Aesthetica Issue 93

Aesthetica

THE ART & CULTURE MAGAZINE

www.aestheticamagazine.com

Issue 93 February / March 2020

LAYERS OF COMPLEXITY

REACTIVE INSTALLATIONS

BUILDING THE FUTURE

A major photographic survey looks at Yanomami communities in Brazil

Emmanuelle Moureaux suspends time for the Greenwich Peninsula

Cornelia Parker tells the truth about the current geopolitical emergency

The Design Museum presents an outline of the year’s best projects

UK £5.95 Europe €11.95 USA $15.49

TOWARDS PRESERVATION

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Aesthetica The Art & Culture Magazine Issue 93 – February / March 2020

Aesthetica

THE ART & CULTURE MAGAZINE

www.aestheticamagazine.com

Issue 93 February / March 2020

TOWARDS PRESERVATION

LAYERS OF COMPLEXITY

REACTIVE INSTALLATIONS

BUILDING THE FUTURE

A major photographic survey looks at Yanomami communities in Brazil

Emmanuelle Moureaux suspends time for the Greenwich Peninsula

Cornelia Parker tells the truth about the current geopolitical emergency

The Design Museum presents an outline of the year’s best projects

Welcome Editor’s Note

www.aestheticamagazine.com

UK £5.95 Europe €11.95 USA $15.49

Changing the Narrative

On the Cover Emblazoned with bullseye reds, plastic yellows and royal blues – three primary shades – LM Chabot's latest series is highly polished. It plays with the viewer’s perspective, drawing them into a bold, visual universe with alarming colours and repeated patterns. (p.82) Cover Image: LM Chabot; Photo Assistants: William Cole & Frédérik Boudreault; Stylist: Jay Forest (Folio); Hair & Makeup: Cynthia Christina (Folio); Models: Camille, Elise (Folio); Retoucher: Retouche Clandestine; Producer: leloi.ca.

Here we are, firmly in a new decade. The future is now. I remember the millennium and Y2K fears; it seems so innocent when you think of how things have changed since 2000. The internet was still new, Hotmail was a novelty and the concept of Amazon was still very alien – “what do you mean, we don’t have to go to a bookshop to buy a book?” The world operated at a slower pace and the concept of social media had not been realised. The iPhone did not exist. The rate of technological advancement has been unprecedented. What will this mean for the future? How will the next decade play out?

We are in a climate emergency and the rate of individual change is not fast enough. This new decade needs to be defined by transformation, so let’s have a think about what that means. The difference in CO2 emissions by travelling with Eurostar versus flying is considerable. It all boils down to doing things differently, acting locally as well as globally. Bring your lunch to work in a reusable container – cut down on your daily plastic waste. Cycle or walk. Get a jumper! Small changes do have a big impact – if everyone contributes. That’s my pledge for the new decade – I will be more sustainable in everything that I do. By the way, make sure you recycle this magazine (or pass it on) as well as the packaging it comes in!

This issue is about developing a new narrative and disrupting the status quo. Cornelia Parker has a major retrospective at MCA Australia that spans 40 years. We look at how her installations have made sense of the turbulent world. Claudia Andujar’s work with the Yanomami people in Brazil questions how Indigenous populations are treated and what we need to create a fairer world, merging art and activism. Emmanuelle Moureaux opens a NOW Gallery commission with Slices of Time.

She visualises the next 100 years through cut-out numbers in this hugely impressive installation.

In photography, we bring you works by seven photographers that redefine fashion, architecture, colours and textures. Finally, the Last Words goes to Angela Flowers as the gallery celebrates 50 years.

Cherie Federico

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Art 24 Towards Preservation Fondation Cartier, Paris, presents a retrospective of Claudia Andujar, an artist who has spent over five decades working with the Yanomami people.

30 Visual Inspiration Jamal Nxedlana’s images are rooted in an AfroSurrealist style. Shot across Johannesburg and Cape Town, they imbue streets with bold patterns.

40 Layers of Complexity As part of NOW Gallery’s Design Commission, Emmanuelle Moureaux has created Slices of Time, inspired by the Greenwich Peninsula.

46 Altered Perspective Aleksander Małachowski's practice sits between photography, geometry and symmetry. Minimal compositions zoom in and out of architecture.

58 Reactive Installations Renowned artist Cornelia Parker has spent the last 40 years producing ambitious installations that make sense of our turbulent, volatile world.

64 Intelligent Composition Olga Urbanek demonstrates an understanding of photography as a mode of communication; she approaches portraits in a new, exciting way.

76 Building the Future What constitutes good design? Beazley Designs of the Year 2019 offer a snapshot from the last 12 months, centred around six categories.

82 Seeing in Double LM Chabot collaborates with stylist Jay Forest to create a bold environment of colours, textures, designs and motifs featuring identical twins.

92 Dramatic Portraiture Bastiaan Woudt has a signature style, honouring the history of photography whilst reinterpreting classical portraits with surreal, detailed elements.

98 Stepping into Dreams What happens when we allow our minds to wander freely through negative spaces? Alex Fruehmann combines photography with psychoanalysis.

110 Cutting and Pasting How do we distinguish what's real or artificial?

Alma Haser blurs the line between dimensions, using paper-folding, collage and mixed-media.

120 Creative Placemaking A series of initiatives and events in Saudi Arabia sets out to build a thriving arts and culture sector whilst introducing new perspectives to the country.

Aesthetica Art Prize

Film

Music

126 18 Shortlisted Works This year's exhibition asks questions about the role of the selfie, the rise of deep fakes and the ways in which nature has been manufactured.

136 A Sense of Duty Waves is a neon-drenched melodrama. It turns a contemporary family inside out under the tender guidance of writer-director Trey Edwards Shults.

138 Exploring Vulnerability Love (both lost and found) is a concept that runs throughout DRAMA's new album – a melancholic theme that feels relatable rather than morose.

Books

Artists’ Directory

Last Words

140 Greener Landscapes At the centre of our global crisis is the Land Art Generator Initiative, an annual competition that looks at the solutions of renewable energy.

153 Inside this Issue This edition shines a spotlight on emerging and established practitioners who consider the roles of both virtual worlds and interactive media.

162 Angela Flowers Flowers Gallery's founder reflects on 50 years, revealing a whole exhibition programme centred around connections, conversations and growth.

Aesthetica Magazine is trade marked worldwide. © Aesthetica Magazine Ltd 2020.

The Aesthetica Team: Editor: Cherie Federico Assistant Editor: Kate Simpson Digital Content Writer: Eleanor Sutherland Digital Assistant: Saffron Ward Staff Writer: Olivia Hampton

Advertisement Enquiries: Megan Hobson (0044) (0)844 568 2001 advertising@aestheticamagazine.com

ISSN 1743-2715.

All work is copyrighted to the author or artist.

All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced without permission from the publisher.

Published by Cherie Federico and Dale Donley.

Aesthetica Magazine PO Box 371, York, YO23 1WL, UK (0044) (0)844 568 2001 Newstrade Distribution: Warners Group Publications plc.

Gallery & Specialist Distribution: Central Books.

Advertising Coordinator: Megan Hobson Marketing Coordinator: Hannah Thomas Artists’ Directory Coordinator: Katherine Smira Production Director: Dale Donley Operations Manager: Cassandra Weston Designer: Laura Tordoff Marketing & Administration Assistant: Kathryn Pearson Festival Coordinator / Technical Advisor: Andy Guy

Artists’ Directory Enquiries: Katherine Smira (0044) (0)844 568 2001 directory@aestheticamagazine.com Subscriptions: subscriptions@aestheticamagazine.com (0044) (0)844 568 2001 General Enquiries: info@aestheticamagazine.com Press Releases: pr@aestheticamagazine.com

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Gourock Lido, Inverclyde, Scotland, 2004. © Martin Parr / Magnum Photos.

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Scottish Dreams MARTIN PARR: THINK OF SCOTLAND Over the course of 25 years and countless expeditions, engaging and quite dramatic. That difference really appeals “Through it all, the Martin Parr (b. 1952) has developed a love affair with Scot- to me.” In a 2006 image of the Highland Games in Inveraray, dreary and the land. The British documentary photographer has travelled four kilted men appear with their faces out of shot, which bleak, the joyful and from Ayrshire to Aberdeenshire and from Orkney to the draws even greater attention to the outfits glaring out from the verdant, Parr Western Isles. Along the way, he celebrates clichés with ac- the green landscape. In the foreground, it’s all (large) arms becomes one with his cents of tartan, traditional dance and the Highland Games, and bare knees. The tip of a nose and bearded chin appear in surroundings. The offering up quirky yet compassionate views of otherwise un- one corner, alongside the last bite of a sandwich. In another celebrated Magnum noticed moments. Works from his Think of Scotland series, piece, an elderly man in Port Glasgow, From A8 (2004) has Photos member published in an eponymous book in 2017, are featured at just fallen; perhaps he lost his senses in a drunken stupor. captures intimate No one will ever know for sure, and that’s part of Parr’s riddle. scenes by revealing Aberdeen Art Gallery's new exhibition space.

A second body of work, Aberdeen at Leisure, has been spe- their anthropological As a “chronicler of our times,” he transforms and elevates familiar scenes of community, food and desolate landscapes, cially commissioned by the gallery. Over several visits to the underpinning.” with comic relief whenever possible. A children’s playground city in 2017, Parr photographed individuals in locations as (2009), for example, shows an empty swingset on the Isle of diverse as sporting venues, places of worship and nightclubs.

Raasay tossed by the wind, whilst a sign reads “Please do not The commission is not only a celebration of the gallery's reuse this playing field on Sundays” in the foreground. One opening, but is also offering a new sense of dialogue with the can only guess it was indeed a Sunday by the seaside. In city, creating a lasting legacy about the community.

Through it all, the dreary, the ostentatious, the bleak, the another, Parr offers a glimpse of smoking youths through a graffiti-laden window in Easterhouse (1995), one of several joyful and the verdant, Parr becomes one with his surroundtableaux of the Glasgow suburb of the same name. Similarly, ings. The celebrated Magnum Photos member captures inthe viewer gets just a vague, blurry sense of Scotland’s trans- timate scenes by revealing their anthropological underpinportation in Top deck of the bus (1995), where the focus is on ning, pointing to moments of humanity in its most relatable, Aberdeen Art Gallery comedic or alien moments. The images can be grotesque, Until 23 February a passenger who fell asleep, slumped against a window.

Speaking of the social scene in Scotland, Parr says “it’s with saturated colours and distorted perspectives, but they different from where I live in Bristol, it’s rougher and more reveal everyday lives in all their absurdity and beauty. aagm.co.uk

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Cinematic Surrealism ALEX PRAGER: WELCOME HOME asks. The comic assemblage of characters reveals the inner “Out of a broad range lives that are often kept hidden from view. They are tragic of influences from and fantastical. As Prager explains, “with humour, I find I can street photography connect people easier to the darkness.” Hit the pause button and experimental and you get images like The Extras, which send the eye films to popular bouncing from a couple embracing on the roof of a liquor culture and the store to a redheaded nun holding a can of soda. surrealists, Prager “After I had a child, I felt a sense of longing and being says Eggleston pulled backwards to what I remembered my life being before, first inspired her whilst at the same time, not wanting to actually go back,” to purchase a Prager states. Around the same time, she also had her first used camera.” major retrospective and a monograph, causing her to reflect on why photography had been such a draw in the first place.

Out of a broad range of influences from street photography and experimental films to popular culture and the surrealists, Prager says William Eggleston’s practice first inspired her to purchase a used camera. Since then, it has been a journey of exploration into the self and other. “The things I’ve collected throughout my life [have inspired me]: my memories, films I’ve loved, people I used to know, artists I’ve been influenced by, my family and friends (who I use in all of my work), questions about people, society and the state of the world, the Fotografiska Stockholm unrest, the anger, the confusion.” Whatever energy lives here, Until 8 March in Prager’s most personal work thus far after her first foray into motherhood, is a narrative open to interpretation(s). fotografiska.com

Alex Prager, Annie, 2008. C-print, 121.9 cm x 161.3 cm. © Alex Prager, courtesy Alex Prager Studio and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Hong Kong and Seoul.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Alex Prager (b. 1979) marries cinematic tradition with staged scenarios – creating photographs reminiscent of Hollywood glamour. Actor Dimitri Chamblas drives a washed-out blue Cutlass Ciera through Los Angeles in her latest short film, Play the Wind (2019). A pack of Marlboro Reds sits on the dashboard and a yellow pine-tree air freshener hangs over the rear-view mirror. After passing a carnivalesque tableau of frenzied crowds and a flipped car, Chamblas encounters a woman (Riley Keough).

Once they lock eyes, she drops and falls through the air.

Prager’s highly individualistic figures somehow form a unified, satirical whole. Welcome Home, the title of Fotografiska's latest show, is also a photographic print taken from Play the Wind. It presents a dystopian vision in which dozens of people experience unexplained hysteria. Emerging from a plume of smoke is a cowgirl holding a lasso, a man pushing a drunken woman in a wheelbarrow and a prancing barefoot figure in a black sequined dress. All of this and much, much more – including a plastic surgeon patient running from the scene with a bandaged nose – takes place under a large “WELCOME HOME” banner and bunting. Prager deliberately bombards her viewers with dense visual information.

