Rafa Al Nasiri, passed away on Saturday, December 7, 2013 in Amman Jordan, where he was living in exile. He was 73. Born in Tikrit, Iraq, he studied art at the Institute of Fine Arts- Baghdad: 1956 -1959 (painting), the Central Academy of Fine Arts- Beijing: 1959 - 1963 (graphic art) and the Gravura- Lisbon (Scholarship from The Gulbenkian Foundation) 1967 - 1969. He attended The International Summer Academy in Salzburg 1974 and 1975, and The Print Center in London: 1976, 1981, 1982 and 1989.

Rafa Al Nasiri, the pioneer of Iraqi printmaking, dedicated himself to teaching painting, graphic art and design in Iraq, Jordan, and in Bahrain from 1964 to 2003, in addition to lecturing on art in different Arab and world capitals. He had numerous solo and group exhibitions around the world.

Last November 11, he had his last solo exhibition at Jordan National gallery of Fine Arts entitled “Rafa Al Nasiri: 50 years retrospective.” It was attended by hundreds of guests including family, friends and students, who flew to Jordan for the occasion. The opening reception was broadcast ‘live’ in the internet and viewed by more than 3,000 people from all over the world who could not be there physically join the celebration of the Iraqi master’s art life.

In January 2011, Al Nasiri visited Bahrain and conducted a print workshop at the Bahrain Contemporary Art Centre attended by invited professional and amateur Bahraini artists in cooperation with the Bahrain Art Society and the Bahrain Contemporary Art Centre.

Al Nasiri once again returned to Bahrain this year on February 2013 for a solo exhibition entitled “Being in the Moment.” Organized in collaboration with the Bahrain Cancer Society (BCS), the exhibition opened on February 4th- World Cancer Day- and was one of many events organized by the BCS as a means to bring attention to and generate funds for the cause.

Al Nasiri is a unique soul, a kind and thoughtful person and a great artist. He will be greatly missed by his friends in Bahrain. He is survived by his loving wife, May Muzaffar, an outstanding Iraqi art critic and poetess.

Celebrating the first anniversary of Rijksstudio, the Rijksmuseum today launched the Rijksstudio Award. The Rijksstudio Award will be presented to the winner of the Design Competition in spring 2014 to the person who creates the best design using Rijksstudio. Every conceivable form of art is allowed (design, fine art, applied art, photography, video), provided it is inspired by the Rijksmuseum collection. The award, which includes exhibiting the design, will be awarded by an international jury of designers, creatives and museum directors.

Taco Dibbits, Director Collections Rijksmuseum: The competition is open to everyone. You do not have to be a professional to enter. After all, Rijksstudio was created in the firm belief that the Rijksmuseum collection belongs to everyone and should be available for everyone.

110,000 Rijksstudios and 9 awards in one year

On 1 November, Rijksstudio is exactly one year old. In this first year, more than 110,000 Rijksstudios have been created. The Rijksmuseum is very proud of the fact that the website has won nine awards in its first year, both national and international, namely: Rijksmuseum Dutch Interactive Company of the Year (Dutch Interactive Awards); the Best Brand website 2013 (Dutch Interactive Awards); a Golden SpinAward 2013; 3 Awards at Museums and the Web Conference 2013; the Golden European Design Award 2013; the Dutch Design Award 2013; The New Institute / Virtueel Platform – Best Practice 2013.

Rijksstudio

On 1 November 2012, the Rijksmuseum launched Rijksstudio: for the museum world, an innovative digital application, which contains a large part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection that is available to everyone free of charge. There are thousands of familiar, unexpected and surprising images that can be zoomed in on down to the tiniest detail, and can be touched, liked and also used to come up with your own creation. Droog Design and Dutch Fashion Designer Alexander van Slobbe were the first to be inspired by the collection and come up with their own creation. Now, there are 150,000 high-resolution images available.

Rijksstudio was created by Fabrique and Q42 in collaboration with Irma Boom Office. The website was made possible with the generous support of BankGiro Loterij, the Netherlands’ cultural lottery.

