bubblegum POP

In Bed with Tracey

2011-08-29T11:10:00.004+02:00

Oh Tracey. Why do you taunt us so? With that cheeky, lopsided smile... why do you seduce, tease and build our expectation?

Last week I went to bed with Tracey Emin. After almost two hours, I was left panting. I cried a little too. Her work is such. It disgusts yet engulfs me; it is intimate as it is distant; comic as it is tragic; personal as it is universal.

Emin's Love Is What You Want retrospective show at the Hayward Gallery is impeccably curated (by Ralph Rugoff and Cliff Lauson). From the word go, visitors are taken on a journey through Tracey Town. Front seat. It's a whirlwind, a rollercoaster-ride. Up/down; bump; break; move; stop; start again.

There's no getting off.

The show is as exclusive as you want it to be. As engaging as you allow it to be.

Just like her emblazoned festoon-like blankets, or her Schielesque embroidered cottons, the exhibition galleries are a neatly-woven web of Emin's vociferous outbursts, her narcissism, her sexual exploits... of her trying to make light of all the drama and suffering.

Her life and work is read like a diary. Literally. And this is how the show is presented to us, as pages, carefully strewn all over the place, much like her presence in and out of the media. Yet this 'book' contains no secrets, it's pages, explicit images and hungry words are displayed like holy relics. Are they ever revered? I wonder.

The whole is broken down into intimate sub-divisions or chapters, which consequently take us through Emin's pain and process. Each chapter a self-sufficient nucleus, capable of sustaining and generating itself, yet one which was evidently born from something greater, larger, which allows components to revel at the convergence.

Tracey Emin is a 'painter' of pictures, but just as much, she is a 'painter' of words. She comes on strong, forcing her way through, imposing herself onto our senses. But is it real, or is it just a front? She wears her heart on her sleeve. And that heart is plastered, painted, scribbled, photographed and filmed for one and all to see. A pain too vast to contain? It must be shared, perhaps then, it may be halved.

Tracey's omnipresence at the Hayward is almost daunting. Her face, her open legs, her detritus is spread across the halls. She has latched onto the surfaces, infecting, morphing them into an extension of the self. The result is sexual as it is morbid. Much as she is.

My Bed might not have been included in this show, but the used tampons have. It was nevertheless a disappointment. Although perhaps a foolish expectation. My only expectation. That crushed, I saw Tracey in a different light, an outsider's light. I could have been an intruder watching her heart-breaking confessions in How It Feels; a bird circling the bridge as she interacts with an infatuated slobbering dog in Love is a Strange Thing; the sand nestled beneath Knowing My Enemy.

I described experiencing Emin's work as a rollercoaster-ride; what I failed to mention is that the journey is just as emotional as it is visual. Her multi-faceted persona, her alter-egos rub off on you. I haven't stopped thinking about Tracey since.

True, she's a flirt. Her confident air transpiring, oozing from her work. Perhaps she is a mere tease. She takes us some of the way, with her promises of love, physical satisfaction, adventure. But do we climax? It's time for a cold shower.

It's been ages

2011-08-25T18:34:00.003+02:00

It has been. I've neglected my blog. It's a love affair, on again/off again. I wouldn't say I've fallen out of love, rather, I've fallen out of time. But I've decided I must keep this up. Printed matter can be so limiting. Here however it's another story. And all I want to do is write. So that I shall do. Will be uploading two short things I wrote since arriving in London. The capital which has given me back my smile. And I thought only Rome was capable of that.

Thankfully I was wrong.

SPACES | spazji

2010-06-25T15:17:00.002+02:00

Antony Micallef: images from LA group show

2010-06-21T13:19:00.006+02:00

EuroTrash group show - Showcasing Antony Micallef. Conor Harrington, JR and Vhils.

The show dates are June 9th - 27th, 2010

The LA Lazarides gallery. 320 North Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills , CA 90210.

