LOOK INTO MY OWL

Tim Noble and Sue Webster have taken their “20 Modern Classics” on the road to the Triumph Gallery in Moscow.

Tim Noble and Sue Webster, Spinning Heads in Reverse, painted bronze, 2006.

It is the first time that the pair have exhibited in Russia and they have made the most of the trip. Several pieces that highlight Noble and Webster’s preoccupation with the silhouette are on display including the figure ground reversal exercise of “Spinning Heads in Reverse” (above) and the more traditional shadow work found in “Untitled (Rat and Trap)” (below). Through these well established techniques, the artists encourage their audience to question their instincts and look harder.

Tim Noble and Sue Webster, Untitled (Rat and Trap), welded metal and light projector, 2005.

“Scarlett” (below) stands apart from the contour related works. Mechanical toys and other deposits hum and chatter on the surface of a workbench. The installation calls to attention the awkwardly nefarious view that children have toward adulthood.

Tim Noble and Sue Webster, Scarlett, workbench table, studio detritus, taxidermy animals, mechanical assemblages, electric motors, urine, theatre blood, cooking oil, peanut butter, 2006.

Tim Noble and Sue Webster
20 Modern Classics
22 September – 9 October 2009
Triumph Gallery
Moscow

The west coast premiere of Doug Aitken’s twenty five minute film “Migration” is being screened at Regen Projects in Los Angeles. Simultaneously, the gallery is presenting a new series of light boxes created by the artist.

Doug Aitken, Migration, single video projection with billboard (steel and PVC projection screen), 2008.

“Migration” is an ambulatory journey across the United States staged in hotel and motel rooms along the way. The interaction of the animals with these enclosures was caught on film, each stop adding a unique experience to the phantasmagoria.

Doug Aitken, Migration, single video projection with billboard (steel and PVC projection screen), 2008.

Two distinctly different presentations of the film are being offered by the gallery. From sunset to sunrise, a silent version will be projected in the courtyard of Regen Projects II on Santa Monica Boulevard. Concurrently, the North Almont space will exhibit the piece indoors on a large billboard complete with original soundtrack. I recommend seeing the piece inside first and then wandering westward for the outdoor loop.

Doug Aitken, Migration, single video projection with billboard (steel and PVC projection screen), 2008.

Images courtesy of 303 Gallery, New York; Victoria Miro Gallery, London; Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich; Regen Projects, Los Angeles.

Doug Aitken
12 September – 17 October 2009
Regen Projects
Los Angeles

I’ve stood in the Marcel Duchamp area of the Philadelphia Museum of Art for many hours. Visitors often mistake the artist’s final work for a service entrance. “Étant donnés”, the exhibition marks the 40th year since the piece was installed in Philadelphia. This is a great opportunity to shed some light on the world behind the door.

Marcel Duchamp, Exterior: Étant donnés: 1 la chute d’eau, 2 le gaz d’eclairage (Given: 1. The Waterfall, 2. The Illuminating Gas), 1946-66.

In the mid 1940’s, Marcel Duchamp publicly gave up on art to pursue his passion for the game of chess. Privately, the master would work on the creation of “Étant donnés: 1° la chute d’eau, 2° le gaz d’éclairage (Given: 1° The Waterfall, 2° The Illuminating Gas)” for twenty years. The influential artwork was discovered shortly after Duchamp passed away in 1968.

Marcel Duchamp, Interior: Étant donnés: 1 la chute d’eau, 2 le gaz d’eclairage (Given: 1. The Waterfall, 2. The Illuminating Gas), 1946-66.

The exhibition contains all known studies and reference relating to the piece. Examining this material in it’s totality is a treat for the public and scholars alike. A fully illustrated 450 page catalogue written by Michael R. Taylor is available online here. I just ordered my copy.

Marcel Duchamp, Landscape collage on plywood (study for landscape backdrop of Étant donnés: 1° la chute d’eau, 2° le gaz d’éclairage), 1959.

The museum will also be showing a number of Duchamp’s “Erotic objects.” Many of these sculptures utilized the same casting technique employed by the artist for the reclining nude in the celebrated assemblage.

Marcel Duchamp, Torture-Morte, 1959.

Marcel Duchamp
Étant donnés
15 August – 29 November 2009
Philadelphia Museum of Art

Christoph Steinbrener and Rainer Dempf have made some alterations to the Schönbrunn Zoo in Austria. “Trouble in Paradise” will be in place through mid October.