Some of Play the Wind's Fellini-esque frames are so complex that standalone stills provide a welcome chance to dissect the agitated tension. What, in fact, are we seeing? Prager

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Jean Michel-Basquiat. Image: © Ben Buchanan. Courtesy of National Gallery of Victoria.

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Mutual Inspiration CROSSING LINES The two men confronted the same pervasive maladies “This world premiere Their work may have been at odds aesthetically, but Keith Haring (1958-1990) and Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) of social injustice, racism and police violence, but were in- exhibition provides were leaders of the radical downtown art scene of 1980s formed by starkly different experiences. Alongside portraits fresh insight into New York. They were also close friends who sometimes col- representing victorious black figures – including boxers Jack two stars whose laborated – and at other times tried to outshine the other. Johnson and Muhammad Ali – Basquiat’s Irony of a Negro visual language However, they shared a keen political awareness, one repre- Policeman (1981) tackles the twin evils of racial inequality still resonates today. senting gay communities, the other exploring what it means and police brutality. In Prophets of Rage (1988), Haring de- Both figures singleto be an African American. Their lives were cut short before picts an upended, headless white torso gushing blood with handedly ushered they could taste the wide commercial successes and institu- its feet held up by a halo. A black figure with broken shackles in a broad new tionalised cult status that followed. Haring died of AIDS at holds up a golden crown whilst leaping over a pile of gold, acceptance of counterthe peak of the crisis in 1990, two years after Basquiat, who a broken upside-down cross by its side. Rolling dice and a cultural practices.” succumbed to a heroin overdose when he was just 27. NGV sword driven into a bleeding heart complete the work.

The pair shared a background in graffiti. Basquiat’s neverMelbourne presents its first joint public museum show in an ending scribbles and layers of colour are starkly at odds with unprecedented dialogue between their respective oeuvres.

The exhibition features more than 200 works, itself a feat, Haring’s complex, meticulous Tetris-like compositions. Basas private collectors hold the overwhelming majority of Bas- qiuat (of Haitian and Puerto Rican descent) opted for skulls, quiat’s creative output. His Untitled (Boxer) (1982) fetched a crowns and slogans, whilst Haring’s repeated motifs involved record-breaking $110.5 million in 2017, far surpassing his dancing figures, hearts and phallic symbols – all decades one-time mentor Andy Warhol for the most expensive art- before today’s omnipresent digital emojis.

This world premiere exhibition provides fresh insight into work by an American artist. Haring and Basquiat shared a compulsion to draw and paint on almost any surface they two stars whose visual language still resonates today. Both encountered, though the latter favoured objects found on figures single-handedly ushered in a broad new acceptance NGV, Melbourne the street, such as discarded doors and cigar boxes. Influ- of counter-cultural practices. Despite, and thanks to their un- Until 13 April enced by the likes of Warhol, Grace Jones and Vivienne West- studied appearance, their bold and colourful works were able wood, they moved easily between different artistic disciplines. to swiftly deliver prescient and lasting political messages. ngv.vic.gov.au

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Rebuilding Britain BREAKING NEW GROUND like the M1 and airports. Some prints illustrate the nowdecommissioned Berkeley Nuclear Power Station, which belonged to the first generation of reactors in Britain. In earlier snapshots, workers wear flat caps, a cigarette hanging out the side of their mouths. More recent pieces show builders wearing hard hats and steel-capped boots, in a sign of the growing professionalisation of the industry.

“The collection,” explains Historic England Chief Executive Duncan Wilson, “offers unparalleled insight into the construction of 20th century Britain – covering everything from cathedrals, mosques and housing, to bus stations, bridges and motorways. We hope Breaking New Ground will shine a light on prominent and everyday British landmarks, and inspire the next generation to enjoy and engage in the built heritage all around us.” Some of these images also record a piece of social history, as Laing took a progressive, inclusive approach towards its staff. Alongside pictures of prominent figures visiting major landmarks are others of workers engaging in company sports days and seaside outings with family.

Alongside the images, which are available to view online from 13 January, Historic England is also launching a programme of nationwide engagement. Ex-Laing construction workers will share their experiences with local schoolchildren using the Collection’s photographs as talking points. A short film will also be released, titled Making Modern Britain.

“The John Laing Photographic Collection eventually surpassed 230,000 images, charting the evolution of British construction during the 20 th century.

Historic England is digitising 10,000 of these previously unseen photographs.”

Historic England historicengland.org.uk

30 November 1952 – A group of women outside the 3000th Easiform dwelling to be completed in Bristol, watching the opening ceremony through a ground floor window as a policeman guards the entrance nearby. This image was catalogued as part of the Breaking New Ground Project in partnership with the John Laing Charitable Trust in 2019-20. © Historic England Archive, John Laing Photographic Collection.

Adjoining the sandstone walls of St Michael’s Church – which was decimated by the Blitz during WWII – Coventry Cathedral stands as a symbol of peace and reconciliation.

The modernist architectural masterpiece – with its abstract Baptistry window, stained glass, futuristic organ and statue of St Michael’s victory over the devil – is a testament to how England survived and emerged out of Europe’s darkest hour.

Tasked with building the structure was John Laing, who employed photographers to document the work. The John Laing Photographic Collection eventually surpassed 230,000 images, charting the evolution of British construction during the 20th century. Historic England is digitising 10,000 of these previously unseen photographs and releasing them on its website over the course of the year, though the authors largely remain anonymous.

In a 1956 shot, the German Jewish émigré Ralph Beyer studies text as he carves the foundation stone for Coventry Cathedral, a ray of sunlight spreading diagonally across the sculptor, his work and tools. Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh are seen at the cornerstone-laying ceremony a month later, on March 23, 1956. A decade earlier, workers are shown erecting one of the first British steel framed houses – now icons of a post-war Britain struggling with shortages.

Amongst pictures of major infrastructure projects and public buildings are some of the country’s early motorways

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Thomas Wrede, Haus im Gebirge, 2007. C-Print, 120 cm x 240 cm, Edition: 1/2 AP. © Thomas Wrede, VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2019. Courtesy Galerie Wagner + Partner and the artist.

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Perceived Realities MODELS OF NATURE IN CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY Even the fastest-moving aircraft can’t witness all sides of a adding yet another layer of complexity and transformation. “ The role of mountain simultaneously. But for Mariele Neudecker (b. In order to capture the ice sheets in all their detail, he put imitation has a long history, dating 1965), it’s just a question of turning imagination into reality. together around 60 multi-layered photographs.

For Matthew Albanese (b. 1983), Ansel Adams’s (1902- back to times when Her miniature underwater worlds are essentially small-scale dioramas encapsulated in fibreglass. Fog obscures mountain 1984) photograph Clearing Winter Storm (1944) at Yosemite pure mimesis was National Park served as the basis for his 2015 print of the considered the most peaks before withdrawing to reveal them.

Neudecker creates a kind of hyperreality that inspires a same name. A telephone pole that could pass for one of the accomplished form of sense of awe at the power of nature. This concept goes to the surrounding fir trees distinguishes the newer image. It’s a de- art. Its advocates, like heart of a group exhibition at the Alfred Ehrhardt Foundation, liberate reminder of the human presence in nature and its Aristotle, have long fought against Plato where five artists blur the lines between illusion and organic evolution in our globalised, digitised reality.

Meanwhile, Maija Savolainen (b. 1981), who defines pho- who called imitation phenomena, asking viewers to look beneath the surface.

Though artificial, the exhibition asks questions about how tography as a “synthesis of light and time,” recreates abstract a form of deceit.” we validate reality. How do we discern something that's fake? concepts through shooting images against a white sheet of How much information do we need to believe in something? paper. The Paperworks series glimpses direct sunlight at variThe role of imitation has a long history, dating back to ous times of day and projects it onto the background. The times when pure mimesis was considered the most accom- reflected light forms an imaginary horizon, creating an artifiplished form of art. Its advocates, like Aristotle, fought long cial landscape. The result is both minimal and mesmerising and hard against other philosophers like Plato and his devo- – pearly seascapes that seem to go on forever.

Julian Charrière (b. 1987) also opts for simplicity in his tees, who called imitation a form of deceit. With this legacy of truth and artifice in mind, James Casebere (b. 1953) rep- Panorama series, covering piles of dirt at Berlin construction licates Caspar David Friedrich’s (1774-1840) Das Eismeer sites with flour or fire suppressant to make them appear like Alfred Ehrhardt Stiftung, (1823/1824), which depicts broken sea ice and barren tree Alpine mountains. In turn, master illusionist Sonja Braas (b. Berlin trunks. Casebere has meticulously reproduced the famed 1968) dramatically illustrates nature’s most destructive man- Until 26 April 200-year-old German Romantic painting using paper, wood ifestations like tornadoes, floods and volcanic eruptions by and other materials before photographing the creation – varying the brightness on analogue models. aestiftung.de/en

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Transitory States HOMELANDS capture the land’s elusive beauty through various phases of “The works search winter – from snow and ice to melting water that guides the for common ground season into spring. The images depict humorous and awe- by connecting shared inspiring moments that punctuate lives ruled by violence and pasts and shared tension. Individuals reach their hands out towards small birds futures. They offer nestled in the snow; children play in the folds of white ice. a dialogue between The exhibition also includes paintings from Desmond historical moments Lazaro (b. 1968), inspired by the personal histories of mi- and today’s crises, grant communities he encountered during a residency at including the longKettle’s Yard and King’s College in Cambridge. Handmade lasting legacy of ethnic compositions evoke the emotions of displacement and its and religious divides.” after-effects. The paintings are accompanied by the Polaroid-format Cini Film (2015-2016) inspired by 8mm home movies of his family that fled Yangon and relocated to Leeds.

Mumbai-based Shilpa Gupta (b. 1976) engages with similar concerns, dissecting sociopolitical forces. Her 2002 poster Blame shows a bottle of bright red liquid, branded like a consumer product. A graphic text below reads: “Blaming you makes me feel so good / So I blame you for what you cannot control / your religion; your nationality / I want to blame you. It makes me feel so good."

In highlighting that which is shared rather than that which Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge divides people across South Asia, the works in this exhibition Until 2 February question constructs of national identity. Borders, these artists demonstrate, are artificial. They can also be lethal. kettlesyard.co.uk

Yasmin Jahan Nupur, Home, 2019. Single channel video. Editing: Shahria Shaon; Camera/s: Manir Mrittik. Image: © Manir Mrittik. Courtesy of Yasmin Jahan Nupur.

The partition of India – which gave birth to Pakistan in 1947 and the subsequent independence of Bangladesh in 1971 – triggered mass violence and displacement. In light of this, 11 contemporary artists respond to the continuing resonances and contested histories of the Partition in 1947, as well as a current climate of intense nationalism across the rest of the world, engaging with both intimate and political histories.

The show, organised by Tate Modern’s Curator of International Art Devika Singh, includes paintings, drawings, video, photographs and installations that explore common histories, offering a dialogue between historical moments and today’s current geopolitics, including the legacy of ethnic and religious divides exacerbated under British colonialism.

Prix Pictet-winner Munem Wasif (b. 1983) documents objects that Rohingya people brought home with them when Myanmar’s military dictatorship forced them into exile.

Makeshift toys and family souvenirs were collected from Cox’s Bazar refugee camps. Wasif has captured the subjects against block-colour backgrounds – alienating them from further context or identity. The bright, poppy images are almost clinical in their sentiment, separating the objects from their owners and displaying them in a bare studio setting.

Meanwhile, the hotly disputed region of Kashmir serves as a backdrop for Snow, an ongoing series by Sohrab Hura (b.

1981), an associate member of Magnum Photos. The works

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10 to See RECOMMENDED EXHIBITIONS THIS SEASON

What role does community play in the art sector? How does censorship affect creative output?

Do practitioners have a responsibility to build bridges and create positive dialogues? These shows delve into these large-scale questions, spanning continents, cultures and mediums.

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Love, Ren Hang C/O Berlin | Until 29 February

co-berlin.org Playful and energetic, Ren Hang’s (1987-2017) photographs convey the fears and desires of a young generation rebelling against communist regimes in China. The works are sensual without being pornographic and are fantastical in their contortions. They feature many of Hang’s friends but remain largely anonymous – without names or dates. Self-taught and bold in his approach, Hang faced repeated arrests for daringly explicit nudes, and never gained widespread recognition in China, despite receiving much acclaim across the globe.

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2019 Architecture Commission NGV, Victoria | Until 30 April

ngv.vic.gov.au In Absence is an architectural collaboration between Yhonnie Scarce and Melbourne studio Edition Office, currently on show at NGV. It celebrates the heritage and diversity of aboriginal cultures. Shaped like eel traps, a nine-metre (nearly 30-foot) timber tower invites visitors inside through a slender vertical opening. Some 1,600 hand-blown glass yams – representing sea creatures and globules of medicinal sap – line the twin C-shaped inner chambers. Landscaped kangaroo grass, murnong plants and basalt surround the structure.

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Water QAGOMA, South Brisbane | Until 26 April

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qagoma.qld.gov.au Queensland Gallery of Modern Art explores water – a vital element responsible for all life on Earth. From immersive experiences to smaller-scale pieces, the exhibition offers a range of imaginative responses including a rocky riverbed by Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson and a sea of suspended gymnastic rings by choreographer William Forsythe. Sealed in a fridgelike chamber, Peter Fischli and David Weiss’s Snowman (1987/2016) is also on show, having survived inhospitable environments like sculpture terraces, thanks to freezing.