It's happening next Wednesday - NMFA

2010-06-02T19:41:00.002+02:00

Seen on the streets of Iklin

2010-06-01T09:12:00.006+02:00

LOUIS VUITTON YOUNG ARTS PROJECT

2010-05-12T13:35:00.004+02:00

The Louis Vuitton Young Arts project: A cultural collaboration for the future of London

Louis Vuitton is delighted to announce the launch of the Louis Vuitton Young Arts Project, an unprecedented partnership between Louis Vuitton and five of London’s leading art institutions: Hayward Gallery, Royal Academy of Arts, South London Gallery, Tate Britain and Whitechapel Gallery.

The Louis Vuitton Young Arts Project embodies the brand’s creative spirit and its long tradition of arts patronage, as well as its ongoing commitment to corporate social responsibility and to London. Following the sponsorship of numerous exhibitions at major institutions, and the success of the Louis Vuitton Art Talks series at which artists interact closely with the invited audience, Louis Vuitton wanted to celebrate the opening of the New Bond Street Maison with a major new project that would extend opportunities to younger, often less privileged people to access the art world. Louis Vuitton’s discussions with the five partner institutions, as well as artists Chris Ofili and Charlie Dark, helped shape the project’s current form. The project initiated by Louis Vuitton, will be led and managed by the South London Gallery who will work hand-in-hand with the Louis Vuitton team, and the other four institutions.

This three year arts and education programme will give young Londoners from across the city unique access to the museum directors and curators, artists and collectors who shape the British contemporary art scene, which is widely acknowledged as one of the most dynamic and successful in the world. A number of these figures sit on the Louis Vuitton Young Arts Project’s Committee, which brings together high profile people including artists such as Tracey Emin, Gary Hume, Michael Landy, Keith Tyson and high profile art collectors. The committee members will be pivotal in providing opportunities for the young participants to gain unparalleled insights into the art world, from the point of view of those who have already achieved so much in their own careers. The Young Arts Project will add a vibrant cultural dimension to these young people’s lives, and allow the participants to gain the insight, skills and experience necessary to consider the possibility of pursuing a career in the arts.

The Louis Vuitton Young Arts Project will see five panels of young people, all from different areas of London, interacting as part of a peer-led youth forum for the enjoyment and further understanding of art. The five panels, one from each institution, comprise young people aged 13-25 recruited from local borough schools and community youth groups. The panels will collectively visit exhibitions at the five partner institutions, where they will be given exclusive tours and unprecedented access to the inner workings of the art world. The panels will also be invited to creative sessions and site visits, led by high profile art world insiders, which will include artists, collectors and museum directors. Through additional focused workshops the young people will help create a project website, complete with project title, to be launched in 2011. The website will be an evolving record of the project, providing an online community for debate, for showcasing work, for blogs and for reviews, and also enabling engagement with other art-interested young people who are not currently members of the Project.

A selected group of young people from each panel will be chosen by the individual institutions to attend an intensive, five-day annual Academy, the first of which takes place in August 2010 at the Royal Academy Schools and Louis Vuitton New Bond Street. The Academy will offer behind-the-scenes visits to galleries and conservation studios, and talks by curators and critics. At the end of each year, there will be an opportunity for all the panel members and their families to celebrate their achievements. While Louis Vuitton has committed to the project for a three year period, encompassing cultural activity before and during 2012, it hopes to continue the Louis Vuitton Young Arts Project into 2013 and beyond.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has endorsed the project: “What is particularly exciting is that Louis Vuitton wants to use its cachet and its cash to involve young people in the arts and is working together with such high profile cultural institutions. This chimes with so much of our work at City Hall to provide positive opportunities for young people and to promote culture in these difficult times. London needs businesses like this to think creatively about what they can give back”.

Of the project, Louis Vuitton Chairman and CEO, Yves Carcelle, says: "We are proud that the Louis Vuitton Young Arts Project has been formally endorsed by the Office of the Mayor of London and The Arts Council of England. As the leader of the luxury industry we believe that we naturally have a responsibility to the world around us. Moreover, transmitting savoir-faire and creativity is one of our founding cornerstones. Preserving the past and preparing for a brighter future are fundamental values that have inspired us for more than 150 years. Supporting children and young peoples’ futures are one of our main actions worldwide. The Louis Vuitton Young Arts Project seeks to instil and nurture an exploration, enjoyment and passion for the arts among young people which they can take into adult life and perhaps follow as a career”.

www.louisvuittonyoungartsproject.com

MAXXI Rome... coming soon

2010-05-08T09:14:00.005+02:00

Louise Bourgeois: From Venice to London

2010-05-07T12:32:00.001+02:00

Hauser & Wirth is proud to announce the inauguration of its new space at 23 Savile Row with a solo exhibition by Louise Bourgeois.