ART SAN DIEGO, with presenting sponsor UBS Financial Services, closed the 5th Edition of the Fair last week reporting strong sales, record attendance, and a very enthusiastic guest response. Over the course of the four days nearly 14,000 collectors and art lovers attended. The four-day event kicked off with a VIP opening event that welcomed close to 3,000 collectors – the largest opening night to date.

ART SAN DIEGO 2013 also saw a record number of exhibitors with 80 galleries, Spotlight Artists, Art Labs, and a Launchpad Artist showing a variety of contemporary art and contemporary furniture. The 5th Edition showcased an international mix of exhibitors from France, Buenos Aires, Russia, Poland, Italy, Australia, Mexico, Japan, and numerous exhibitors from the United States.

Sales reports from participating galleries were outstanding: “We had over $50,000 in art sales during the first few days of the fair, and have several sales pending with collectors we met at the fair. It was a wonderful experience to be part of an event that celebrates the San Diego art community”, noted Alexander Salazar, owner of White Box Contemporary & Alexander Salazar Fine Art, San Diego.

ART SAN DIEGO continues to attract established collectors, as well as a new, younger generation of art lovers: “As a solo-artist, it was a terrific experience: I was able to meet so many potential buyers and speak to many other solo-artists and galleries. At the end, I sold six paintings at full price, and a seventh painting is on its way to Florence, Italy where I will be represented in the future by a gallery I met at the fair,” said Pete Garcia of Pelayo Studios.

This year’s theme, [ COLLIDE ] lived up to its name – with numerous fantastic creative collisions occurring at the fair. One attendee described it as a “living environment” of creativity. Highlights included an exhibition featuring the sculpture work of James Watts juxtaposed against a 50’ long mural by Japanese artist Shinichi Sugimoto “City of Gravity” - a stunning pairing; a large exhibition of rare, newly discovered photographs from Robert Mapplethorpe, THE AGENCY - 1983, his first fashion photography commission in NYC; and The Salon Project: paintings by Raul Guerrero featuring portraits of of John Baldessari, Robert Matheny and Erika Torri.

Performance highlights included a piece by performance artist Avery Lawrence entitled “Mowing the Lawn” – which became a media favorite during the week with front page stories in City Beat, Pacific San Diego and Riviera Magazine. Larry and Debby Kline’s “pop-up” vignettes created interactive opportunities for attendees to engage. The Art Lab designed by the New School of Architecture Students from the Alpha Rho Chi, and their dynamic and movable designs for the fair’s center lounge, was also a huge success. The Silent Disco event took on a life of its own with headset – wearing music lovers roaming the fair orchestrated by the music of DubLab.com choreographing flash mob scenes at random times throughout the evening. Art Talk with rock photography icon Henry Diltz attracted hundreds of rapt listeners.

ART SAN DIEGO would like to thank its sponsors: UBS Financial Services, San Diego County Acura Dealers, Robertson Taylor International Insurance Brokers, Inc., Willis Allen Real Estate, Bender & Gritz, KoBrand, Paddle8, ScanTech Graphics, ArtStrong Bags, Turon Travel, Ecor Noble Technologies, Malama Composites, Craters & Freighters, 3Doddler, W San Diego, Lafayette Hotel & Suites, Charles Koll Jewellers, Giuseppe Fine Catering, Stone Brewing Co., Gobie H20, Uber Transportation, Wilson-Wirth Design, American Society of Appraisers, Pro Heraldica USA, and Silent Storm Sound System.

“Our whole team at UBS is so appreciative to Ann and all those who made this year’s Art San Diego truly the best yet! This year, we worked with several non-profits to create an opportunity to expose kids in this community to more of the art and culture that exists throughout San Diego. The uniqueness of Art San Diego is its ability to bring together a variety of museums, collectors clubs, and other groups in San Diego, under one roof and connect us with art from around the world. We are so proud to be associated with Art San Diego,” said Chris Marsh, Managing Director, UBS Financial Services.

