YAYOI KUSAMA.

Tate Modern exhibits a retrospective of Kusama's works that include paintings, sculptures and installations. Her signature dots overtake the space and refer to Kusama's ongoing interest in the infinite and sublime. The repetition of a motif, a pattern that appears on every artwork signifies the artist's understanding and interpretation of the inner and outer world, the micro and macro universe that is the presence, the existence. The artworks are playful reflection on the serious and complex phenomena. The show engage viewers in an exhilarating surrealistic journey into the mind of an artist that can be experienced and enjoyed even on purely aesthetic level.

LUCIAN FREUD. PORTRAITS

The National Portrait Gallery presents the exhibition of Lucian Feud's works, bringing together a selection of his most famous portraits. Lucian Freud (1922-2011) was a realist painter who gained recognition for the exquisite style of emotive, instinctual and almost physical, sensual painting. The exhibition allows a viewer to follow the progression of the artist's style, from flat,''clean brush'' paintings to the ones of generous paint application, of structural feel. The artworks are not only representations of faces and figures but they also allow a viewer for an insight into the artist's way of working, his relationship with a model, with space and with a medium. Exhibited in the cramped rooms of the venue the paintings seem to overwhelm the space. The almost tangible presence of the portrayed figures seems to add to the crowds of viewers. 

TACITA DEAN. THE UNILEVER SERIES. FILM

The new installation by Tacita Dean is presented in Turbine Hall in Tate Modern. The 13 metre slab which structure resembles a film still becomes a screen for the projection of both black and white and colour images of the interior and exterior. The photographs of beautiful and sublime moments that happen in nature seen through different perspectives, at different light exposures and in different circumstances make Film a poetic narrative of nostalgic character. The installation is a tribute to the analogue film making where cuts, hand-painted motifs, mistakes and flaws in the material itself are treated as a part of an artwork. Film is a silent spectacle which alludes to the early cinema. The lyrical play with colours and images recalls modern exploration of the abstraction.

ANSELM KIEFER. II MISTERO DELLE CATTEDRALI

Perfect pictures in perfect space. The largest exhibition of the artist's work ever presented in London takes place in White Cube Bermondsey. Large in scale paintings and sculptures reflect the Keifer's ongoing interest in the metaphysical. The mystical and material aspect of codes, mathematics and alchemy is the subject of this exhibition which title refers to the esoteric work of Fulcanelli on the codes of alchemy represented in the mathematical structures of Gothic cathedrals.

Keifer is known for working with large scale canvases and a variety of media. This time, apart from combining metal and wooden structures with the paintings, the artists uses some elements (for example, sulphur) to add to the physicality of his works and to the theme of alchemy. The exhibition of Keifer's artworks is a rare chance to see beautiful, impressive and well-thought through artworks which have their own narrative and reflect the artist's genuine interest and deep insight into the subject matter.

GERHARD RICHTER. PANORAMA

The exhibition of Gerard Richter's works takes place in Tate Modern and presents viewers with the artist's diversity of style and approach to art. Both the artist's artworks and the way they have been shown did not appeal to me. Mirror and glass installations, abstract and realistic paintings are displayed in a chaotic way, in cramped rooms, competing for space and attention. Highly acclaimed grey paintings are just grey and flat. The abstract works are also unimpressive despite the large scale of canvases. There is nothing unique and intriguing in these works. They just seem to be the painting exercise, capturing a moment of careless, playful spreading of multicoloured paint in a random manner. The only artwork that captured my attention was a large mirror that reflected the movement in the gallery room, the object- artwork that is always true, genuine, never pretending to be something else.

PIPILOTTI RIST. EYEBALL MASSAGE

Poetic and atmospheric. The exhibition of the moving image artist Pipilotti Rist in Hayward Gallery offers a chance to experience the video works in the intriguing and capturing way. The central theme of the artworks is human body presented as a landscape that can be viewed from different perspectives. The artists makes video installations that resemble film or theatre sets and engage viewers in active participation. The varied way of projecting videos creates a sensuous landscape of objects and images and challenges the way viewers look at and experience not only the medium itself but also the subject matter of human body and its associated taboos.

PAUL NOBLE. WELCOME TO NOBSON

The exhibition of Paul Noble's detailed pencil drawings and sculptures of the structure and characters of his imaginary metropolis, Nobson Newtown, takes place in Gagosian Gallery. The artists creates an intricate imaginary landscape, with a designed infrastructure incorporating typography, the font of his own design which is called 'Nobfont’. The metropolis, its architecture and the impression of being abandoned by people alludes to the archaeological sites of the ruins of some ancient civilizations and might be read as a pessimistic vision of the future. 

 

POSTMODERNISM. STYLE AND SUBVERSION

The exhibition of the Postmodernism in V&A is an informative, interesting and engaging collection of artworks that represent major aesthetic and ideological trends present in Postmodernism. There are photographs, paintings, architectural models, designs of furniture and clothing, music recordings and videos, examples of graphic design applied to magazines, books and record covers. The variety of the artworks and their presentation refer to the exhilarating eclectic style of Postmodernism.

