trust and learning to negotiate with them respectfully, which I find fascinating!

The Horse in Motion: Between objective and pictorial lenses

My photographic practice draws inspiration from Western art and how artists have expanded their understanding of horses’ value to our existence. During the Renaissance, painters mostly created anatomical studies of horses in various scenarios, especially military scenery. However, the invention of photography revolutionized knowledge in terms of its mechanical reproduction and distribution.

Eadweard Muybridge’s first scientific study to use photography in the late 19th century perfectly shows that. Muybridge elaborated on a camera-shooting system that allowed him to capture the movement sequence, contributing to the understanding of “animal locomotion” and enriching visual effects with a perfect succession of images. His horse-riding studies became icons of the first visual research, demonstrating that a succession of images can represent movement. 

Muybridge pioneered motion pictures and is considered today the forefather of cinema due to his objective visual analysis of movement. His photographic inquiry of movement brings me back to my own artistic research and language. My equine photography is grounded on a strong bond with horses. My study of the “academic art of riding” informs my ‘portraiture’ of these monumental presences. Whenever I am commissioned for a horse shooting, I focus on its unique character and try to bring it out without pressing the animal to behave. Rather, I’m giving the horses space to express themselves; I observe their movements and capture their particularities, which often surprises many horse owners with accurate representations of their beloved friends. When you hear ”That’s exactly how my horse looks at me!” or people’s excitement when they recognize the particularities of their horses, I feel like an accomplished witness of a strong bond, and my photographs are ‘visual proofs’ of this special human-horse connection.

My artistic language is informed by studying the “academic art of riding”, as learning to control one’s energy and gaining a fundamental understanding of equine biomechanics is a prerequisite to a harmonious riding experience. This precious dynamic and a horse’s authentic character are aspects I’m trying to capture. However, I am meeting any horse without expectations from them. Even if I have certain visual compositions I might want to try beforehand, any of my sessions are horse-friendly as I adapt to the horse’s attitude. In a way, my artistic approach to horses is based on an objective reflection on a horse’s character and mood.

Unlike Muybridge’s objective lens, it’s important for me to play with different photographic techniques. For instance, long-exposure photography allows me to follow the horse’s motion, filling the frame with pictorial traces whose effects make the images almost look like drawings. My series Spirit in the Darkperfectly encapsulates this idea. The series consists of nine photographs depicting horses moving on a black background. The long-exposure technique gives the series a painterly aesthetic, almost Surreal, recalling Pictorialism, the first aesthetic movement in the history of photography to reclaim photography as an art form and not a mere device to represent reality. Dating from the same period as Eadweard Muybridge’s visual research. Pictorialism was an international style among photographers who explored the artistic potential of the new technology, often looking to iconic paintings for stylistic models. 

Given that I live at an equine education center, and I practice “academic at of riding” myself, my photographic language also builds on both objective and subjective approaches to photography, like Muybridge and the Pictorialists. Far from having reached a strict visual language, I’m boldly experimenting with techniques, composition formats, and chromatics, seeking to emphasize the beauty of horses in fresh ways.

Though equine representations in Western art history seem to be dominated by anatomical studies or glorifying and tragic postures in the military genre, horses have also been carrying humans in less dangerous scenarios, nurturing self-reflection on one’s inner power and true nature—freedom. Never in history was leisure riding so celebrated until today, enriching our timeless bond with horses more than ever. Because a horse is like a mirror. If the rider is insecure and hectic, so will the horse; if the rider is calm and relaxed, the horse will behave like them. This responsiveness inspires riders to seek harmony in the relationship and understand they must be present and aware of their own energy.

Like any mirror, another element whose symbolism has been fascinatingly reflected in art across centuries, the human-horse friendships expand a sense of immaterial space. This bond is timeless that, like any mirroring effect, it can be best reflected and celebrated in the present moment, in the here and now. A horse offers a mutual exchange to those who show them respect and confidence. It’s a symbolic exchange that can accompany the rider’s move through life and its unpredicted storms in one of the best companies. Actually, it would be accurate to say that horses are capable of more than symbolic exchange because their power and distinct characters help us forget ‘dark winters’ and replace uncomfortable emotions with their well-composed attitude and ‘light’ that shines from within. 

After one experiences the depths of the timeless bond with horses, it’s almost impossible to forget it. It’s a relationship you just want to nurture and sustain because it enhances the quality of your life. It is for this reason that I enjoy my commitment to equine photography and explore my fascination with horses through my lens — and I can only experience joy in sharing this passion with others.

Anna Archinger (b. 1994, Neuburg an der Donau) is a self-taught German artist based in Dronningmølle, Denmark. Her art practice focuses on horse photography as her fascination with horses goes beyond a mere passion. She lives at the farm Enggaarden, an education center specialized in teaching the “Academic Art of Riding,” where her connection to horses recalls seminal artists’ fascination with horse study. Within the last three years, Anna has been elaborating a stunning body of equine artwork, some of which was distinguished with the Honorable Mention in the Professional category by International Photo Awards USA (2023) and was shortlisted in a private competition run by the Motif Collective Photography Gallery, (2023). Anna’s work is also scheduled to be presented to the public throughout 2024 in venues such as The Glasgow Gallery of Photography (Glasgow, United Kingdom), the Black and White Photography Festival (Athens), and the Chateau Gallery (Louisville). More about her work: http://www.archinger.dk/

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Singidunum Gallery of The Association of the Artists of Applied Arts and Designers of Serbia, in Belgrade, is pleased to present: BLUE CITY, a solo exhibition by Katarina Andjelkovic.

Katarina Andjelkovic – BLUE CITY

21-29 June 2024

The extreme conditions of an unprecedented rainstorm paralyze the city. Affected by post-apocalyptic floods, city infrastructure suddenly grows, congests and overwhelms buildings. In this way, the infrastructure supports the movement of water in horizontal and vertical directions and pumps water out of inhabited areas with a pipe system. The question is open: can color in painting offer a way to discover water as architecture, that is, how the elements of nature like water can become architecture using the language of art? By integrating various shades of blue into the city structure, infrastructure and abstract tectonics, I deal with the representation of architectural elements in relation to the polyvalent meaning of the color, the formal and material qualities of the image. In the game of mosaic abstract planes and collage fragments, the blue color grows into a constructive grid that carries the exposed decaying structures of the buildings. These congested infrastructural grids speculate on how water becomes an archetype of the city’s reconstruction process after flood disasters. The exploration of architectural representation reintroduced painting as a way of thinking about space, light and color. Nevertheless, the paintings are essentially modern: they are pictures of fragments, collages, assemblages, parts that represent the whole of mosaic abstract planes and rectangular forms. The project consists of 8 spatial sequences in which unexpected environments and places are transformed into active protagonists.

Exhibition program: 21-29 June 2024

The author will give a multimedia lecture entitled “Image making in the aftermath of the digital revolution.” All presented works were published in international scientific journals (Arts & Humanities Citation Index, Web of Science) and exhibited internationally.

BIOGRAPHY

Katarina Andjelkovic, with a Ph.D., M.Arch.Eng., M. Applied Arts, is a theorist, practicing architect, researcher and painter. She is a high-skilled draftsman, writer and researcher. Andjelkovic is simultaneously engaged in architectural practice, teaching, and research. Katarina’s research, writing and teaching, focus on how ideas can be translated across different media, crossing architecture, visual arts and film. Katarina is currently a MUSAE artist-in-resident (Politecnico di Milano). Katarina has extensive experience in teaching architecture and visual arts: as a Visiting Lecturer at Coburg University of Applied Sciences – Faculty of Design (Department of Architecture) in Germany (2023); as a Visiting Professor at Epidemic Urbanism Initiative (Columbia University and Morgan State University, U.S.); as the main instructor of the HAND-DRAWING COURSE at SMT New York, U.S. (2021), a Visiting Professor and Chair of Creative Architecture, University of Oklahoma (2017), Institute of Form Theory and History in Oslo, Institute of Urbanism and Landscape in Oslo, Norway, at The University of Belgrade – Faculty of Architecture. Katarina is guest-lecturing and mentoring at TU Delft – Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, AHO – Oslo School of architecture and design, FAUP Porto, DIA Anhalt Dessau, ITU – Istanbul Technical University. She lectures internationally at conferences in more than 40 countries in Europe, United Kingdom, North America, Canada, Australia, China, and South America. Katarina has published her research widely in international journals (Web of Science). She is a full author of the Preliminary Architectural Design, a national project supported by the government of Serbia. She won the Belgrade Chamber of Commerce Award for Best Master Thesis defended at Universities in Serbia in all disciplines. Katarina has published 3 monographs and book chapters with Intellect United Kingdom, University of Chicago Press (U.S.), Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group (London, United Kingdom), Büchner-Verlag eG, Marburg/Germany, etc. During her Ph.D., Andjelkovic’s research stays were all at European universities in Copenhagen, Ljubljana, Porto, Dundee U.K., Brighton U.K., Dublin, Madrid, etc. Andjelkovic exhibited her artwork at 8 Solo Exhibitions and at more than 80 international architectural, fine arts, and photography exhibitions, including group exhibitions at Pall Mall Gallery in London, Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin, MAAT Museum in Lisbon, International Biennial of Illustration ”Golden Pen” in Belgrade, Loughborough University in the United Kingdom, TU Delft in the Netherlands, the Museum of Applied Arts in Belgrade, the National Museum in Belgrade, Prodajna Galerija “Beograd” (Kosancicev venac, Belgrade), Gallery Singidunum in Belgrade, Stepenište in Art Education Center ”Šumatovačka”, Gallery of the Central Military Club, Suluj Gallery, Pavillion Cvijeta Zuzoric of the Association of Fine Artists of Serbia, and Mala Gallery of the Association of Fine Artists of Applied Arts and Designers of Serbia. Katarina is a recipient of EDRA’S 2022 AMBASSADOR FUND AWARDS [California, U.S., Awarded in South Carolina], THE ULUS 2021 Spring Exhibition Award “INVISIBLE PORTRAIT” [awarded by Association of Fine Artists of Serbia], and won numerous awards for her architecture design and urban design competitions.

Exhibition opening: Friday, June 21, at 19h.

Visits: Mon-Fri 10-20h, Saturday 10-17h, Sunday: closed.

Access: from the ground floor, catalogue (print) available during the event, e-catalogue available on demand.

Contact: Katarina Andjelkovic: katarina.code@gmail.com

Address: Singidunum Gallery, 40 Kneza Mihaila Street, Belgrade 11000, Serbia

LuginsLand of Art launches the collective exhibition ‘Space & Time’ and Educational Programme inviting the audience to witness the ongoing restoration of this historical, architectural gem in Malta.

The exhibition is open for visitors during the Educational Programme and on the selected days: May 20th-24th and May 27th-30th 12:00pm – 3:00pm.

On March 15th, LuginsLand of Art, formerly known as Villa Luginsland, held an exhibition preview called “Space & Time.” The exhibition was curated by Boris Kudlička, a renowned set designer and architect from Slovakia. The event also marked the launch of a new concept to create dedicated spaces for the artistic community within the Villa, which is currently undergoing restoration.

Ministers Owen Bonnici and Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi graced the occasion, witnessing the restoration endeavours and visionary aspirations of the villa. The project is supported by OmenaArt Foundation, founded by Omenaa Mensah, Polish philanthropist, businesswoman, and art collector, who welcomed esteemed guests and artists to the villa.

“For the first time, we are happy to open the doors to LuginsLand of Art . My team and I have been working on this unique project for many months. We are excited to share the beginning of something truly special. I have always had a profound admiration for historic edifices. I am extremely excited to breathe new life into one of the most significant historical sites in Malta and provide an opportunity to share a dedicated area to the artistic community in the future” – says Omenaa Mensah.

Joanna Popiol, Director of LuginsLand of Art, underscored the meticulous conservation efforts and fruitful collaboration with the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, highlighting the commitment to preserving and honouring the villa’s rich heritage and legacy.

The front part of the villa was dedicated to its long history and showcasing the ongoing restoration works, research and efforts in preserving the historical aspects. The inaugural exhibition ‘Space & Time’ curated by a renowned Slovakian set designer and architect – Boris Kudlička with curatorial collaboration of Maria Galea and Joanna Szulc, showcases the works of renowned Maltese and Polish artists and encompass both site specific installations which have been created in line with the curatorial concept and the historic reference of the site, as well as a curated selection of works from pre-existing series by the artists. The visual narrative establishes an intriguing dialogue between Neo-Renaissance architecture and Contemporary Art, aiming to create an intersection between the past and present through intercultural exchange.

“The main inspiration for the exhibition is the villa itself, its profound history and marvellous architecture. We invited renowned Maltese artists to create site-specific works that represent the dialogue with the space and temporal dimensions of the villa. I am very happy with the diversity of the collection as the artists utilise different mediums and each of them presents their own unique perspective to the subject.“ – says the curator Boris Kudlička

Cultural Manager Maria Galea underlines the gratitude felt as Maltese citizen in appreciating the work being conducted to both preserve and revive such a magnificent historical space. “It is admirable that Luginsland of Art and OmenaArt Foundation are inviting artists to be part of it, creating an important intercultural exchange.”

Featured Artists:

Mario Abela, Victor Agius, Matthew Attard, Norbert Attard, John Paul Azzopardi, Austin Camilleri, Monika Falkus, Antoine Farrugia, Maurycy Gomulicki, Nicolas Grospierre, Michał Jackowski, Ida Karkoszka, Lia Kimura, Marcin Maciejowski, Karol Palczak, Janek Simon, Nikola Vudrag, Xawery Wolski, Jakub Julian Ziółkowski

Site specific works

The commissioned site-specific art installations at LuginsLand of Art feature the works of Maltese artists Matthew Attard, Victor Agius, Mario Abela, and Antoine Farrugia. These pieces integrate history, nature, and architecture, with the respect to villa’s profound history. Each artist brings a unique perspective to their work, aiming to blend with the villa’s architectural and archaeological elements. From Matthew Attard’s digital landscapes to Victor Agius’s sculptures, these works evoke a dialogue between the past and present. Mario Abela’s installation prompts viewers to reflect on their impact on the world, while Antoine Farrugia’s use of Maltese limestone pays homage to the villa’s architecture. Together, these pieces form an intriguing display of artistic expression, inviting visitors to explore the intersection of time and space at LuginsLand of Art.

