Exhibition Status: Past

NSK

nsk-content-out-of-form

NSK: Content out of Form

“Postmodern artists talk about blurring boundaries, the boundaries between art and life, sculpture and painting, video and dreaming. NSK blurs the boundaries between politics and art primarily to reveal the lethal effect of the former on the latter.”

– Regina Hackett, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

“NSK and its groups never spoke the political language of the day. This, however, does not mean that we did not respond to aggressive nationalist politics. We did not want to fall victim to the phantoms of the past, being well-aware that the more that totalitarian and nationalistic symbols were pushed under the rug and prohibited, the more they assumed diabolical power.”

This salon-style exhibition consisted of 61 works in various media by the Eastern European collaborative Neue Slowenische Kunst (NSK), well known throughout Europe for their avant-garde music and theater performances. NSK began operating in 1984 as an artistic collective united by their aesthetic/political ideals, which they expressed in a wide range of media. In 1992 they founded the State, defined by NSK as a “utopian formation” that “confers the status of a state not to territory but to mind,” with citizenship open to all who abide by its founding principles. Several thousand citizens across numerous countries and all seven continents have joined NSK’s utopian global mission of artistic unity and freedom. Much of their work comments on the political manipulation of art, playing on symbols and themes used in propaganda and showing how art can evoke emotion even in a hypothetical State.

NSK is a collective organization, meaning that individual artists are not identified; instead all work is produced collectively and signed by the group. NSK is widely acknowledged to have played a key role in the pluralization of society and culture in Slovenia and the former Yugoslavia by way of their provocative artwork and ideas. This exhibition provides a fascinating opportunity for American audiences to gain a perspective into the transitions of Eastern Europe through the eyes of a group of very insightful and exceptional artists.

Renewal

NNorthern-Ireland

Renewal: Printmakers from the New Northern Ireland

“[T]he works are wonderfully diverse and deeply personal expressions by artists who have indeed contributed to the renewal of their country.”

– Contemporary Impressions

“The exhibition highlights the renaissance taking place that mends Ireland’s cultural history with its current art.”

– Chloe Johnson, The WiRE

A decade after the end of sectarian violence in Ireland, in a groundbreaking exhibition entitled Renewal: Printmakers from the New Northern Ireland, 18 of Northern Ireland’s most significant contemporary printmakers displayed 36 works reflecting the styles, interests, and concerns of the transformative “post-Troubles” years. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland invited the president of International Arts & Artists, David Furchgott, to select standout works from two of the most active print workshops in Northern Ireland, namely the Belfast Print Workshop and the Seacourt Print Workshop located in Bangor, County Down.

The eclectic works of Renewal hint at the richness of Northern Ireland’s creative and economic rebirth after the cessation of political and cultural hostilities in the late nineties. All of them rejoice in the thematic freedoms of the new peace and in a liberated sense of color, form, and subject. Simon McWilliams’s vibrant “Chandelier” weds the utility of factory-tooled forms with the vigor and flair of hothouse flowers; Cecilia Stephens’s luminous monotypes (such as “Ridgeways”) evoke the watery light of Irish bogs and coasts; and Frances Gordon’s slightly unreal renderings of weather-eaten doors suggest the wary, careworn faces of older generations.

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland co-sponsored the exhibition at the prestigious Cosmos Club and at IA&A’s Hillyer Art Space in Washington, DC, prior to a national tour to other U.S. venues. The debut of the exhibition was part of the Rediscover Northern Ireland program that was held recently throughout the National Capital region, and was presented in conjunction with Northern Ireland at the Smithsonian as part of the 41st annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall.

Nexus

NEXUS-PAINTINGS-BY-KARL-MOMEN

NEXUS: Paintings by Karl Momen

“In these images Momen gives the beholder theatre directions to the paintings. He offers a stage to enter, where our existence is at stake, we are allowed to move around in his labyrinths with our questions. Whether answers are given is far from certain, but as long as we question we are alive.”

– Olle Granath, Former General Director of the Swedish National Art Museums

“Simply some of the finest abstract creations of any artist working today.”

– Marion Meyer, owner, Marion Meyer Contemporary Art

Partially sponsored by the Swedish government, NEXUS showcased 50 paintings by Karl Momen from the late 1950s to the present day. The core of this exhibition was his austere, evocative interpretations of plays by William Shakespeare and operas by Richard Wagner.

