Viewing articles from 2016/12

Lisson Gallery, 52-54 Bell St, London NW1 5DA

In Defence of the Demos

In Defence of the Demos

Bringing to life both Ai Weiwei’s Foundation (2012) and the Lisson Gallery where it is currently on display, In Defence of the Demos was a sorely needed response by the art world to the ‘real’ world.

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National Portrait Gallery, St. Martin's Pl, London WC2H 0HE

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2016

Katlehong Matsenen by Claudio Rasano, 2016

Despite the obvious limitations on subject matter and medium, the judges manage to offer a diverse range of works that chart moving personal stories and global sociocultural shifts centred mainly around issues of gender, race and age. Review by Aris Kourkoumelis

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Laura Bartlett Gallery, 4 Herald St, London E2 6JTt

Breather

Breather  Installation view, Laura Bartlett Gallery, London, 2016

Carolina Mostert reflects on 'Breather', a group exhibition of work by Alex Olson, Ketuta Alexi-Meskhishvili, Sarah Dobai, Brie Ruais and Simone Forti.

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South London Gallery, 65-67 Peckham Rd, London SE5 8UH

Roman Ondak: The Source of Art is in the Life of a People

Roman Ondak, The Source of Art is in the Life of a People, installation view at the South London Gallery, 2016.

Time marches on in Ondak's piece 'Event Horizon', a performance structure that rolls on over the duration of the 100 days of the exhibition at South London Gallery. A sliced up oak tree lies on the floor divided into 100 sections. Over the course of the exhibition, every day a piece is taken and placed on a grid of dowels mounted on the wall. Each of the tree sections has painted on to it text stating a significant event from each year. Review by Piers Masterson

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The Secession, Friedrichstraße 12, 1010 Vienna, Austria

Avery Singer: Sailor

Avery Singer: Sailor, installation view at Secession, 2016.

The Secession presents the work of the young American painter Avery Singer, whose innovative art effortlessly integrates references to art history and contemporaneity with an exploration of the underpinnings and mechanisms of digital media.

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Carré d'Art, Place de la Maison Carrée, 30000 Nîmes, France

Abraham Cruzvillegas: Approximating Vibrant Retroflex Self-Construction

Abraham Cruzvillegas: Approximating Vibrant Retroflex Self-Construction, installation view at Carré d'Art, 2016

For this exhibition at Carré d’Art, Abraham Cruzvillegas produced new works from materials collected in the city of Nîmes. The artist's approach calls up history and self-construction within the economic, social and political contexts as he breathes fresh life into objects and alters the way we interpret them.

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Australian Centre for the Moving Image Federation Square, Melbourne, Australia

Phillipe Parreno: Thenabouts

Philippe Parreno, Invisible Boy, 2010 (film still) © Philippe Parreno

In the darkened subterranean gallery of ACMI, “The Projectionist” draws the theatre curtains. Adjusting the width of the screen, the gesture is both performative and practical. “The Projectionist” announces the upcoming film and proceeds to press play.

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Modern Art Oxford, 30 Pembroke Street Oxford, UK OX1 1BP

KALEIDOSCOPE: The Vanished Reality

The Vanished Reality, installation view

Modern Art Oxford has had its 50th anniversary this year. To celebrate its cultural conversion from the Victorian brewery that it once was in the 60s to the international gallery that exists today, a commemorative medley of exhibitions has been staged.

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North East Contemporary Visual Arts Network (CVAN)

The work of Annie O’Donnell

Artist Annie O’Donnell talks about the close links between her personal narrative and the history of former ICI plant in Teesside.

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Whitechapel Gallery, 77-82 Whitechapel High St, London E1 7QX

William Kentridge: Thick Time

Installation view, William Kentridge, Thick Time

Kentridge's work combines a complex and theoretically rigorous reading of 20th century art and history with a level of artistic virtuosity that can be equally appreciated by traditionalists. Review by Luke Naessens

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Bosse & Baum, Copeland Estate, 133 Copeland Road, London SE15 3SN

France-Lise McGurn: Mondo Throb

Exhibition view of Mondo Throb, solo exhibition by France-Lise McGurn, Bosse & Baum, 2016

‘Mondo Throb’ is a mise-en-scène in which a body of works have figuratively turned the gallery space into a night spot; revellers are immortalised in paintings, the traces of their dance steps left on the floor. Review by Cristina Ramos González

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Camden Arts Centre, Arkwright Road, London NW3 6DG

Bonnie Camplin

Installation view of Bonnie Camplin at Camden Arts Centre, 2016-17

Described as ‘a semiotic technology’, the work consists of eight drawings arranged as a schematic diagram. Camplin claims these were transmitted to her and downloaded through psychic communication. Whatever this psychic seance involved remains mysterious. Review by Tessa Norton

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Institute of Modern Art, 420 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Australia

Nicholas Mangan: Limits to Growth

Nicholas Mangan, Limits to Growth, 2016. Installation view, Institute of Modern Art. Photograph by Carl Warner.

Limits to Growth is the first survey exhibition of Melbourne-based artist Nicholas Mangan. Bringing together five major projects made between 2009 and 2016, Mangan’s immersive moving-image installations masterfully balance complex narratives.

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