In anticipation of the opening of its future home in downtown Manhattan in the spring of 2015, the Whitney Museum of American Art presents Whitney Stories, a video series and online publication that offers viewers a look behind the scenes at preparations for the new building through interviews with figures central to the project. New videos will be released regularly through spring 2015. These short films will profile artists, Whitney staff and trustees, and integral members of the construction team while highlighting aspects of the new Renzo Piano–designed building and tracking the transformation of the Museum. Matt Wolf, a New York–based filmmaker (Teenage, 2013), is directing the videos, which will be available at whitney.org/WhitneyStories, complemented by brief articles, interviews, and photo essays.

The Museum will release fifteen videos in total, each focusing on a person with a particular role in the project, and a unique connection to the Whitney. The videos will be filmed at the Museum’s current building, the new building construction site, and artists’ studios; offer insight into future programming and exhibition plans; and provide an overview of the institution during this exciting period through compelling personal narratives. The first video in the series, a profile of Carol Mancusi-Ungaro, the Whitney’s associate director for conservation and research, is available to view now (interested members of the press may preview additional videos upon request). Upcoming subjects include:

Donna De Salvo, chief curator and deputy director for programs; Carter E. Foster, Steven and Ann Ames Curator of Drawing; Larissa Gentile, building project manager; Renzo Piano, architect; Vincent Punch, assistant head guard; Adam D. Weinberg, Alice Pratt Brown Director; and Fred Wilson, artist and Whitney trustee.

The 15th edition of ART INTERNATIONAL ZURICH, wich took place from 10th to 13th October 2013 in the Kongresshaus near the Zurich lake, has attracted more than 18.000 visitors. Already 2.800 visitors came to the vernissage on Thursday. The visitors numbers increase each year, by the vernissage as well as during the opening times of the art fair. Such a growth has a real influence on the sales performance. This good business and a public of quality had a favourable impact on the general atmosphere of this art fair.

The next edition of CONTEMPORARY ART INTERNATIONAL ZURICH will take place on 16th – 19th October 2014, once more in the Kongresshaus of Zurich. Applications can already been submitted on www.art-zurich.com/application

CONTEMPORARY ART INTERNATIONAL ZURICH 2014
International Fair of Contemporary Art
16th-19th October 2014
Kongresshaus Zurich

The connection between us and those who did the paintings some 35 000 years ago in Altamira, Spain and the Lascaux caves, France makes for a breathtakingly beautiful thought. Humans invented the idea of drawing as a way to preserve knowledge. The material may have changed, but the method is as it always has been. The need to leave an imprint has always existed, and various surfaces have been used to do so: the Sumerians in southern Mesopotamia wrote with wedge-shaped characters on clay tablets; the Egyptians had hieroglyphs and pictograms; then there was the discovery of the papyrus plant, which though brittle resembled paper. Papyrus books were roll-formed. With time, papyrus was replaced with parchment: thin, scraped, bleached animal skin – strong enough that it could be formed into a book without breaking. The invention of paper in China was clearly something great. It facilitated communication. Knowledge could be shared and acquired more easily and more quickly. Artists welcomed paper and began to use it for printing images. The first method, relief printing, adorned documents and increased our reading comprehension. The image is more important than the word.

Our selection here stems from our wish to show all four printmaking methods: relief, intaglio, planographic, and serigraphy. Digital technology draws inspiration from all of these. Our further wish is to show how artists from different parts of the world use printmaking as a means of expression. The triennial brings together cultures and continents. The work of the artists provides insight into their lives. Printing is a means of communication. The methods are the same wherever, but the motifs differ. To hold or attend a triennial is a means to finding out what is current in the world of printmaking. We like to think of the print triennial as a project for peace.