Steinbrener / Dempf, Trouble in Paradise – Rhino, 2009.

Six animal enclosures have been transformed into profound displays of human impact on the wild world. Steinbrener and Dempf worked closely with the zoo to insure the safety of it’s inhabitants. The result is this striking commentary and surreal visual feast.

Steinbrener / Dempf, Trouble in Paradise – Bison, 2009.

The novelty of the idea should attract contemporary art enthusiasts for a long overdue field trip to the zoo. At the same time, the shock promises a fundamental impact on the outlook of a young audience.

Steinbrener / Dempf, Trouble in Paradise – Coral Reef, 2009.

Steinbrener / Dempf
Trouble in Paradise
10 June – 18 October 2009
Schönbrunn Zoo
Vienna

Yesterday Maggie Ross transformed the front display window of our gallery, NOWhere Limited into a camera obscura. “Imposing Views” was a one day event in which visitors were offered the rare opportunity to have their portrait taken inside a camera.

Maggie Ross, Imposing Views, 2009.

The front window was blocked off except for a small hole which was covered with a lens. The inverted image of our town was projected through the pinhole to a screen inside the gallery. Participants interacted with the camera inside and out with interesting results.

Maggie Ross, Imposing Views, 2009.

Our models showed excellent poise as exposure time for some of these photos was more than two minutes. Thanks to everyone that came out to bear their souls as part of this interactive installation.

Maggie Ross, Imposing Views, 2009.

Maggie Ross
Imposing Views
8 July 2009
NOWhere Limited
Nederland, Colorado

More photos after the jump.
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It is safe to turn off the television for the next few months as there is a constant sideshow on stage in London’s historic Trafalgar Square. Antony Gormley has invited 2400 people to occupy the fourth “empty” plinth for one hour each over the course of 100 days. The entire spectacle is being broadcast via live streaming video at One & Other.

Antony Gormley, One & Other, still from video, 2009.

The Fourth Plinth was constructed in the 1840’s to support an equestrian statue. Owing to financial shortcomings, the statue was never erected and the plinth has stood vacant. In 1998 commissioned works from contemporary artists began to appear atop the structure and Gormley’s project is the latest installment.

Antony Gormley, One & Other, still from video, 2009.

The democratization of space in one of the most recognizable spots on the planet is a moving gesture. The intent of the artist is for the public to encounter ideas that their neighbors feel are important. These living statues may choose to forward a cause, express personal issues or just spend an hour doing nothing. The experiment promises a current portrait of the United Kingdom. I’m hoping that the exhibit grows into a traveling show.

Antony Gormley, One & Other, still from video, 2009.

“One & Other” is a fitting title for this brilliant piece. There is a strong draw to find out how the “plinthers” will use their hour in the spotlight. At the same time, Gormley incites us to ponder the things that we cherish. What would you do?

Applications for time slots are still being taken. Head to the website for details. Below you will find a video where Antony Gormley describes his project in detail.

Antony Gormley
One & Other
6 July – 14 October 2009
Trafalgar Square
London

The mysterious British Pop icon Banksy is opening a new museum show in his hometown of Bristol. This is not the first time that Banksy’s work has hung in a museum but it is his first exhibit with consent from the house.

Banksy Versus Bristol Museum, 2009.

The exhibition titled “Banksy Versus Bristol Museum” was installed in near complete secrecy. Museum staff and visitors were told that a movie was being filmed in the space while a stencil on the front door claimed, “CLOSED for essential maintenance work.”

Banksy Versus Bristol Museum, 2009.

This is the artist’s largest installation to date. It is a multimedia extravaganza with remnants of “The Village Petstore and Charcoal Grill” covered here last year. Several of the animatronic works appear as they did for the New York show but many have been revisited alongside an impressive body of new work.

Banksy Versus Bristol Museum, 2009.

Most of the three story Edwardian Baroque building has been appropriated for the exhibition. It should be an ironic clash of art and space but the new pieces in particular do not seem out of place.

Banksy Versus Bristol Museum, 2009.

For more info see the trailer below. The video features a walktrough of many of the major elements and some clips from the process.

Banksy Versus Bristol Museum
13 June – 31 August 2009
Bristol’s City Museum & Art Gallery