The exhibition will feature over seventy fabric drawings made between 2002 and 2008, as well as four large-scale sculptures. Made from clothes and other domestic effects accrued over decades, Bourgeois’ fabric drawings are abstract yet acutely personal works, retaining allusions to the materials’ past incarnations.

Curated by Germano Celant, the exhibition will travel from the Fondazione Vedova, Venice (5 June – 12 September 2010) to Hauser & Wirth London.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a substantial catalogue published by Skira, which focuses on this major aspect of Bourgeois’ practice.

Antony Micallef for the British Heart Foundation

2010-05-06T13:01:00.001+02:00

Antony Micallef will be releasing a new print to support the British Heart Foundation. The Mending Broken Hearts Appeal is one of the most important fundraising efforts ever undertaken by the British Heart Foundation. Its goal is simple; to raise £50 million to fund the cutting-edge cardiac-regenerative research that could literally ‘mend the broken hearts’ of millions.

Published by CCA Galleries, Printed at Coriander Studio.
Created especially to raise awareness and funds for the British Heart Foundation. All profits go to the BHF.

Triq id-Dejqa... jew ahna dojoq?

2010-04-27T19:40:00.008+02:00

Can't help blogging about this yet again, seeing as some silly nitwit who was first protesting against the release of the film Da Vinci Code in Malta is now protesting against the random association of V words. Not that these narrow-minded people have any idea why V words were chosen mind you but they necessitate some petty issue or other in their life about which to nag and bitch... why don't we start objecting to and protesting about the real things that matter in life? Isn't God omnipresent anyway? Aren't there some fanatics who have crucifixes and little shrines in public conveniences anyways... but we have to object to a sticker bearing the name of the Virgin Mary. Why doesn't this Vince Marshall go protest about having to pay to enter a cathedral to go say a prayer? Let's stick to real life issues... pettiness is just for petty people.

'Cause violence is always in fashion

2010-04-26T21:32:00.005+02:00

Oh come on! The Strait Street Saga continues

2010-04-26T09:38:00.004+02:00

"The organiser of a petition against the Strait Street toilet is claiming to have got 150 signatures, and is planning to present it to the authorities on May 1.

The newly-opened public toilet in Valletta has a glass wall inscribed with words that start with the letter “V” – and alongside the words vagina and viagra is the name Virgin Mary, which the objectors find offensive.

“We do not even agree that such words should be written in a public place, but our plea is for the name of the Virgin Mary to be removed from the glass panel as soon as possible. If they wanted words starting with V, they could have stuck to virgin and not specified Virgin Mary,” the petition says.

Another of the words on the panel is Vatican, which they also feel has no place alongside the “vulgar” words.

Those wishing to sign the petition should send their details and ID card number to xandarop@yahoo.com"

Published yesterday on di-ve.com; titled: Petition against Strait Street toilet

Please go have a look at the ridiculous comments below the article... which, by the way doesn't even include the name of the "organiser" of this petition. Even the info is wrong: The glass wall if anything, is INSIDE not outside... what one finds outside is a window pane. But can these people tell the difference, of course not. Have the petitioners even been to the public convenience because from what can be read here above it certainly seems as though they haven't. And FYI the words are not INSCRIBED they are affixed/attached... they're just stickers. No part of Norbert's installation is permanent. Some people need to get a life and accept a good thing when it happens.

A SERIOUSLY good opportunity

2010-04-22T19:55:00.002+02:00

The Embassy of Malta in France would like to inform young Maltese designers of the fourth edition of the Talents de la Mode competition, organised by the Village des Créateurs.

This competition is open to fashion designers aged between 18 and 40, who speak either French or English, and who plan to either open their workshop in the course of 2010 or for those who have launched their label since January 2009.