Educational Programme

Alongside the exhibition, LuginsLand of Art is also organising the educational programme launched on the 23rd of March with the panel ‘Art & Architecture’, followed by the session ‘Art & Archaeology’ in April. The programme encompasses 5 discussion panels and workshops, each delving into various facets of art and its relationships, including architecture, archaeology, community, and artistic legacy. These panels feature distinguished Maltese and international artists, art historians, and art professionals who bring their perspectives on historical, social, and anthropological issues to the fore. The programme aims to foster an environment for discussion and offers an opportunity to explore the villa’s ongoing construction, restoration, and preservation efforts. The programme will extend until the end of May.

The Educational Programme:

Art & Architecture – 23th March

Art & Archaeology – 6th April

Art & Conservation – 4th May

Art & Technology – 18th May

Art & Legacy – 31st May

About Omenaa Mensah

Omenaa Mensah is a Polish philanthropist, businesswoman, art collector, and founder of OmenaArt Foundation. With her rich experience, Omenaa leads worldwide projects and initiatives in the realms of design, architecture and art. She passionately invests in emerging artists, bolstering their growth and creativity. Motivated by her deep-seated love for art, she takes on ambitious endeavours aimed at conserving and rejuvenating historical sites. Her expertise has garnered accolades from stalwarts in architecture and design, including luminaries like Boris Kudlička, Bruno Moinard, Alessandro La Spada, and Gio Pagani. Omenaa is also devoted to emphasising the importance of social responsibility within cultural realms. Her foundation is engaged in philanthropic activity, such as the coordination of the Grand Charity Auction TOP CHARITY, one of the most prestigious philanthropic events in Europe that promotes the best Polish and international artists. The initiative has been recognised and selected by Luxury Lifestyle Awards which celebrate the best luxury services all over the world.

Photo Credits: Brian Grech

Links:

LuginsLand of Art website
Educational Programme

Registration to view the exhibition
LuginsLand of Art Facebook

LuginsLand of Art Instagram
OmenaArt Foundation website

For more information contact: alicja@villaluginsland.com

The Water Light Festival 2024 promises to be a celebration for the senses and the soul as it transports visitors to a world full of colour, fantasy and reflection. From 24 April to 12 May, the episcopal town of Brixen/Bressanone in South Tyrol and the Neustift monastery will shine in unique splendour thanks to the creative works of some outstanding artists from all over the world.

In the evening in Brixen

There are 15 light art installations in public spaces in Brixen, which can be admired in the evening from 9 pm to midnight. Public art has the power to transform the environment, bring it to life and offer people new ways of experiencing and understanding their surroundings. “Through art in public space, we can also address important social and environmental issues, bring communities together and make public space a place where creativity, dialogue and exchange can flourish,” says Werner Zanotti, Managing Director of the Brixen Tourismus Association and head of the event’s curatorial team.

One of the highlights of the festival is undoubtedly the presentation by the Spanish multidisciplinary art and design studio Onionlab. On the imposing facade of the Brixen Cathedral, it presents the captivating work “Climate”. This nine-minute audiovisual piece confronts the viewer with a dilemma: which world do we want to inhabit? A gloomy, dry and grey world, marked by the consequences of the climate catastrophe, or a bright and harmonious future? An impressive projection encourages visitors to decide in favour of hope.

Another impressive work comes from the German light artist Tom Groll from the TENTAKULUM collective. His work “Green Washing” in front of the Brixen Tourismus building presents an installation that is fascinating both during the day and at night. Two washing machines and two IBC water tanks, connected by a network of hoses, symbolise green washing by circulating uranium-enriched, light green water. This visual metaphor for the perfect functioning of the economy encourages us to reflect on the reality of greenwashing.

The late Italian artist Piero Gilardi will also be honoured posthumously with his installation “Migration (Climate Change)” at the Hartwigplatz. This work, which was originally created in 2015, shows the silhouettes of migrating pelicans in flight, symbolising the animal migrations caused by global warming.

During this year’s festival, the international studio OCUBO from Portugal is presenting the interactive installation “Human Tiles” in the Brixen City Library. The installation allows passers-by to interact with the graphic pattern on the facade using the colours of their clothing. This pattern is reminiscent of traditional Portuguese “azulejos”. The installation not only emphasises joy and curiosity through a playful approach to different cultures and traditions, but also places people at the centre of a high-tech process that overcomes the boundaries between man and machine.

Thanks to the support of the Embassy and Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Studio Toer‘s ‘Firefly Field’ work enchants visitors to the Herrengarten with countless points of light floating above the ground, reminiscent of the movement of fireflies at night. The light points, moved by bioluminescence reflected on flowerbeds and shrubs, create an enthralling atmosphere, expressing Studio Toer’s fascination for luminous animals through specially developed LED light points. The unique composition of the points creates a natural and unpredictable movement, enriching the visitors’ experience.

During the day in Neustift

Also in this edition a part of the Water Light Festival takes place in the Neustift Monastery. An exhibition, which is accessible during normal museum opening hours, presents 19 artists who work with light and digital media and deal with the dialogue between cultural heritage and contemporary art. Entitled NOTATIONS, the exhibition addresses ecological challenges and climate change. The exhibition project is curated by Bettina Pelz. For the first time, the exhibition will be extended beyond the festival period until 29 June.

Thanks to the partnership with Zumtobel lighting brand, works by renowned artists such as Anish Kapoor, Keith Sonnier and Brigitte Kowanz are presented in Neustift Monastery, a few kilometres north of the Brixen old town centre.

The installation by Anish Kapoor can be seen in the Engelsburg. It is a field of experimentation for perception. Embedded in a surface of light is a rich, deep black surface that creates the impression of infinite depth in the human eye.

Works by the French artist François Morellet and the American artist Keith Sonnier were also exhibited at Neustift Monastery in the last edition of the Water Light Festival. This year, “Recréation No. 7 (1994)” by François Morellet and “Chacahoula” (1997) by Keith Sonnier from the Zumtobel Collection will be on display, once again proven classics in the art history of light.

Two installations by Austrian artist Brigitte Kowanz from the Zumtobel Collection can also be seen in the cultural history museum at Neustift Abbey. Both installations thematise the connection between light as an electromagnetic wave and Morse code as the first code of electromagnetic space, telegraphy. The installation “Lichtwechsel” translates the title of the installation into light signals from colour fields, while the installation “Wir schwimmen in der Linie und tauchen sporadisch ins Mosaik” visualises a quote from Vilém Flusser. The media philosopher thematised how our world is becoming a highly complex network of signs and codes.

Another remarkable work comes from the Swiss artist Laurence Bonvin. Her work “Aletsch Negative” offers visitors a fascinating and unsettling journey into the interior of the Aletsch Glacier, the largest and longest glacier in the Alps. This visual experience questions spatial and temporal scales and emphasises the urgency of climate change.

Glaciers are regarded as archives of climate history. With the loss of glaciers, not only are climate conditions changing, but knowledge of nature is also disappearing. Nicolás Rupcich travelled to the Arctic Ocean in April 2022 to show the current changes from his perspective; the installation “Archipelago Archive” provides an insight into the video material that the artist recorded. The many screens are at the same time reporting, image library and knowledge repository.

Light, whether natural or artificial, has long inspired and fascinated people, especially artists. Over the last 200 years, light art has taken many forms and is now increasingly making its way into public spaces. Artists are experimenting with space, technology, light sources and surroundings, with light offering an almost endless palette of possibilities. The Water Light Festival in Brixen and Neustift Monastery will showcase impressive works that tell powerful stories, are visually appealing and address important issues such as sustainability, traces and nature conservation while showcasing contemporary creativity and new technologies.

The Water Light Festival 2024 is not only a display of art, but also a reminder to take action. Through the creative combination of water, light and art, important social issues are highlighted, and visitors are encouraged to reflect on their role in shaping a sustainable future.

More information on all the artworks: www.waterlight.it

Information:

Brixen

24. April – 12. May 2024

Mon – Sun: 21-24 h

Ticket: for 3 venues (Hofburg, Herrengarten and City Library)

Adults: 12€

Children: <15 years 0€

Guided visits: daily

Meeting point: 21:30 h at Ticketboth at the Hofburgplatz (reservation required)

Adults and children: 5€

Neustift Monastery

24. April – 29. June 2024

Mon-Sat: 10-17 h (last entrance at 16:15 h)

Ticket: 12€

BrixenCard: 0€

Guided visits: Tue, Thu, Sat with reservation

Meeting point: 14:30 h at the Museum Infopoint

Price: 17€ (entrance ticket included)

Joseph Beuys. Collection Presentation

Hamburger Bahnhof, from 12 April 2024.

A collection presentation by Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin 

Opening: Thursday, 11 April 2024, 7 pm

Joseph Beuys – Works from the Nationalgalerie Collection

Hamburger Bahnhof presents its extensive holdings of works by artist Joseph Beuys (1921–86) in the Kleihueshalle, reopening on this occasion. The exhibition will include major pieces from the Nationalgalerie’s collection, which recently entered the collection thanks to the generous donation of the family of collector Erich Marx, who died in 2020. Visitors can explore the complex oeuvre and critical reception of the artist Beuys in a presentation comprising 15 works and a multimedia study island.

Joseph Beuys was a draftsman, sculptor, action and installation artist, teacher, politician and activist. Born in Krefeld in 1921, he grew up in Kleve. He died in Düsseldorf in 1986. Having grown up under National Socialism in Germany, and actively participated in the Hitler Youth and the armed forces, Beuys sought to transform the totalitarian society of his youth into one of warmth and radical democracy: by means of art, and in conversation and cooperation with all people. Beuys called the collective transformation of society he envisaged “social sculpture.” By that, he meant an expanded form of art, in which all human beings – as the artists they innately are – could and should participate. Beuys took his own personal transformation as his point of departure. The extent to which he actually achieved the inner change he was striving for is still highly contested today.

The collection presentation explores the ways in which Beuys explored the boundaries and responsibilities of art through his work. It also offers an insight into the mixed public response to the artist through books and audio contributions, while juxtaposing his vision of social renewal with the ideas of other people, such as the civil rights activist Angela Davis, the writer Ursula K. Le Guin, and the rapper and poet Kae Tempest. The exhibition celebrates the generous donation of works to the Nationalgalerie made by the family of collector Erich Marx.

Below are some of the works by Joseph Beuys that are presented in this exhibition.

Joseph Beuys, Capri-Batterie, 1985 

Several works by Joseph Beuys, such as the Capri Battery, are related to the concept of a “solar state,” or “city of the sun”. Beuys came across it in Civitas Solis (1623): a utopian work by political philosopher Tommaso Campanella. Like Campanella, Beuys placed the power and warmth of the sun at the center of his social utopia. Named after the island of Capri where it was conceived, Beuys’s tiny work resembles a miniature model of the sun. It combines a light bulb representing the light of the sun with a lemon symbolizing the energy of the sun. The result is a fruit battery – not unlike the ones you might have made in physics class at school. With this simple gesture, Beuys transformed Campanella’s rigid social model into a continuously changing one. The Capri Battery is among the artist’s final works. It can be thought of as his intellectual and political testament. 

Andy Warhol, Joseph Beuys, 1980

From the early 1960s onwards, Andy Warhol created colorful silk-screen portraits of famous personalities, among them Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor – and Joseph Beuys. The oversized portrait shown here casts him as an icon of popular culture. It is coated with a thin layer of glittery dust. The painting was produced after Beuys had spent time in New York for his first major international exhibition at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in 1979. The two artists, both of whom cultivated a mythical public persona, had met for the first time only a few months earlier at an exhibition opening in Düsseldorf. Beuys presumably attached great importance to the advertising potential of Warhol’s portrait. In 1981, he claimed that his entire life was ultimately advertising: for the renewal of society through creativity.

Joseph Beuys, DAS KAPITAL RAUM 1970–1977, 1980

In the course of the 1970s Joseph Beuys realized that there could be no transformation of society without a fundamental rethinking of capital and economics. The installation displayed here explicitly refers to Das Kapital, Karl Marx’s critique of political economy. In contrast to Marx, Beuys equated capital with human creativity. This large-scale enigmatic work resembles an abandoned stage. It brings together objects and devices drawn from actions and projects largely carried out between 1970 and 1977, such as a concert grand piano and axe, film projectors and a screen, a microphone, tape recorders and loudspeakers. The blackboards with chalk drawings were produced in conjunction with teaching and learning situations that Beuys presented as artworks at two major exhibitions: the Organisation for Direct Democracy through Referendum at documenta 5 (1972) and the Free International University at documenta 6 (1977). In each instance the artist and the public spent 100 days discussing politics, society, and the economy.

Comprising 15 works, the collection presentation brings together for the first time in one space Tram Stop. A monument to the future (1976), DAS KAPITAL RAUM, 1970–1977 (1980) and THE END OF THE 20TH CENTURY (1982) from the Nationalgalerie Collection. The study island offers visitors an insight into the ambivalent perception of the artist through audio contributions by well-known personalities and selected books and confronts his vision of social renewal with the civil rights activist Angela Davis, the writer Ursula Le Guin or the poet Kae Tempest, among others.

In addition to sculptures, environments, drawings and multiples the exhibi- tion also includes groundbreaking actions such as how to explain pictures to a dead hare (1964), Transsiberian Rail (1970) and I like America and America likes Me. In these works, Beuys developed and illustrated his idea of how everyone could actively contribute to the democratization of society as an artist. From 1963 onwards, he performed over thirty actions in various roles, among them a shaman, teacher, gangster or gardener. Beuys used materials such as felt, fat and copper, to which he attributed certain properties within his work. The Felt Suit (1970), for example, is made of a material that Beuys valued for its warming, insulating qualities. He also developed theories, as the Projekt Westmensch notebooks in the exhibition illustrate. From electromagnetism to quantum physics, he inten- sively investigated the properties of energy.

Energy-generating and energy-conducting processes played a central role in the development of his Theory of Social Sculpture, which he also referred to as the Energy Plan. The Energy Staff (1974) and Capri Battery (1985) attest to this in the exhibition.

