Three Pieces from Mira Schendel’s Spray Series, via Art Observed

Late last year, when Hauser and Wirth opened its show of Brazilian Neo-Constructivist, Concrete and Neo-Concrete works, the few works on view by Mira Schendel immediately stood out.  Light, effortless prices of rice paper printed with China ink and left hanging encased in glass, the works sat somewhere between linguistic deconstruction, minimalism and light art, tracing slight reflections of light over the multi-surface piece.  Among a show of boldly colored works and large, impressive sculptures, Schendel’s work stood out for its soft focus and minimal exertions of color.

Mira Schendel, Untitled (from series Discos) (1971-73), via Hauser and Wirth (more…)

The burial site of Russian avant-garde painter Kazimir Malevich has been covered in concrete, paved over by a real estate company in the process of building a new luxury housing development.  The site, outside of Moscow, was the focus of commemoration plans, before the government made a sudden turnaround.  “Developers have already talked to the bureaucrats who are making the decisions,” said Malevich enthusiast Aleksander Matveev. “They’ve already put concrete blocks on the site of the grave.” (more…)

Annabelle Selldorf, the architect behind David Zwirner Gallery’s newest space on 20th Street in Manhattan, was recently interviewed in Architectural Digest about the unique, cast-in-place concrete façade of the building, the challenges created by such a demanding design, and her experience working with Zwirner to conceptualize the design of the building.  “Truthfully, it was David who wanted the building to be cast-in-place concrete.”  She says. “But like any layperson, he didn’t necessarily know what that entailed. He just knew that he wanted a certain look and feel. And I, knowing more about what it takes to actually do a concrete structure, realized this posed a formidable challenge.” (more…)

The first concrete murals done by Pablo Picasso are in danger of destruction following severe damages to the buildings that house them.  The two buildings were severely damaged in the terrorist attacks of July 2011 in the Norwegian city of Oslo, and government employees have voiced concerns that they may require demolition.  “If the buildings were demolished and the murals integrated into new ones or brought to another site, they would no longer be the works Picasso intended,” says Jørn Holme, the head of the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage. (more…)