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Artists Choose Artists Parrish Art Museum, New York | Until 23 February

parrishart.org Ralph Gibson’s (b. 1939) images of everyday life are infused with the erotic and surreal.

For Parrish Art Museum, New York, the veteran photographer has selected fellow artists Tria Giovan and Thomas Hoepker from Long Island’s East End to take part in a triennial show supporting the local artist community. Gibson has joined six other notable figures including Valerie Jaudon and Lucien Smith, who, as jurors, have each selected two exciting new practitioners to work across a variety of media, such as painting, sculpture and video.

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Helaine Blumenfeld Canary Wharf, London | 16 March - 26 June

canarywharf.com More than 25 of Helaine Blumenfeld’s (b. 1942) signature sculptures appear across Canary Wharf’s business district for the artist’s largest solo exhibition to date. Falling somewhere between abstraction and figuration, the works date from the 1970s to the present day. They push the limits of material and form, through bronze, Carrara marble, cedar wood and terracotta. Amongst new pieces, a three-part series, titled Taking Risks (2019), explores the translucency and versatility of marble as light passes through its organic folds.

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James Turrell Pace Gallery, London | 11 February - 27 March

pacegallery.com Colours subtly dissolve into one another in new works from James Turrell (b. 1943). The Constellation series (2019) comprises astrological titles such as Andromeda, Capricorn, Pegasus, Centaurus and Scorpio. The works are staged in site-specific chambers, featuring elliptical and circular shapes. Frosted, curved glass surface and computer-animated LEDs are also present. These investigations into the materiality of light – or the lack thereof – are at the heart of Turrell’s trademark creations. Space and time collapse in the mind’s eye.

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Masculinities: Liberation through Photography Barbican, London | 20 February - 17 May

barbican.org.uk How have concepts of masculinity evolved since the 1960s to the present day? A major group exhibition examines related experiences and social constructs through more than 300 photographs and videos by over 50 artists. Alongside pioneers like Rotimi Fani-Kayode, Peter Hujar, Robert Mapplethorpe and Annette Messager are lesser-known creatives like Sam Contis, Paul Mpagi Sepuya and Marianne Wex. The works disrupt stereotypical narratives of what it means to be a man today as the concept undergoes a global crisis.

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Anila Quayyum Agha Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio | Until 9 February

toledomuseum.org Anyone walking through Anila Quayyum Agha’s (b. 1965) multisensory installations becomes part of the work. The language of light and shadow shifts with each passing individual. At Toledo Museum of Art, three wood and metal sculptures become communal spaces, exploring global politics as well as social and gender roles. The pieces feature lacelike Islamic-inspired patterns that cast intricate outlines on the walls. For example, This is Not a Refuge! 2 takes the form of a small house, evoking a sense of loss through displacement.

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Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2020 The Photographers’ Gallery, London | 21 February - 7 June

tpg.org.uk Deutsche Börse finalists Mohamed Bourouissa, Anton Kusters, Mark Neville and Clare Strand offer varying approaches to the medium. Bourouissa questions socio-economic divides, Neville documents a Breton farming community and Strand experiments with the transmission of information. Kusters’s installation The Blue Skies Project features 1,078 Polaroid images that depict a blue sky shot from the last known location of Nazi-run camps during WWII. These prints are also blind-stamped with the number of victims.

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SCARCH Hauser & Wirth Somerset | Until 4 May

hauserwirth.com Conjurer of dreams, nomad, explorer, sculptor and interior decorator – Not Vital (b. 1948) is all this and more. His structurally and conceptually daring pieces include a grasstopped house that can vanish underground, an invisible bridge, and homes erected for the sole purpose of watching the sunset melt into the landscape. A comprehensive survey at Hauser & Wirth spans his entire career, from early works of the 1960s to portrait sculptures, readymades, works on paper and installations linked to sociocultural concerns.

1. Untitled 17, 2011. © Ren Hang . Courtesy Estate of Ren Hang and Blindspot Gallery, Hong Kong. 2. Installation view of In Absence, 2019. Designed by Yhonnie Scarce and Edition Office for the 2019 Architecture Commission at NGV International, Melbourne, 23 November 2019 - April 2020. Image: © Ben Hosking. 3. Angela Tiatia, Aotearoa New Zealand / Samoa / Australia, b.1973. Holding On, 2015 (still). Single-channel HD video; 16:9, colour, sound, 12:11 minutes. Image courtesy the artist and Sullivan+Strumpf, Sydney. © Angela Tiatia. 4. Tria Giovan, Waiting on Bikes, Boyeros, Cuba. Courtesy of the artist and Parrish Art Museum. 5. Helaine Blumenfeld, Taking Risks, 2019. Image: © Erio Forli. 6. James Turrell, MORS-SOMNUS (07), Medium Diamond Glass, 2017. L.E.D. light, etched glass and shallow space, 137.2 cm x 137.2 cm, Installation, No. 70618, digital photography. Image: Sebastiano Pellion Di Persano. © James Turrell, courtesy Pace Gallery. 7. Sunil Gupta, Untitled 22, from the series Christopher Street, 1976. Courtesy the artist and Hales Gallery. © Sunil Gupta. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2019. 8. Anila Quayyum Agha (Pakistani-American), Intersections, 2013. Wood, single light bulb, 6.5 feet cube. Site-specific installation at Rice University Art Gallery, 2015. 9. Anton Kusters, The Blue Skies Project.

Fitzrovia Chapel, installation view, 2019. © Anton Kusters. 10. Not Vital, 100 Architects, 2016. Black granite, dimensions variable, average height: 56.22cm. © Not Vital, courtesy of the artist and Hauser & Wirth.

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art

Towards Preservation Claudia Andujar AFTER HALF OF CLAUDIA ANDUJAR’S FAMILY WERE KILLED IN WWII, SHE DEDICATED FIVE DECADES TO PHOTOGRAPHING AND RAISING AWARENESS OF THE YANOMAMI PEOPLE.

“It’s not only an artistic exhibition but a political project that Cross. Having subsequently grown up in the Bronx and studfeatures photography about other cultures. It’s about how ied Humanities at Hunter College, in 1949 she married Julio we understand the world and what we can do to protect its Andujar, a school friend and a refugee from the Spanish Civil diversity,” says Curator Thyago Nogueira. He’s talking about War. By 1953 they had split up, but Claudia decided to keep the new exhibition, Claudia Andujar: The Yanomami Struggle, the Spanish surname for the years to come.

Andujar moved to Brazil in 1955 and, between 1956 and now on show until 10 May at the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain in Paris. It's part of a wider touring show, travel- 1960, made three trips to photograph the Karajá Indians ling globally to Fotomuseum Winterthur, Switzerland; Trien- from Rio Araguaia – her first personal project. She also started working as a photojournalist, shooting projects such nale Milano, Italy and Fundación MAPFRE, Madrid in Spain.

It’s a large retrospective showcasing the images and activ- as a story on childbirth for Realidade magazine. The work ism of Claudia Andujar (born Claudine Haas), who worked was subsequently censored and withdrawn from sale. She for over five decades with the Yanomami people, one of Bra- also embarked on a story of the Xicrin ethnic group with her zil’s largest indigenous groups, with approximately 35,000 second husband, George Leary Love, which ended up on the people. Including over 300 photographs, an audiovisual in- cover of The New York Times Magazine in 1969.

“Even before Claudia started to work with the Yanomami, stallation and Yanomami drawings, the show took four years of research for Nogueira, who is head of the Contemporary she was interested in discrimination – the vulnerability of the Photography Department at Instituto Moreira Salles, Brazil. human being and the importance of respect,” says Nogueira.

“For two years I met her once a week and saw every single pic- “She really felt desolated by the murders that happened to ture that she’d made, reorganising the archive in chronologi- most of her family. The guilt of not having been able to fight cal order so I could understand her evolution as an artist – as for them was what gave her the strength to fight.”

Andujar first met the Yanomami in 1971 on a commission well as when she abandoned the idea of being one.” he says.

Born in Switzerland in 1931, Andujar grew up in Transyl- about the Amazon for Realidad and became fascinated by vania, then newly named Romania after years as part of the their culture. She applied for – and won – a Guggenheim Austro-Hungarian Empire. Andujar’s father was a Hungarian grant, which allowed her to pursue an interest in the YanomaJew and during WWII he was deported to Dachau concentra- mi through a more experimental approach. Photographing tion camp and killed; most of his family were murdered there in the dense forest proved difficult, as the scant light coming or in Auschwitz. Andujar and her mother fled to Switzerland through the tree canopy meant that it was necessary to use in a cattle train. In 1946, Andujar moved to New York to live highly sensitive film, shutter speeds of 1/8 and 1/15 of a with a paternal uncle who had tracked her down via the Red second, and an aperture of f3.5, which blurred rapid move-

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The forest, infrared film, Roraima, 1972–76. © Claudia Andujar.

“Andujar first met the Yanomami in 1971 on a commission about the Amazon for Realidad and became fascinated by their culture. She applied for – and won – a Guggenheim grant, which allowed her to pursue an interest in the Yanomami.”

Previous Page: Detail of The young Susi Korihana thëri swimming. Infrared film, Catrimani, Roraima, 1972-74. © Claudia Andujar.

Left: Detail of Collective house near the Catholic mission on the Catrimani River, Roraima. Infrared film, 1976.

ments. But, keen to depict something of the Yanomami experience, she embraced this – and pushed it further.

She smeared Vaseline on the lens to produce atmospheric shots of the Yanomami at work and at play. Becoming more familiar with the culture, language and the importance of shamanism and ritual, she introduced multiple exposures and even slower shutter speeds – literally shaking the camera. There was also the introduction of infrared film, which at that time was being used by the federal government for the RADAM (Radar of the Amazonia) project to map the region beyond what’s visible to the human eye.

“Andujar started the project as a photojournalist, but then decided that this approach had limits – that it was not enough and didn’t offer what she wanted to do,” says Nogueira. “So she quit and found a grant as a practicing artist. The whole project was to understand the culture and offer a representation of that culture, not to give an outside point of view.”

In 1974 she started a collective drawing project, inviting the Yanomami to evoke both their everyday lives and their spiritual perspectives on the page. This also included shooting black-and-white portraits of individuals, using the little available light and a roll of film for each session – the length of time Andujar felt was needed to build up an intimate connection. When taking these portraits, she always positioned herself at the same height as the subjects, no matter whether they were tall or short, elderly or very young.

In the midst of this, the Yanomami’s way of life was coming under threat as the outside world increasingly encroached on their territory. Brazil had undergone a military coup in 1969 and, under General Médici’s National Integration Plan, a plan for the Perimetral Norte highway emerged – a road supposed

to link the state of Amapá to Colombia, in the extreme north of Brazil. Construction started in 1973 and, though it was abandoned in 1976, left disease and conflict in its wake.

The aerial mapping of the Amazon had also revealed geological riches, so prospectors arrived. In addition, government policy was to integrate indigenous people into the rest of Brazil, via colonisation projects, farms, sawmills and building sites. In 1981 FUNAI, the Fundação Nacional do Índio [National Indian Foundation, set up in 1967] released a confidential report on The Question of the Yanomami Lands, which declared “the impossibility of preserving the Yanomami culture intact, in its current stage. Those who defend this aspect are unrealistic or do not accept the principle that the superior culture is dominant and absorbs the inferior.”

The people that Andujar had grown so close to were being hit hard. She wrote to the Guggenheim in 1977 stating that whilst spending two months in the forest, an epidemic of measles had killed 68 people. Thus started a new project cofounding the Comissão pela Criação do Parque Yanomami (CCPY) in 1978, an NGO which aimed to demarcate and protect the Yanomami territory and therefore their way of life. Andujar co-ordinated this group for 22 years and its first office was in her apartment in São Paulo; she also got involved in health initiatives, for example to help vaccinate the Yanomami against the new diseases decimating the population.

In this new phase, photography was used to different ends, returning to journalism to help promote the cause in Brazil and abroad, producing utilitarian portraits to keep track of a huge vaccination programme in the early 1980s. Those treated needed to be identified, but in traditional Yanomami culture, the idea of a fixed name doesn’t exist. Andujar made

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Tree with Camillea leprieurii fungus. Infrared film, Roraima, 1974-76. © Claudia Andujar.

a practical decision to use ID numbers instead, which were in- realised creative endeavour was not enough so she started Right: of Journey by pirogue. cluded in the portraits. It was a contingent solution – but one the NGO, then eventually realised it was important that the Detail Catrimani, Roraima, 1974. she later looked at with new eyes and a considered ethical Yanomami speak for themselves,” says Nogueira.

This is something that Nogueira wanted to make evident in perspective. “When revisiting the archive for the first time, she connected the numbers to the history of Jews who had been the exhibition. In 1992 the Yanomami territory was officially sentenced to death [forced to wear yellow stars by the Nazis recognised and, though the struggle for their rights continued, it seemed that an important battle had perhaps been and tattooed with ID numbers in the concentration camps].”