Dialogue on enhanced cooperation with the International Print Triennial Society in Krakow (IPTS) was initiated in November 2010. The exhibition International Contemporary Printmaking from Krakow with 27 award-winning works by contemporary artists from the International Print Triennial in Krakow 2009 had just been inaugurated in the art gallery at Dalarna Museum. The long-standing cooperation between the Municipality of Falun and Dalarna Museum, which commenced in 1991 and resulted in three Falun biennials and four Falun triennials, interested our guests from Krakow, who were members of the IPTS board. Together we were able to offer three prominent “P” ideas: Print collections, Print workshops, and Print exhibitions. We were invited to become part of the international print network that Krakow, Oldenburg, and Vienna had established. Falun’s role as a northern link was considered valuable.

The municipal printmaking workshop in Falun (Falu Konstgrafiska verkstad) focuses heavily on sharing knowledge about prints and printmaking to children within the province of Dalarna. Activities have gradually increased in number, extending to children beyond Sweden’s borders. The most recent example was the 3Grafik, comprising images made by children in Zakho, Lublin, and Falun. The exhibition was held at Dalarna Museum and also offered creative activities for children and adults alike. Printmaking is always included in the museum’s educational programmes for schools. This autumn, for example, all children in grade 5 from Falun created prints in a joint project between the museum and the county theatre.

Now it is finally time to present the International Print Triennial – Krakow – Falun 2013 with works by 140 artists placed in three locations in Dalarna. The other two towns, Rättvik and Smedjebacken, are also home to significant art scenes, both having their own printing press as a result of support from the provincial art advisor. Dalarna is a printmaking province to be reckoned with. Welcome to Fridell & Co.

Modhir Ahmed and Anne Seppänen
Jury for the International Print Triennial – Krakow – Falun 2013

Demisch Danant is pleased to announce Maria Pergay: The 1970s, an exhibition devoted to a pivotal period in the career of the renowned French designer. On view in the gallery’s stand (G12) at Design Miami/, the exhibition comprises a selection of Maria Pergay’s most iconic works of the 1970s, set in a Parisian-style domestic environment at the fair and accompanied by early fiber works of the 1970s by esteemed Paris-based American artist Sheila Hicks.

In 1968, Maria Pergay presented her first collection of stainless steel furniture at Galerie Maison et Jardin under the direction of decorator Jean Dive. This seminal exhibition established Pergay as one of the most innovative French furniture designers of her time, a visionary who almost single-handedly transformed stainless steel from a commercial industrial material into a principal component of Modern furniture. With such objects as Wave Desk (1968) and Daybed (1968), she domesticated the cold, hard, and geometric effects of steel, sometimes coupling the metal with leather or fur and rendering something altogether new – something with a distinctively elegant and sensual but very daring air. Throughout the ensuing decade, Pergay collaborated with foremost manufacturers and embarked upon significant commissions for Pierre Cardin, The World Trade Center in Brussels, the Royal Family of Saudi Arabia, and other significant clients internationally. The work she produced in the 1970s has entered into the canon of design history – Pergay’s Wave Bench (1968) is in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, for example – and laid the groundwork for a practice that continues uninterrupted today. At DesignMiami/, Maria Pergay: The 1970s, will provide a context for a presentation at the fair by renowned Italian luxury goods company FENDI, showcasing new objects it has commissioned from Maria Pergay.

As a compliment and counterpoint to Pergay’s furniture, Demisch Danant will present several wall works by Sheila Hicks. After studying fine art at Yale under the tutelage of Josef Albers, Nebraska-born Hicks traveled and lived in Mexico and Chile, then settled in Paris in 1964. She soon established herself as one of the most innovative textile artists of the 20th century, sharing with such creators as Pergay an affinity for surprising materials and a deftness at challenging accepted notions about them. She is renowned for her painterly approach to textile design and an ability to craft environments through the unlikely medium of fiber. Hicks has collaborated with prominent architects including Luis Barragan, Ricardo Legorreta, and Skidmore Owings & Merrill, among others. Her work, which resides in major museums around the world, defies categorization, simultaneously addressing several related mediums including painting, sculpture, design, and installation.