The presentation probes the ways in which Beuys’s work questioned the nature, materiality, language and perception of the boundaries and tasks of art. He incorporated myths about himself into his work, actively integrated the public into his art in the spirit of social sculpture and ultimately moved outside the museum world. The model for Tram Stop. A monument to the future (1976) was a peace memorial made of decommissioned weapons and a railway track from Beuys’s hometown of Kleve. DAS KAPITAL RAUM, 1970–1977 (1980) refers to Das Kapital by Karl Marx (1867), although Beuys equates capital with human creativity. The installation consists of objects from actions from 1970 to 1977. The blackboards with chalk drawings were created as part of the Organisation for Direct Democracy through Referendum at documenta 5 (1972) and the Free International University at documenta 6 (1977). Here the artist and the public spent 100 days discussing politics, society and the economy. THE END OF THE 20TH CENTURY was created after 7000 Oaks for documenta 7 (1982) and also incorporates basalt steles. With this large-scale ecological sculpture in Kassel, in the realization of which thousands of people took part, Beuys left the conventional art space.

The Felt Suit (1970) already testifies to Beuys’s tendency to situate himself at the center of his artistic-political movement. The portrait by Andy Warhol from 1980 depicts Beuys as an icon of popular culture. Beuys was presumably aware of the advertising potential of Warhol’s portrait. In 1981, he claimed that his entire life was advertising: for the renewal of society through creativity.

The exhibition aims to actively involve the public. New voices on the subject of transformation and social renewal will be added to the study island every three months. Visitors are invited to enter suggestions in a notebook.

In addition to free guided tours on Sundays, which offer participants a basic overview of the artist’s issues and themes, the education and outreach program also includes new guided tours that can be booked individually. Schools have the opportunity to book exhibition talks on Beuys’s work, which deal with topics such as ecology, environmental protection and sustainability. The program also includes a range of workshops on political, sociocritical and utopian art. These interactive discussions offer high school students the opportunity to view and discuss Beuys’s art in the context of contemporary artistic positions shown at the museum. A school project with the Erika Mann primary school will create a program for beuysradio based on an intensive examination of his work.

In 2022, the family of the well-known Berlin collector Erich Marx, who died in 2020, donated the entire holdings of works by the artist Joseph Beuys from the Marx Collection to the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation. The donation included the following works, which are now in the collection of the Nationalgalerie: The secret block for a secret person in Ireland (1936–76); STELLE, 2nd Version (1967–76); Energy Staff (1974); Tram Stop, 2nd Version (1961–76); Untitled (Blackboard, 1977); Untitled (ART = CAPITAL, 1980); Untitled (Neutralied CapitaI, 1980); DAS KAPITAL RAUM 1970–1977 (1980). Of these works, the following can be seen in the new collection presentation: Energy Staff (1974); Tram Stop, 2nd Version (1961–76); and DAS KAPITAL RAUM 1970–1977 (1980).

The new permanent display is being held to mark the generous donation of works from the family of the collector Erich Marx. It will be accompanied by a rotating series of solo exhibitions featuring the work of contemporary artists – the first of whom will be Naama Tsabar with Estuaries (until 22.9.2024, curated by Ingrid Buschmann). From 8 November 2024, Andrea Pichl will follow with Wertewirtschaft (Values Economy, until 4.5.2025, curated by Sven Beckstette).

In addition to the new collection presentation in the Kleihueshalle, Beuys’s installation “Unschlitt/Tallow” (1977) from the collection of the Nationalgalerie is on display in the west wing of the museum as part of the permanent presentation Endless Exhibition.

Joseph Beuys. Works from the Nationagalerie Collection is curated by Catherine Nichols, curator at Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart.

Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart
Invalidenstraße 50/51, 10557 Berlin, Germany

EXHIBITION PREVIEW

Museumsinsel Berlin, Alte Nationalgalerie

Bodestr. 1-3, 10178 Berlin
Opening hours: Tue – Sun, 10 am – 6 pm

Caspar David Friedrich. Infinite Landscapes

19 April – 4 August, 2024
A special exhibition by the Nationalgalerie – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin

Press conference: Wednesday, 17 April, 2024, 11 am
Special opening hours: Fridays and Saturdays 10am – 8pm

To mark the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Caspar David Friedrich (1774–1840), the Alte Nationalgalerie of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, in cooperation with the Kupferstichkabinett, will for the very first time present a comprehensive exhibition dedicated to the oeuvre of the most prominent painter of the German Romantic movement. More than 60 paintings and 50 drawings by Friedrich from Germany and abroad will be on display, including a number of world-famous, iconic works such as The Sea of Ice, Chalk Cliffs on Rügen or Monk by the Sea.

An exhibition of this kind is long overdue in Berlin, if only by virtue of the fact that the numerous acquisitions and public exhibitions that occurred in the Prussian capital played a considerable part in fostering the artist’s initial renown during his own lifetime. After the painter had faded into obscurity during the second half of the 19th century, the Nationalgalerie paid tribute to him in 1906 in its most comprehensive retrospective to date, the legendary Deutsche Jahrhundertausstellung, which included 93 of the artist’s paintings and drawings. Friedrich was lauded as a painter with an extraordinary proficiency for capturing light and atmosphere, and as a pioneer of modern art.

The rediscovery of Friedrich’s art, his pairs of paintings, as well as the artist’s process and technique will be in the center of the exhibition. Based on these themes, an overview of the life and work of the painter will be presented. The essence of his art between the precise study of nature and romantic imagination will become palpable. Friedrich created landscapes of longing with wide skies and distant horizons in which the infinity of space and time becomes perceptible. His timeless images stimulate thought and feeling, which makes them so fascinating to this day.

Tickets are available from now on at: www.smb.museum/tickets

For guided tours please visit: www.smb.museum/ang

Curated by Birgit Verwiebe, Alte Nationalgalerie.

The exhibition will be accompanied by catalogues in both English and German at Prestel Publishing, ed. by Birgit Verwiebe and Ralph Gleis (hardcover circa 350 pages).

Please note the exhibition’s special opening hours: On Fridays and Saturdays the museum is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The anniversary exhibitions marking the 250th birthday of Caspar David Friedrich in the Hamburger Kunsthalle, the Alte Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin and the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden are under the patronage of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

The exhibition “Caspar David Friedrich. Infinite Landscapes” is made possible by the Freunde der Nationalgalerie.

In honor of the 250th anniversary of Caspar David Friedrich’s birth, the Metropolitan Museum of Art presents the first comprehensive exhibition dedicated to the artist held in the United States (“Caspar David Friedrich: The Soul of Nature”, February 7–May 11, 2025). It is organized in cooperation with the Alte Nationalgalerie of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, and Hamburger Kunsthalle.

Reimagining Art through Immersive Technologies: The Digital Renaissance

By Jean Arnaud

Our society is currently undergoing rapid changes that are profoundly redefining our perception of the world and our relationship with it. The fields of art and culture are no exception. Innovative technologies, often referred to as “new media,” are introducing revolutionary paradigm shifts in art, heralding the inexorable triumph of a new era, a “digital renaissance.”

These new works, primarily developed using immersive technologies such as 3D video, holography, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and the metaverse, distinguish themselves from traditional static works through their dynamism and their ability to evoke more intense emotions. They also stand out for their power to deepen and expand our reality. These works are meant to be lived and experienced rather than passively observed, continuing the advances initiated by revolutionary artists like Marcel Duchamp, whose kinetic art challenged traditional norms by introducing movement into art, or artists like Mark Rothko, whose abstract and suggestive expressionism increase the viewer’s role in the artistic experience by encouraging active interpretation.

Indeed, the art produced by new media immerses viewers in a dynamic, and multisensory experience that goes beyond mere observation and interpretation. Not only does it transport them into a perpetually transforming world that invites exploration of the artwork’s depth and complexity, by blending sensations, it also opens up new horizons of perception and self-awareness into the immeasurable abyss of one’s inner being, or to borrow from Pessoa, to “travel while remaining still.” These new genre works are created to be contemplated and admired, in addition to being experienced, and above all, to be transcended.

Exhibitions of video or reflective art, like Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms, have gradually made way for light displays and immersive experiences dedicated to the works of artists such as Klimt, Van Gogh, Cézanne, and Matisse, as seen in the Atelier des Lumières in Paris, for example, or the Hall of Lights in New York City. While novel and refreshing, these retrofitted works do not hold nearly the same value as those aesthetically conceived experiences in which technological tools were employed in the service of an artistic vision and integrated into the creative process.

In my immersive video experience, The Universe Within, various technologies were used to bring my aesthetic vision to life. This allegorical piece represents the forces at play within an individual during the act of creation. It also seeks to embody the very movement of a being simultaneously creating itself and shaping its work. Depicting a gradual awakening and a powerful universe of colors, scents, and harmonious orders, when projected, The Universe Within envelops viewers, inviting them to contemplate the surges occurring within their inner selves, like mirrors reflecting the ever-shifting complexity of their psychic life, urging them to transform themselves through an act of creation. This synesthetic and multisensory experience creates a strange and cathartic impression for the viewer: Imagine being carried by an indomitable wave toward the shores of a more accomplished self – the supreme being that assimilates with destiny, one shaped and polished through perseverance, one to which all the power of existence aspires. This demiurgic act is made possible by combining artistic vision with immersive technologies, and the beauty that constitutes the true purpose of any work of art becomes enriched with a dimension both mystical and metaphysical.

Other artists have also explored this dynamism in their work. For example, Refik Anadol’s stunning piece, Unsupervised, recently joined the permanent collection of the prestigious MoMA in New York. Anadol’s offering examines the idea of art creating itself, a process in which moving forms attempt to break free from their boundaries. Ultimately, machines, like human beings, are still constrained by their own nature and the physical reality in which they are rooted and upon which they depend. Thus, while these phygital works can create unprecedented experiences due to their dynamic, immersive, and multisensory nature, and while they foster the development of deeper, more vivid emotions and ideas, they are limited by physical constraints that only virtual reality and augmented reality can transcend.

Students at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory have developed an augmented reality experience that presents the viewer with a digital canvas on which a creature moves through a lush jungle, and they can interact with it by scanning a QR code. When the viewer solves the artist’s riddle, the artwork comes to life, and the environment flourishes. Augmented reality not only frees an artwork from physical constraints such as frames, walls, or spheres, but it also places the viewer at the center of the artistic experience, where they can actively participate. However, while the viewer can have an impact on the work, their actions are still restricted and guided by the artist-engineer, or the artist assisted by computer engineers. If a piece of art is developed within a VR or AR environment, true transcendence can only take place within the metaverse, a more open digital world where each participant can interact and collaborate with friends in the form of avatars, redefining the entire artistic experience. In the metaverse, boundaries between the realms of art and play blur, and the possibilities for artists and viewers are infinitely expanded.

The metaverse allows artists to create dynamic art that defies the laws of physics, whether it be inverted, floating pyramids, immersive digital art spaces that transport viewers, the synesthetic integration of visuals and music, interactive philosophical, historical, technical, or cultural elements, or animated discussions by avatars representing both the artwork’s characters and the artist. Such metaverse-based work transcends traditional boundaries that define artistic genres, offering an impression of limitless possibilities and experimentation, as well as introducing ludic elements like escape games, which invite viewers to participate actively, even in the creation process. Within the metaverse, art is no longer akin to Greek columns carved from marble destined to exist eternally in petrified beauty; it can now take on the vibrant and colorful appearance of living trees, whose multiplying branches ignite the infinite motion of worlds, life, and the creative soul, offering a boundless universe of possibilities.

My work, Prometheus Ἑωσφόρος, is an interactive 3D sculpture in the metaverse, inspired by ancient mythology. After stealing the sacred fire from the gods, Prometheus, the divine rebel, offers it to human beings, granting them the ability to break free from the constraints of a predetermined, imposed, and disputable order. Now free to be sovereign, humans must shape their existence with the fire of love, ardently stoked by the breath of will, guided by the high visions of creative imagination, and shaped, sculpted, and polished by the skilled hands of reason. Beyond the beauty of art that each demiurgic soul aspires to, there are underlying philosophical messages, encouraging humans to be the sculptor of themselves and their destinies, to elevate the powers inherent in their being, and to be present in the world, open to its mystery and complexity, as the architect of a more enlightened humanity by employing technology in service of their vision.

My digital statue represents the first level of meaning, containing an experience hidden within. Prometheus Ἑωσφόρος is located inside a futuristic 3D triangle that moves through the air and can only be accessed after deciphering a symbolic and mysterious poem, a kind of enigmatic relic guarding the “threshold of intrusion,” to borrow Novalis’s vocabulary. To answer the call of the humanist artists of the digital renaissance, one must draw upon their inner strength to move beyond mere aesthetic contemplation and delve into their own depths to rise to the creative act: “What [every artist] seeks when they cast these sparkling fragments of themselves onto the world are beings of their rank, filled with a supreme love for life, entirely devoted to their sacred mission, miners of knowledge, hallucinators and seers, inventors of values, creators of the future… To these magnificent beings falls the enormous, sublime, and superhuman task of raising, in the skies of the future, the star their predecessors sketched in dreams, of shaping and perfecting the star whose rays they have outlined” (Soliloquies, foreword). Thus, the viewer is called upon to participate and interact with my sculpture by taking the torch held by the cybernetic titan that it depicts. A circle with mysterious inscriptions moves, revealing a cryptic poem – a bridge to another experience, the recreation of the sculpture in a different way. The goal is then to encourage the viewer to enrich the artwork with their own vision, so that they become a creator themselves.

The artwork made possible by new media is no longer meant solely for observation; it is designed to be lived and experienced. These innovative technologies offer the opportunity to create dynamic, immersive, synesthetic, palimpsest, interactive, and participatory artistic experiences that have brought about profound paradigm shifts in the field of art. It is a total art that requires artists to be versatile and master complex technologies, transforming themselves into technical artificers or visionary philosopher-poets surrounded by talented experts, painters, musicians, and engineers. The artists of the Renaissance were masters in various disciplines; Michelangelo excelled in sculpture, painting, and poetry, and Leonardo da Vinci excelled in philosophy, sculpture, painting, and engineering, relying on the most talented individuals of their time in order to execute their work. The new art of the digital renaissance is thus open to an infinity of possibilities and meanings, surpassing the notion of artistic genre and allowing the viewer to adopt a new role beyond that of a mere observer or exegete by participating in the creative process and rising to the level of the artist. The artwork itself can now offer in its structure the means of its own transcendence and present itself to posterity as a moving temple dedicated to change and successive metamorphoses, challenging the old artistic hubris that glorified the illusion of immortality in opposition to time. There is no being that does not become, or, to put it differently, there is no being but in the process of becoming. This philosophical principle is embraced by this new art, even defining it as the ideal. 