The winning prize includes:

- A workshop set up at the Village des Créateurs in Lyon, France (23 months lease - rent of the first 12 months free of charge and the following 11 months at half price);
- During the first year the Village des Créateurs offers an economic development support for the development of the workshop of the winner and then finances up to 50% of the expenses during the following 11 months;
- A paid stand at the Prêt-à-Porter Paris fashion show;
- A cheque of 5000 Euro;

The winner is chosen by a panel of judges experts in the field, presided by Jérome L’Huillier.

Further details on this competition can be obtained on www.talentsdemode.com. Candidatures are to be submitted by no later than 17 May 2010 at 18.00 hours.

“Winning Talents de Mode has really enabled me to launch my brand. To benefit of a shop was the most important thing for me. My brand was already created before the contest but as I was living in the countryside, it was really difficult to have sufficient visibility in order to increase the sales. Of course, because of the marketing relay which the Village des Créateurs offers has always been and is still fundamental. Some programs on TF1, France 3 and M6 have been a nice surprise! Talents de Mode made a lot of advertising for me, I have acquired a good reputation in the fashion for dogs world and after the good press, came the orders: my designs are already sold in Lyon, Paris, Antibes, Cannes…”
Céline Boulud, equally placed winner of Talents de Mode 2009

http://www.talentsdemode.com

Austin&Patrick

2010-04-21T18:31:00.008+02:00

I never cease to be amazed at Maltese artists' stamina... well some of them at least... so many of them are busy with projects... locally and abroad. Some of these projects/competitions are really quite prestigious and it baffles me how artists manage to fund themselves and pack so much into their personal calendar year. We most definitely need some form of mobility policy which facilitates for those representing the Maltese Islands.

Patrick Fenech and Austin Camilleri are currently showing their works in the Museum of Tunis - held at the Palais Khereddine till May 8. Tomorrow's art article will delve deeper...

Here's a little taste of their works on show:

Above: Encounter with a Siren - Patrick Fenech; Gabriel's Gift - Austin Camilleri.

Installations @ St James

2010-04-21T18:14:00.007+02:00

The above are Raphael Vella's works made specifically for Harba the first festival of children's literature showing at St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta till Sunday.

A must-see

2010-04-19T08:17:00.011+02:00

Ħarba Festival of Children's Literature

April 21-25 St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta

Organised by Inizjamed and the St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, with the support of the Malta Arts Fund, Merlin Library, Literature Across Frontiers and the EU Culture programme, the Direcção-Geral do Livro e das Bibliotecas, the Portuguese Ministério da Cultura, Institut Ramon Llull, the British Council, the National Book Council of Malta, the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) and the Malta Foundation for Educational Services.

Participating artists and illustrators: Katya Borg (and the students from MCAST), Nicole Diacono, Pierre Portelli, Mark Scicluna, Darren Tanti, Raphael Vella.

www.inizjamed.org

Seen on the streets of Malta (for just a few hours)

2010-04-16T06:53:00.006+02:00

These images were spotted (NOT by me unfortunately) between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. They were quickly painted over. I am told that the artist is not the same as the one who created Pedo-bear.

Once you pop you can't stop

2010-04-15T17:53:00.008+02:00

Pop art. Or rather... pop the art. Because that is what everyone was doing last Friday at Karl Consiglio's Leisure Centre - popping art.

For those who haven't the foggiest what I'm on about, this Leisure Centre is not some new gym, fitness or newly-inaugurated children's “play” area. Rather, it is the title of a visual art installation by Karl Consiglio at Artitude Gallery in Sliema.

In a nutshell, this installation constitutes the enveloping or shrouding of a large part of the gallery's interior in a layer of bubble wrap. This malleable transparent plastic material was laid on the floor like a carpet and on the counter to mimic a table-cloth; it was wrapped around exhibition panels in a parcel-like fashion and imparted a general sense of privacy to the corner gallery by acting as a veil or curtain, somewhat shielding the world from the goings on within.

Despite this, I expected more. Knowing Mr Consiglio to be the kind of uninhibited, pushing-all-boundaries, experiment and unconvention-embracing artist that he is, I had pictured myself having to burrow my way through the gallery's interior. This was one case in point however, where Mr Consiglio felt that less is more, where he decided to opt for a more subtle approach.

