Front Page of the Art World: What’s Hot & What’s Not — 15 July 2022
How seeing the birth of stars is a call for more art to communicate science
This week the James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful space observatory yet built, revealed the nebulas, a galactic cluster and possible water vapor on an exoplanet - the first ever images of an ancient universe. President Biden unveiled the first on Tuesday - galaxy cluster SMACS 0723. It shows “the oldest documented light in the history of the Universe, from over 13 billion — let me say that again — 13 billion years ago”, said Biden when releasing the image. “It’s hard to even fathom.” The New York Times wrote beautiful about it here
It is far easier to believe that these images are of an Italian church’s fresco ceilings, than to begin wrapping my head around the magnitude of what they represent. The scientific feat of building a telescope with the power to see hundreds of millions of light years away and simultaneously back in time is remarkable, and has certainly brought me pause for thought this week.
The photographs are so fantastic, in the Baz Luhrmann sense of the word, so un-naturalistic, that they look like paintings. How wonderful that in our imaginative psyche, something beautiful is something born of creativity in some form or another. In both the James Webb images, and in paintings, we are witnessing the receipt of a creative process.
Simon de Pury’s Instagram post acknowledge some of the world’s best contemporary artists. “Artists are always well ahead of the game as the following image attest,” he wrote, sharing works by Vija Celmins, Thomas Ruff, Kenny Scarf, Ross Bleckner and Ugo Rondinone.
In the AUT ArtLAB, we are always pondering the question, how do we visualise science through art? Whether it be rainforests or whale song, energy systems or climate change, how do artists help us visualise and understand the universe? And why is it important? Director of the Lab and AUT artist in residence Joseph Michael wrote a post about ‘Working at the intersection of art and science’ here.
Finally, some of you may remember a few weeks ago I featured The Weather Network by New Zealand artist Phil Dadson, whose aeolian harps are capturing the sound of the wind in eight climate challenged locations in the Aotearoa/Pacifica region (be sure to see the videos of them on his instagram). Well, the project has been featured in The Art Newspaper this week! It’s an excellent piece and reinforces the importance of the role of art in enabling us to grasp the change happening in the natural world, and thus become more active participants within it. Read the article here.
What’s on
New Zealand
Whānau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival, 28 July-28 August. NZIFF is nearly upon us - only two weeks to go! If you’re a film lover like me, you’ll probably have your top picks already. If not, Concrete Playground has put together an excellent overview of this year’s impressive lineup here. Click here for information from the NZIFF website and to buy tickets.
NZIFF film spotlight… Juliet Gerrard: Science in Dark Times directed by Shirley Horrocks - 30 July. This remarkable documentary follows Dame Juliet Gerrard, Jacinda Ardern’s Chief Science Advisor, through three years of dramatic crises, including the Whakaari White Island eruption and the unfolding of the Covid-19 pandemic. On at the ASB Waterfront Theatre.
Artist Daren Kamali at the Auckland Museum… Ngā Kākano: Bringing back the forgotten, the Ulumate Project - 19 July. Based on an old Fijian practice of wig ceremonies over two centuries ago, this completion of a contemporary ulu cavu wig began 25-years ago, with the growth and collection of Pacific poet Daren Kamali’s hair since 1997.
International
A museum of contemporary African art dedicated to the collection of Jean Pigozzi will soon open in Cannes - 12 July - 21 August
A museum dedicated to contemporary African art will be created in Cannes, exhibiting works from the Jean Pigozzi collection, which since 1989 has brought together more than 10,000 creations by artists from sub-Saharan Africa, the mayor of Cannes, David Lisnard, announced on Monday. Press release here. Cannes webpage for the event here.
Neustart Kultur Identity Lab installation, Neanderthal Museum, Düsseldorf, Germany - 19-20 July. NZ artist Sam Mesler is hosting this installation workshop which will focus around a central theme of the origins of humankind, as well as consumerism, nature, workplace culture, futurism and our common destiny. Further details on the installation from Sam Mesler’s website.
News and opinions
Documenta 15: Germany art exhibition chief resigns amid outrage over anti-Semitic works. Board expresses ‘profound dismay’ at exhibits German government and Jewish groups say went too far. Guardian.
Alastair Carruthers appointed as Chair of the New Zealand Film Commission. His term will start 1 October 2022, Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Carmel Sepuloni announced this week. Full press release.
Simon de Pury Is Launching a Novel Series of Auctions Where All Artworks Will Be Consigned Directly From Artists and Galleries. Designed to help artists benefit from speculation, the first event takes place on August 5 and will be led by a digital avatar of de Pury. Artnet.
Ghostly self-portrait of Van Gogh discovered on the back of his painting of a peasant. The x-ray will be displayed in a lightbox in the forthcoming exhibition A Taste for Impressionism at National Galleries of Scotland. Art Newspaper.
Interview with Mhairi Killin: ‘Boat noise, seal deterrents, sonar – the sea is an industrialised soundscape.’ The artist spent 10 days sailing with scientists to listen for the impact of sonar on cetaceans. In her new collaborative exhibition, she uses whale bones, sound recordings, video and poetry to probe our relationship with the creatures. Guardian.
Disco dudes and giant spoons: UK’s outdoor public sculptures are documented. Art UK creates digital database telling the stories behind more than 13,500 public artworks. Guardian.
Does Public Art Have an Afterlife? Public artworks have the power to uplift a city. Sometimes they end up in a museum, but other times in a dumpster.
Being Marina Abramović, Even When No One’s Looking. Despite her success, the performance artist has chosen a monastic life in upstate New York, where she falls asleep to Canadian television and eats baby food. New York Times.
Her ‘Chagall’ Is Headed for the Trash. How’s That for Caveat Emptor? Stephanie Clegg paid $90,000 for a Marc Chagall painting at a Sotheby’s auction in 1994. It was reappraised for $100,000 in 2008. Now an expert panel in France wants to destroy it as a fake. New York Times.
Artists Scrutinize a Collector’s Nazi Family Past. As word circulated of a link between Julia Stoschek’s fortune and forced labor in World War II, some began questioning the ethics of working with the billionaire art patron. New York Times.
All shook up: how accurate is Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic? The director faced a colossal task in condensing the King’s two-decade-plus career into a single feature. So how did he fare? Guardian.
At the Met, Protest and Poetry About Water. As climate change and government actions lead to water scarcity and desecration, Native American artists send an urgent message. New York Times.
Helen Klisser During is recognised by Kea as a World Class New Zealander, is a Global Woman, and Ambassador of Auckland University of Technology.
The ArtCafé blog is put together with the help of Laura Cheftel.