Art Miami, Miami’s longest running contemporary art fair and anchor fair to the City of Miami along with sister fair CONTEXT, will present dynamic Special Projects and Exhibitions specially curated by LaRete Art Projects. Collectors will have the opportunity to experience these installations from the outside entrances, public walkways, interior and exterior lounge areas of the fairs during the VIP Private Preview on December 3 through the end of the fair on December 8, 2013. Art Miami and CONTEXT have grown to include more than 195 galleries from 20 countries and will showcase more than 1,875 artists from 60 countries around the world.

This installation celebrates the 75th anniversary of the first one-person photography exhibition in MoMA’s history, and the accompanying landmark publication, which established the potential of the photographer’s book as an indivisible work of art. Through these projects Walker Evans created a collective portrait of the eastern United States during a decade of profound transformation—one that coincided with the flood of everyday images, both still and moving, from an expanding mass culture, and the construction of a Modernist history of photography. As Lincoln Kirstein wrote in his essay for the book, “After looking at these pictures with all their clear, hideous and beautiful detail, their open insanity and pitiful grandeur, compare this vision of a continent as it is, not as it might be or as it was, with any other coherent vision that we have had since the war. What poet has said as much? What painter has shown as much? Only newspapers, the writers of popular music, the technicians of advertising and radio have in their blind energy accidentally, fortuitously, evoked for future historians such a powerful monument to our moment. And Evans’s work has, in addition, logic, continuity, climax, sense and perfection.”

Comprising approximately 60 prints from the Museum’s collection that were included in the 1938 exhibition or the accompanying publication, the current installation maintains the bipartite presentation of the originals; the first section portrays American society through images of its individuals and social environments, while the second consists of photographs of the relics that constitute expressions of an American cultural identity—the architecture of Main streets, factory towns, rural churches, and wooden houses. The pictures provide neither a coherent narrative nor a singular meaning, but rather create connections through the repetition and interplay of pictorial structures and subject matter. Its placement on the fourth floor of the Museum—between galleries featuring the paintings of Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Jackson Pollock, and Andy Warhol—underscores the continuation of prewar avant-garde practices in America and the unique legacy of Evans’s explorations of signs and symbols, commercial culture, and the vernacular. Their profound impact on not only photography, but also film, literature, and the visual arts, reverberates today.

Organized by Sarah Hermanson Meister, Curator, Research and Collections, with Drew Sawyer, Beaumont and Nancy Newhall Curatorial Fellow, Department of Photography

Marc Newson: At Home will feature limited editions by one of the most acclaimed and influential designers of his generation. Marc Newson approaches design as an exercise in which he tests extreme structure and advanced technologies, combining an innovative use of materials and production processes. His broad reach extends from transportation (concept cars and jets), to furniture, to clothing and jewelry, to kitchen and bath fittings. Focusing for the first time on Newson’s residential work, the exhibition will be furnished entirely with the artist’s designs. Among the objects featured in the living-room area will be Newson’s widely recognized aluminum-clad Lockheed Lounge.

In conjunction with the exhibition, Collab, a group of Philadelphia-based design professionals who support the Museum’s modern and contemporary design collection, will honor Newson with the 2013 Design Excellence Award on November 22. The Museum will also hold its annual Collab Student Design Competition in which architectural and industrial design students from local colleges and universities will present their own Marc Newson–inspired designs. For the first time since the competition began, the best designs will go on display for one week on the East Balcony of the Great Stair Hall. Also new this year will be a People’s Choice Award where visitors will be able to vote for their favorite student design.

This exhibition is made possible by Lisa S. Roberts and David W. Seltzer. Additional support is provided by Collab—a group that supports the Museum’s modern and contemporary design collection and programs. In-kind support is provided courtesy of Alessi, Dom Pérignon, Flos, Gagosian, GWA, Herman Miller, KDDI, Pentax Ricoh, Smeg, and Qantas Airways. The Philadelphia Museum of Art gratefully acknowledges Poor Richard’s Charitable Trust and the Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation for support of the Collab Student Design Competition.