But selfish me wanted absolutely everything to be bubble wrapped. I wanted to hear popping sounds whenever I inhaled or exhaled. And really, multiple layers of bubble wrap could have easily been added onto everything - especially the floor, which I felt needed to be taped down properly.

Gauging by the three rolls of “extra” bubble wrap acting as tables during opening night, there was plenty more material which could have been utilised. Happily, the “rolls” didn't remain upright very long, and became haystack-looking bouncy seats, much to the enjoyment of yours truly.

The extra stretches of material could have also been made available for patrons to cut lengths and affix their “patch” onto the artist's layer of bubble wrap. In fact, Pierre Portelli's 1999 work titled Ism, worked in a similar fashion although the goal of this work was alteration through the public's direct interaction and manipulation. Had Mr Consiglio utilised such a “scheme” it could have only intensified the overall sense of interactivity.

This said, all those present at the opening had a go at popping one, two or hundreds of bubbles, addictive personalities were most welcome and felt most at home. Some lunged into the boards, some did nifty dance moves, some used their nails and others furtively popped away when they thought no one was looking.

With this installation, Mr Consiglio proves that he is clearly not interested in the commercial side of art; actually I think this aspect is the farthest from his mind. He is out to represent the playfulness of art. Although, I am pretty sure that many would contest the classification of this show under the broad heading of art. But that is an entirely different debate, and one which is best left out of this discourse.

Wrapping “stuff” up is no novelty or oddity. In fact, the Bulgarian/Moroccan duo Christo and the late Jeanne-Claude dedicated their life and art to performing such grandiose interventions as was the empaquetages of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago (1968-69) or the Reichstag in Berlin (1971-95) for instance. Closer afield, Austin Camilleri exhibited a cellophane-wrapped baby titled Hello, as well as life-size religious statues at the beginning of the Noughties.

However, the wrapping of objects for art-sake was introduced much earlier than the late 1950s or early 1960s (the time when Christo and Jeanne-Claude hit the “scene”), with Dadaist/Surrealist artist Man Ray and his readymade/assemblage work titled Enigma Of Isidore Ducasse dating to 1920, in which he wrapped a sewing machine in cloth and cord.

Mr Consiglio's intervention is quite different nonetheless, in that the choice of material is a chiefly transparent veneer, which merely disguises slight imperfections at best rather than completely concealing an item from view. Bubble wrap is a safety cushion, it blurs, perhaps also giving a false impression of that which it is somewhat distorting. This premise is one which was already “under investigation” by Mr Consiglio back in his 2008 A Most Sensational Exhibition when he exhibited a series of blurred photographic works resembling abstracted paintings.

So it may seem that Mr Consiglio is taking this notion to a new level. However, he is not pushing it as far as he could have - and by that I mean far enough for this project to resonate, or create a ripple effect. And this is a real pity, because as a concept, his Leisure Centre is pure fun, which is, and has been immediately accessible, by all visitors young and old. In fact, the project, funded by the Malta Arts Fund in collaboration with the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts, was also devised to be able to attract and target young audiences, including school children and allow them to experience alternate art forms first hand.

I do wonder whether this intervention is the first in a sequence.

The joys and possible uses of bubble wrap are indeed many, and a website (www.bubblewrapfun.com) dedicated solely to this stress reliever claims there are some 1001 options. I didn't go through the entire list, but Mr Consiglio has definitely demonstrated that “art” should make the cut.

Published in The Times of Malta, 15/4/2010, p 25. All photos by Chris Sant Fournier.

V is for Vagina

2010-03-31T10:53:00.017+02:00

V. currently on show at Strait Street Public Convenience, Valletta.

Design and renovation by Chris Briffa Architects in collaboration with S&S Bathrooms Ltd; audio visual installation by Norbert Attard; audio-play by Narcy Calamatta; sound effects by Mario Sammut. An initiative of the Valletta Local Council.

A review of the launch, initiative and audio-visual installation will be published in this Sunday's Times.

Lisa in love

2010-03-31T10:39:00.006+02:00

Marc England: Manikata Church, currently on show in Mostly Churches, St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity till May 9

www.marcengland.com

2010-03-27T12:37:00.008+01:00

Kay. I've practically forgotten that I created a blog a few months back... and now 5 months have gone by... I'm not very good at keeping stuff updated regularly, though I wish I were.