A new era has opened, one in which humanity, thanks to advances in technology, is compelled to question its limits, a practice that must be embraced if one wishes to push these limits and transcend them. The makers of the impossible owe much to limitation, as it became an invitation to act with invention. Art, more than ever, is not only a manifestation of these existential questions but also the most refined and spiritual way to answer them. It also then becomes the most sophisticated means of self-fulfillment and improvement, of becoming more oneself and more than oneself. By accumulating and mobilizing the powers of existence through philosophy, science, art, and technology, and by becoming more of what they must be, the artist of the digital renaissance ensures that their being fulfills its destiny (or that their being is fulfilled as destiny) and shapes, at the same time, that of humanity, which always shines above, guiding our supreme aspiration toward higher beauties and the skies of the sublime. 

Jean Arnaud, also known as Jean Arno, is a Boston-based tech entrepreneur and the founder of Nova, a company dedicated to developing interactive AI solutions to accelerate academic research and enhance its efficiency. In addition to his entrepreneurial pursuits, Jean is a published author and an artist renowned for his innovative work at the intersection of technology and art. He is recognized for pioneering new approaches that push the boundaries of both fields.

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CORAL WOODBURY – Revised Edition

Solo exhibition at HackelBury Fine Art, London 7 March – 4 May 2024

HackelBury Fine Art, London, presents Coral Woodbury’s second solo exhibition, Revised Edition, featuring new work from three series, all inspired by the form and substance of the book. Woodbury uses recurring motifs such as ashes, palimpsests, and remnants of material culture to evoke themes of absence and memory, and bridge human connection across time.

In her series, Revised Edition, Woodbury enacts a feminist intervention in the art history canon. On pages torn from the seminal Janson’s History of Art – which entirely omitted artist women from its first 29 printings – she, with sumi ink, paints women back into the history which excluded them. Her work renders the invisible visible.

“When complete, Revised Edition will encompass 617 paintings and will stand as testimony against the erasure of others which reaches deeply into our culture.”

Oil paintings from the Broken Spine series continue this same exploration of the vagaries of memory, time, and history. Translucent layers of paint and obscured writing lend an ephemeral quality which suggests the fading, forgetting, and fragmenting of the past. From parchment manuscripts, to authors’ galley proofs, to the current US book banning epidemic — the traces and erasures of thought become part of the process of painting.

“These paintings originated when I was recovering from a fractured spine. Themes of brokenness and repair entered my work, and I began exploring the metaphorical connections between book and body.”

The series In Place is Woodbury’s personal travelogue, noted in colour rather than writing. Finding a timeworn book specific to the location has become an orienting ritual upon arrival. The pages, swatched in various hues of gouache, record fleeting experiences in the language of color.

About Coral Woodbury

Boston-based artist Coral Woodbury (b.1971) exhibits nationally and internationally and in 2020 was a finalist for the international Mother Art Prize, culminating in the Procreate Project exhibition at Cromwell Place in London. In 2018 she took part in the International Travelling Art exhibition at Taragaon Museum, Kathmandu, Nepal; #00Bienal de la Habana, Cuba; and VANITAS#IMPERMANENCE, Travelling Exhibition in Genova and Trieste, Italy. Woodbury was recently included in the group exhibition ‘Medium & Memory’ curated by Griselda Pollock at HackelBury Fine Art and its accompanying catalogue.

Her work is held in public and private collections, including The Katrin Bellinger Collection, The Cross Steele Family Collection and The Women’s Art Collection, University of Cambridge.

About HackelBury Fine Art

HackelBury Fine Art was founded twenty-five years ago by Marcus Bury and Sascha Hackel. The gallery is committed to championing artists working with the visual arts who push the boundaries of their medium to create meaningful and contemplative work.

The London based gallery initially showcased classic photography from the 20th century including Henri Cartier-Bresson, Berenice Abbott, Willy Ronis, Malick Sidibe, Sebastião Salgado and Edouard Boubat. The transition from traditional photography to more conceptual work was as intuitive as it was organic, beginning with artists such as William Klein, Pascal Kern, Doug and Mike Starn, Garry Fabian Miller, Katja Liebmann, Ian McKeever, Stephen Inggs and Bill Armstrong. In recent years the gallery has also taken on emerging artists such as Oli Kellett, Nadezda Nikolova, Alys Tomlinson and Coral Woodbury.

Each artist, whether emerging or established, creates work defined by a depth of thought and breadth and consistency of approach. The small group of artists with whom HackelBury work, represent a diversity of practice yet share an artistic integrity which the gallery is fully committed to supporting in the long-term.

FOR ALL PRESS ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT

Camilla Cañellas – Arts Consultancy & PR
E: camilla@culturebeam.com M:+34 660375123

Phil Crook – HackelBury Fine Art
E: phil@hackelbury.co.uk T: +44 20 7937 8688

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HACKELBURY FINE ART

4 LAUNCESTON PLACE, LONDON W8 5RL

T: 020 7937 8688

www.hackelbury.co.uk

© 2021 HackelBury Fine Art, Ltd. Copyright for all images is held by the respective artist or estate and they may not be reproduced in any form without express permission. All rights reserved.

APPENDIX

Medium & Memory exhibition links:

Publication | Exhibition

Synthesis Gallery is proud to announce its fifth anniversary of art exhibitions.

synthesis gallery has come a long way since its inception in New York City in 2017. The gallery has always been committed to showcasing immersive art, and in 2018, it expanded its reach by opening a new location in Berlin. Synthesis has been instrumental in promoting emerging artists and collaborating with established names in the digital art world, helping to launch and support their careers. The gallery’s focus on VR, AR, and XR works has been a significant contribution to the art world, and it continues to play a pivotal role in nurturing new talent.

Over the course of five years, Synthesis Gallery has organized more than 20 shows, cementing XR as a significant medium. In 2021, they transformed into a non-profit organization, expanding their focus to include new media and digital art. Their mission is to position the digital art community within the rich tapestry of art history while promoting critical discourse about the potential of technology without perpetuating binary thinking or singular theories.

Synthesis Gallery has been successful in showcasing its exhibitions in leading cultural institutions across the globe. They are now actively seeking new international platforms to expand their reach and bring their unique exhibitions to a wider audience.

synthesis is a genre-defining cultural institution working with new media. Since its inception in 2017, the gallery has produced over twenty exhibitions of new media art in Berlin and abroad, online and on chain and is dedicated to exhibiting internationally renowned, well-established artists alongside emerging ones.

For press inquiries, please contact giorgio@synthesis.gallery or call +49 174 2747 842.

The Museum Barberini in Potsdam is currently showcasing the exhibition:

Edvard Munch: Trembling Earth

The exhibition is scheduled to run until April 1st, 2024.

On November 18, the exhibition Edvard Munch: Trembling Earth was opened at the Museum Barberini. Organized in cooperation with the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, USA, and the MUNCH in Oslo, the exhibition is the first to focus on Edvard Munch’s fascination with nature. The show features over 110 works by the Norwegian artist, with some of his most famous motifs as well as unknown works. Also on view are the monumental preliminary studies for Munch’s paintings for the Aula at the University of Oslo, which have not been exhibited in Germany for over a century. Lenders include the MUNCH in Oslo, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Dallas Museum of Art in Texas, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the Museum Folkwang in Essen, the Kupferstichkabinett of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, and the Von der Heydt Museum in Wuppertal. The exhibition in Potsdam is curated by guest curator Jill Lloyd, an expert on modern European art. 

The first exhibition of Edvard Munch’s landscapes 

Edvard Munch is known for his haunting images of primal human emotion. His interest in the psychological dimensions of existence, however, was matched by an equally strong fascination with nature. Employing his unique sensibility and power of imagination, Munch explored motifs taken from nature, seeking to fathom humanity’s place in the cosmic cycle of life. The image of the landscape in Munch’s work, however, has received little systematic attention up to this point. Now for the first time, the exhibition Edvard Munch: Trembling Earth and the accompanying catalogue investigate the meaning of such images in Munch’s oeuvre, questioning common assumptions and examining the contemporaneous artistic, scientific, and philosophical influences that contributed to his understanding of nature. With motifs ranging from undulating coastlines and fairy-tale forests to snow-covered or stormy landscapes, luxuriant gardens, and the exuberant play of sun, air, and water, Munch’s work also resonates with the present-day climate crisis against the backdrop of current natural catastrophes. 

“Although Edvard Munch devoted almost half of his works to motifs from nature, until now he has not been perceived as a landscape painter. With Edvard Munch: Trembling Earth, our desire is to open up this perspective on his work,” says Ortrud Westheider, director of the Museum Barberini. “Especially in conjunction with the Impressionist landscapes in the Hasso Plattner Collection, it is fascinating to see how Munch, a Norwegian contemporary of the Impressionists, connected landscape with the inner life and how such different perspectives on nature could develop at the same time in Europe. While the goal of the Impressionists was to recreate the sensory experience of nature through light and color, for Munch nature was always also a mirror of his own inner turmoil, giving his landscape images a greater sense of drama. We are especially fortunate that the exhibition Edvard Munch: Magic of the North at the Berlinische Galerie overlaps with our Munch show for eight weeks. The public thus has the opportunity to experience the dimensions of the oeuvre of one of the most important artists of the modern era in all its facets in both Berlin and Potsdam. With the preliminary works for the Aula paintings, which were exhibited at the Berlin Secession in 1913 and were enthusiastically received by audiences in Berlin, we also have a direct thematic connection to the exhibition of our Berlin colleagues.” 

116 paintings, woodcuts, lithographs, and drawings from twenty-one lenders in eight exhibition chapters 

From June 10 to October 15, 2023, the exhibition was on view at its first station, the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Curated by Jay A. Clark, it received outstanding reviews: “A revelatory exhibit” (The Wall Street Journal); “Magnificent . . . Munch the landscapist coexists with the connoisseur of affliction” (Financial Times); “Glorious . . . It’s a revelation” (The Atlantic); “a major modern painter in a new, broader, enlivening light” (The New York Times). The Potsdam exhibition, curated by guest curator Jill Lloyd, features 116 works in eight exhibition chapters. In late April 2024, the show will travel to its third station, the MUNCH in Oslo, where it will be curated by Trine Otte Bak Nielsen. 

The chapters of the exhibition engage with a variety of natural spaces to explore the active role played by the landscape in the art of Edvard Munch. While the chapter In the Forest exemplifies Munch’s sense of nature as a mysterious realm and a place of romantic growth and decay, the chapter Garden and Field reveals his fascination with the interaction between humanity and nature. In Between Land and Sea, coastal landscapes serve as a backdrop for separation, attraction, and solitude, while the beaches of Åsgårdstrand, Warnemünde, Hvitsten, and Ekely—locations where Munch lived and worked for many years—symbolize a Summer Retreat. The chapter The Scream of Nature addresses existential questions of the relationship between man and nature: here, a lithograph of what is probably Munch’s most famous work, The Scream, is juxtaposed with the explosive color of his monumental painting The Sun. The chapter Storm and Snow explores the degree to which early twentieth-century climate fears, marked by anxiety over the dawn of a new ice age, are reflected in Munch’s landscapes. In a Cosmic Cycle shows how Munch assimilated new scientific discoveries that revealed nature as a dynamic force, visualizing it as vital and ever-changing and interweaving it with the human body and fate. The exhibition concludes with the chapter Light and Knowledge, featuring the designs for Munch’s monumental Aula paintings. For the presentation of these works, some of which are six meters long, the Museum Barberini has installed a special “room within a room,” facilitating a presentation similar to the hanging of the works in the Aula at the University of Oslo. 

Tone Hansen, director of the MUNCH, states: “In 1940, Edvard Munch bequeathed the entirety of his oeuvre still in his possession to the city of Oslo. This legacy, now housed in the MUNCH, includes not only texts, letters, photographs, and personal items, but over 26,000 works of art—an extraordinary oeuvre that we can now also spatially accommodate since the opening of the new museum building in 2021. Our primary aim is not only to conserve the collection, but also to investigate and interrogate it again and again, and for us, too, it made sense to focus on his landscape images for the first time. The tremendous interest in the three exhibition stations in the United States, Germany, and Norway demonstrates that even 160 years after Munch’s birth, his work continues to be relevant.” 

The works in the exhibition come from twenty-one lenders, including the MUNCH and the Nasjonalmuseet for kunst, arkitektur og design in Oslo, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Dallas Museum of Art in Texas, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the Finnish National Gallery in Helsinki, the Kupferstichkabinett of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, the Museum Folkwang in Essen, the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, and the Von der Heydt-Museum in Wuppertal. 

The exhibition is accompanied by a 228-page English catalogue published by MUNCH, Oslo, with essays by Jay A. Clark, Nanna Leander, Jill Lloyd, Trine Otte Bak Nielsen, and Arne Johan Vetlesen. 

For the duration of the exhibition, the Museum Barberini will extend its opening hours: beginning November 18, the museum will open at 9:00 a.m., Wednesday through Sunday. On Mondays, the museum open at 10:00 a.m. as usual. 

Concurrent with the show in Potsdam, a second exhibition on Munch and Berlin, Edvard Munch: Magic of the North, is on view at the Berlinische Galerie until January 22, 2024. A combination ticket for admission to both exhibitions is available from the museums for € 20 (reduced admission € 12). 

Both exhibitions are under the joint patronage of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and His Majesty King Harald V of Norway. 

An exhibition of the Museum Barberini, Potsdam, the Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts, and the Munchmuseet, Oslo. In Williamstown, the exhibition was curated by Jay A. Clark and was on view June 10–October 15, 2023. The MUNCH in Oslo will present the exhibition April 27–August 25, 2024, curated by Trine Otte Bak Nielsen. 