As Nogueira writes in the exhibition catalogue – which was won. By the end of the decade, Andujar’s work had been acshortlisted for the Paris Photo Aperture Photography Cata- cepted into the art world but the connection with her activism logue of the Year – as a collective register “they reveal their had somehow been lost.“In the early 2000s, she got her first more paradoxical side: the situation of those who need to be gallery and the ethical commitment was not being addressed. marked and photographed by a society in order to be saved I felt there was a story that was not being completely told – and that was being forgotten because of the distance from from the violence imposed by that same society.”

“It is that ambiguous sentiment that leads me, 60 years later, the fight in 1990s, when the land conflict died down. For me, to transform the simple registry of the Yanomami into the it was important to show the complexity of the story, and how condition of ‘people’ – marked to live – in a work that ques- photography was used as a politicised weapon.”

And that’s an important factor because, with the election tions the method of labelling beings for diverse ends,” Andujar explained, when including many of these portraits in the of Jair Bolsonaro as president of Brazil on 1 January 2019, ambitious 1989 audiovisual piece, Genocídio do Yanomami: Yanomami territory is once again under threat. Bolsonaro is on the record as stating that “if it depends on me, this unimorte do Brasil [Yanomami Genocide: Death of Brazil].

In fact, using photography to depict the Yanomami raises lateral policy of demarcating indigenous land on the part of Words another ethical question: what to do with a portrait when the the executive will cease to exist,” and Nogueira has included Diane Smyth individual shown in it dies. In traditional Yanomami culture a video of him saying just this in the exhibition. As he points everything relating to an individual is destroyed when they out, even if Brazil continues to demarcate the land, if the govdie to spare the relatives’ suffering, including burning their ernment fails to protect it, the demarcation is meaningless.

Claudia Andujar: “To protect the area you need a lot of police and a lot of in- The Yanomami Struggle, belongings and sometimes even erasing their footprints from the land. With this sentiment, the images should have vestment from the government, otherwise it’s just an abstract Fondation Cartier pour been destroyed too, but, recognising how the pieces could border on a map,” Nogueira says about the current situation. l’art contemporain, be used to help the cause, the artist was given special ap- “But our government has no interest in doing any of that. The Paris, until 10 May. proval by Davi Kopenawa, a shaman who became an im- situation has now taken a very terrible turn. All the indigportant ally and spokesperson for the Yanomami. “Andujar enous people in Brazil face a terrible moment.” fondationcartier.com

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art

Visual Inspiration Jamal Nxedlana

Jamal Nxedlana’s (b. 1985) images are rooted in an Afro-Surrealist style, “creating an alternative image repertoire to tackle biased views of Africa.” The featured photographs were taken across Cape Town and Johannesburg, imbuing the streets with bold colours, prints and fashions. Shot against painted concrete walls, these portraits offer a regeneration of style and purpose. Nxedlana is a cultural entrepreneur and co-founder of Bubblegum Club, a digital publication and content production studio that creates and curates pop culture. He is also the one of the creative directors of CUSS, a Johannesburg-based artist group producing work that “responds to commercial, cultural and technological super-hybridity through the filter of urban trends, material artefacts, and youth culture in contemporary post-postcolonial South Africa.” Nxedlana has exhibited worldwide at Aperture Foundation, New York, as well as Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, amongst others. instagram.com/jamalaun.

Boikanyo Nkoane, Johannesburg, September 2017.

Photographer: Jamal Nxedlana; Stylist: Jamal Nxedlana; Model: Boikanyo Nkoane. From the series Avatar.

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Gina Jeanz, Cape Town, January 2018. Photographer: Jamal Nxedlana; Stylist: Beri Dalgali & Jamal Nxedlana; Model: Tracy Mokgopo. For Daily Paper, Transcend Borders, Spring Summer 2018.

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Gina Jeanz, Cape Town, January 2018. Photographer: Jamal Nxedlana; Stylist: Beri Dalgali & Jamal Nxedlana; Model: Gina Jeanz. For Daily Paper, Transcend Borders, Spring Summer 2018.

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Didi Monsta, Johannesburg, May 2019. Photographer: Jamal Nxedlana; Stylist: Jamal Nxedlana; Model: Thifhuriwi. From the series Avatar: Dangerous Bodies.

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Boikanyo Nkoane, Johannesburg, September 2017. Photographer: Jamal Nxedlana; Stylist: Jamal Nxedlana; Model: Boikanyo Nkoane. From the series Avatar.

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Bee Diamondhead, Johannesburg, August 2017. Photographer: Jamal Nxedlana; Stylist: Jamal Nxedlana; Model: Bee Diamondhead. From the series Avatar.

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Bee Diamondhead, Johannesburg, August 2017. Photographer: Jamal Nxedlana; Stylist: Jamal Nxedlana; Model: Bee Diamondhead. From the series Avatar.

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Ideline Akimana, Cape Town, January 2018. Photographer: Jamal Nxedlana; Stylist: Beri Dalgali & Jamal Nxedlana; Model: Ideline Akimana. For Daily Paper, Transcend Borders, Spring Summer 2018.

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Boikanyo Nkoane, Johannesburg, September 2017. Photographer: Jamal Nxedlana; Stylist: Jamal Nxedlana; Model: Boikanyo Nkoane. From the series Avatar.

art

Layers of Complexity Emmanuelle Moureaux DATA PLAYS A HUGE ROLE IN OUR LIVES TODAY. EMMANUELLE MOUREAUX CREATES AN IMMERSIVE INSTALLATION THAT ASSESSES HOW NUMBERS ARE RELATED TO MEMORY.

Emmanuelle Moureaux (b. 1971) is a French architect who has been living in Tokyo since 1996, where she established a design practice in 2003. Both her commercial and creative works are inspired by Japan’s seemingly infinite colours and textures, revelling in kaleidoscopic buildings and installations that play with a sense of time and place. Moureaux utilises an invented concept called shikiri – literally dividing space with colour. To achieve this, she suspends hundreds of layered paper cut-outs and adorns building façades with cubes, rods and platforms. Moureaux was shortlisted for the Aesthetica Art Prize in 2017, as well as being nominated for many other accolades with Architizer A+, as well as the International Design Awards and the American Architecture Prize.

As part of NOW Gallery's latest Design Commission, Moureaux has created Slices of Time. The installation, which is on view from 5 February to 17 April, is inspired by the gallery’s location on the Greenwich Peninsula – home to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The exhibition marks a sense of movement, reflecting upon past, present and future. The project encourages audiences to contemplate the here and now, as well as the importance of dates, history and archiving.

A: Slices of Time utilises NOW Gallery’s location as a starting point for its conception. How important is it to you that an installation responds to its surroundings?

Where did the idea for this piece originate?

EM: Installations ultimately contain elements from sculpture, architecture and sometimes poetry. The prime incentive of installations is to give audiences a three-dimension-

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al spatial experience, changing the perception of a given environment and adding some magic to an existing space.

For Slices of Time, I was inspired by the special location of NOW Gallery on Greenwich Peninsula, near to the Meridian marking time. NOW Gallery is the beating heart of this new area of London, so it seemed fitting for me to produce something that captures precious moments along the rifts of time – that asks audiences to stop and consider their surroundings and be within the present. I was also inspired by the gallery's name. “Now” is a concept that’s always changing. It's in a state of flux and can never really be defined, so my project expresses this flow of time. It comprises 100 layers of numbers in 100 shades of colours, as well as 20 layers of numbers in white. The installation visualises the next 100 years to come (2020-2119) and the past 20 years (2000-2019) are represented through the white. The shape of the installation, as slices of earth – of time – offers a moment for audiences to think about themselves.

A: Like many of your other pieces, this commission expresses emotion through colour. How do you think colour can be used in a universal way? How does it provoke certain feelings, memories or ideas without the need for explanation or interpretation?

EM: Colour can create unlimited emotions. It can make people smile and laugh. It can offer energy, joy, surprise and most importantly, happiness. Colour is universal and eternal, borderless and infinite. Using the full spectrum in the context of a public space can expand on the location and

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Emmanuelle Moureaux, Color Mixing, 2016. Photograph: Daisuke Shima.

“I first saw the cityscape of Tokyo when I was student in 1995. I was so impressed by the entire landscape. Thousands of colours seemed to be floating throughout the metropolis – as layers, as threedimensional elements.”

Previous Page: Emmanuelle Moureaux, Sugamo Shinkin Bank, Shimura Branch, Tokyo, 2011.

Photograph: Daisuke Shima.

Left: Emmanuelle Moureaux, Sugamo Shinkin Bank, Ekoda Branch, Tokyo, 2012.

Photograph: Daisuke Shima.

redefine its parameters. It adds additional layers of humanity, by connecting to the visual and the visceral in new ways.

A: Your practice has wholly been inspired by the textural and visual information found in Tokyo's city streets.

How have you interpreted this?

EM: I first saw the cityscape of Tokyo when I was a student in 1995. I was so impressed by the entire landscape. Thousands of colours seemed to be floating throughout the metropolis – as layers, as three-dimensional elements. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before; it was as if I was looking at colours for the first time. I felt a lot of emotions and was so overwhelmed that I decided to move there. This relocation then provided the wider inspiration for my own design concept called shikiri – which means dividing (literally creating) space with colours, rather than as a finishing touch applied to surfaces. Through this methodology I want people to breathe and immerse themselves in colour – feeling the whole spectrum throughout their senses and through their entire body. It is a visceral and powerful experience.

A: How do you interpret colour as a three-dimensional element, offering something conceptual and spatial beyond aesthetics or composition?

EM: Usually in architecture or interior design, colour is often considered as a minor, two-dimensional element. I want it to provoke some kind of sentiment that radiates through a space. Throughout every project, I apply the concept of shikiri, altering shape and function according to varying places.

The idea of cutting and enveloping locations has evolved overtime. Originally, I was inspired by the Japanese tradi-

tional screens and it has moved on from there. I started looking at the surface of shikiri, then developed the idea into lines – as straight poles or monuments within a space.

Now, I am working with numbers – representations of digits within a large space. What binds these projects is developing new “forms” of colours through segmenting the architecture and layering bodies of materials.

A: How do your architecture and fine art practices intertwine? Do you find that they influence each other?

EM: I am always on a journey between different scales, from a small art piece to architecture. There are no specific boundaries between each discipline. For example, with stick chair (2007), I attempted to push the limits of piloti – pillar structures – using colourful rods to support an oblong seat.

This idea of using columns or pillars was transformed into a spatial element in sticks (2010) – an installation where rods are used on the floor like blades of grass. The sticks are then scattered across a space, pointing in various different directions and physically cutting up the room. Sugamo Shinkin Bank Shimura Branch (2011) – also known as rainbow millefeuille is a building which stacks flat layers of colour up the side of the façade. This has since been remodelled in the scale of furniture as mille-feuille (2013) – creative storage solutions whereby you can pull out the blocks as drawers.

My interlocking modular artwork, toge (2011) uses urchinlike components which, locked together, can be built into a self-standing flow of colour. I hope to turn this into a building in the future. So, the intersection between practices is one of influence and inspiration. Architecture has always been the backbone of my creations, but the essence of art

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Emmanuelle Moureaux, Forest of Numbers, The National Art Center, Tokyo, 2017. Photograph: Daisuke Shima.

– expressing the emotions of everyday life – is what fills my designs with the human condition.

I hope visitors will find it moving – feeling the colours with all their senses and becoming more conscious of that which surrounds them every day. Visitors are also encouraged to write down a date, sharing an important moment with other people. This, in turn, connects the gallery to the environment – with a multitude of experiences and memories.

Right: Emmanuelle Moureaux, Sugamo Shinkin Bank, Shimura Branch, Tokyo, 2011.

Photograph: Daisuke Shima.

A: Slices of Time includes a spherical representation of the Earth, floating within the space. How will this be installed? How does it respond to the gallery’s design, with a glass façade across seven metres?

EM: Slices of Time, as with all my other installations, is com- A: How does this installation differ from your ongoing posed of a huge number of modules which have to be per- 100 Colours series – which comprises sheets of hanging fectly aligned in three-dimensional grids. It will be the larg- material that flow from one colour into the next? est number of modules that I have worked with: 168,000 EM: The character of Slices of Time is in its form: each layer numbers, attached one by one on fishing lines prepared is a circle, representing the Earth. The work is part of my in Tokyo. The lines will be fixed on a frame on the ceiling 100 colours series – a project which began in 2013, formof NOW Gallery. It is a very long and complicated process. ing spaces through 100 shades of colours, visible in one Everything is made by hand and is prepared prior to the set- glance. Generally, we are never given the opportunity to see up. It means a huge amount of time and the participation so many colours in one sitting. Ingesting all this visual inof a lot of people. NOW Gallery, with its glass façade, is vis- formation triggers a physical response and asks audiences ible from its exterior. Viewed from outside, the installation to respond and engage with the environment around them. appears as a floating multi-colour cloud. When you enter The series also plays on the idea of numbers and data in the space, you realise that it is composed of small numbers. our increasingly quantifiable age – 100 is familiar as a unit, representing percentages, rating and point systems.