Any who.

I can'r recuperate the time I've lost, so I'll just pretend like nothing ever happened.

I'll focus on the present. So in my present I am still writing an art column, however, the last piece I write, about Ruth Bianco's show underway at La Boutique Soho in Brussels, titled Dirty Paintings And Other Works... did not go down too well. Actually the article was fine, the images however, of Ruth's work seem to have been too much for readers... which is a right pity.

So, I'm just gonna post a few here... because they are just gorgeous, and would have looked so much better with my "Sex sells. Fact." intro.

So here goes:

http://ruthbianco.com/

2009-11-04T16:21:00.006+01:00

Why oh why does time seem to (or does it actually) fly? I can can almost see Time taunting me and mocking me as it whizzes past. And I have neglected by beloved Bubblegum POP blog... no pics uploaded.. no short little anecdotes nada de nada...

The joys of being busy I guess... all my good intentions to write something every day (OK maybe every other day) have gone down the drain... but in my defense there isn't much at the moment which is tickling my fancy - not in Malta at least!

There are quite an impressive number of exhibitions up and running at the moment... but are they worth a visit? Are they worth your while... eh... not really. I haven't been to see Survivors yet - in Birgu - what am I waiting for you might ask, and I could answer, an invite I guess. Just because I write in the paper and get to visit most shows anyways doesn't mean that I do not enjoy receiving invites... sometimes I think I am purposely not invited - fear of a bad review perhaps?

I do want to go view Peter Quinn's works at the Radisson... though hotels as venues for exhibitions are SO off-putting. I hardly ever manage to drag my sorry self there to view the works... I can't be bothered... hotels are such busy places and often overly ornate the works just automatically vanish in comparison.

But hope is here - that is if you feel like travelling to Munich - oh if only I had a bag of money... Austin Camilleri and Pawl Carbonaro are showing a collection of 16 pieces - all paintings at the Münchner Künstlerhaus a stone's throw away from some of the town's most impressive museums. I've had a sneak peak at the works and they are truly something. Don't want to give much away as I'm planning an article for next week.

For tomorrow I've written a feature on Patrick Fenech and his participation in a collective show in Hamburg. Love his Blister series...

In the meantime here are two works from the Camilleri/Carbonaro show:

Becoming Animal

2009-10-22T19:08:00.011+02:00

Shame, shame, shame on me. I've been here for a whole 4 days and I haven't even uploaded a single image of Antony Micallef'f Becoming Animal show. But here they are!

My interview with Antony Micallef should be uploaded to timesofmalta.com soon(ish) will post a link when it happens.

*Photo of Antony Micallef by Ian Cox.

Pat Kurs

2009-10-12T21:02:00.007+02:00

Pat Kurs... or as I prefer calling her... the Doll Lady.

So her expo has been open for a week and a half now.. well just about. And I've been thinking about her works, about her really, this persona she's built around her. Quite extraordinary. She's like the WonderWoman of dolls, tits and stuff... And she looks fab, definitely plays the part - dressing up to the nines (literally) - always in frills, super high heels which any normal woman would envy, at least because of her extraordinary capabilities at keeping balance, luminous red lipstick. She's quite a diva, and she could become a bit of an icon if the US didn't already have way too many of those.

Anyways... her works, well I must admit to finding them quite alluring, but I don't want to expand too much because I'm just about concluding a review which will be appearing on Thursday's Times (little inside yay for my second week with an art column. But she is quite fascinating, albeit a tad dark... but that's how we like 'em.

Anyways here's a couple of piccies to get the buzz flowing - not that there's much need cause there's already been SO much published about her! Thankfully nothing came in the form of a review... here's hoping I won't get the usual hate mail. Buuuut, who cares right?

New Art Column

2009-10-09T14:32:00.005+02:00

So yesterday marked the beginning of a new art page in the Times. Now that the Weekender has been dead and buried... for a few weeks already...

All the culture pages, the reviews, previews etc., have been inserted into the daily paper... which I feel makes more sense... supplements don't have much allure, let's face it!

