The Biennale’s Central Pavilion in the Giardini. Image by Giulio Squillacciotti, courtesy La Biennale di Venezia.

Art Observed will be on site this week for the 54th Venice Biennale. Since its creation in 1895, the festival has filled the city every two years with artists, curators, critics, and curious onlookers. The exhibition is housed over 50,000 square meters of exhibition space in the historical pavilions in the Giardini, and 38,000 square meters in the Arsenale, as well as other numerous locations around the city. The preview runs June 1st through 3rd (a preview program is available for download) and the Biennale opens to the public on June 4th, running through November 27th, 2011.

Expect updates and photo sets throughout the week, as well as on our Twitter.

Director of the 54th Biennale di Venezia, Paolo Baratta, and Artistic Director Bice Curiger. Photo by Giorgio Zucchiatti, courtesy Fondazione la Biennale di Venezia.

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Dearraindrop, Mutant Pop (2010), via The Garage Center for Contemporary Culture

Organized by Kathy Grayson, director of The Hole and former director of Deitch Projects, in collaboration with exhibition designer Rafael de Cárdenas, “New York Minute” is in its current manifestation at The Garage Center for Contemporary Culture in Moscow. The show features over fifty artists living and working in and around New York City, who are are entwined by professional and personal relationships and whose work overlaps similar themes and issues.

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All images are of “The Fabric Works,” an exhibition of Louise Bourgeois’s fabric drawings, sculpture, and installation at Cheim & Read.

New York gallery Cheim & Read is currently showing Louise Bourgeois’s self-defined “fabric drawings.” On display is 2002 – 2010, in form of appropriated clothing, that is, re-appropriated fabric. Closing on June 25, the exhibition is scissorwork, collage made from the very pieces that are necessary, to conceal to and to live. “The sewing,” Bourgeois wrote, “is my attempt to keep things together and make things whole.”

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Kara Walker, The Great Negro Heroine (2011). Courtesy of Sikkema Jenkins & Co.

Sikkema Jenkins is currently presenting Kara Walker’s series of drawings titled “Dust Jackets for the Niggerati—and Supporting Dissertations, Drawings submitted ruefully by Dr. Kara E. Walker.” through June 4th. These series–based on Walker’s impressions during her visit to the Mississippi Delta region–compose a rhizomatic schema of particular intersections of sociocultural aspects and economic constraints, present in the everyday life of many southern African Americans since the end of the Reconstruction period, in 1876.

Kara Walker, And Encourages the Youth (2011). Courtesy of Sikkema Jenkins & Co.

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Rosalind Nashashibi, This Quality (frame shot) (2010). All images Nicolas Linnert for Art Observed.

SculptureCenter’s current exhibition, an exploration of temporality and the passing of time, reveals this theme both topically and literally to its audience. Time Again is a group exhibition involving nearly thirty artists of varying backgrounds that intersect in the way they explore how one views the past and present. Included in the showcase is a smaller exhibition, Novel, that organizes works dealing with experimental writing in a visual manner.

Installation view at SculptureCenter.

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Terence Koh, The Self Become the Wood (f) (2009). Courtesy of Thaddaeus Ropac Galerie
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“Adansonias” is the most recent solo show of Chinese-Canadian artist Terence Koh, running through June 18th at Thaddaeus Ropac Galerie‘s Austrian space.  The exhibition was titled after Koh’s imaginary opera–first performed at the Parisian Thaddaeus Ropac Galerie in 2009–and it gathers vestiges of the piece’s conception and execution, including two white grand pianos, and photographies.  Koh’s “Adansonias” has been referred to as a Gesamtkunstwerk, or total work of art, involving sound, theatrical, and visual art. The stillness and silence in the space contrast with the dynamism of the documented opera piece, as this show barely echoes the performance itself, but elucidates on the aesthetic and intellectual aspects of Koh’s creative process behind the work, while attributing a perennial solemnity to the artifacts on display.

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Terence Koh, Installation View (2011). Courtesy of Thaddaeus Ropac Galerie

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“Where is Ai Weiwei” banner by Rirkrit Tiravanija at entrance of Neugerriemschneider, via NY Times

Despite his current incarceration in China, Ai Weiwei’s exhibition at Galerie Neugerriemschneider opened over Gallery Weekend Berlin, and can be seen until June 4, 2011. The exhibition consists of two large wood sculptures and several porcelain pieces.  Ai designed the work specifically for the gallery site, which was produced before his arrest, and according to one source, Ai was clear in his desire that the show would go on in the event of his arrest.

Installation view of Ai Weiwei’s Rock (2011) and Tree (2011), photo by Jens Ziehe, courtesy of Neugerriemschneider.

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Raymond Pettibon No Title (Have You Seen) (2011), via CFA Berlin.

American artist Raymond Pettibon and German artist Anselm Reyle opened Contemporary Fine Art’s exhibition in this year’s Gallery Weekend Berlin.  Pettibon’s show is titled “Looker-Upper”, and is composed of more than eighty new drawings, portraying themes from sports, sex, and popular culture.  Reyle’s show is titled “Little Cody”, and is made up of several painting/compositions, three foil-neon pieces, and collection of sofas.  Pettibon’s show takes up the ground floor of CFA, while Reyle’s show takes up the second.