Born and brought up in Mashhad in northeast Iran, Momen was exposed at an early age to Persian miniatures and to the bold colors and dramatic patterns of Persian carpets, which his father produced and designed. These influences coalesce in his mature work—including the NEXUS paintings—in its stylized organic forms, textures, and kaleidoscopic palette, which create a tension with the cool formalism of geometric abstraction.

Momen studied architecture in Germany with Le Corbusier and painting under the surrealist Max Ernst. His abstract work suggests a conjunction of Modernist concerns and Persian spirituality, and draws from his studies of astronomy, mathematics, mythology, architecture, literature, and music. Critics have noted the influence of Anton Pevsner and Kasimir Malevich in Momen’s advocacy of purism found in smooth functional form. His works are exhibited widely at various museums and are in many public and private collections in Europe, the U.S., and Japan.

In Search of Norman Rockwell’s America

IN-SEARCH-OF-NORMAN-ROCKWELL’S-AMERICA

In Search of Norman Rockwell’s America

“Rivoli’s photos show a slice of everyday American life featured in the same spirit of community, love, family, patriotism and faith that made Rockwell famous.”

— January Holmes, Bradenton Herald

“[A] celebration of America at its best.”

— Antigo Journal

In Search of Norman Rockwell’s America was a groundbreaking exhibition that paired the work of American icon Norman Rockwell with images by award-winning photojournalist Kevin Rivoli. Unprecedented in concept, the exhibition featured a selection of 35 black-and-white photographs alongside similarly evocative Rockwell originals.

Rivoli‘s candid photos of modern American life, though of a different era than that immortalized in the famous “Rockwell moments” of the paintings, resemble them closely both in composition and theme (patriotism, community, family, and the timeless moments and milestones of everyday life), lending credence to Rockwell’s sometimes-derided optimism and fortifying his status as an American master.

The exhibition tour followed the release of a book by the same title: published by Howard Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, In Search of Norman Rockwell’s America introduced Norman Rockwell and his work to a new generation, while giving his existing fans a chance to reconnect with this American icon. By pairing these celebrated works of art to photographs of real people, the exhibition reminded us to look for those moments of happiness, pride, mischief, courage, and patriotism evoked so perfectly by Rockwell that they became known as “Rockwell’s America.” The exhibition was curated by Kevin and Michele Rivoli, in collaboration with International Arts & Artists.

Modern Twist

Modern-Twist-2-Opt

Modern Twist: Contemporary Japanese Bamboo Art

“Unlike the ceramist, for whom the fires of the kiln play an important role in the outcome, the bamboo artist bears full responsibility for every step of the creative process. Without splitting the bamboo and working through each of the various steps oneself, one cannot get the ‘feel’ of each individual bamboo culm and thus know for what kind of piece it will be best suited. And there are no shortcuts in bamboo—there is no way to mechanize the process.”

– Modern Twist artist and Living National Treasure Fujinuma Noboru, excerpt from Masters of Bamboo by Melissa Rinne

“Each of the show’s works invites its own brand of wonder.”

— Molly Glentzer, Houston Chronicle

Modern Twist explores the evocative, sensual, and sculptural power of contemporary bamboo art.

Bamboo is a quintessential part of Japanese culture, shaping the country’s social, artistic, and spiritual landscape. Although bamboo is a prolific natural resource, it is a challenging artistic medium: there are fewer than 100 professional bamboo artists in Japan today. Mastering the art form—learning how to harvest, split, and plait the bamboo—requires decades of meticulous practice. Modern Twist brings 38 exceptional works by 17 artists to US audiences, displaying many of these technically innovative and imaginatively crafted works for the first time.

Since 1967, six bamboo artists have been named Living National Treasures. The Japanese government created this award after World War II in an effort to celebrate and preserve the nation’s traditions and culture. Only two living bamboo artists —Modern Twist’s Katsushiro Sōhō (2005) and Fujinuma Noboru (2012)—currently hold this title.

In addition, Modern Twist features works by other visionary artists: Matsumoto Hafū, Honma Hideaki, Ueno Masao, Uematsu Chikuyū, Nagakura Ken’ichi, Tanabe Chikuunsai III, Tanabe Yōta, Tanabe Shōchiku III, Tanioka Shigeo, Tanioka Aiko, Honda Shōryū, Mimura Chikuhō, Nakatomi Hajime, Sugiura Noriyoshi, and Yonezawa Jirō.