Anyways, I started off the weekly art column with a review/overview of the visual arts at this year's Notte Bianca. What I should have actually said was that I was bored. Bored, bored, bored. Hardly any new 'stuff' to see, and even less which gave me any sort of high. And why did everything die oh so abruptly by 1.30/2?? Couldn't even find a bloody ice cream! Believe it? Thank goodness for the gorgeous models at Tommy Hilfiger... they were practically the only aspect about the whole shebang about which I am still talking.

Today I had a chat with a friend of mine, who commented that my article was good and that he agreed with what I had to say about the overall event, but that I should have compared Malta's Notte Bianca to the situation abroad, where contemporary art is truly given importance. And alas, it is so true... there was so little of the contemporary! Which brings me to another question: Where have the START group gone to? The individual members seem to be doing their own thing and working less and less on group shows. Where it not for them we wouldn't have much contemporary art to go by! I just hope they're not giving up on the Maltese art scene.

Last year there was the Scent exhibition which was truly a bomb - Anton Grech, Austin Camilleri, Vince Briffa, Pawl Carbonaro and John Grima's paintings truly graced the walls of St John's (not James) Cavalier. And now Austin and Pawlu are showing their works in Munich next month... but here we refuse to invest in contemporary art and artists. Hopefully No. 68 will open soon - Alex, Nad we need you! - and then there's the 'new' MCA to look forward to at St James. I have my reservations... and I wonder, but I shan't comment for the time being.

Sigh.

I need visual and mental stimulation.

Exhibition line-up

2009-10-06T14:29:00.003+02:00

I might be off to London in 8 days to interview Antony Micallef at Lazarides Gallery... but it just cannot stop there... There's LOTS but LOTS more to see...

Saatchi have, what looks like, a gorgeous exhibition titled: Abstract America: New Painting and Sculpture.

Unilever Series at the Tate Modern is featuring the work of Polish artist Miroslaw Balka who will undertake the tenth commission... opening just a day before my arrival AND there is also another expo called Pop Life: Art in the Material World which is essentially Pop from the 80s onwards. The work of Damien Hirst, Takashi Murakami and Jeff Koons will be featured along with other big names. This show runs till January 17 2010.

There's also Eva Rothschild at the Tate Britain with one of her largest sculpture installations yet.

Gay Icons is showing at the National Portrait Gallery till October 18 - will just make it (I hope).

Then there's the Anish Kapoor solo show (Royal Academy), mentioned already in a previous post, together with the Frieze Art Fair.

Sadly there's nothing in both London Gagosians!

Am I leaving anything out??!

Happy Kitty

2009-10-05T21:17:00.002+02:00

OK. So Lisa's a happy Kitty - as the title clearly denotes.

It's Monday, October 5. And in a mere 9 days I will be in London. I can't effing believe that I am going to London... and I've managed to secure an interview with Antony Micallef. Yes, you said it sista! Maybe I'm a tad too excited. But hey, at the rate I'm promoting his work - just out of the sheer love if it - then I have an itsy bitsy (yellow polka dot bikini?) right to have butterflies.

Interview's scheduled for October 15 late morning. And a week later the outcome of that interview should be published in the paper, with some extra details posted here.

Here's crossing fingers and toes that all goes well! While there I'm hoping to catch the Anish Kapoor show and the Frieze Art Fair too... it's gonna be a hell of a 4 days! :)

Anish Kapoor exhibition: Royal Academy, London

2009-09-27T11:32:00.007+02:00

A major solo exhibition of the work
of the internationally acclaimed artist
Anish Kapoor,opened yesterday at The Royal
Academy of Arts in London.

The exhibition surveys Kapoor’s career to date
showcasing a number of new and previously
unseen works, including a select group of
Kapoor’s early pigment sculptures, beguiling
mirror-polished stainless-steel sculptures and
cement sculptures on display for the first time.

The exhibition also includes highlights such as
the monumental work Svayambh, the title of which
comes from a Sanskrit word meaning ‘self-generated’.
Emblematic of Kapoor’s interest in works of sculpture
that actively participate in their own creation, Svayambh
moves slowly through the galleries across the entire breadth
of Burlington House.

Another major exhibit is Shooting into the Corner, a work of extraordinary complexity and drama that builds up against the walls and floor of the gallery.