Structure of the Exhibition 

In the Forest: Myths and Fairy Tales 

Munch’s depictions of trees and forests include romantic encounters between couples, children wandering into dense woods, and scenes of Norway’s logging industry. His images of lush Norwegian elm and pine forests capture their beauty throughout the varying seasons. Timber was among Norway’s largest exports in the early twentieth century, and while many of these paintings celebrate nature’s bounty, they also document the depletion of the country’s national resources. Throughout his life, both at home and abroad, Munch portrayed trees and forests as representations of mystery. Inspired by the forests near Åsgårdstrand, Norway, the elm trees near his home at Ekely, outside of Oslo, and the Thuringian Forest in Germany, Munch celebrated the cycle of life in paintings and prints. 

Gardens and Fields: Cultivated Landscapes 

Munch’s paintings of cultivated landscapes—land cleared of vegetation and then planted with crops, orchards, or gardens—reflect his keen interest in human interaction with nature. These motifs were inspired by the fertile coastal peninsula around the Oslo Fjord where he owned several properties. Reflecting a horticultural boom in Norway, Munch created flower and kitchen gardens at his various homes; he planted fruit trees, maintained orchards, and kept animals such as hens, doves, and horses. The artist regarded his gardens and fields as places of refuge overflowing with life. They can also be understood as liminal zones between nature and civilization and as symbols of fertility and rejuvenation. During a time when Norwegian agriculture was undergoing modernization and mechanization, Munch depicted traditional small-scale farming practices, celebrating the farmer’s way of life in opposition to industrialization and encroaching urbanization. 

Between Land and Sea: Spaces of Melancholy 

The shoreline was an important motif for Munch, living as he did on or near the coast of the Oslo Fjord for most of his adult life. Munch depicted a characteristically curving shoreline in his paintings, drawings, and prints from the 1890s through the 1930s. It became a recurring theme in his work, one he identified with the “perpetually shifting lines of life.” In some depictions, the shoreline itself, on a moonlit evening, is the subject; in others it is a backdrop for human emotion. The shoreline features most prominently in Munch’s works depicting themes of melancholy, human isolation, and physical separation. As the Norwegian writer Sigbjørn Obstfelder (1866–1900) remarked in 1896: “He sees in wavelengths; he sees the shoreline weave next to the ocean. . . . he sees women’s hair and women’s bodies in waves.” By setting his depictions of separation, attraction, and loneliness against the undulating shoreline of the Oslofjord the shore became an active agent in his depictions of nature. 

Summer Retreat: Back to the Coast 

From 1889 onwards Munch’s family often rented a house in Åsgårdstrand for the summer. The rocky, curving shoreline became a frequent motif for the artist’s work. In 1907 to 1908, Munch spent a period in Warnemünde, on the northern coast of Germany, where he sought water cures and rest before being hospitalized for alcoholism and a nervous breakdown. In Warnemünde, Munch became acquainted with the Lebensreform movement and its belief in the beneficial effects of sunbathing and exercise in the fresh sea air. 

He focused on outdoor bathing scenes. Returning to Norway in 1910, Munch bought a summer house on the Oslo Fjord in Hvitsten, where he continued to create bathing scenes and built outdoor studios for his monumental works. His color palette brightened, and his contemporaries began to perceive the artist as happier and in tune with nature. 

The Scream of Nature: Humankind and Environment 

In the lithographs Anxiety and The Scream, Munch evokes an atmosphere of anxiety that is in stark contrast to his quiet scenes of country life. The people in these images confront the viewer directly, and nature is in a state of turmoil. The Sun, on the other hand, conveys positive, vital energy. Despite the differences between the images, The Scream and The Sun can be seen as pendants. Munch repeatedly depicted the sun. In the cycle that he created for the ceremonial hall of the University of Oslo it serves as a symbol of knowledge. Both The Scream and The Sun show the existential influence of nature on humans. While The Scream raises questions about humankind’s interaction with nature, the composition of The Sun, which is devoid of people, concentrates on the star as an elemental force, a provider of energy, and the foundation of all life on earth. The Scream and The Sun communicate the unity of humans and nature. The cycle that Munch designed for the Aula of the University of Oslo is displayed on the ground level in Wing B. 

Storm and Snow: Nature in a State of Turmoil 

Munch’s fascination with metamorphosis, together with his faith in nature’s cyclical renewal, led him to depict each changing season. His paintings of snowy landscapes celebrate the mystery and wonder of Norway’s long, dark winters. The large-scale evening scenes painted in hues of white and blue feature starry night skies and sturdy pine trees that have survived the winter cold. His snowcapped forests, townscapes, and moonlit winter skies convey a sense of quiet awe. Munch also depicted extreme weather events such as storms during the warmer months, allowing him to explore tumultuous conditions such as windblown trees and clouds scurrying across the sky. For all his awareness of humankind’s imprint on nature and interconnectedness with the universe, Munch’s paintings of snow, storm, and ice present nature as a force that is ultimately beyond human control. 

In a Cosmic Cycle: Art and Philosophy 

Edvard Munch’s artistic practice was impacted by his overlapping interests in philosophy, religion, and the natural sciences. Raised in a staunchly Christian household, Munch’s religious views in adulthood were shaped by scientific theories such as Charles Darwin’s evolution and Ernst Haeckel’s Monism, a philosophical belief that all existence—both organic and inorganic—is unified. The position of humans as part of a cosmic cycle is a recurrent theme in his art. 

Light and Knowledge:

Monumental Paintings for the University of Oslo 

Munch represents scientific disciplines such as chemistry, physics, and botany as explorations of a world permeated by light and energy. The overarching theme of his designs for the monumental works of the ceremonial hall known as the Aula at the University of Oslo is enlightenment. The Sun, which casts its prismatic rays across the landscape, is the central motif. It is both a symbol of enlightenment and a vitalistic celebration of nature’s inherent life force. The decorative project of the Aula was the first major art commission in Norway after the country achieved independence from Sweden in 1905. Munch’s concept for the series included romantic and national ideas of vitalism and renewal. History and Alma Mater show old Norwegian peasants who pass on their knowledge to the young. Past, present, and future are thus united, while humankind fuses with the transformative forces of nature in a radiant universe.

 

Edvard Munch: Trembling Earth

Curator:

Jill Lloyd, Guest curator Museum Barberini

Exhibition design:

Gunther Maria Kolck, Hamburg, and BrücknerAping, Bremen

Exhibition:

November 18, 2023 – April 1, 2024

Museum Barberini, Alter Markt, Humboldtstraße 5–6, 14467 Potsdam

21 Lending Institutions:

The 100gallery — A Platform for Democratic Art

The 100.gallery project invites everyone to create and own a unique artwork. Words, sentences, numbers and characters are transformed into abstract images in a 10 x 10 colour-coded grid. When added to the gallery, two versions of each artwork are produced — a file for web and a vector file for print.

The grid allows for many trillions¹ of artwork variations, which means that the 100.gallery has the potential to become one of the largest collection of artworks ever produced.

Our future intention is to showcase a selection of artworks in physical form within galleries around the world.

Visit 100.gallery to create your own.

The first 100 artworks from the project will be available to buy as NFTs on OpenSea.

1. more variations than there are stars in the solar system – apparently.

The Fleece is an art collective formed in 2022.

We aspire to create and produce ‘abstract ideas’ through the medium of digital, film, music, publications, events, installations and other randomness.

100gallery is a project from The Fleece

For more information please contact: curator@thefleece.art

100.gallery is a project from The Fleece

 For more information please contact: curator@thefleece.art

Spanish architect won the Exterior Spaces category for El Tanque Garden of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the Built Heritage category was won by David Chipperfield for the Renovation of the iconic Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin.

El Tanque Garden of Santa Cruz de Tenerife won the Exterior Spaces category in the AHI European Awards for Intervention in Architectural Heritage. Designed by the Spanish architect Fernando Menis, this is the ecological restoration of a former industrial area, which has endowed the Cabo Llanos neighborhood with its first green public space. Around a former refinery tank, repurposed as a cultural space since 1997, and listed since 2014, this banana trees orchard recalls the agricultural landscape prior to industrialization, staging the city as a place of coexistence of different eras, cultures and sensibilities that have been shaping its identity.

 “El Tanque Garden works with ecology and heritage to offer a creative, cultural and socially inclusive public space. It demonstrates sensitivity on all scales, including the reuse of industrial waste for the design of furniture and lighting”. It is complete in terms of sustainability, social benefits and in relation to local identity and landscape design” – stated the Jury.

The Award in the category of Built Heritage went to the rehabilitation of the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, carried out by the office of David Chipperfield, the last Pritzker winner. In the Urban Planning category, the Jury has awarded the Regeneration of the Gràcia neighborhoods in Barcelona, by the firm Jornet Llop Pastor Arquitectes, together with the Urban Planning Department of the Barcelona City Council. Finally, in the Dissemination category, the Prize has been awarded to the documentary “La vie en kit”, by the Belgian architect and filmmaker Elodie Degavre.

In addition, the non-profit Asociación Amigos del Espacio Cultural El Tanque has been a finalist in the Dissemination category for its incessant activism over 25 years to rescue, defend and protect El Tanque as an element of the industrial and cultural heritage of the Canary Islands.

The Award is a biennial initiative of the Barcelona platform AHI Architectural Heritage Intervention;  the Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos de Cataluña COAC (Architects Association of Catalonia ); Barcelona City Council; and the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. In its sixth edition, a total of 241 projects have been entered by architecture firms from 28 European countries, the highest figure ever achieved.

The Cultural Space El Tanque in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is a former refinery deposit, used as a cultural space since 1997:

The El Tanque Cultural Space of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the former tank 69, a huge container long used for the refining and storage of crude oil that was part of the CEPSA refinery, the first built in Spain around 1930. It is a 20 m high cylindrical piece with a 50 m diameter that represents one of the last vestiges of an industry that, in the last half century, has been part of the urban geography of the Tenerife island.

The adaptive reuse as a cultural space carried out in 1997 preserved its original appearance thanks to a minimal architectural intervention based on recycling. Thus, an old ferry bridge abandoned in the city’s port was upcycled for the access; the entrance door to the space and the interior ramp were built with large metal sheets retrieved from other dismantled containers; and the skylights were made with empty CEPSA barrels adapted to their new use.

The El Garden Tanque is the ecological restoration of a post-industrial area in Santa Cruz de Tenerife:

Coinciding with the preparation of the 25th anniversary in 2022 of this singular cultural space, the non-profit Asociación Amigos del Tanque and the Government of the Canary Islands promoted planting a garden that would cover its surroundings, to produce the first green public space in the neighborhood of Cabo Llanos.

The perimeter of El Tanque has been covered with banana trees as a way of remembering the agricultural activity that existed in this area before the CEPSA refinery was located here in the 1930s. As time passes by the exuberant subtropical vegetation colonizes the industrial relic, framing its fascinating presence while restoring the memory of the agricultural past to build a sense of cultural continuity and belonging.

The new garden respects the original layout and stone wall of the site, while the base of a dismantled adjoining tank is now the perimeter of a new semi-circular plaza. The exterior of the Tank and its elements have been rehabilitated and integrated into the general redesign concept that combines industrial heritage and nature.

Menis’s landscape design seeks to create a highly biodiverse garden based on native flora with more than 700 trees and shrubs, as well as aromatic plantes areas. There are mostly banana trees as a way to recall the banana plantations that grew on the site before it was converted to industrial use.

“Our research work has confirmed that this area was agricultural. There used to be banana and tomatoes, as well as coast plants such as tabaibas, cardones, verodes, etc., all of them native plants of the Canary Islands, which require little watering, are resilient and durable. By looking back into the agricultural history of Santa Cruz, we decided that the area around El Tanque should be planted again with banana trees. And, the tomatoes have simply sprouted, since there must have been vines over 90 years old, incredible survivors of an entire industrial era, which, after having prepared and watered the land, have grown again because the earth, the soil, can recall, although sometimes we forget it”, explains the architect Fernando Menis.

Following the same line of re-use and recycling that he already applied in the rehabilitation of the El Tanque Cultural Space, the architect designs the outdoor lighting and furniture of the Garden with waste. Thus, divers’ oxygen bottles were recovered from the garbage and adapted to be used as lamps. And, since one of the main users of the garden are children, the lamps resemble the Minions, the cartoon characters who are heavy banana consumers. Care for the environmental impact is also perceived in the orientation of the lamp so that it avoids light pollution, as well as in the watering of the greenery, which is supplied with recycled water.

What used to be contaminated and underused land, although part of a protected heritage compound, is now a lush garden that will only improve as biodiversity recovers, offering a public space for social cohesion, reconnection with nature and the cultural heritage of Tenerife.

“In short, it is an action with multiple implications since we have got now an accessible plaza, which is also a new green public space, a first one in the Cabo Llanos neighborhood, the agricultural history of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is evoked and, at the same time, biodiversity is recovered. It is an action that can be an example to ecologically recover other spaces in the city and on the island”, emphasizes Dulce Xerach, a lawyer and president of the Association Los Amigos del Tanque.

El Tanque Garden Facts:

Address: C/Adán Martín Menis s/n 38003 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

Completion: 2022

M2 site: 5.714,55 m2 (2.210 m2 garden)

M2 : 2.563,75m2 (environment 1.989,63 m2+ tank 574,12m2)

Cost: 480.086,74 €

Architect: Fernando Menis

Client: Consejería de Educación, Universidades, Cultura y Deportes del Gobierno de las Islas Canarias, Dirección General de Patrimonio Cultural (The Government of the Canary Islands)

Initiative: Association Amigos del Espacio Cultural El Tanque

Design project team: Jesús Montejano, Javier Espílez, Joanna Makowska-Czerska, Yanira León

Consultants: Ruperto S. Hernández González (Technical Architect and Director of building works); Prisma Ingenieros SLP (Building services engineer); Interjardín SL (Gardening); Cristina Saavedra (Logo Graphic Design)

Companies: Señalizaciones VillarPlantas (asphalt); Interjardín S.L (soil and plants); Zumtobel (lighting); Refinería Cepsa (elements for recycled furniture); Eco Steel (locksmith); Hernández de la Guardia (paint); Fachadas Dimurol S.L (painter)

Construction companies: UTE Señalizaciones Villar S.A and Interjardín S.L.