Modern Twist demonstrates how, in the hands of master bamboo artists, a simple grass can be transformed into a sculptural art. The exhibition celebrates these artists, who have helped to redefine a traditional craft as a modern genre while devising unexpected new forms and pushing the medium to groundbreaking levels of conceptual, technical, and artistic ingenuity.

The exhibition is curated by Dr. Andreas Marks, head of the Department of Japanese and Korean Art and Director of the Clark Center at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The exhibition was generously supported by the E. Rhodes & Leona B. Carpenter Foundation. The catalogue was supported by the Nomura Foundation, Japan Foundation, Los Angeles, Eric and Karen Ende, Alexandra and Dennis Lenehan, Gilda and Henry Buchbinder, and the Snider Family Fund.

Mind Space

mind-space-maximalism-in-contrasts

Mind Space: Maximalism in Contrasts

“I think art-making still has to pursue the truth. That is the most important. Art in itself has to believe something… That is actually what Maximalism is. Individualism is not something grand, like a theme, but it’s something truly rooted in your heart.”

– Gao Minglu, University of Pittsburgh professor and curator, quoted in Jing Daily

“[A] complex riposte to banal forms of realism, Eastern artistic convention and mass-produced kitsch.”

– Lisa Movius, Art in America (October 2010)

This exhibition of mixed media installations explored a new realm of artistic expression. Mind Spaceintroduced four Chinese abstract artists who conveyed the concept of “Maximalism” to a global audience. Maximalism is a term coined by curator Dr. Gao Minglu, one of the world’s leading scholars of Chinese contemporary art. Maximalism expresses the meditative mind of the abstract artist during the creative process, emphasizing the spiritual experience of art-making. According to Minglu, the meaning of a work is elusive, residing less in the physical art object itself than in the emotional and psychological journey of its creation, so that the work becomes a subtle spiritual diary of the artist’s inner life.

The creations of Zhu Jinshi, Zhang Yu, Lei Hong, and He Xiangyu are a dialogue between artist and nature, an inventive response to a rapidly changing material world. For instance, Xiangyu’s abstract rice-paper artworks repurpose crystallized Coca Cola for conventional ink, imbuing an iconic symbol of modern mass-production with the spiritual qualities of artistic introspection. Zhang Yu’s abstract arrangements of random fingerprints transmute a forensic tool for human identification into a profound image of beauty and infinity. All of these artists embrace the ancient Chinese concept of yan bu jin, which holds that “meaning is always beyond language.”

Mind Space was organized by Pearl Lam Galleries, Shanghai, China, and was toured in the U.S. by International Arts & Artists.

¡Merengue! Visual Rhythms / Ritmos Visuales

Merengue_visual-Rhythms

¡Merengue! Visual Rhythms / Ritmos Visuales

“This exhibition not only brings two institutions that propel Caribbean art closer together, but our cultures as well.”

— Rafael Emilio Yunén, director, Centro Cultural Eduardo León Jimenes

“Even when it’s silent, I swear you can hear the music in the paintings.”

— Magdalena Garcia, curator, El Museo Latino

¡Merengue! Visual Rhythms / Ritmos Visuales was the first exhibition to explore the significant historical impact merengue music has had on the visual arts of the Dominican Republic. Spanning the 20th century, the exhibition featured 37 works by 24 artists gathered from public and private collections across the Dominican Republic. Through paintings, works on paper, photographs, sculpture, video, and popular graphics, ¡Merengue! examined the evolving artistic styles by which Dominican artists have celebrated the island’s most important musical and dance form.

¡Merengue! included classical painters, such as Jaime Colson, Plutarco Andujar, Yoryi Morel, Federico Izquierdo, and Jose Vela Zaretti; as well as more contemporary artists, including Asdrúbal Domínguez, Paul Giudicelli, Ramón Oviedo, Jacinto Domínguez, Dionisio Pichardo, Kutty Reyes, Raúl Recio, Jesus Desangles, Polibio Díaz, Quisqueya Henríquez, José Morillo, Nidia Cuervo, Chito Zouain, and others.

This exhibition was developed by Centro Cultural Eduardo León Jimenes in Santiago, Dominican Republic, and curated by Sara Hermann, Visual Arts Specialist at the Centro Leon.

Material Terrain

Material_Terrain

Material Terrain: Contemporary Sculpture in Landscape

“‘Material Terrain: A Sculptural Exploration of Landscape and Place’ consists of 26 works by 11 sculptors, all focused on trying to help us appreciate our place in the natural world.”