Tall tree and the eye, a major new sculpture, is on display in the Annenberg Courtyard. Infinitely repeating and reflecting its surroundings, like much of Kapoor’s work, this object both disorientates and distorts, challenging our traditional notion of form and space.

The exhibition runs till December 11.

NB The Royal Academy website also have this really cool live gallery webcam... Kapoor's 'Shooting into the Corner' fires regularly during exhibition opening times. Be patient... it's man-operated... totally interactive.

http:// www.royalacademy.org.uk

The Cartier Award 2010: Call for Entries

2009-09-24T17:30:00.006+02:00

Frieze Art Fair announced today the call for entries to The Cartier Award 2010.

The Cartier Award is open to artists living outside of the UK, up to five years from graduating from an undergraduate or postgraduate degree or under thirty years of age. The Cartier Award is organised by Frieze Projects, sponsored by Cartier and presented in collaboration with Gasworks.

The recipient of the prize will have the unique opportunity to present their work at Frieze Art Fair 2010, guaranteeing a major international audience.

Additionally the prize will cover production costs of up to 10,000 (UK sterling) an artist's fee, per diems, travel expenses and a studio residency at Gasworks in London from Augustto October 2010.

For full details of the award and an application form visit: www.friezefoundation.org/cartier

Antony Micallef

2009-09-23T14:53:00.000+02:00

YES...Antony Micallef... again. How can anyone ever get enough of this bloody brilliant artist. I just love his works. They give me a pure adrenaline rush!

I was just sent this excellent interview with Antony Micallef for Arrested Motion in lieu of his upcoming show: Becoming Animal

http://arrestedmotion.com

I'm including a couple of images which I'm pretty sure will tickle your fancy (click to enlarge).

2009-09-23T10:00:00.000+02:00

Frieze Art Fair 2009 Sculpture Park details announced:

McCarthy's work to remain in Regent's Park for 6 months

The Frieze Art Fair 2009 is happening between October 15-18, in London. It features over 150 of the most exciting contemporary art galleries in the world. The fair also includes specially commissioned artists’ projects, a prestigious talks programme and an artist-led education schedule.

Frieze Art Fair have announced the works to be installed in its Sculpture Park, which will be presented in the wonderful setting of the English Gardens of Regent’s Park, located a short walk to the east of the entrance to the fair. Entry to the Sculpture Park is free. This year’s Sculpture Park, again sponsored by Heath Lambert, presents work by a strong and broad spectrum of artists, including some of the most acclaimed international sculptors working today, and a number of unseen pieces.

These include Louise Bourgeois, whose selected work, The Couple, 2003, is the largest in a series of hanging aluminium sculptures by the artist. Eva Rothschild, whose work has just been seen as the most recent Duveens’ commission at Tate Britain, will show a new work created specially for Frieze Art Fair, Someone and Someone, 2009. Artist Graham Hudson will make history at Frieze Art Fair this year. Edward VIII remains the only monarch since Elizabeth I not to have a statue or monument of commemoration in England; Hudson’s sculpture changes that.

Visit: www.friezeartfair.com for more details.

Antony Micallef

2009-09-22T22:16:00.000+02:00

OK. So it's really no secret that I'm a huge Antony Micallef fan. So naturally I'd want to share anything new regarding this artist. I just received this today:

Lazarides is proud to introduce Antony Micallef's new solo show, 'Becoming Animal'.

Exhibition dates: 25th September – 22nd October 2009.
Gallery open: Tuesday to Friday 11am – 7pm. Saturday 12 noon – 5pm.

Lazarides, Rathbone Place, London. W1T 1HR.

www.antonymicallef.com
www.lazinc.com

So what do I do? How on earth am I going to get my sorry arse up to London to see this show? Especially when they also send a teaser (below)... any crazy ideas are welcome!

New blog!

2009-09-22T17:35:00.000+02:00

I've been fed up with the msn space for a while now... time to start afresh... time to get serious. I'm hoping to be able to put all random art-related stuff here... and NOT only that which is related to our tiny rock.

I'd love to create some form of healthy discussion... who knows... depends whether I get the hang of it and depends whether I manage to keep this comittment!!

Anyways, here goes nothing! :)

L