Anselm Reyle Untitled (2011), via CFA Berlin.

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Francis Bacon, “Portrait of Henrietta Moraes” (1969). All pictures courtesy of Helly Nahmad Gallery.

New York’s Helly Nahmad Gallery is currently showing the first comparative assembly of works by the painters Chaim Soutine and Francis Bacon. Connections between Soutine, whom de Kooning famously called his “favorite artist,” and Bacon, the subject of two Tate Modern retrospectives in his lifetime and one in 2008, have never before been examined by an exhibition at a museum or gallery. SOUTINE/BACON closes on June 18.

Chaim Soutine, “Autoportrait” (1918).

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Installation view of Donald Judd’s “Progressions.” All images by Caroline Claisse for Art Observed.

Currently on view at Galerie Vedovi in Brussels is “Progressions,” a fresh look at the work of seminal American sculptor Donald Judd. The exhibition focuses on Judd’s use of mathematical algorithms to create geometrical progressions. These systems are non-representational tools that offers viewers a neutral way to view the works. With the object autonomous, the focus turns to the wall and its relation to the object.

Judd is also the subject of another concurrent exhibition at David Zwirner Gallery, which opened during New York Gallery Week. It is a restaging of Judd’s 1989 exhibition at the Staatliche Kunsthalle in Baden-Baden, Germany.

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Temporary Tattoo provided with exhibition statement As Long As It Lasts (2011), photo by A. Bogart for Art Observed

Arratia, Beer present “As Long As It Lasts…”, a group exhibition that is transitory in nature.  The gallery invited several artists and designers to design tattoos, which are inked on site by a professional tattoo artist, Sarah Bolen from AKA Berlin.  The tattoo artist was only on site for Gallery Weekend, April 29-May 1, so appointments need to be made for anyone wishing to be ‘signed by’ an artist.  Those who choose to have an artist’s design tattooed get a certificate of authenticity, thus certifying that a work of art is part of them.  Appointments can be made until the end of May.

Francesco Vezzoli Untitled (2011), via Arratia, Beer.

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Marie-Thérèse avec une guirlande (1937) by Pablo Picasso, via Gagosian Gallery

Currently on view at Gagosian Gallery in New York is Picasso and Marie-Thérèse: L’amour fou, an exhibition which reveals the paintings, drawings, prints, and sculptures inspired by Marie-Thérèse Walter, one of the most inspiring models of Picasso’s life. The exhibition is a love story of the artist and his muse told through art and is curated by the renowned Picasso biographer, John Richardson in collaboration with Marie-Thérèse’s granddaughter, art historian Diana Widmaier Picasso. It spans the years from 1927 to 1940 and includes several works which have never before been exhibited in the United States.

Following the success of Picasso: Mosqueteros in New York in 2009 and Picasso: The Mediterranean Years in London in 2010, the exhibit presents the next chapter in a continuous exploration of Picasso’s fundamental themes.

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Kehinde Wiley, Alios Itzhak (2011), via Roberts & Tilton

Roberts & Tilton presents a new branch of Kehinde Wiley‘s The World Stage series entitled The World Stage: Israel. The artist traveled to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem for inspiration for this particular set of works, which serve as a continuation of a dialogue on globalization that has included covered China, Africa, Logos-Dakar, Brazil and India. Wiley’s portraits of modern Israelis mix themes of classical portraiture with a sense of contemporary pomp.

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Glenn Brown, The Shallow End (2011), via Max Hetzler

Presented through May 28, the exhibition of Glenn Brown’s recent work at Max Hetzler ’s satellite gallery presents fascinating examples of the Tuner Prize-nominated artist’s recent work. As part of Gallery Weekend Berlin, the solo exhibition is exhibiting portraiture and figurative paintings as well as “paint-sculptures” in a grandiose apartment in the chic Savigny-Platz district of Berlin.

Glenn Brown, Carnival (2011), via Max Hetzler

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Ai Weiwei, Colored Vases (2009), all images by Soraya Gilanni for Art Observed

AO was on site for the preview of Lisson Gallery‘s major survey show of work by Ai Weiwei. Any reading of the exhibition cannot help but be inflected, if not radically transformed, by the knowledge that the artist’s whereabouts and condition are still unknown after being detained by authorities in Beijing on April 3rd, 2011. The exhibition, which will open to the public on May 13th, coincides with the London display of Ai Weiwei’s Animal/Zodiac heads at Somerset House.

Lisson director Greg Hilty and founder Nicholas Logsdail began the day by addressing the absence of the artist directly. They explained that Lisson Gallery had considered canceling the show, but that the “general consensus” among all involved was that it should “absolutely go ahead” despite the fact that Logsdail described the opening day without the presence of the artist as “mortifying.”

Ai Weiwei, Surveillance Camera (2010)

Weiwei often pushes the boundaries of institutions that exhibit his work, therefore the difficulty of putting on a survey show lies in that the nature of his practice is hard to define. The selection is curtailed to video and sculptural works in a kind of redress of the attention attracted by works like his famous Sunflower Seeds and Template.