– Dr. Tom Mack, Aiken Standard

“In addition to offering different takes on the nature-artifice dichotomy, the pieces show the subtle complexity and multiple layers of interpretation that distinguish artists of this level.”

– David Maddox, Nashville Scene

Material Terrain: Contemporary Sculpture in Landscape comprises approximately 20 public-scale works by ten different artists using various mixed media (ceramic, metal, wire, cast beeswax, copper, etc.) for indoor or outdoor display. The artists represented include Michele Brody, Kendall Buster, Ming Fay, Donald Lipski, Dennis Oppenheim, Roxy Paine, Wendy Ross, John Ruppert, Ursula von Rydingsvard, Valeska Soares, and James Surles.

The exhibition explores the theme of landscape—a place where the natural world meets representations of itself. A malleable raw material, landscape may be constructed as an object of fantasy, nostalgia, or desire. The selected artists explore the complex relationships between the manmade and natural worlds. They probe into the myriad associations to the land in the human imagination, including the myth of garden as paradise, or of nature as a place of retreat and wonder as well as an entity to be conquered. These diverse affiliations to landscape and place expose the multiple partnerships and suggest the variety of ways in which we view ourselves in the context of nature. Many of the selected artists recognize the magical qualities of nature that allow for heightened states of consciousness in which beauty, as well as the sublime, may be witnessed in the terrain.

This exhibition was curated by Carla Hanzal, Curator of Contemporary Art of the Mint Museums in Charlotte, NC, and organized by International Arts & Artists.

Marilyn

marilyn celebrating an american icon

Marilyn: Celebrating an American Icon

“She’s all woman, the most womanly woman in the world.”

– Arthur Miller

“I am not interested in money. I just want to be wonderful.”

– Marilyn Monroe

Featuring more than 100 paintings, photographs, and videos of the starlet, this exhibition celebrates the image of Marilyn Monroe that still electrifies the world half a century after her death. Famed artists such as Cecil Beaton, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Antonio de Felipe, Milton H. Greene, and AndyWarhol, among others, capture the many sides of the 1950s glamour goddess and immortal legend.

Marilyn: Celebrating an American Icon, based on the hugely popular exhibition Life as a Legend: Marilyn Monroe, reveals the character of Marilyn Monroe as an enduring cultural phenomenon through the art of more than 50 influential artists in styles ranging from fashion photography to Pop art. Images of well-loved movie scenes, familiar publicity photos, and biographical glimpses into Marilyn’s private moments cover her rise to stardom, and ultimately, her struggle to empower herself; while abstract interpretations of the popular icon sometimes reveal the artists’ ideas on sexuality, commercialism, and exploitation through the power of her image.

Though her life ended prematurely at the age of 36, the world’s fascination with Marilyn Monroe’s magnetic appeal and much-publicized private life has continued to thrive over time. Marilyn: Celebrating an American Icon pays tribute to America’s favorite sex symbol.

The Light Fantastic

LightFantastic

The Light Fantastic: Contemporary Irish Stained Glass Art

“Ireland’s tradition of stained glass art stretches back centuries, and ‘The Light Fantastic’ shows that the art form is no less vibrant today.”

– Dolores Fox Ciardelli

“‘The Light Fantastic’ is a traveling collection of the finest stained glass the Irish have to offer, with themes ranging from the overtly political to quaint musings on everyday life.”

– Brett Gillin, New Times Palm Beach

Since the Arts and Crafts and Celtic Revival styles of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Irish stained glass has been renowned worldwide. The art form is no less alive today. By bringing together the work of 12 leading Irish glass artists, The Light Fantastic: Contemporary Irish Stained Glass Artshowcases the latest innovations in the use of stained, painted, and etched glass in an interior setting. These exquisite works illustrate how the intrinsic qualities of each piece of glass help to shape the images and concepts envisioned by the artist. Aspects as subtle as tiny air bubbles, streaks, wisps of silver wire, brush strokes, and the modulation of tones and depths all affect the perception of the delicate inner world that lingers just beneath the surface. These artists employed a wide range of surface treatments, from painted to barely marked, stippled, enameled, sand-blasted, or acid-etched, to create their incomparable effects.

The Light Fantastic was curated by Mary Boydell, president of the Glass Society of Ireland; and Audrey Whitty, curator of applied arts at the National Museum of Ireland, Decorative Arts & History, Dublin.