Words A: Our world is increasingly fast-paced, with 5G around Kate Simpson the corner. We are constantly immersed in a dissemi- A: What are your plans for the rest of 2020 and beyond? nation of information, and questions of what's true or EM: I will be unveiling a permanent sculpture in Tokyo in false. How does this latest commission offer a sense of April, as well as a rendition of Forest of Numbers in a 12th Slices of Time, calm or contemplation amongst all this? What are you century church in France in September. I have also designed 5 February - 17 April hoping audiences will take away from the experience? bridges, platforms and both the interiors and exteriors of NOW Gallery, EM: In an ultra-digital world, this installation is ultra-ana- cars for a new train line in Taiwan. The project is called Cir- Greenwich Peninsula logue, using very simple material (paper). It is very simple cular Line. I have been working on this since 2011. There are and very complex at the same time – it is calm and serene many more to discuss, however I can ensure you that there nowgallery.co.uk in appearance, but has a bold meaning within the numbers. will be 100 colours popping up all over the world! emmanuellemoureaux.com

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art

Altered Perspective Aleksander Małachowski

“A new social type was being created by the apartment building, a cool, unemotional personality impervious to the psychological pressures of high-rise life, with minimal needs for privacy, who thrived like an advanced species of machine in the neutral atmosphere.”

(J.G. Ballard, High Rise, 1975). These images move around architecture like a surveillance camera. The angles are unexpected, and the viewer remains constantly at a distance.

Zooming out of view, staircases, pathways and Brutalist balconies begin to appear like model constructions. They present the characteristics of a new, urbanised world not unlike the projected descriptions in High Rise. Aleksander Małachowski (b. 1994) is Warsaw-based, working at the intersection of photography, geometry and symmetry. His minimal images focus on the spaces that we inhabit, walk through, climb up and nestle into. The works evoke a sense of vertigo as viewers hover above the buildings. instagram.com/hashtagalek.

Aleksander Małachowski, Between Worlds.

Image courtesy of the artist. Hashtagalek.

Instagram: @hashtagalek.

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Aleksander Małachowski, Time Portal. Image courtesy of the artist. Hashtagalek. Instagram: @hashtagalek.

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Aleksander Małachowski, Leave a Light On. Image courtesy of the artist. Hashtagalek. Instagram: @hashtagalek.

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Aleksander Małachowski, Daily Affiliation. Image courtesy of the artist. Hashtagalek. Instagram: @hashtagalek.

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Aleksander Małachowski, Hit the White. Image courtesy of the artist. Hashtagalek. Instagram: @hashtagalek.

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Aleksander Małachowski, Shady Match. Image courtesy of the artist. Hashtagalek. Instagram: @hashtagalek.

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Aleksander Małachowski, Archiglare. Image courtesy of the artist. Hashtagalek. Instagram: @hashtagalek.

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Aleksander Małachowski, Brutalist Brackets. Image courtesy of the artist. Hashtagalek. Instagram: @hashtagalek.

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Aleksander Małachowski, Into the Abyss. Image courtesy of the artist. Hashtagalek. Instagram: @hashtagalek.

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Aleksander Małachowski, Just Do It. Image courtesy of the artist. Hashtagalek. Instagram: @hashtagalek.

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Aleksander Małachowski, Endless Order. Image courtesy of the artist. Hashtagalek. Instagram: @hashtagalek.

art

Reactive Installations Cornelia Parker CORNELIA PARKER HAS SPENT THE LAST 40 YEARS MAKING AMBITIOUS INSTALLATIONS THAT MAKE SENSE OF THE VOLATILE, VIOLENT AND PRECARIOUS WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE.

Cornelia Parker (b. 1956) is a professional agitator. A Turner election artist. It was my first time using social media and I Prize nominee and Officer of the Order of the British Empire, found it to be a really good tool to look at what's happening she has become world-renowned for dredging objects and around me,” she says. “I’m still looking through this lens; I've ideas to the surface that many people would rather stay been looking through it for a long time.”

Parker thinks she has become more political as she has buried. Her pieces – which are realised through many mediums from sculpture and film to needlework – reflect gotten older, and thus describes herself as an activist as well on uncomfortable truths about the climate crisis, violence as an artist. “I’ve dragged my daughter to all these climate and freedom. She has relentlessly engaged with the world marches and I think what Extinction Rebellion is doing is great,” she says. ‘I’m part of Culture Declares – getting arts around her, wanting above all to be a “good citizen.”

The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia hosts her organisations to declare a climate emergency.” Parker had biggest retrospective to date as part of the 10th edition of an awakening 12 years ago after attending a two-day event the Sydney International Art Series. The exhibition encom- at Oxford University with climate scientists. “I came out compasses over 40 artworks, some dating back to the 1980s. It pletely changed,” she says. “What I was hearing was that we becomes clear that although Parker has been working for might not have a future unless we do something to mitigate over four decades – a time of mass cultural and techno- what's happening.” But, as Parker puts it, what role can art logical change – her practice remains as prescient as ever. play when faced with melting ice caps and political inertia?

After that day in 2008, she made a film with Noam Chom“Cornelia is an artist for this time. She has an uncanny ability to translate world events, big concepts and questions into sky, which is on show in Sydney. The 42-minute video, called works of art that are playful and reflective,” says MCA Chief Chomskian Abstract, shows Chomsky responding to quesCurator, Rachel Kent. “She alludes to things without being tions posed by Parker. The questions have been edited out but the pauses where Chomsky listens were left in, offering obvious, but they are of, and about, our time.”

“I think it's very hard nowadays not to be political,” says a “silent space” for people to ask their own. It was recorded Parker, speaking just a week after the UK general election at a time when there was little mainstream discourse about results in December. Whilst she wasn’t the Official Artist this the climate catastrophe and Chomsky’s clarity on the subtime round (she took the role in the 2017 snap election in ject is chillingly prophetic. The film also answered Parker’s which Theresa May won with the support of the DUP) she own doubts about the place of art in tackling this terrifying says she still has her “election artist hat on” when viewing reality. Though the “powerful force of capitalism compels the world around her. This, of course, is now intrinsically tied us to work ourselves to death in order to stuff our houses to the digital world. “I started using Instagram when I was the with things we don't need”, Parker believes art can offer a

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Cornelia Parker, Thirty Pieces of Silver, 1988-89. Silver-plated objects flattened by a steamroller, wire. Image courtesy the artist and Tate. © Tate, London, 2019.

“The absurdity of removing the earth which supports one of our most iconic buildings speaks to the precariousness of our planet and the monuments we have created. We are burning through finite resources.”

Previous Page: Cornelia Parker, Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View, 1991. Installation view, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, 2019. Blown up garden shed and contents, wire, light bulb.

Tate: Presented by the Patrons of New Art (Special Purchase Fund) through the Tate Gallery Foundation 1995. Image courtesy the artist, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and Frith Street Gallery, London. © The artist, photograph: Anna Kučera.

Left: Cornelia Parker, Subconscious of a Monument, 2001-05. Installation view, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, 2019. Earth excavated from underneath Leaning Tower of Pisa (to stop it falling).

Private Collection, Turin. Image courtesy the artist, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and Frith Street Gallery, London. © The artist, photograph: Anna Kučera.

new aesthetic of austerity; it can “imagine the unimaginable.”

Parker is adept at just this. Her large-scale installations explore growing political, societal and environmental concerns in ways that are hard to ignore. One seminal piece, Subconscious of a Monument (2001/2005), is composed of fragments of dry soil, which have been taken from underneath the Leaning Tower of Pisa by engineers in order to prevent its collapse. The lumps are suspended from wire and have filled gallery spaces and do so again at the MCA. The absurdity of removing the earth which supports one of our most iconic buildings speaks to the precariousness of our planet and the monuments we have created. We are burning through finite resources at an alarming rate. Our house is burning down, but we sit still in the centre.

Volatility is also an important theme in Parker's work. It shows in the way the fragmented materials are suspended and displayed within the gallery space. “When you think about sculpture you might think about stone or bronze – things that are heavy and solid,” says Kent. “But for Cornelia, the works are the exact opposite; they're airborne and light.

It's the way she sees the world: constantly changing and in a state of flux.” In the seminal piece, Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View (1991) (which is regularly named by visitors as their favourite work in the Tate collection), she presents an exploded garden shed alongside its jumbled interior of household objects. It’s a visually arresting, highly dramatic display of domestic disorder, presenting homely nostalgia as a kind of perfect chaos. The shards are perpetually in a state of disarray – of violence and of extreme power.

“It’s like looking at the eye of the storm,” says Kent. “But you recognise all the things in the work; you see old fash-

ioned curlers, garden equipment, children’s toys. They are things that we don't want or need but we can't get rid of.”

To blow all this up is a radical act, like setting off a mine in the home and in doing so Parker is questioning this accumulation of stuff and the over-consumption that has led to it. These dramatic displays of what she terms “cartoon violence” have become synonymous with her practice: placing comedy amidst darker currents.

“It's very powerful,” Parker says. “Look at Samuel Beckett; he deals with old age, death and the Stasi, and makes it hilarious. Having humour so close to pain and violence, having it cheek by jowl, is interesting.” In Thirty Pieces of Silver (1988/1989), a thousand silver objects – from teapots to trombones – have been ceremoniously steamrollered at Parker’s request. The number 30 is a reference to the amount Judas was paid to betray Christ. Alongside this biblical reference, the method in which the objects are prepared is a nod to the exaggerated violence of children’s cartoons and Carry On films. Ironically, the man who was hired to steamroll the silver featured in one of the movies.

Destruction – cartoon or not – is a recurring theme in Parker’s entire oeuvre. “People ask me: why is your work so violent? Why are there so many guns?” says Parker. “But I think explosions and guns are so ubiquitous in our world.

They have an almost totemic status and I'm trying to unpick this to find out what that might be.” Her single sculptures are part of an ongoing series called Avoided Object, aptly named as they force viewers to face issues they would rather ignore. “I’m creating what Duchamp would call an ‘inframince’,” says Parker. “His would be the difference between a crumbled painting or one that is perfectly stretched

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Cornelia Parker, Subconscious of a Monument, 2001-05. Installation view, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, 2007. Earth excavated from underneath Leaning Tower of Pisa (to stop it falling). Image courtesy the artist, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham and Frith Street Gallery, London. © The artist. Photograph: Jerry Hardman-Jones.

– a small difference but it makes a big change. He's some- and the rule of law, but also the nature of artistic authorship.

The question of autonomy also comes into play with the body I've looked at a lot over the years.”

In a recent piece called Sawn Up Sawn Off Shotgun (2015) use of found objects. “She's interested in the ready-made, Parker presents the pieces of a sawn off shotgun that was like ordinary household objects,” says Kent. “She'll often used in a violent crime and later confiscated by the police. arrest these on their downward spiral; they've had pride of In a three-way collaboration between the criminal, the place in the home and now they've ended up in a garden police and herself, she is presenting the object in an un- shed or thrift store. She kills them off and resurrects them expected afterlife, its power deconstructed. Meanwhile, in as works of art.” This cycle of birth, death and resurrection is Embryo Firearms (1995), she takes the embryos of Colt 45s a nod to her Catholic roots. By destroying and repurposing guns before they have completed the production line, stop- she gives objects multiple histories – a chance to start again.

Parker has been called an “ideas artist” but she puts it ping them existing in the future as a gun. In Precipitated Gun (2015), the powdered residue of a firearm confiscated by the more plainly. “I keep thinking I'm like a grasshopper who police and dissolved in acid by an engineer at the University jumps all over the place,” she says. “But I can't help it, that's just the way I'm built.” However, despite the visual diversity of Manchester is presented as a line of rusty cocaine.

These unlikely collaborations have become a backbone of her work, there is a consistent line of enquiry throughof Parker’s practice. Working with other organisations began out. There's a push and pull of opposite forces working in as a means of necessity; she called on expertise when she tandem, exaggerating and poking at each other: destruction needed help blowing something up or flattening it. However, and reconciliation, good and evil, death and rebirth.

Making these dual threads apparent was an important part this grew into something much more methodical – actively seeking others out. “I began to think of other expertise I of the curatorial process for Kent. “People ask me: how do could call on, like the army,” she says. “I really like the idea you curate when she has done so many different things? of collaboration, it’s such fun – working with Customs and But one of the joys is bringing it all together and showing Excise, or the police – people who are really scary authori- this consistent trajectory,” she says. With that in mind, the show is not a chronological walk-through. Work is grouped tarian figures. By working with them I feel less scared.”

For Magna Carta (An Embroidery) (2015) – arguably her in a way that enables conversations to arise between them. most complex collaborative piece to date – she enlisted the “People have had very strong, visceral reactions to the show,” help of over 200 people to create a tapestry of the Magna adds Kent. “There is a sense of recognition through the Carta Wikipedia page, 13 metres long. Prisoners, members display of objects from a bygone era that have been resurof the judiciary, parliamentarians, MPs, journalists and activ- rected and given new life. They simultaneously touch on big ists all contributed to the work. Ever the anarchist, the work concerns of our time. Some people said they felt like crying. not only deconstructs the modern challenges to freedom It's not sad work but it strikes a chord in people.”

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Right: Cornelia Parker, Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View, 1991. Installation view, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, 2019. Blown up garden shed and contents, wire, light bulb.

Tate: Presented by the Patrons of New Art (Special Purchase Fund) through the Tate Gallery Foundation, 1995.

Image courtesy the artist, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and Frith Street Gallery, London. Photograph: Anna Kučera.