Fernando Menis (1951, Tenerife). Witha professional career spanning more than 40 years, Menis’s architectural production includes works of various scales and typologies, as well as long-term research projects. An expert in designing concert halls and auditoriums, he is internationally recognized and awarded for conceiving an innovative variable acoustics system for the CKK Jordanki Concert Hall (2015, Poland). Among the projects completed, alone and in co-authorship: the Church of the Holy Redeemer of Las Chumberas (2022), El Tanque Cultural Space Public Garden (2022), CKK “Jordanki” Concert and Conventions Hall, in Poland (2015) , Plaza Bürchen in Switzerland (2015), Insular Athletics Stadium (2007), Magma Arte & Congresos (2007), Floating pool in the Spree River of Berlin (2004) and the Presidency of the Canary Islands Government in Tenerife (2000). Among the ongoing projects, the following stand out: the Rehabilitation of the Viera y Clavijo Cultural Park, the Masterplan in Boa Vista, the Pájara Conventions and Concert Hall in Fuerteventura, the Rehabilitation of the Cultural Center in La Guanche, the Rehabilitation of the Teobaldo Power Performative Arts Hall in La Orotava. Distinguished on 10 occasions with the Canary Islands Architecture Prize, Menis also won: the Prize for the Best Cultural Building in Poland 2015 from the National Council of Architects of Poland; the CEMEX Award for Universal Accessibility 2016; the 2016 Taipei Design Award to the Best Public Building Award; the Stone Award at the VIII International Stone Architecture Award 2005; and the Prize of the V Spanish Biennial of Architecture 1998, among others. Architect Doctor from the Polytechnic of Valencia, his works have been shown in several editions of the Venice Biennale, at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, at the Aedes Berlin gallery and the GA gallery in Tokyo. His project Iglesia del Santísimo Redentor is part of the permanent collection of the MoMA Museum of Modern Art in New York.

The Berlin Synthesis Gallery presents UNSTABLE OBJECTS

UNSTABLE OBJECTS | The screenings, a video screening program opening June 1, 2023, at Molt (Berlin) and running through June 20, 2023.

UNSTABLE OBJECTS | Online, an online exhibition on New Art City running through July 6, 2023.

The contemporary visual universe has become an uncanny, quirky, mixed up place: gifs, photoshopping, GAN, remixes, deep fakes and memes have made their way from the depths of the digital world into our everyday lives. Images have become unstable objects, as art historian Valentina Tanni refer to them: “They are made, sent, resent, distorted, manipulated by human and non-human life forms, and the growing and accelerating dissemination of their contents and contexts affects systems of power and changes the way we perceive reality.”

UNSTABLE OBJECTS | The screenings is presented physically at MOLT, a Berlin-based project space, through June and presents video works by Sara Bezovšek, Casey Kauffmann, Valerie Leya and Lorna Mills. Lorna Mills’ “Ways of Something” is a collaborative four-episode remake of John Berger’s influential 1972 documentary Ways of Seeing, which explored the hidden forces of power, wealth and desire at work in traditional notions of art. For “Ways of Something”, Mills crowdsourced over 115 digital and new media artists to produce minute-long videos inspired by every minute of the original documentary, creating a stunning homage that takes the viewer on a tour of art in a post-internet age. Valerie Leya’s “Powers of Cringe: An Essay on Aesthetics of Degradation” explains the cringe aesthetic in internet culture. It attempts an aerial view of cringe, using art historical and post-Marxist frameworks to explain how cringe emerged in today’s technological paradigm. Casey Kauffmann’s “Knowing Others and Wanting to be Known” is a video collage piece created using found videos, after effects and a variety of phone-based applications, addressing the archival nature of the online performance of the self. Sara Bezovšek’s “False Utopia” embraces new remix culture to speculate on the possibility of utopia in our society, extrapolating snippets from the internet with a strong visual awareness.

Bringing together works by Casey Kauffmann, Katherine Mills Rymer, Nicoleta Mures and Romain Thibault, UNSTABLE OBJECTS | Online highlights this new era of images and their power to reflect our fragmented, hybrid, hyper-stimulated selves. Either taken from popular culture or created from scratch, distorted upon themselves or remixed in the primordial swirl of the internet, the works on display stand as a form of critique and celebration. Romain Thibault’s project “Cognitive Distortions” is about automatic thought patterns that cause individuals to perceive reality inaccurately and negatively. This phenomenon is explored through the lens of our current image culture. Katherine Mills Rymer’s sister works “Face Like A Cave” and “Hairy Melty” explore ideas of the socialized self, the private self and the paradisiacal online self. Each work seeks to understand internal shame, infinite circularity and digital entanglement. Casey Kauffmann’s “Cursed AF” series of GIFs explore the concept of cursed content, a type of online content and popular subculture that is considered disturbing, unsettling or even frightening. Nicoleta Mures’ collages explore the overwhelming nature of our always-connected society, highlighting the alienation that comes with living in a world where we are always online but never truly present. The artworks are placed in dialogue with a virtual environment architecturally designed by Mohsen Hazrati, to recall the overflowing and breached out stream of the web.

UNSTABLE OBJECTS is curated by Rebecca Manzoni and co-curated by Giorgio Vitale.

UNSTABLE OBJECTS | The screenings

Venue: Molt – Tempelhofer Ufer 1A, 10961 Berlin

June 1, 6pm CET: Valerie Leya, Lorna Mills
June 8, 6pm CET: Sara Bezovsek, Lorna Mills
June 13, 6pm CET: Casey Kaufmann, Lorna Mills
June 20, 6pm CET: Lorna Mills

UNSTABLE OBJECTS | Online

Online exhibition: May 25, 2023 – July 6, 2023
Venue: New Art City – https://newart.city/show/unstable-objects-synthesis
Private tour: email to register

On the occasion of the exhibition I Know presented with Feral File and featuring works by aaajiao, AES+F, Cibelle Cavalli Bastos, Claudia Hart and Yehwan Song, curator Giorgio Vitale speaks with Lívia Nolasco-Rozsas, scientific associate of Hertz-Lab at ZKM Karlsruhe, and Boris Magrini, head of program and curator at HEK (House of Electronic Arts Basel), about the entanglements of politics and aesthetics, the role of new technologies in regards to social issues, and which problems NFTs have the potential to solve. Read the editorial here. 

We are pleased the exhibition was reviewed by Lyndsey Walsh for CLOT Magazine. Walsh describes the exhibition: “I KNOW takes a bold step forward with this call and endeavors to navigate how creativity and aesthetic truths can be used to stop us from following the governance of algorithms and find our own voices to guide us forward.” Read the review here. 

Synthesis is a genre-defining cultural institution working with new media. Since its inception in 2017, the gallery has produced over twenty exhibitions of new media art in Berlin and abroad, online and on chain and is dedicated to exhibiting internationally renowned, well-established artists alongside emerging ones.

For press inquiries, please contact

 giorgio@synthesis.gallery  or call +49 174 2747 842

Weisestrasse 8, Berlin 12049, Germany 

The Brixen Water Light Festival © powered by Durst in Northern Italy has developed over the past few years into an event that enjoys great popularity throughout South Tyrol and beyond its borders, so much so that it has been reported in headlines all over the world. 2022 marked the beginning of a close cooperation between the Water Light Festival © and the Copenhagen Light Festival. Italian artists exhibited their art installation during the festival in February in the Danish capital.

For this new edition, the collaboration will be strengthened by bringing together local artists from the respective light festivals to create a joint artwork for both events.

Celestial garments is an artwork for all free spirits. Sit back and enjoy your own light. The Danish light artist Mads Vegas met the Italian musicians Julian Angerer and Nora Pider for the first time on the Reffen Bridge in the Danish capital. The second time in the Italian Alps. The jointly created installation builds a bridge between North and South, between light and music, between expression and sound under the wings of the “celestial garments”.

The Brixen Water Light Festival connects creative artists across borders. From 3 to 21 May, the art installation will be on the Widmann Bridge as part of the Brixen Water Light Festival ©.

“We are thus building a virtual artistic bridge between Denmark and South Tyrol in Italy and encouraging South Tyrolean artists to be able to present themselves internationally,” says Werner Zanotti, Managing Director of the Brixen Tourism Cooperative. Not only do Brixen and Copenhagen share water as an important part of their origins and city life, but both cities also represent common values. Denmark, in fact, is an excellent example of a country that lives sustainability in many sectors in a successful and forward-looking way. The Brixen Water Light Festival focuses on spreading a respectful awareness in the sustainable use of nature and water resources and sees its task, among other things, in raising awareness for conscious and environmentally friendly consumer behaviour.

“We are excited and happy to be part of the Copenhagen Light Festival again”, say Nora Pider and Julian Angerer. “There is always something very liberating about Copenhagen for us, with all the water and its open architecture. There are no mountains there, but it reminds us of Brixen because sometimes the same rough wind blows, and you feel the connection to nature strongly. Together with Mads Vegas, we have created connections between the two cities in different ways. Connections between light and music, between north and south, between heaven and earth. We are very proud of our joint work and look forward to showing it to the audience in Copenhagen this February and in Brixen in May” the two comment on the collaboration with the Danish capital.

NADEZDA NIKOLOVA – Unique Works

4 February – 1 April 2023

HackelBury Fine Art, London is pleased to present Unique Works, a solo exhibition of work by Nadezda Nikolova in which the artist seeks to capture a singular sense of oneness and universal connectivity in her work through multi-layered compositions.

Nikolova’s profound love of nature and concern about the detrimental human impact on the environment is a recurring theme. There is a palpable sense of loss and fragility in her work in which she expresses a desperate plea for change and for “a radical shift in collective values in the way we live our lives and coexist on this planet.”

“I believe that we need to create new templates for how we relate to ourselves, to one another, to the living planet.” – Nadezda Nikolova

However, Nikolova’s belief in humanity and a deep sense of spirituality provide hope, expressed through her desire to reimagine the landscape. She deconstructs the landscape, creating “frames of perception” – the reimagining of the new possibilities articulated through her compositional use of openings, portals and doorways.

“My work becomes a portal to place outside of space and time… the work aims to evoke mystery and awe, inviting contemplation and stillness, so that on some level, it speaks to beauty and hope.”

– Nadezda Nikolova

Throughout her work, there is a fascination with balance and harmony of contrasts – the balance between positive and negative space, movement and stillness, definition and gesture, solidity and softness, static and fluid shapes, etc.

“I have always been intrigued by the idea of finding beauty and balance in apparently opposite, disparate or contrasting phenomena…. I believe that the recogniton of beauty and our search for beauty speaks to our yearning for hope.”

– Nadezda Nikolova

Nikolova’s search for beauty in all its guises is deeply felt. John Keats’s phrase “‘Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty.’ – that is all. Ye know on earth, all ye need to know” in his Ode on a Grecian Urn resonates strongly with her. Through her work she seeks that which is always true, the essence of life, that which remains and is permanent, is innate and sacred.

“In my work, I seek to approach this essence as I experience and reflect on the landscapes, the forces that shape it, the energetic confluences and imprints, in the play between light and dark.”

– Nadezda Nikolova

Using wet plate collodion chemistry, paper masks, and light, Nikolova creates photogram silhouettes working with a complex set of variables and the precise timing of exposure and development – factors which fundamentally determine the outcome. Her compositions are built incrementally using multiple exposures to create a layering in which time is suspended and becomes almost elastic. This speaks to her interest in the notion of everything existing in constant flux – cycles of nature and elasticity of forms as they transform and metamorphise over time. Her process and compositions may be seen as a metaphor for illuminating the dark. “The idea that nothing can ever change unless it is first exposed to the light.”

– Nadezda Nikolova

As Nikolova’s landscapes become more abstract so her gaze shifts further outward and becomes more esoteric and spiritual to consider the cosmos, embodiment and alchemy.

“I have been steeped in metaphysical and mystical teachings in the last five years and these insights naturally flow into my artwork and the way I create, as they permeate every other aspect of my life.” “My work is about training oneself to notice that leaf, the quality of light, the shape of the mountain.”

– Nadezda Nikolova

About Nadezda Nikolova

Nadezda Nikolova (b. 1978, former Yugoslavia) is a Croatian-Bulgarian-American photographic artist working with wet plate collodion photograms – a historical technique dating back to the 1850s which uses light-sensitive salts to cover a glass plate before exposing it to the light in a darkroom. Her practice is informed by an experimental approach to early photographic processes and her interest in the image as an object.

Captivated by the fluidity of wet plate collodion, she manipulates the medium while simultaneously courting chance intrinsic to handmade photography:

“I spray, dab and brush on the chemistry in a performative enactment rather than an image capture. (Sometimes, the brush strokes leave physical marks on the emulsion.) In essence, I am negotiating with the chemistry, guiding it. But only to a point. The chemistry has a say in the final image.”

– Nadezda Nikolova

The abstract landscape series, Elemental Forms, Landscapes and Elemental Forms, Landscape Rearticulated, emerged as the artist’s direct response to her surroundings and to feeling a sense of well-being and security within the landscape. She believes that each locale has its specific identity, history, and emotional imprint.

Nadezda Nikolova studied 19 th century photographic printing processes at the University of Kentucky and the George Eastman Museum. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science &amp; Conservation and a Master’s degree in Policy Analysis. She currently lives and works in Oakland, California.

About HackelBury Fine Art

Established in 1998, the London gallery in Launceston Place is committed to nurturing long-term relationships with both artists and clients. It continues to evolve and progress through an expanding program of gallery exhibitions, museum projects and publishing ventures.

The small group of artists with whom HackelBury work, represent a diversity of practice, pushing the boundaries of various media. The work and practice of these artists encompasses the worlds of photography, painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture and performance. Each artist, whether emerging or established, creates work defined by a depth of thought and breadth and consistency of approach.

FOR ALL PRESS ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT

Camilla Cañellas – Arts Counsultancy & PR
E: camilla@culturebeam.com M:+34 660375123

Phil Crook – HackeklBury Fine Art
E: phil@hackelbury.co.uk T: +44 20 7937 8688

Instagram @hackelburyfineart

HACKELBURY FINE ART LTD 4 LAUNCESTON PLACE, LONDON W8 5RL T: 020 7937 8688 www.hackelbury.co.uk

HackelBury, London, until 28 January 2023  

HackelBury Fine Art presents the exhibit Art + Books, exploring the art book in all its’ many guises. The exhibition celebrates the art/artists’ book as a form of collaboration – between art and text and between artists, writers, galleries, and publishers.

