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Selected works from the
38th Annual Fine Arts Exhibition
38th Annual Fine Arts Exhibition
Jul/Aug 2012
MANAMA
CAPITAL
OF
ARAB
CULTURE
2012
CAPITAL
OF
ARAB
CULTURE
2012
Join artBahrain.org
Jul/Aug
Photo Essay
Art Basel 2012
(impressions from the art world happening)
by Laura Stewart
(impressions from the art world happening)
by Laura Stewart
CENTER OF THE ACTION
The heavyweight dealers, including art celebrities, Larry Gagosian and Jay Jopling of London -- the Daddy-Guru to the Young Brit Saatchi artists --many not so young anymore, held court in the Main hall.
Jopling, who has just opened a 70,000 square foot gallery in Bermondsey, fronted his booth with a classic Damien Hirst cabinet filled with surgical instruments. alongside wonderful paintings by deserved art-star Mark Bradford. These “hot” dealers, Gagosian, Jopling, David Zwirner and Thaddeus Roppac of Paris were mixed in throughout the two floors of the main hall with Old Guard heavyweights including Marlborough of London, Mitchell-Innes Nash and Gladstone of NY, Thomas Amman of Zurich, Pace, Feigen and Marks etc.
It is in this hall that “classics” are bartered: Legers, Dubuffets, Picassos, Kleins, Rothkos and Kandinsky’s, are literally packed in from floor to ceiling and prices are not handily advertised.
I heard one visitor, obviously not a regular, say to his girlfriend: “Wow, I didn’t know so many artists copied Andy Warhol”. Uh, sorry kid. They are Warhols. One dealer even brought a wonderful collaborative work by Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose auction record was shattered just after the fair at Christie’s contemporary London sale. An untitled work by the graffiti artist, now famous for his early demise, brought $20.1 million in a blockbuster auction that fetched $207 million.
Hard to believe, but apparently even after the heady week in Basel, contemporary buyers had money and enthusiasm to spare.
The heavyweight dealers, including art celebrities, Larry Gagosian and Jay Jopling of London -- the Daddy-Guru to the Young Brit Saatchi artists --many not so young anymore, held court in the Main hall.
Jopling, who has just opened a 70,000 square foot gallery in Bermondsey, fronted his booth with a classic Damien Hirst cabinet filled with surgical instruments. alongside wonderful paintings by deserved art-star Mark Bradford. These “hot” dealers, Gagosian, Jopling, David Zwirner and Thaddeus Roppac of Paris were mixed in throughout the two floors of the main hall with Old Guard heavyweights including Marlborough of London, Mitchell-Innes Nash and Gladstone of NY, Thomas Amman of Zurich, Pace, Feigen and Marks etc.
It is in this hall that “classics” are bartered: Legers, Dubuffets, Picassos, Kleins, Rothkos and Kandinsky’s, are literally packed in from floor to ceiling and prices are not handily advertised.
I heard one visitor, obviously not a regular, say to his girlfriend: “Wow, I didn’t know so many artists copied Andy Warhol”. Uh, sorry kid. They are Warhols. One dealer even brought a wonderful collaborative work by Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose auction record was shattered just after the fair at Christie’s contemporary London sale. An untitled work by the graffiti artist, now famous for his early demise, brought $20.1 million in a blockbuster auction that fetched $207 million.
Hard to believe, but apparently even after the heady week in Basel, contemporary buyers had money and enthusiasm to spare.
Now as predictable as the waxing and waning of the moon, art world grandees descended on the sleepy City of Basel, winding the Rhine, in order to sell, spend, gossip, drink, pose and give the yearly benediction to the year’s best in contemporary art.
The bacchanal lasted from the VIP Preview cocktail party the evening of June 11th, through two days of VIP viewing on the 12th and 13th, and then on to the public access days of the 14th until its close on the 17th. During this frenzied week, more art, money, lectures, meals, and deals are done than in any other time of the year.
Once again --Art Basel Switzerland -- now generally accepted to be the biggest and best art fair in the world had a feel of surreality -- a feeling brought on by the display of aristocratically indifferent and immense wealth and luxury on display in a “bubble” -- far removed from the financial woes rocking the “real” world. This year’s fair attracted over 65,000 visitors and featured over 250 galleries. At the fair’s close, the initial sparkle was transplanted by scenes of limping women, holding their heels in their hands, lots of smudged mascara and glazed stares, and the general feeling of a collective hangover from too much champagne, espresso, chocolate and spending of money. The morning after!
The bacchanal lasted from the VIP Preview cocktail party the evening of June 11th, through two days of VIP viewing on the 12th and 13th, and then on to the public access days of the 14th until its close on the 17th. During this frenzied week, more art, money, lectures, meals, and deals are done than in any other time of the year.
Once again --Art Basel Switzerland -- now generally accepted to be the biggest and best art fair in the world had a feel of surreality -- a feeling brought on by the display of aristocratically indifferent and immense wealth and luxury on display in a “bubble” -- far removed from the financial woes rocking the “real” world. This year’s fair attracted over 65,000 visitors and featured over 250 galleries. At the fair’s close, the initial sparkle was transplanted by scenes of limping women, holding their heels in their hands, lots of smudged mascara and glazed stares, and the general feeling of a collective hangover from too much champagne, espresso, chocolate and spending of money. The morning after!