Words Alexandra Genova

Cornelia Parker, MCA Sydney, until 16 February mca.com.au

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Intelligent Composition Olga Urbanek

Olga Urbanek (b. 1987) approaches portraits in a new way. Fluorescent orange brightens like a highlighter. A pane of yellow glass mirrors the peak of a mountain in the background. A heartshaped bouquet is stuffed into a mouth. These images, towing a line between fashion and fine art, demonstrate an understanding of digital photography as a mode of communication.

They offer a vast amount of visual information through seemingly simplistic compositions.

In one scenario, pale blue foam acts as a crash mat. The same colour crops again in a PVC jacket, which, in turn, matches the colour of the sky. Meanwhile, green foliage fills the gaps perfectly between the model and the horizon – blooms intervening the composition. Each photograph is a clever and considered juxtaposition of form, colour and texture, placing individuals in unexpected scenarios. Urbanek’s exhibition credits include the Month of Photography Los Angeles and the Sony World Photography Awards. olgaurbanek.com.

Olga Urbanek, Anna. Personal work, 2018. Courtesy of the artist.

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Olga Urbanek, Syla. Personal work, 2018. Courtesy of the artist.

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Olga Urbanek, Angelica, Self-Portrait, 2018. Courtesy of the artist.

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Olga Urbanek, Usee Studio. Commissioned Work, 2017. Courtesy of the artist.

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Olga Urbanek, Life is a torture.

Personal Work, 2019. Courtesy of the artist.

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Olga Urbanek, Syla 2. Personal work, 2018. Courtesy of the artist.

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Olga Urbanek, Symbiosis. Personal work, 2018. Courtesy of the artist.

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Olga Urbanek, Morra, 2019.

Courtesy of the artist.

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art

Building the Future Beazley Designs of the Year HOW DO DESIGNERS SHAPE THE WAY WE UNDERSTAND THE WORLD AROUND US, AS WE TACKLE THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY, POLITICAL TENSIONS AND DIGITAL ETHICS?

What constitutes good design? The 2019 Beazley Designs of the Year offer a snapshot from the last 12 months, centred around six categories: Architecture, Digital, Fashion, Graphics, Product and Transport. “Really, this is a meta-exhibition,” says Beatrice Galilee, Guest Curator of this year’s show at the Design Museum, London. Galilee was previously Daniel Brodsky Associate Curator of Architecture and Design at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, as well as the Chief Curator of the 2013 Lisbon Architecture Triennale. She sums up her task as organising an array of disparate projects that address a variety of needs and desires. “The scale of what comes in covers all design on the planet, from an app to a car. The only thing they definitely have in common is that they were all produced in the last 12 months.”

The enormous number of entries was selected through a nomination process. Letters were sent to prominent individuals across a range of design practices, inviting them to put forward exceptional projects that caught their attention.

The resulting 76 nominees have then been displayed, in one way or another, with winners chosen for each themed category as well as an overall champion. This year, the main prize went to an infographic investigation of an Amazon Echo device, mapping the amount of human labour and natural resources needed for each gadget. Anatomy of an AI System – a large-scale map and long-form essay – was achieved by the co-founder of New York’s AI Now Institute, Kate Crawford, and the co-founder of the Share foundation, Vladan Joler. They join a list of esteemed winners that includes the Turner Prize-nominated Forensic Architecture, Sir

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David Adjaye OBE and the designers of the London 2012 Olympic torch, Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby.

As Galilee notes, the items on display are largely connected by time – having been made in the last year. However, this does not mean that certain trends or themes haven’t emerged along the way. “The environment was a blanket concern across the whole year,” she says. “Important issues like gender identity also came up in so many different ways, and then there are projects that deal with multiple things at once.” Crucially, she didn’t want to curate in a way that discounted or overlooked these overlaps. “That's really not the nature of the world we're living in now.”

To emphasise this point, Pernilla Ohrstedt Studio designed the exhibition space as a set of porous chambers, with holes cut into partition walls. This encourages audiences to see through all the different award categories at once – an innovative organisation that offers dialogues between the nominees, rather than separating them by title or definition.

In the Digital room, for example, a wall of Polaroids from artist and researcher Anna Ridler depicts Dutch tulips. The images provide a “training set” for a machine learning algorithm. Nearby, in the Product room, petals fade into murky darkness across a table by designer and artist Marcin Rusak, a memento mori made from real flowers submerged in resin.

Projects like these foreground nature and its precarious place in our globalised and digitalised world. Meanwhile, other designs present practical solutions to environmental issues. American company Lia, for example, has developed a fully biodegradable pregnancy test, whilst Chromat's

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Art Biotop Water Garden by Junya Ishigami.

“There is so much opportunity to rethink how the building industry operates, and many architects are doing just that. This award highlights the best practices available today. We all need to change the way we work and think about materials.”

Previous Page: Punchbowl Mosque by Angelo Candalepas and Associates for the Australian Islamic Mission.

Left: The Songyang Story

by DnA_Design and Architecture.

Climatic swimwear collection is made from sustainable regenerated nylon fabric, recovered from fishing nets across the world’s oceans. Browsing the entries of the Graphics category, viewers can find a set of student climate protest placards, made by creative agency ILOVEYOU in partnership with PR firm Play Nice and the UK Student Climate Network.

This attention to the environment – not as an isolated issue but as a topic with direct links to labour, community and pedagogy – is at the core of the Architecture category. “The weight of climate change is very much on all of our shoulders,” says Galilee, specifically noting the impact of concrete.

Indeed, cement production accounts for around eight per cent of global CO2 emissions, according to the thinktank Chatham House. “There is so much opportunity to rethink how the building industry operates, and many architects are doing just that. This is an opportunity to have an award which highlights the best practices available today. We all need to change the way we work and think about materials.”

One of the architecture nominees that best exemplifies this is Studio Opalis. The project isn’t a building at all, but an online platform by Belgian design practice Rotor and the Architectural Association. It matches architects and contractors with sources of reusable materials. “It started in a small way – recycling lighting fixtures and tiles – and then they came to realise there were so many more opportunities that could be developed,” explains Galilee. “We can recycle materials from enormous infrastructure and construction projects. We don't have to be using brand new resources.”

This is an approach that Galilee and Pernilla Ohrstedt also decided to show by example at the museum. The exhibition has used recycled material from a previous show, either by

simply repainting pre-existing walls or breaking them down to manufacture plinths for the internal displays.

Other nominees echo this idea. The Latraac Skate Café, produced by Zachos Varfis, is the result of taking a derelict 19th century courtyard and transforming it into a community skate park, bar and garden. Ensamble Studio, on the other hand, interprets the theme through prehistoric influences.

Ca’n Terra is a subterranean home built into the depths of a former quarry in Menorca, Spain. “It would have been an extraordinary project even back in 510BC,” says Galilee. “It offers one of the most fundamental approaches to architecture: using the cave as a place of shelter.”

The concept of shelter is the inspiration behind another shortlisted project: ProxyAddress, created by British architect Chris Hildrey. It is a system that identifies empty or unused addresses – gathered from councils, housing associations, real estate companies and private donations – and matches these with people facing homelessness. This initiative doesn’t give individuals a place to live, but it does give them a verifiable address they can use to access health and financial services. It also uses Royal Mail’s redirection methods to ensure letters sent to a proxy address are automatically redirected to a place where an individual might be staying short-term, or to a point of collection of their choosing.

“This project is about identifying the dormant power that architecture has,” says Galilee. “It’s about how a system like the Royal Mail's rerouting service could be aligned with empty homes. This could end up being a lifeline, giving someone an opportunity to open a bank account or get a job. It's about new ways of looking at what architecture could and should be. What is a home? How do we define its

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The Songyang Story by DnA_Design and Architecture.

systems in society? A house doesn't need to be a roof over your head, it could just be a postcode. It could be a main address that stops you falling further into poverty.”

The overall winner of the Architecture category is Maya Somaiya Library, a school building in north east Mumbai, developed by Sameep Padora & Associates. It is inspired by the work of the Uruguayan engineer Eladio Dieste, and is structured around a mound of arches and double curvatures. Its brick roof doubles as a walkable environment for children to play along. Galilee calls it a “thoughtful and global project, which uses local materials and make the childhood experience special.” The overlap between childhood and adulthood also finds a place in Miami College Garage, designed

by New York-based architects WORKac, which combines a car park façade with a gallery, a lending library and a children’s play area. Meanwhile, A Room for Archaeologists and Kids presents a timber arcade across one of the most important pre-Columbian archaeological sites in Peru. Developed by students from Studio Tom Emerson, ETH Zürich and Taller 5, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, it forms a place for researchers to work, surrounded by sandpits where school groups can unearth their own findings.

With such a range of nominees, paired with the challenge of representing buildings in a gallery setting, Galilee opted to showcase the Architecture projects through just a single artefact each. “It was really illuminating to be able to talk to [the nominees] about how to present their work, discussing what we would need to capture the spirit of their building.”

The artefacts are combined with looped film clips, which are in turn made up of non-verbal footage from the various projects. Cycling through the shortlist in this way, the shared

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interests are accentuated even more. Audiences move Right: Somaiya Library from the vaulted dome of Punchbowl Mosque, designed Maya

by Sameep Padora and Associates.

by Angelo Candalepas and Associates for the Australian Islamic Mission, to the garden pools of Junya Ishigami’s Art Biotop Water Garden, in which hundreds of trees, previously uprooted for construction, have been replanted in a former rice field to create a dense forest, dotted with pools.

In the context of the entire show, ideas, images and inspirations ripple between the categories. Concepts bounce around the space fluidly. There are architectural nominees that are digital systems, digital nominees that are infographical investigations, graphical nominees that are items of clothing and fashion nominees that are digital modelling agencies. The exhibition is a provocation of what its six categories mean. It’s a sign of an industry that is increasingly bleeding across borders and becoming increasingly interdisciplinary. “You just don’t find people relating to one thing anymore,” says Galilee. “Certainly I'd say in the last 10 years people are starting to collaborate so much more.”

So, how do we define successful design? If the Beazley Designs of the Year are anything to go by, perhaps it is a project that refuses to segment itself into a given category.

Innovation may be recognised as a mesh of overlapping Words disciplines, responding to the tangled social, cultural and Thomas McMullan political issues that make up society. The environment may well be a “blanket concern” for designers working today, as Galilee points out, but the award’s curation suggests that ad- Beazley Designs of the Year dressing the climate is an intractable task without also con- runs until 31 March, sidering labour, identity, lifestyle, technology and commu- Design Museum, London. nity. They are all connected, and we should think of them in this way if we are to move forward together. designmuseum.org

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Seeing in Double LM Chabot

Mirror images. Checker-board clothing. Identical models. Twins is an immersion into the eccentric and playful world of LM Chabot – a photographic duo combining the creative minds of Jolianne L’Allier Matteau and Alexandre Chabot. Emblazoned with bullseye reds, plastic yellows and royal blues – three primary shades – the series is highly polished. It plays with the viewer’s perspective, drawing them in through the alarming colours and trapping them in a bold, visual universe. The images, realised in collaboration with stylist Jay Forest, offer an all-encompassing environment with recurring textures and motifs; twins are sculpted within the designs, becoming inseparable – indivisible. Since 2014, LM Chabot have been part of Montréal-based talent agency, L’Éloi. The duo have a number of high-profile clients including Shopify and Korean Air and have been featured in the American Photography Awards, Kuala Lumpur Photo Awards and Flash Forward, Boston. lmchabot.com | leloi.ca/en.

Concept & Photography: LM Chabot; Photo Assistants: William Cole & Frédérik Boudreault; Stylist: Jay Forest (Folio); Hair & Makeup: Cynthia Christina (Folio); Models: Camille, Elise (Folio); Retoucher: Retouche Clandestine; Producer: leloi.ca.

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Concept & Photography: LM Chabot; Photo Assistants: William Cole & Frédérik Boudreault; Stylist: Jay Forest (Folio); Hair & Makeup: Cynthia Christina (Folio); Models: Camille, Elise (Folio); Retoucher: Retouche Clandestine; Producer: leloi.ca.

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Concept & Photography: LM Chabot; Photo Assistants: William Cole & Frédérik Boudreault; Stylist: Jay Forest (Folio); Hair & Makeup: Cynthia Christina (Folio); Models: Camille, Elise (Folio); Retoucher: Retouche Clandestine; Producer: leloi.ca.

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Concept & Photography: LM Chabot; Photo Assistants: William Cole & Frédérik Boudreault; Stylist: Jay Forest (Folio); Hair & Makeup: Cynthia Christina (Folio); Models: Camille, Elise (Folio); Retoucher: Retouche Clandestine; Producer: leloi.ca.

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Concept & Photography: LM Chabot; Photo Assistants: William Cole & Frédérik Boudreault; Stylist: Jay Forest (Folio); Hair & Makeup: Cynthia Christina (Folio); Models: Camille, Elise (Folio); Retoucher: Retouche Clandestine; Producer: leloi.ca.

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Concept & Photography: LM Chabot; Photo Assistants: William Cole & Frédérik Boudreault; Stylist: Jay Forest (Folio); Hair & Makeup: Cynthia Christina (Folio); Models: Camille, Elise (Folio); Retoucher: Retouche Clandestine; Producer: leloi.ca.

