Chris Ofili, Hearsay 2 (2017), via Art Observed

Chris Ofili’s Poolside Magic series, first begun in 2012, is a swirling body of watercolor and charcoal works, running through a visual system of theme and variation that the artist recently returned to this year, adding new details, text and visual threads that cements the artist’s work as an exchange with the continued threads of his own career as much as with the visual iconographies and scenes that he continues to repeat and revisit five years after his first series of works.  Capping his new entries in the series with an exhibition in Venice this week, Victoria Miro has planted its foot in the city of Venice permanently, a fittingly lyrical introduction for the gallery and its artists to the long tradition of Venice and its history of art.

Chris Ofili, Elipsis 1 (2017), via Art Observed

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The Venice Biennale

With the first weeks of May upon us, so too comes the opening days of the Venice Biennale, as the 57th edition of the over a century-old art exhibition returns to the Italian city for another summer and Art Observed is in Venice to report on a broad and intriguing opening week of presentation.  Curated this year by Christine Macel, the chief curator at the Centre Pompidou, the fair’s title Viva Art Viva, traces a turn back from the intense political engagement of Okwui Enwezor’s 2015 Biennale, yet promises a no-less thorough look at the world during a particularly challenging era in history. Read More »

Jeppe Hein at 303 Gallery, via Art Observed

Following a solid four days of operation on Randall’s Island, Frieze New York closed this evening, bringing a conclusion to the first weeks of May’s busy art calendar, and setting the stage for major auctions coming shortly for the city.  The final hours today brought one last push of sales, as dealers rallied to wrap final talks with their clients, while other late guests walked the aisles looking for a hidden gem.   Read More »

Julio Le Parc at Galeria Sur Puntada del Este, via Art Observed

Following the success of The European Fine Arts Fair’s (TEFAF) inaugural fair in October 2016, TEFAF New York debuts its sophomore fair dedicated to fine art, antiques, and design on May 4th at the Park Avenue Armory, with a particular focus on more contemporary pieces and artists. TEFAF New York Spring has its origins in Maastricht, Netherlands and was born out of exhibitors’ desire for the fair, which meticulously vets its artwork, to expand into the vibrant New York art world. Since 2016, TEFAF New York and Artvest have worked together in order to curate a fall and a spring show at the Park Avenue Armory. Read More »

Olafur Eliasson at Tanya Bonakdar, via Art Observed

As the weather continues to heat up in New York City, galleries from around the globe have descended once again onto Randall’s Island in the northern reaches of the city, bringing scores of new works for the sixth edition of Frieze’s New York fair.  Marking the first week of an extremely busy month that sees dealers, collectors and the rest of the art world split between New York and Venice, the fair opened today as a first breath in a bustling series of events that nevertheless saw strong attendance and strong interest for the works on hand, with many dealers using the fair as an opportunity to capitalize on their artist’s presence at major exhibitions in the U.S., Italy, and elsewhere.

Thomas Kovachevich, Cool T (1981), via Callicoon Fine Arts

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Ernesto Burgos, Mancha (2017), all images via Kate Werble Gallery

Artist Ernesto Burgos is presenting seven new pieces for his third solo show with Kate Werble Gallery up through May 6th.  For the past five years, Burgos has continued to make organic, sculptural forms from fiberglass, which he then paints over using a range of materials including spray paint, charcoal, oil stick and lacquer, embellishing his pieces with an additional layer of gestural mark-making.  Here, Burgos continues his investigation of form and material while experimenting with the size and presentation of his work.
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Sophie Calle, Here Lie the Secrets of the Visitors of Green-Wood Cemetery (Installation View), via Lindsay LeBoyer for Art Observed

Sophie Calle’s work has long dealt with the shadows and specters of intimacy, delving into spaces and sites where the artist’s active engagement with both her subjects and viewers turns the corner from artistic interaction to less easily defined forms.  It’s a messy sense of shared space and time, one which the artist takes great care to reflect both her own engagement and the varied perceptions of her participants in equal measure, and one which feels all the more delicate and immediate as a result.  Read More »

Frieze New York, via Frieze

As the art world gears up for another busy month in both the U.S. and Europe, the Frieze New York art fair is preparing to touch down once again on Randall’s Island, just off the coastline of Manhattan.  The fair, which turns six this year, is once again returning its signature program of forward-thinking art and on-site projects that stands as one of the final market events before the art world moves into its slower summer months.

Sven Loven, OL Rebellion (2017), via Jan Kaps Read More »