But never mind: Basel is what it is -- and that isn’t all bad. Swarms of well-heeled collectors and dealers dressed like peacocks, and sporting enormous sunglasses or in the case of the men, large, black, architectural eyeglass frames and tapered trousers, were all well-girded against the intermittent Swiss showers with their cashmere shawls and VIP BMW Sedans --driven by young, handsome recruits from BMW Munich -- and always at the ready behind a red velvet rope outside the main hall at the Messeplatz.
Yet these “players” are joined also by a huge group of international artists and curators --extremely serious about their work --and thrilled to be able to congregate and discuss their work amongst their peers.
Some of the most interesting things at Basel this year were the ArtUnlimited and ArtStatement exhibitions -- housed in buildings the size of airplane hangers. And, perhaps, most fun, is Art Parcours, the outdoor, large installations across the Rhine from the Fair in the St. Johann district.
Yet these “players” are joined also by a huge group of international artists and curators --extremely serious about their work --and thrilled to be able to congregate and discuss their work amongst their peers.
Some of the most interesting things at Basel this year were the ArtUnlimited and ArtStatement exhibitions -- housed in buildings the size of airplane hangers. And, perhaps, most fun, is Art Parcours, the outdoor, large installations across the Rhine from the Fair in the St. Johann district.
These features are venues for young or lesser known artists chosen to be exhibited based on the new, exciting, and the often, boundary-pushing art they are producing.
It is also where one finds artists and galleries from outside the inner cabal of dealers from Switzerland, Paris, New York, LA and London, who have been fixtures at the fair for years -- and who are guaranteed a spot in the highly sought after Main Hall.
The two dealers chosen from the Gulf region to participate in Basel this year were featured in the ArtStatements section. Green Gallery of Dubai brought an installation by Shadi Abib Allah -- a video of the artist buying car parts from what is commonly known as a black market “chop shop” and then the video was projected from a camera made from automobile parts, and Gallery Isabelle van Eynde, also from Dubai presented works on paper and video animation by Rokni Haerizadeh, an Iranian artist living in Dubai.
Other highlights included an sensually curved stainless steel bridge by Chris Burden, the artist famous for his installation of street lamps that were installed outside the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and became so popular that the Museum and the city of LA decided to leave them there permanently.
It is also where one finds artists and galleries from outside the inner cabal of dealers from Switzerland, Paris, New York, LA and London, who have been fixtures at the fair for years -- and who are guaranteed a spot in the highly sought after Main Hall.
The two dealers chosen from the Gulf region to participate in Basel this year were featured in the ArtStatements section. Green Gallery of Dubai brought an installation by Shadi Abib Allah -- a video of the artist buying car parts from what is commonly known as a black market “chop shop” and then the video was projected from a camera made from automobile parts, and Gallery Isabelle van Eynde, also from Dubai presented works on paper and video animation by Rokni Haerizadeh, an Iranian artist living in Dubai.
Other highlights included an sensually curved stainless steel bridge by Chris Burden, the artist famous for his installation of street lamps that were installed outside the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and became so popular that the Museum and the city of LA decided to leave them there permanently.
Another spare and intellectual installation came from the Alexander Gallery of New York. Pyramid Up and Down Pyramid, of barbed wire, by artists Melvin Edwards was pure brutal beauty.
Juxtaposed with work like Burden’s and Edward’s were jazzy and colorful installations including an enormous Pepto-Bismol Pink tubular construction that looked to some like a giant blow-up of twisted intestines called Gekröse (2011) by Franz West.
Juxtaposed with work like Burden’s and Edward’s were jazzy and colorful installations including an enormous Pepto-Bismol Pink tubular construction that looked to some like a giant blow-up of twisted intestines called Gekröse (2011) by Franz West.
The exchange was printed in The ArtNewspaper the following day, and my guess is that Tobias “What’s His Name’s” life and the price of his work will never be the same.
However, it would be good if Monsieur de Pury remembered the surname because I checked and there were over 6 artists called Tobias on view at “Liste” this year!!
However, it would be good if Monsieur de Pury remembered the surname because I checked and there were over 6 artists called Tobias on view at “Liste” this year!!
REPUTATIONS MADE AND RUINED:
A classic story that represents what Art Basel is all about... gossip... happened on day one. Swiss, elegant, Simon de Pury, Chairman of Phillips, de Pury auctioneers, was leaving one of the satellite fairs: Liste,which bills itself as the spot to recognize new young talent. As he was getting into his car, a reporter from the ArtNewspaper asked him if anything in particular had caught his fancy.
“Well, yes, actually.” he said, “I especially liked the work of an artist called Tobias... Tobias... Oh dear, my brain has left me.”
A classic story that represents what Art Basel is all about... gossip... happened on day one. Swiss, elegant, Simon de Pury, Chairman of Phillips, de Pury auctioneers, was leaving one of the satellite fairs: Liste,which bills itself as the spot to recognize new young talent. As he was getting into his car, a reporter from the ArtNewspaper asked him if anything in particular had caught his fancy.
“Well, yes, actually.” he said, “I especially liked the work of an artist called Tobias... Tobias... Oh dear, my brain has left me.”
Simon de Pury, Chairman Phillips, de Pury Auctioneers
with actress, Sarah Jessica Parker
with actress, Sarah Jessica Parker
Chris Burden, Curved Bridge. Art Basel 2012
Gerskon, Franz West at ART Basel 2012