Concept & Photography: LM Chabot; Photo Assistants: William Cole & Frédérik Boudreault; Stylist: Jay Forest (Folio); Hair & Makeup: Cynthia Christina (Folio); Models: Camille, Elise (Folio); Retoucher: Retouche Clandestine; Producer: leloi.ca.

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Dramatic Portraiture Bastiaan Woudt THE PORTRAIT HAS NEVER BEEN SO PREVALENT. FACES HAVE BECOME QUANTIFIABLE AS DATA AND SELFIES ARE UBIQUITOUS. BASTIAAN WOUDT TAKES A CLASSICAL APPROACH.

Netherlands-based Bastiaan Woudt (b. 1987) started a photography practice in 2014, with no formal experience. As a student, he devoured photobooks and visited numerous museums and fairs. Since then, he has honed a signature style, honouring the history of photography and reinterpreting classical portraits with surreal, detailed elements.

Each image is minimal, highly balanced and unexpected – integrating geometric shapes and delicate veils. Diffused light falls softly across the skin, creating pockets of texture.

In 2014, Woudt was chosen as a New Dutch Photography Talent. In 2016, he was named one of British Journal of Photography’s “Ones to Watch”, and was awarded the Van Vlissingent Art Foundation Prize. In the same year, he gained representation with Kahmann Gallery, Amsterdam.

A: Your works reference photography masters such as Irving Penn, Richard Avedon and Bill Brandt. How do you draw from these figures, whilst creating something incredibly contemporary?

BW: The reason that I fell in love with photography is because of the timeless and dynamic images of Penn and Avedon, amongst others. They changed the landscape of the medium by experimenting – through the character of the grain and the imperfections of film. I translate some of these pioneering elements into my own practice, looking at contrast and texture but with contemporary subjects. Now that there is postproduction, you can, of course, play with these techniques even further through digital technology. My combination of in-camera methods and

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post-processing is both reminiscent of the Old Masters and an exploration of new, innovative ways of working.

A: Your portraits are consistently bold and dramatic – using monochromatic palettes. Why do you choose only to work in black and white? How do you think your works would be different, or provoke an alternative response, if they were realised through colour?

BW: Besides the characteristics I mentioned above, the lack of colour was also one of the reasons that I was so inspired to start taking photographs. I have always felt much more attracted to black and white because it takes away a part of reality. Removing colour takes away distraction, and makes the viewer consider the essence of the image. Instead of wandering around the composition, they tend to spend more time looking at things like form, abstraction and emotion.

A: Some of the compositions look to Surrealism – capturing portraits and landscapes through fresh, unexpected perspectives. How do you select your subjects?

BW: I choose my subjects based on direct interests and a gut feeling; models that I encounter, either online or offline, need to spark something. I find it difficult to explain exactly what that interest is. It has nothing to do with aesthetics – whether something is considered beautiful or not – it has to do with a fast-paced emotional response. Within seconds, I realise that a certain person brings out something in me – I begin to ask questions about who they are, or what they’re doing with their life. With projects, it's often no different. I want to

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Bastiaan Woudt, Maxime & Jason, 2017. Courtesy of the artist.

“It’s crucial that I don't know in advance what I'm going to make. I don't produce mood boards and I don't work with preconceived plans – that takes all the creativity out of a shoot.’”

Previous Page: Bastiaan Woudt, Circle, 2019.

Courtesy of the artist.

Left: Bastiaan Woudt, Tino Crown, 2016.

Courtesy of the artist.

get to know a country, region or subject better by travelling to it, taking photographs of it, and being surprised by what I see. However, when I’m working in my studio or on location, I never want to know in advance what I’m going to photograph.

A: What are the most important parts of the process for you? How much of an image is captured in-situ, and how much is changed through post-production methods? Is there a sense of spontaneity in any given shoot, or is the process planned from start to finish?

BW: It’s crucial that I don't know in advance what I'm going to make. I don't actively produce mood boards and I don't work with any sense of preconceived plans – this process takes all the creativity out of any shoot. There's also always a chance that if the original idea didn’t work out, the shoot will fail. Of course, post-production is a large part of my process.

I always shoot numerous images during a session, and then I view them as blueprints for the final work to be made. By playing with contrast, dodging, burning, retouching and removing certain details, I render a completely different image from that first one I shot. However, I don’t like to manipulate an image too far by adding new elements or making collages out of multiple layers. I would say that 80% of my work is determined by camera work, 20% is in editing.

A: How do you negotiate light? What techniques do you use to capture such high contrasts and dramatic shifts in shadow, highlight and exposure?

BW: I work in my studio with two light sources: natural daylight – from the two windows that I have facing north – and from a continuous artificial lamp that I use when it's too dark.

I am constantly experimenting with the amount of exposure as I go. I often produce images by going against the general “rules” that photography courses or schools tell you to follow. When I shoot someone, I try to capture them in a number of different ways with the so-called "correct" exposure, and then change the light settings. I don't like very complicated plans – often a lamp is enough to make something interesting. Less is more in many cases.

A: Many of the images have a soft quality, with blurred resolutions and hazy backgrounds. How do you achieve this effect? How do you think these subtle elements, in turn, create unique physical qualities?

BW: I think that's mainly to do with shooting with mediumformat cameras. This equipment gives my work an exceptional quality; it is partly responsible as to why certain details are out of focus and are rendered so beautifully.

In addition, I like to isolate my subjects – to take them out of their surroundings and put them in front of an even, or partly-even background. In my studio this can be a paper background, or even a hand-painted canvas. When travelling, it is often a wall that I encounter on the streets. This contributes massively to the final result.

A: Your works are highly individual, combining graphic and classical elements. In this way, they are incredibly recognisable. How do you define a successful photograph? How important is it that a photographer be easily identifiable? What is the wider goal?

BW: I think having your own style is one of the most important things to establish. You want to get to a point in

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Bastiaan Woudt, Ambre Pool, 2019. Courtesy of the artist.

your career where other people recognise your work by just seeing the image. In a world filled with people who call themselves photographers, this is the point where you can differentiate yourself. For me, an image is successful when it provokes a feeling – whether that’s good or bad. The image sometimes has to raise questions: who is it? Why do they look like that? Why did the photographer choose to shoot them in that way? I like to play with imperfections, even though some people say that my images are about balance and perfection. This conflict is the crux of success.

A: Visual languages seem to be evolving faster than the written or spoken word. Images are shared, disseminated and replicated in a matter of seconds, projecting and contributing to trends. To what extent do you think that a photograph, or series, should be one of a kind?

BW: In a society where so many images are made and shared, it is up to the artist to stand out. Whether you have an exhibition in a gallery or a commission for a magazine, nobody wants to look at images they have seen a thousand times. Some subjects have, of course, already been photographed so many times that it almost seems as if nothing new can be made of them, but it is precisely then that a practitioner should be able to surprise by giving it their own twist.

A: How do you engage with social media platforms and how important are they to your practice?

BW: Social media is integral today. Nowadays, we have the opportunity to address a large audience – one that not only includes fans, but also potential customers and clients. For me, Instagram has become a platform where I can inform

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followers about new exhibitions, commissions and books, with 20 times as much traffic as my website. I believe that photographers should have a website as an archive of everything that you do, as well as a place for more in-depth interviews and other content. Use your social media platforms to share and connect to your audience directly.

Right: Bastiaan Woudt, Thula, 2016.

Courtesy of the artist.

A: What do you hope viewers take away from your images? Is there something that you're striving towards?

BW: Generally, I hope that people who view my works get a little feeling of what moves me – how I see my subjects and the world around me. I hope that people enjoy the pieces, but, most importantly, that they provoke an opinion. For me, that’s crucial; no matter what the opinion is, it means that the piece is worth talking about, and that's what gives it longevity. There always needs to be a discussion.

A: What projects / exhibitions do you have lined up for 2020? Is there anything you're looking forward to?

BW: This year, I’m planning to work in my studio a bit more than usual. I have started working on a particular theme, so I’m going to carry this through to fruition. I've started combining geometric shapes with models – covering them partially and obscuring their silhouette. The result is a kind of statuesque effect – but they are still recognisably human. I also have a big project in Nepal in October, so I will be working on editing and finishing that during the coming months.

The plan is to make a book and exhibition later in 2020 – so lots of work to be done! For the rest of the year, my work will be showing worldwide at Haute Photographie, Photo London, Paris Photo New York, Paris Photo and Photo Basel.

Words Kate Simpson

Bastiaan Woudt is at Haute Photographie, Rotterdam, 6-9 February; Paris Photo New York, 2-5 April; Photo London, 14-17 May and Photo Basel, 16-21 June. bastiaanwoudt.com

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art

Stepping into Dreams Alex Fruehmann

Alex Fruehmann (b. 1975) bridges a range of humanities, having studied psychoanalysis at INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France, and attended Yale Law School. These critical fields have deeply influenced an inquisitive photographic career, centred on a sense of isolation – exploring the unconscious and the space in between. Beaches, roads and open-water bridges provide alternate planes of possibility; shadows lurk in from the periphery and crest against sharp points of illumination. These dark and dramatic expanses immerse the viewer in the hyperreal, inviting them to revel in the negative space. What happens when we allow our mind’s eye to wander in these soft, sunless landscapes? What rises to the surface when we're left to wander down an unknown landscape? The artist encourages audiences to tread against the depths of nightfall, through open roads. Fruehmann has exhibited at the International Photo Expo in Paris and been part of a group show in Arles. alexfruehmann.com.

Alex Fruehmann, State of Light, 2017.

Courtesy of the artist.

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Alex Fruehmann, Mullholland Drive Fantasy, 2019. Courtesy of the artist.

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Alex Fruehmann, Bridging Reality, 2018. Courtesy of the artist.

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Alex Fruehmann, Into the Sea, 2018. Courtesy of the artist.

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Alex Fruehmann, The Other Day, 2019. Courtesy of the artist.

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Alex Fruehmann, Blurring Worlds, 2019. Courtesy of the artist.

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art

Cutting and Pasting Alma Haser

In an age of deep fakes and post truths, how do we distinguish what is real or manufactured?

Can our identities be altered irrevocably through new editing software? What role does public perception play towards our sense of self? Have pseudo-dependent social media platforms like Snapchat changed how we recognise ourselves? All of these questions are evoked in the works of Alma Haser (b. 1989). The German artist has become well known for producing complex and meticulously constructed portraiture, influenced by a background in fine art.

Expanding the dimensions of traditional photography, Haser uses inventive paper-folding techniques, collage and mixed media, blurring the distinctions between two-dimensional and three-dimensional imagery. Haser’s various accolades include being shortlisted for the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize and winning the PDN Photo Annual Award in 2016.

Recent exhibitions include Saatchi Gallery’s From Selfie to Self-Expression. haser.org.

Alma Haser, Song Thrush from I always have to repeat myself. Courtesy of the artist.

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Alma Haser, Sarah Pixel from I always have to repeat myself. Courtesy of the artist.

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Alma Haser, Monstera Deliciosa from Pseudo. Courtesy of the artist.

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Alma Haser, Verbascum from Pseudo. Courtesy of the artist.

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Alma Haser, Blue from I always have to repeat myself. Courtesy of the artist.

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Alma Haser, Hands x3 from I always have to repeat myself. Courtesy of the artist.

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Alma Haser, Fresia from Pseudo. Courtesy of the artist.

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Alma Haser, Chamelaucium from Pseudo. Courtesy of the artist.

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Alma Haser, Sarah x3 from I always have to repeat myself. Courtesy of the artist.

art

Creative Placemaking Red Sea International Sculpture Symposium A SERIES OF CREATIVE INITIATIVES IN SAUDI ARABIA SETS OUT TO ESTABLISH A THRIVING ARTS AND CULTURE SECTOR AND INTRODUCE NEW IDEAS TO THE NATION.

In March 2019, Saudi Arabia launched the country’s first participants’ progression alongside viewers who were endedicated ministry for culture, a turning point in the nation’s gaging with the creative sector for the first time. The audihistory. The goal? To build a flourishing arts scene whilst ence represented a full cross-section of Jeddah’s society.”

The Symposium taps into the MoC’s larger mission statecontributing to international exchange of culture. Since then, the Ministry of Culture (MoC) has unveiled an impressive ment: to celebrate the country’s culture whilst being part of vision of projects, initiatives, programmes and residencies a wider strategy for redevelopment. Choosing the location that actively sponsor the fields of arts and culture. These act was an important part of the planning process, as the artas a framework for a new cultural ecosystem that “supports ists would directly respond to the area. The MoC selected and nurtures creativity, in addition to opening doors for Al-Balad, the historic area of Jeddah (which dates back to new forms of expression.” It must be recognised that Saudi the seventh century), the second largest city in Saudi Arabia.

Although Al-Balad’s defensive walls were torn down in Arabia is often reported on in the news, but not for its wider heritage, arts and culture, so how will the activity of the MoC the 1940s, the area remained largely unchanged until the be a catalyst towards reform and positive change? Will it en- 1970s. In the decade that followed this, a new state of massurbanisation, as well as a concurrent oil boom, drove many courage a new state of creative freedom?