For many years, HackelBury has worked with artists to produce art books. Their publishing arm, Imprint, has seen five books produced in collaboration with numerous artists who often document important work which would otherwise go unseen.

Art + Books highlights a selection of these collaborations, including Doug and Mike Starn’s Gravity of Light, the first book to celebrate the full breadth of the Starns’ innovative photographic career, Alys Tomlinson’s Lost Summer and Willy Ronis’ Willy Ronis: The Master Photographer’s Unpublished Album, a photo-book which retraces his career and contributions to photography and photojournalism.

Elliott Erwitt’s Personal Best is a collection of photographs spanning his career, gathering together many of his most remarkable images alongside many which have never before been published. Ojeikere Photographs explores J. D. Okhai Ojeikere’s photographs of Nigerian hairstyling. Captured in meticulous detail, the images are ethnographic documents of this evolving aspect of Nigerian culture.

Artist Biographies:

Elliott Erwitt

Born in France in 1928, Erwitt moved to the United States in 1939, where he studied photography and filmmaking. He began working as a photographic assistant while serving in the Army Signal Corps unit in Germany and France. While in New York, Erwitt met Edward Steichen, Robert Capa and Roy Stryker, the former head of the Farm Security Administration. He was initially hired to work on building a phot graphic library for the Standard Oil Company and on the project documenting the city of Pittsburgh. In 1953, Elliot Erwitt joined Magnum Photos and worked as a freelance photographer for “Collier’s”, “Look”, “LIFE” and “Holiday”. He photographed many prominent figures, including John F. Kennedy, Charles de Gaulle, Muhammad Ali, Marilyn Monroe, and Jack Kerouac. Conjointly with his commercial practice, Elliott continued working on his personal work which distinguishes itself through its humorous and often satirical character. His works are held in many prominent collections including the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Cleveland Museum of Art, among others.

“Photography is an art of observation – it’s about creating something extraordinary out of the ordinary. You choose a frame and then wait until the right time for something magical to come along and fill it.”

William Klein

William Klein’s celebrated career encompasses street photography, fashion photography, abstract photography, filmmaking and painting. Klein is lauded for his revolutionary approach to fashion photography, taking models out of the studio and onto the streets. He is also know for his abstract pieces which he descibed as “drawn by light and its trajectory” that he produced in his darkroom in the 1950s.

A major retrospective, William Klein: YES – Photographs, Paintings, Films, 1948 – 2013 was recently held at the International Center of Photography in New York. Other major exhibitions were in the institutions including Georges Pompidou, Paris; Gallery Lumiere in Seoul, South Korea; Tate Modern, Lodon; and the The Espacio Fundacion Telefonica, Madrid.

Klein’s works are in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; Yokohama Museum of Art, Nishi-ku, Yokohama; the Japan National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo; the Centre Pompidou, Paris; the Museum of Photography, Seoul; the National Portrait Gallery, London, among many others.

“I have always done the opposite of what I was trained to do… Having little technical background, I became a photographer. Adopting a machine, I do my utmost to make it malfunction. For me, to make a photograph is to make an anti-photograph.”

Ian McKeever

Born in 1946, Ian McKeever is a photographer and painter who often juxtaposes the two mediums in his practice. While his early work as a painter grew out of a conceptual interest in landscape, his later works give prominence to more abstract forms. In focusing on elements of the human body, architectural structures, and the qualities of light, McKeever pushes the notion of photography as a literal, figurative epresentation of reality. His photographs are often extreme close-ups, cropped, or turned upside-down before being over-painted, de-emphasising their figurative qualities. McKeever has received numerous awards including the prestigious DAAD scholarship and has exhibited extensively including major exhibitions at the Whitechapel Art Gallery, London; Moderna Museet, Stockholm; Museo d’Art Contemporarie, Barcelona; National Gallery, Beijing; Shanghai Art Museum; Royal Academy of Arts, London and Tate Britain, London. McKeever has taught extensively in Great Britain, Germany, and the USA. He has held several teaching positions including Guest Professor at the Städel Akademie der Kunst in Frankfurt, Senior Lecturer, Slade, University of London and Visiting Professor at the University of Brighton.

“I am interested in the nature of light – working with paint to imbue a surface with an implicit light. Not simply a depicted light, but an implicit light that is held inside the piece. As a painter of large paintings, working on small canvases can be very difficult. Cutting up the canvases and affixing them onto small wooden panels, I was able to create an artwork that really functioned. The compact size and physical relationship between the paint, the canvas, and the quality of the wood, creates an interrelationship that I really like.”

Doug and Mike Starn

Doug and Mike Starn, American, identical twins, were born in 1961. They first received international attention at the 1987 Whitney Biennial. For more than twenty years the Starns were primarily known for working conceptually with photography. Major themes of their work include chaos, interconnection and interdependence. ‘Attracted to light’ explores the theme of light – its role in the process of seeing an photographing but also more metaphorically as a symbol of power and knowledge. Major artworks by the Starns are represented in public and private collections including: The Museum of Modern Art (NYC); San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SF); Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, (NYC); The Jewish Museum, (NYC); The Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC); Moderna Museet (Stockholm); The National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne); Whitney Museum of American Art (NYC); Yokohama Museum of Art (Japan); La Bibliothèque Nationale (Paris); La Maison Européenne de la Photographie (Paris); Los Angeles County Museum of Art, among others.

”We want to show the guts of photography – mainly because we love it so much. Each step in the process has its own beauty and limitless potential.”

Alys Tomlinson

Alys Tomlinson was born in 1975 and grew up in Brighton, UK. After a degree in English Literature, she went on to study photography at Central Saint Martins and recently completed an MA (Distinction) in Anthropology at SOAS, University of London. Her major body of work Ex-Voto (2016-2018) explored Christian pilgrimage sites in Europe. The works encompass formal portraiture, large format landscape and small, detailed still-life shots of the ex-voto objects and markers left behind. Ex-Voto was published as a book by GOST in Spring 2019. An later body of work Lost Summer captures the teenagers whose school proms have been cancelled due to COVID. Three works from Lost Summer – Samuel, Jameela and Jack – won the 2020 Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize. Recently, Alys has been working on Gli Isonalni – a series in which she explores the lives of islanders in modern-day Italy, capturing little-known rituals and tradition inspired by paganism, fables and folklore.

“I suppose I didn’t set out with a clear idea of how I wanted to portray the students, but I wanted them to have this kind of inner strength that would come through. I was really struck at how resilient they were. I didn’t want them to look Like they were victims of the pandemic, I wanted them to look like young people who are self-possessed and confident, but also have this slight fragility and vulnerability about them.”

Willy Ronis

Willy Ronis (1910 – 2009) was a French photographer renowned for his images of post-war life in Provence and Paris. Ronis was interested in music and dreamt of becoming a composer. In 1932, after his conscription in the military, Ronis had to put his music on hold as he had to take over the family photography studio. Four years later, his father died and business closed down. Ronis had become interested in photography and began working as a freelancer. He joined Rapho, a photography agency, with Ergy Landau, Robert Doisneau, and Brassaï. In 1953, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Izis, Robert Doisneau,Brassaï, and Ronis were exhibited by Edward Steichen, in Five French Photographers at MOMA in New York. The exhibition took place at Museum of Modern Art. Two years later, Ronis’s work was included in the travelling retrospective, Family of Man. In 1957, he was given the Gold Medal at the Venice Biennale. “Most of my photographs were taken on the spur of the moment, very quickly, just as they occurred. All attention focuses on the specific instant, almost too good to be true, which can only vanish in the following one.”

J.D.’ Okhai Ojeikere

J.D.’ Okhai Ojeikere (born 1930, died 2014) was raised in a small village in rural southwestern Nigeria. In 1950, he bought a modest Brownie D camera, and a neighbour taught him the rudiments of photography. Just as Nigeria was shedding colonial rule in 1961, he became a still photographer for Television House Ibadan, a division of the Western Nigerian Broadcasting Services, the first television station in Africa. In 1963 he moved to Lagos to work for West Africa Publicity. In 1967 he joined the Nigerian Arts Council, and during their festival of the following year he began to take series of photographs dedicated to Nigerian culture. This body of work, now consisting of thousands of images, has become a unique anthropological, ethnographic, and documentary national treasure. The Hairstyle series, which consists of close to a thousand photographs, is the largest and the most thorough segment of Ojeikere’s archive. For Ojeikere, this is a never-ending project as hairstyles evolve with fashion.

“All these hairstyles are ephemeral. I want my photographs to be noteworthy traces of them. I always wanted to record moments of beauty, moments of knowledge. Art is life. Without art, life would be frozen.”

About HackelBury Fine Art

Established in 1998, the London gallery in Launceston Place is committed to nurturing long-term relationships with both artists and clients. It continues to evolve and progress through an expanding program of gallery exhibitions, museum projects and publishing ventures.

The small group of artists with whom HackelBury work, represent a diversity of practice, pushing the boundaries of various media. The work and practice of these artists encompasses the worlds of photography, painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture and performance. Each artist, whether emerging or established, creates work defined by a depth of thought and breadth and consistency of approach.

FOR ALL PRESS ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT

Camilla Cañellas – Arts Counsultancy & PR
E: camilla@culturebeam.com M:+34 660375123

Instagram @hackelburyfineart

Carl Hopgood’s Powerful Neon Sculptures Acquired by Beth Rudin DeWoody, One of America’s Most Celebrated Art Collectors

Originally from Wales, sculptor and video/installation artist Carl Hopgood earned his BFA from London’s Goldsmiths College. He has shown from New York to Australia and all over Europe. In 2015, Hopgood relocated to Los Angeles’ Hollywood Hills, where he continues to find inspiration in his surroundings.

Hopgood’s most recent exhibition, at Beverly Hills’ UTA Artist Space this summer, combined new and existing works of neon (the first time ever exhibited in this gallery), found objects, and video to explore the themes of identity, masculinity, and today’s socio-political climate. The exhibition, Fragile World (curated by Arthur Lewis), drew in the gallery’s largest-ever attendance.

Following the success of Fragile World, well-known art collector and curator Beth Rudin DeWoody made the move to acquire one of Hopgood’s most talked-about pieces: a neon assemblage sculpture titled “Just Say Gay.” Hopgood created the piece in response to Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, now in effect, which bans discussion of sexual orientation in schools. “Just Say Gay” will soon be on display at DeWoody’s West Palm Beach gallery The Bunker.

Hopgood has also announced that private members gym Dogpound has acquired another one of his neon works, “My Pain Today Is My Strength Tomorrow,” which will go on display this fall. The idea for this piece came to Hopgood while driving past stores that had caught fire in North Hollywood during the pandemic; everything had burned to the ground except for some burned chairs. The piece offers an affirmation to stay hopeful in challenging times.

“You Think You Buried Me But I Was A Seed” is another work from Hopgood’s Fragile World exhibition. The title of this piece was inspired by a quote from poet Dinos Christianopoulos (“‘What didn’t you do to bury me, but you forgot that I was a seed”), who was sidelined by the Greek literary community in the 1970s for being gay. Hopgood is currently working on a series of other ladders with different messages of hope and survival, which will be on display in the California desert next year.

Hopgood is also currently in production of a short film called Fragile World, in collaboration with UTA Artist Space. The film will take viewers through the lead up to Hopgood’s UTA exhibition, the opening night of Fragile World, and the upcoming installation of “Just Say Gay” at The Bunker.

Learn more at carlhopgood.com and @carlhopgood.

The art space of documenta fifteen

By Christiane Wagner

The current edition of one of the most renowned contemporary art exhibitions, documenta fifteen, opened its doors to the public, questioning: “In light of the alarming consequences of climate change worldwide, how can a globally oriented art exhibition that attracts visitors from all over the world and lasts 100 days minimize harm to the environment and, at the same time, be economically and socially fair?” In this sense, it is essential to put into practice the principles of sustainability, which involves social, political, and economic aspects in search of a balanced and fair development that can be sustained. Also, the ethical notions that should be considered as core values regarding interculturality and its moral and political impacts on individuals and society. documenta fifteen highlights the non-Eurocentric view. For this purpose, documenta fifteen is curated by Ruangrupa, a non-profit organization based in Jakarta, Indonesia, to promote artistic ideas in urban and cultural contexts by involving artists and other disciplines such as social sciences, politics, technology, and media, to open critical reflections and perspectives on contemporary urban problems. The Indonesian word “ruangrupa” means “art space” or “spatial form.”

Ruangrupa was unanimously selected by the documenta fifteen international commission in 2019. This decision was justified, among other important issues, in the essence of the collective work: “At a time when innovative power emanates in particular from independent, collaborative organizations, it seems logical to offer this collective approach a platform in the form of documenta.” The international committee of documenta fifteen is represented by Frances Morris, Amar Kanwar, Philippe Pirotte, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Ute Meta Bauer, Jochen Volz, Charles Esche, and Gabi Ngcobo.

In this sense, documenta presents its fifteenth edition of contemporary art with the proposal of Ruangrupa: “We want to create a globally oriented, collaborative and interdisciplinary art and culture platform that will remain effective beyond the 100 days of documenta fifteen. Our curatorial approach strives for a collaborative model of resource use — in economic terms but also concerning ideas, knowledge, programs, and innovations.” Therefore, documenta fifteen highlights the principles of collectivity, resource building, and equitable distribution as fundamental to the curatorial work highlighting the entire process. Collectivity follows an alternative, community-oriented model for sustainability in ecological, social, and economic terms, where resources, ideas, knowledge, and social participation are shared.

The focus on postcolonial art discusses the challenges of art in overcoming the pervasive notions of modern European thought with artists and artworks from non-Western nations seeking a break with hegemonic Western forms of globalization. Among the selected artists and groups, the presence of the Global South stands out, including Más Arte Más Acción (MAMA), a Colombian non-profit organization founded in 2011 by artist Fernando Arias and entrepreneur Jonathan Collin.  Representing Brazil is the artist Graziela Kunsch, along with Britto Arts Trust from Dhaka, and The Nest Collective, a multidisciplinary arts collective living and working in Nairobi. Founded in 2012, the group has created film, music, fashion, visual arts, and literary work. Also included is  Wajukuu Art Project, a community-based organization situated in the Lunga-Lunga neighborhood of the Mukuru slum in Nairobi.