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All photographs by Caroline Claisse for Art Observed.

MONUMENTA is an invitation from the French Ministry for Culture and Communication for an internationally-renowned contemporary artist to create a site-specific work for the Grand Palais in Paris; this year’s invitation went to Indian-born Anish Kapoor. With 13,500 square meters of space, the Palais serves as a magnificent backdrop for artistic interaction. Previous invitations include Anselm Kiefer (2007), Richard Serra (2008) and Christian Boltanski (2010).

Entitled Leviathan, Kapoor’s sculpture is a breathtaking 35 meters high. “My ambition,” the artist shares, “is to create a space within a space that responds to the height and luminosity of the Nave at the Grand Palais. Visitors will be invited to walk inside the work, to immerse themselves in colour, and it will, I hope, be a contemplative and poetic experience.”

Although Kapoor was all smiles during the inauguration of the sculpture, he took the publicity as an opportunity to show solidarity for Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. Kapoor dedicated the sculpture to his incarcerated colleague, and issued a call to museums and galleries of the world to close for a day in protest of Wei Wei’s detention by the Chinese government.

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Walead Beshty, Installation View: PROCESSCOLOR FIELD (2011)   via Regen Projects

Currently at Regen Projects are new color field photographs by Los Angeles based artist, Walead Beshty.  This marks Beshty’s first show at Regen Projects, and it transitions between themes of history, formality and structure.  The gallery is dense with Beshty’s large-scale photographs, which speak to photographic process and its potential to present as sculpture,  environment and painterly object.

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Spring Love (2010) by Beatriz Milhazes, via Fondation Beyeler

Currently on view at the Fondation Beyeler is an exhibition featuring work by renowned Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes (b. 1960 Rio de Janeiro). Incorporating basic motifs from the diverse and tropical culture of Brazil, Milhazes’ work also recalls symbolism from the history of Brazilian culture. After major exhibitions including those at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Fondation Cartier, Paris, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, and the Pinacoteca, São Paulo, this is  the artist’s first exhibition in Switzerland. The solo exhibit will feature four new large-scale paintings revolving around the theme of the four seasons which were commissioned for the show. Also included are a selection of the artist’s colorful collages as well as a mobile and a vibrant floor work.

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Glenn Ligon, Untitled (2009). All images Nicolas Linnert for Art Observed.

Ongoing at the Whitney Museum is Glenn Ligon’s mid-career retrospective, America. Showcasing his work including the well-known text-based paintings of the 1980’s through current day, the exhibition provides a broad perspective into the artist’s continually evolving career.

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Installation view at the Whitney Museum.

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Subodh Gupta, Untitled, 2011, oil on canvas. All images courtesy Hauser & Wirth.

Opening tonight at Hauser & Wirth New York is an ascetic new exhibition by Indian artist Subodh Gupta. The artist, who is often referred to as “The Damien Hirst of Delhi,” earned his nickname from a dazzling sculpture of a skull entitled Very Hungry God (2006). He is the leader of a group of Indian artists whom mega-curator Hans Ulrich Obrist frequently heralds as art world game-changers, and his works regularly fetch auction prices over 1 million USD.

In contrast to this glitzy reputation, “A glass of water” is shockingly subdued. The exhibition takes its name from a work in which a metal drinking cup rests atop a table, filled to the brim with fresh water. Its origin and constant replenishment remain a mystery. The tension created– that the cup may overflow at any moment, from a visitor’s step or breath– “serves up a rich metaphor for the almost unbearable tension between luxury and depletion, accumulation and deprivation, acquisition and exhaustion that are the daily diet of exploding international culture,” explains the exhibition statement.

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Tim Noble and Sue Webster, Turning the Seventh Corner (2011) via Ex Berliner

Friday night, April 29th, Tim Noble and Sue Webster opened their new site-specific installation, “Turning the Seventh Corner”, at Blain|Southern‘s Berlin space as part of the city’s Gallery Weekend.  The new installation has been made in conjunction with architect David Adjaye, with whom Noble and Webster have worked previously,  (“Toxic Schizophrenia (Hyper Version)”, (2007), MCA Denver) and also on the home in which the the artists live..  Noble and Webster co-opted the second floor space of the gallery, creating two doorways into a neighboring space, providing an entrance and an exit for their installation.  “Turning the Seventh Corner” is an experiential installation that draws inspiration from the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs and reflects Noble and Webster’s continued interest with shadow and light.

Tim Noble and Sue Webster, Two Shooters Portrait, (2011), via Blain|Southern.

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Mark Tansey, Invisible Hand (2011), via Gagosian

Painter Mark Tansey shows recent work at the Gagosian Gallery Beverly Hills through May 27th. Known for his monochromatic composite figurative paintings, Tansey has chosen works done in ultramarine to display in the gallery. His work is well known for crossing the boundaries of illustration and perception- works seem to depict single narratives or settings, but when given a second look, the figures begin to separate from one another and an assortment of new narratives form on the canvas.

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