PROJECT: FAMILY ALBUM

silkscreens

PROJECT: ON TREE

the linocuts

EXHIBITION: FRIEDRICH KUNATH

Friedrich Kunath's exhibition in White Cube, Hoxton, turns often 'cold' and 'detached' gallery space into an imaginary environment, filled with paintings, sculptures, drawings, video art and photography. Dark walls, spotlights, lit floor lamps and burning incense engage the viewer within poetic atmosphere, welcoming and yet evoking the feelings of nostalgia. Kunath's practice reflects on universal themes of human condition, love, loneliness, longing, optimism, rejection.

 http://www.whitecube.com/exhibitions/

Franciszek Starowieyski

Nightmares

Painter, illustrator, printmaker, theatre and TV set designer, Franciszek Starowieyski is considered one of the most prominent artist in Polish post-war era. He studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow and Warsaw. His prolific artistic contribution reveals a drawing master and an eccentric personality fascinated with the surreal. Starowieyski’s posters combine the sensuous forms with an intellectual message. Endowed with symbolism and aesthetic references they create a unique language I find intriguing and captivating. They become a visual commentary reflecting also the artist’s approach to creating artworks.

The Bloodstained Butterfly

”(…) the most difficult task for the creator of a good poster is to find a reason for making it at all, of abstracting something personal out of the theme. (…) the act of illustrating somebody else’s thoughts and ideas is not good enough, as it doesn’t produce the necessary creative tension.” (Quotation taken from KINOTEKA Festival Book)
“I want to create a world which is independent from our notions of humanity. (… )I want to obtain a third dimension through the spiritual mood of my pictures”. (http://www.culture.pl)
”The viewer expects the artist to scandalize, insult and shock him.” (http://www.culture.pl)

EXHIBITION: PROTEO

Netti Horn Gallery presents a group exhibition of the works of Dexter Dymoke,
David Bestue& Marc Vives and Lizi Sanchez. Entitled 'Proteo' the show features sculptures, collages and performance video art. The works characterise of interesting and visually appealing compositions referring to the tradition of Found Object.

Dexter Dymoke's poetic sculptural installations engage the viewer in reflection on the relations and tensions between objects and materials and on their subtle characteristics, often forgotten, overlooked or taken for granted.

http://www.nettiehorn.com/Proteo.html

EXHIBITION: Anselm Kiefer

'Des Meeres und der Liebe Wellen' (The Waves of Sea and Love) is the title of the exhibition of internationally acclaimed German artist Anselm Kiefer presented in White Cube, Hoxton.

The exhibition is an appealing lyrical installation of books and works on canvas and paper.

The title refers to the classical Greek myth of Hero and Leander about love and a tragic loss. Presented works and their semiotics explore the themes of existence and universe.

The ones that are most appealing to me are the panoramic seascapes, photographic images of sea with superimposed gynaecological instruments. They refer to the ancient relation between humankind and sea and to the symbolism of sea and water, the place and the element from which life has evolved.

http://www.whitecube.com/exhibitions/

EXHIBITION: NANCY SPERO

Serpentine Gallery presents the works of one of the leading practitioners of Feminist Art, Nancy Spero. The exhibition features the works on paper, collage, gauche and prints. Spero's practice tackles the issues of brutality, subjugation, alienation, physical pain. Her visual language is a powerful mixture of images drawn from hystories and mythologies of the past and present cultures.

http://www.serpentinegallery.org/

EXHIBITION: GABRIEL OROZCO

The exhibition of Gabriel Orozco's works on paper and canvas, photography, installations and sculptures is currently shown in Tate Modern. Orozco's practice is a creative and inventive play with found objects which altered and reconfigured gain new meanings.

One of his signature works is La DS, reconfigured Citroen DS. The industrial functional object becomes a static sculpture. The act of transformation deprives the object of its original function and at the same time emphasises its inherent quality of speed through its new shape.

One of the main themes of Orozco's practice is the sense of transience and the ephemeral, which can be seen in the series of photographs attempting to capture fleeting moments or in the installations, for example, Chicotes 2010, the installation of burst tyres collected from along Mexican highways.

In Orozco's works humble everyday objects and situations gain aesthetics which viewers are invited to recognize and reassess.

http://blog.tate.org.uk/

EXHIBITION: JOHN STEZAKER

Whitechapel Gallery features an exhibition of John Stezaker's art, collages made out of movie stills, vintage postacards and book illustrations.

One of the characteristic qualities of Stezaker's practice is the use of the contrast, juxtaposing qualities and elements, for instance, black and white /colour, male/female, presence/absence.

Stezaker's artworks make an impact on the viewers due to their characteristic quality of simplicity and familiar references to pop culture and symbolism which evoke instant associations. The titles also play an important role in reading an image as they define, summerise, the subject matter and prioritise a certain interpretation.

The titles of the images: Tabula  Rasa, Love, Bridge, Untitled.

Exhibition Book (2010) John Stezaker. London: Ridinghouse and Whitechapel Gallery.

EXHIBITION: THE SHADOW CATCHERS

V&A presents the camera-less photographs of five artists, Pierre Cordier, Susan Derges, Floris Neususs, Adam Fuss and Garry Fabian Miller. The works are well presented in a subdued light and black walls space that reminds of darkroom. The artists' chemigrams, photograms and luminograms are mesmerizing artworks that trigger imagination and allow for varied interpretation.

EXHIBITION: JOHN CARTER RETROSPECTIVE

Redfern Gallery exhibits the works of contemporary artists such as John Carter RA who creates abstract sculptures and prints of strong graphic language. Most of his works are wall sculptures presented as three dimensional art. The colour range is limited, the shapes are simple, geometrical. They are minimalistic works evoking reflection on relation between shapes and colours.