Furthermore, documenta fifteen presents The Black Archives, a historical archive documenting the history of black emancipation movements and individuals in the Netherlands. Generally, “14 lumbung members and 53 lumbung artists participate in documenta fifteen. They were invited by ruangrupa and the Artistic Team to practice lumbung together and collectively take part in creating documenta fifteen. The lumbung members and lumbung artists were asked to involve their ecosystem of artists, activists, and community members in such a way that documenta fifteen and the common resources benefit the sustainability of that shared local practice on the long term. Thus, not only ruangrupa but a constantly expanding network shapes documenta fifteen.”

documenta fifteen’s postcolonial approach involves all knowledge (including aesthetic) presenting cultural diversity and recognizing otherness in various artistic forms. These postcolonial cultural practices consider a structured set of concepts, assumptions, and discursive approaches to produce, interpret, and evaluate knowledge about non-European people. Differences are present in all situations of public space construction and seek the meaning of interculturality through the arts and aesthetics of everyday life, representing all its subtleties related to the decolonial movement. That is the possible meaning of postcolonial aesthetics when considering overcoming differences in alternative forms of coexistence with new perspectives concerning cultural diversity in urban spaces of the Global South.

Duration of the exhibition: June 18–September 25, 2022

Artistic Direction by ruangrupa

Organized by documenta und Museum Fridericianum gGmbH

Shareholders: State of Hessen, City of Kassel

documenta fifteen is organized under the auspices of documenta und Museum Fridericianum gGmbH with the City of Kassel and the State of Hessen in their capacity as shareholders.

Funded by the Kulturstiftung des Bundes (German Federal Cultural Foundation). Funded by the Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien (Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media).

The lumbung network is supported by Goethe-Institut.

Main partner of documenta fifteen: Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe (Savings Banks Finance Group), Volkswagen AG

www.documenta-fifteen.de

Can’t, Won’t, Don’t Stop

An exhibition of new work by Doug and Mike Starn

9th June – 6th August 2022

“Order never persists, the only constant is change” D+M Starn

HackelBury Fine Art, London is pleased to present ‘Can’t, Won’t, Don’t Stop’, an exhibition of new work by Doug and Mike Starn. The Starns have been working conceptually with photography for over 30 years. This series of work, begun in 2021, sees the Starns returning to some of the techniques which they pioneered in the 1980s when they explored the three dimensionality and physicality of photography and combining the more recent inclusion of painting. This body of work also continues the Starns’ fascination with the passage of time. They make visible aging process and deterioration of the material with which they work and examine how the meaning of what was created or conceptualised changes with time.

‘A photograph is not simply an image of a thing, but an image on a substrate – the photograph is a thing in itself. The same way a photograph is not only a captured instant but exists in time and deteriorates and expands with time, just as all things and all ideas change their meanings through time”. D+M Starn

The exhibition is made up of two contrasting but interconnected photographic bodies of work, Seascapes and their monumental sculpture series – Big Bambú, reflecting the central belief in the Starns’ work that everything in life is interconnected, interdependent and in constant flow. The Starns grew up on the coast of New Jersey. The ocean has long held a fascination for them as it is always changing but always the same. The Starns see an innate connection between the Seascapes and Big Bambú photographs as they reflect the dynamic forces of nature and the progression of time. They describe the construction of the Bambú as “taking the form of a cresting wave, we’re constructing a slice of a seascape (like our photographs), a cutaway view of a wave constantly in motion”. D+M Starn

‘Seascapes’ focuses on the ever changing yet ever constant sea, a body of water in perpetual motion, crashing against itself and captured in a fraction of a second by a camera – always the same but always different. The photographs of their Big Bambú installations also embody these contradictions – the sculpture is always complete, yet always unfinished. These works provide a visual metaphor for the interconnections of life – that of cultures, societies, relationships and individual and collective growth.

“Big Bambú represents the invisible architecture of life and living things. It is the random interdependence of moments, trajectories intersecting, and actions becoming interaction, creating growth and change” D+M Starn

A recurring theme in the Starns’ work is that in the midst of chaos is an order and an essential structure. In the Big Bambú sculptures the Starns create an architecture of random interconnections which becomes a self-supporting structure and takes on a life of its’ own – like a living organism. Adapting to circumstances spontaneously as the structure grows and “each knot is a decision”, it is philosophic engineering. The structures work because, as in life, everything depends upon one another and the loads are distributed throughout, fluidly and naturally.

For the Starns the Big Bambú structures are never finished and they often re-use sections of earlier pieces when creating new structures, which provides continuity and progress. This idea of interconnection and transformation is at the heart of all the Starns’ work and brings with it philosophical and spiritual reflections. The physicality and tactile nature of their work (such as scotch taping photographic pieces together) ensures that they reflect the concept of time through incorporating dust, debris and discolouration that occurs over time. The photograph is both the medium and a document – the images frozen in time, yet time continues to pass.

About Doug and Mike Starn

Doug and Mike Starn, American, identical twins, were born in 1961. They first received international attention at the 1987 Whitney Biennial. For more than twenty years the Starns were primarily known for working conceptually with photography. Since 2010 their Big Bambú structures, built from “random chaos” with thousands of bamboo poles lashed together with miles of rope, have been installed in public institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the MACRO Museum in Rome, at the 54th Venice Biennial and the Teshima Triennial. Major themes of their work include chaos, interconnection and interdependence.

“Our vision is that nothing in the world is monolithic, nothing is one thing—everything is interconnected (…) life is created through interconnected random moments (…) the invisible interconnected factors make us who we are, and culture what it is”

About HackelBury Fine Art

Established in 1998, the London gallery in Launceston Place is committed to nurturing long-term relationships with both artists and clients. It continues to evolve and progress through an expanding program of gallery exhibitions, museum projects and publishing ventures.

The small group of artists with whom HackelBury work, represent a diversity of practice, pushing the boundaries of various media. The work and practice of these artists encompasses the worlds of photography, painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture and performance. Each artist, whether emerging or established, creates work defined by a depth of thought and breadth and consistency of approach.

FOR ALL PRESS ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT

Camilla Cañellas – Arts Counsultancy & PR
E: camilla@culturebeam.com M:+34 660375123

Phil Crook – HackelBury Fine Art
E: phil@hackelbury.co.uk T: +44 20 7937 8688

Instagram @hackelburyfineart

HackelBury Fine Art, 4th March to 23rd April 2022

HackelBury Fine Art, London is pleased to present: Dust in the Wind, a solo exhibition of new work by Katja Liebmann and her fourth exhibition at HackelBury Fine Art. With this body of work, Liebmann creates “etchings of time” by revisiting negatives, made over the last twenty-five years, to condense time and memory. By bringing together yesterday and today, and using low tech photographic processes, she creates work which has a timeless and painterly quality allowing her to “develop time like a picture” for “memories are malleable and recollection changes with time”.

“During our journeys through life, to our alleged goal, it is easy to become detached from our immediate environment. It becomes hard to see anything beyond what we have already learned to see and most of what we see, when we see, is quick and remote; we are lost in thought. I try to capture these traces of moments, of life happening around us, frozen in one image.”

The title Dust in the Wind inspired by the Kansas song, reflects Liebmann’s interest in the metaphor of the journey and her exploration of time passing. There is a melancholy in the work, which mirrors the ageing process of the material she is reusing, and which alludes to a sense of impermanence and mortality.

“Some of the negatives were quite dusty, and to me it was this dust, telling it ́s own story, adding to the enigma of the images.”

Using simple old analogue cameras, these images were taken by the artist in the 1990s whilst on walks and bus trips through London and New York in order to capture the ‘spirit of the city’. For Liebmann the intention was to document each journey from the point of boarding to the end of the line, the final destination.

The title of some of these works and the overall subject matter suggest a longing for belonging as seen through the eyes of an outsider. Liebmann also makes the trace of human presence almost indecipherable and this eradication of identifiable figures echoes the invisibility of the individual and the anonymity of the city.

Liebmann’s life has been characterised by moving to new places and adapting to change. Dust in the Wind gathers these visual recordings of urban anonymity and transforms them in hauntingly beautiful images which document a uniquely personal journey.

About Katja Liebmann

Katja Liebmann (German b.1965) grew up in Berlin and is based in Oldenburg/Germany. She is a graduate of the Royal College of Art, London, the Kunsthochschule, Berlin and the Academy of Fine Arts, Nuremberg. In 2001 she received a Scholarship from the Hasselblad Foundation in Goeteborg, Sweden. She was shortlisted for the 1998 Citibank Photography Prize (now the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize) and was awarded the prestigious DAAD scholarship in 1995. Her work is in the permanent collections of the Royal College of Art, London; the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; the Charles Saatchi Collection, London; the LzO Art Collection, (Landessparkasse zu Oldenburg), Oldenburg; the Bishkek Art Centre, Kyrgyzstan; and the Omsk Museum of Visual Arts, among others.

She is a lecturer in printmaking and early photographic processes at Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg and was Visiting Lecturer at the Royal College of Art, London College of Printing and Camberwell College of Art, London, Kent Institute of Art & Design, Kent, UK and Haccetepe University, Ankara.

Liebmann first gained critical acclaim for the series Gotham City, which was acquired by the Saatchi Collection. She describes herself as a ‘painterly soul’, citing Rembrandt, Turner, Poussin, and Titian as her inspiration. On a quest for beauty and harmony, seeking order from chaos, her images are characterised by a softness and longing which she likens to German Romanticism. Liebmann’s use of the early photographic technique is not a sentimental choice; for her it simply presents the best means to portray the ephemerality of time and existence.

About HackelBury Fine Art

Established in 1998, the London gallery in Launceston Place is committed to nurturing long-term relationships with both artists and clients. It continues to evolve and progress through an expanding program of gallery exhibitions, museum projects and publishing ventures.

The small group of artists with whom HackelBury work, represent a diversity of practice, pushing the boundaries of various media. The work and practice of these artists encompasses the worlds of photography, painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture and performance. Each artist, whether emerging or established, creates work defined by a depth of thought and breadth and consistency of approach.

FOR ALL PRESS ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT

Camilla Cañellas – Arts Counsultancy & PR
E: camilla@culturebeam.com M:+34 660375123

Phil Crook – HackelBury Fine Art
E: phil@hackelbury.co.uk T: +44 20 7937 8688 Instagram @hackelburyfineart

HACKELBURY FINE ART LTD 4 LAUNCESTON PLACE, LONDON W8 5RL T: 020 7937 8688 http://www.hackelbury.co.uk

Coral Woodbury: Palimpsest

HackelBury Fine Art, 4th November 2021 – 22nd January 2022

HackelBury Fine Art, London is pleased to present: Palimpsest, a solo exhibition of new work by Coral Woodbury, and her first solo exhibition in the UK and Europe, in which her allegiance to people’s stories and making the invisible visible permeate three bodies of work. In Revised Edition the artist redraws the history of art from a feminist perspective; in Palimpsest she illuminates the transformative power of time and life experience and in the In Place series she employs the language of colour as a record of cross-cultural travel. The title of the exhibition Palimpsest reflects this idea of a journey through time, life and place.

Books are a recurring theme in Woodbury’s work. Their structure becomes a composition with which to work, providing “a tension between text and image”. Her fascination with palimpsests (ancient parchment manuscripts which were reused over centuries) lies in the connection of humans across time – through their thoughts and their hands. For Woodbury a book is a metaphor and she finds parallels between body and book, the spine that binds it and holds it together. The vellum and the skin, what is held inside and the covering.

Coral Woodbury

Coral Woodbury (b. 1971) critically reinterprets Western artistic heritage from a feminist perspective, bringing overdue focus and reverence to the long line of women artists who worked without recognition or enduring respect.

Coral’s most recent project Revised Edition focuses on Janson‘s History of Art. First published in 1962, the book quickly became a referential text on art history, for generations shaping the Western canon and understanding of art. Its influence as a survey textbook should however have been called into question as the text did not mention any female artists until 1986. The more recent editions of the book are still heavily male-dominated, failing to recognise the legacy and importance of women artists.

With Revised Edition, Coral inks portraits of women artists over images from the well-known canon. Using material culture which is available to her – either photographs or self-portraits of the women – Coral makes visible those who are obscured from history. She describes herself as a “historian, gazing backward, and as an artist, creating anew” whose works “are a way to heal the injustices and omissions of art history”. Recognising that women were vital contributors to art history and yet excluded from it both in their own and subsequent times, Coral reclaims space for them. Bringing women together across time and place, she re-recasts and re-crafts the story of art.

“What has even been deemed art at all, all of art history was defined and determined by men” explains Coral. As women were for centuries excluded from art institutions and forbidden to perform what was considered essential artistic training, their creative input was often demoted to the areas of art considered as minor as well as domestic decorative crafts. Coral’s inclusion in the Revised Edition of portraits of women artists who were omitted from the realm of High Art, makes a stand against male.

CV

b. 1971, NY
Lives and works in Boston, NY

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About HackelBury Fine Art

Established in 1998, the London gallery in Launceston Place is committed to nurturing long-term relationships with both artists and clients. It continues to evolve and progress through an expanding program of gallery exhibitions, museum projects and publishing ventures.

The small group of artists with whom HackelBury work, represent a diversity of practice, pushing the boundaries of various media. The work and practice of these artists encompasses the worlds of photography, painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture and performance. Each artist, whether emerging or established, creates work defined by a depth of thought and breadth and consistency of approach.

FOR ALL PRESS ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT

Camilla Cañellas – Arts Counsultancy & PR
E: camilla@culturebeam.com M:+34 660375123

Phil Crook – HackelBury Fine Art
E: phil@hackelbury.co.uk T: +44 20 7937 8688 Instagram @hackelburyfineart

HACKELBURY FINE ART LTD 4 LAUNCESTON PLACE, LONDON W8 5RL T: 020 7937 8688 http://www.hackelbury.co.uk

© 2021 HackelBury Fine Art, Ltd. Copyright for all images is held by the respective artist or estate and they may not be reproduced in any form without express permission. All rights reserved.