One of the many projects fuelled by this new cultural communities away from the centre. As John R. Bradley vision is the Red Sea International Sculpture Symposium, (journalist for The Economist, The Daily Telegraph and The launched in November 2019. Running for 20 days, the Independent amongst others) notes: “Jeddah’s population, a event invited 20 artists from Europe, Asia and the Middle stable 25,000 for 45 years, reached 1.5 million by the end East to hand-sculpt pieces from free-standing blocks of of the 1980s. It has grown 60-fold during the last two genermarble. These artists include German artist Jo Kley (who has ations, the result of a local baby boom and mass urbanisaexhibited at over 30 sculpture festivals globally) and Mi- tion. When Jeddah expanded in the 1980s, it did so almost chael Levchenko (included in five museum collections and exclusively northward. When Saudi Arabia was at the height of its drive for modernisation, Al-Balad was largely erased winner of the International Art Prize of Leonardo da Vinci).

The group was brought together to engage in a conversa- from local consciousness.” (Saudi Arabia Exposed, 2005).

Since the 1990s, Al-Balad has been in an official state of tion about identity and community, as a collective of both Saudi and international practitioners. “Locals were curious regeneration. In 1991, the Jeddah Historical Preservation about the Symposium, with those coming to watch, braving Society was founded, with continued pledges earmarked the marble dust to engage and chat to the artists as they for the historical architecture and culture. In 2014, the city worked. Students visited across multiple days to study the was announced as one of the nation’s key UNESCO heritage

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Takeshi Kubo, 2019. Courtesy The Ministry of Culture.

“The MoC is tapping into placemaking – the development of an area through a new cultural epicentre. How will this change the world's perception of Saudi Arabia? Will it create cultural tourism?”

Previous Page: Ali Jabbar, 2019.

Courtesy The Ministry of Culture.

Left: Essam Jameel, 2019.

Courtesy The Ministry of Culture.

sites. It’s unsurprising, then, that the government has been and pop-up graffiti installations. As Arsalan Mohammad making even more plans to “build bridges” in the area and reported for Artnet in 2018, there’s also an “‘entertainment offer a new sense of narrative. The MoC notes: “Nestled on city’ the size of Las Vegas, near Riyadh.” (Saudi Arabia’s Conthe Red Sea coast, Jeddah has seen a significant rise in the temporary Art Scene Is Suddenly Buzzing.)

Of course, Saudi Arabia isn’t the only country to have number of art-focused events and projects over the last two years and has been at the forefront of the country’s wider marked a turning point in its history through a boost of cultural transformation. The location provides rich creative creative output and investment into the sector. UAE opened the Louvre in Abu Dhabi on 8 November 2017, built by stimulation, with a vibrant atmosphere.”

The geography was fully intended to be a wider source Jean Nouvel. It stands as a representation of both Arab and of inspiration for the 20 artists. “The setting offers a unique French cultures, combining a 180-metre diameter dome juxtaposition between the smooth monochromatic marble –used in many Islamic structures – whilst introducing inand the multitude of shapes, colours and sounds surround- dustrial elements as seen in Nouvel’s other native projects ing the city. It provokes discussion amongst both the par- such as the Philarmonie de Paris. The web-like metal dome, ticipants and visitors.” But beyond its vast history, there’s set on water, creates sparkling patterns and shadows. The another reason why Jeddah was chosen: “The location also exterior has become a landmark beyond the institution’s reflected our ambition to ensure culture is accessible to all. programming. The project is also just a small part of a wider Placing it away from the usual institutions – right in the story of re-development in UAE – with the Expo 2020 spanheart of Al-Balad – provided new audiences with the oppor- ning 173 days from 20 October to 10 April).

Perhaps one of the world’s most successful and besttunity to see talented artists at work on their doorstep.”

Plans are currently underway to move the sculptures to known examples of placemaking is Bilbao’s Guggenheim more varied spots around the city. These include public Museum (opened on 18 October 1997). It is famous for parks and playgrounds: areas chosen to inspire the local launching the “Bilbao effect” – a phenomenon whereby community on a grassroots level. The MoC is tapping into cultural investment contributes to economic uplift and an placemaking – the development of an area through a new altered public perspective. The museum sent the city in a cultural epicentre. How will this change the world's percep- brand new direction of boosted investment and engagement, tackling the conflicts between the Basque separatist group tion of Saudi Arabia? Will it create cultural tourism?

A number of institutions are being built, such as the Hayy ETA and the Spanish state. As Guggenheim’s Director, Juan Creative Hub, a 17,000-square-metre complex with galler- Ig- nacio Vidarte, comments: “It was a controversial project. ies, comedy clubs and a film studio. There has also been a Public money was involved – so it was politically charged.” sweeping rise in reforms which have had a knock-on effect in (The Bilbao Effect: How 20 Years of Gehry’s Guggenheim transterms of progressive public events, including music festivals formed the city, BBC Arts, 16 October 2017).

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Agnessa Petrova, 2019. Courtesy The Ministry of Culture.

Since then, the museum has been part of a ballooning opinions about what they experienced in Jeddah – its cultural tourism, boosting economic development and es- culture, belief systems, landscape and communities. tablishing a sense of civic pride. Visitors travel far and wide However, producing large-scale pieces in a kind of opento the Guggenheim, not only for its blockbuster exhibition air arena meant that the artists influenced one another. programme, but also for the iconic architecture – Frank “There was no planned connection between the pieces, but Gehry’s momentous silver curves wrapping round the riv- the group spent a large amount of time in each other’s erside. Vidarte continues: “The museum gave the citizens company, living and dining together in the heart of Jeddah’s and the politicians the courage to be brave, which was what historical district. Given the focus on cultural exchange, the the city needed because the situation was very dire. It has practitioners subtly influenced each other through the disbecome a more open, cosmopolitan and contemporary city.” cussion of their contrasting styles, approaches and influBeyond being the first in a series of international events, ences.” Even though the practitioners worked independently, the Red Sea Symposium draws upon its cultural heritage they came together and shared ideas. This demonstrates the through the choice of material. The participants produced power of art to connect and inspire. True momentum can pieces using “white pearl” marble from Oman. Long prized only be achieved through international collaboration.

“We’re set to continue the approach of the Red Sea Symfor its use in sculpture, the stone dates back many years and is renowned for its softness, ease of carving and longevity. posium through a series of initiatives in 2020. These will For the 20 artists, the marble acted as a public “blank canvas.” facilitate further creative exchange between international Audiences gathered as they carved into the rock, revealing and domestic participants.” This includes a range of fully sponsored retreats and residencies. And of course, lensfluid forms, geometric towers and patterned plinths.

“Local Saudi artists, namely Essam Jameel, Rida Alalawi based media will also play a crucial role. “Plans are also and Kamal Almualem, exhibited their works alongside Euro- in motion for the Red Sea International Film Festival, which peans such as Michael Levchenko (Ukraine), Kamen Tanaev aims to become the largest film festival in the Middle East.”

It’s exciting to see the cultural investment in Jeddah acting (Bulgaria), Jose Carlos Cabello Millan (Spain), Mario Lopes (Portugal), Jo Kley (Germany), Sylvain Patte (Belgium) and as an open invitation to the country of Saudi Arabia. It will Butrint Morina (Kosovo). Takeshita Kubo, Fan Chilung-Lien be interesting to see how the MoC will build a burgeoning and Lin Li Jen – hailing from Japan and Taiwan – brought arts and culture sector across the nation that will be undera unique abstract minimalism to the exhibition, which con- pinned by progressive ideas. Will the Ministry of Culture be trasted with the otherwise structurally complex composi- a catalyst for redefining a nation whose economy is built tions of other Arab artists – Ali Jabbar (Iraq), Hisham Abdul- on oil reserves? If the Red Sea Symposium is a testbed for events in 2020 and beyond, it certainly seems like the conmuty (Egypt) and Hany Fisal (Egypt).”

Each sculptor took their own route, and had their own versation is heading in a new direction, filled with potential.

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Right: Hesham Abdelmoaety, 2019.

Courtesy The Ministry of Culture.

Words Kate Simpson

moc.gov.sa/en

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Aesthetica Art Prize 2020 This year's shortlist includes 18 artists that respond to today's key issues, unpacking the layers of our digitalised, globalised planet. They ask poignant questions about what it means to be a human today.

Has the selfie altered our sense of personal identity? What value do we place on being individuals?

What are the consequences of altering weather patterns? Across painting, photography, sculpture, video and installation, these immersive projects are part of a wider line of enquiry into our world.

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Andres Orozco, Raw (series), 2019 aozphotography.com

Andres Orozco is a fine art architectural photographer, living and working in New York City. His practice highlights the ways in which geometry, colour and composition define a new relationship between humans and urban spaces. Raw is a photo-based series that suggests we are living in a world of our own creation. It uses lighting interventions to transform locations – reshaping the colours and textures into ethereal tableaux. These environments recall the aesthetics of early science-fiction cinematography.

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Geoff Titley, Decomposition (series), 2018 geofftitley.com

Decomposition is an inevitable stage within each and every organic cycle. It is the process by which substances are eventually broken down into simpler organic matter. Disintegration and decay provided the inspiration for Geoff Titley's photographic series, which questions the impact of digital technology on our perception of the world. Titley poses new ideas about the disruption of natural cycles, suspending objects mid-air against a block-colour background. Titley has a studio in London with Bow Arts.

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Stephanie Potter Corwin, Murmurations #23: 10,000 selfies, 2019 stephaniepottercorwin.com

Through a data-driven approach, Stephanie Potter Corwin's work looks at invisible realities and alternate narratives. Murmurations is a series of abstract visualisations inspired by flocking patterns. Comprised entirely of selfies, the series considers how social media is influencing our behaviour. Large-scale patterns emerge in society despite an emphasis on individualism. Using a bespoke algorithmic process, Murmurations #23 utilises over 10,000 selfies taken in front of the Paul Smith boutique in Los Angeles.

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Laura Besançon, Alone, Together, 2018laurabesancon.com

Central to Laura Besançon's practice are notions of play, connectivity and interventions, which rethink urbanism and ask questions about action, community and authenticity. Alone, Together is from a larger installation titled Towards an Urban Praxis. The film documents a participatory experiment with residents living in high rises. Individuals were asked to turn their lights on and off to a track at a certain date and time. Residents participated without knowing each other, in the context "non-places" in the city.

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Andreas Lutz, Soft Takeover, 2019 andreaslutz.com

Andreas Lutz's work refers to alternative human–machine interactions. In recent projects, he analyses and reveals the phenomenon of perception versus reality – the principles of abstract aesthetics through audio-visual installations. The creation of experimental soundscapes and the relation of semiotics are further aspects of his practice. Amongst others, Lutz’s work has been exhibited at the Antarctic Pavilion during 57th Venice Biennale (Italy), the National Art Center Tokyo (Japan) and HeK Basel (Switzerland).

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Oliver Canessa, Untitled, 2017 olivercanessa.com

Oliver Canessa works alludes to themes of dishonesty: acting in bad faith, psycho-geography, the virtualisation of relationships and the wider discourse of confessional art. Ambiguous and familiar at once, Untitled employs manmade sounds from instant messaging software. The installation articulates the power of the brief high-pitched tones used in messaging, and the inevitable anxiety produced from these social media platforms. The piece is a muddle of guilt, alienation and cognitive overload.

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Patty Carroll, Anonymous Women: Demise (series), 2018 pattycarroll.com

Patty Carroll is well-known for producing highly intense, saturated colour photographs. Her most recent project, Anonymous Women, consists of a series of studio installations made for the camera, delighting viewers with a playful critique of domesticity and excess. Carroll conjures imaginary worlds about women and their identity within the home. She creates stage-set installations in the studio to photograph. The series has evolved over the years. Now, it depicts an anonymous woman who is overwhelmed by possessions, tasks, obsessions and décor. The series is a humorous yet critical look at how we continue to strive for perfection in our homes and selves – an unending, frustrating and fruitless endeavour.

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Fragmentin, Displuvium, 2019 fragment.in

Fragmentin is an art practice based in Lausanne, Switzerland, run by three ECAL alumni: Laura Perrenoud, David Colombini and Marc Dubois. At the crossroads of art and engineering, Fragmentin’s work ruminates on the impact of the digital age, investigating technology's disposition towards control and opacity. Displuvium is a research project that examines the controversial practice of “cloud seeding” – the human desire to command nature. The installation, created and developed with Designer Renaud Defrancesco, takes the form of a metal base filled with water. On the water surface, visitors can observe rainfall. Screens display historical events in which rain has occurred naturally and artificially.

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Christopher Stott, Ampro Precision Projector, 2020 chrisstott.com

Christopher Stott is best known for straightforward, clean representational oil paintings. The works depict vintage technology that have been transformed from ordinary objects into symbols and icons.

Stott paints a wide variety of appliances, books, clocks and typewriters. As subjects, they have a built-in narrative – they tell stories. Turning them into paintings creates an intimate, slower viewing experience.

Combining a subdued palette, Stott has a unique approach and consistent technique. Along with precise rendering balanced with very delicate, painterly brushwork, his work is approachable on multiple levels and has its finger firmly on the pulse of contemporary representational painting.

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Emmy Yoneda, Inherited Landscapes, 2019 emmyyoneda.com

Emmy Yoneda is a "collision of cultures." Her father is from Osaka and her mother is from Glasgow. She has thus been raised with two cultural identities. The exploration and influence of these dual heritages is integral to her practice. Her work exists in the space in between – a space she refers to as “placelessness.” Yoneda captures memories in the form of moving image: brief encounters with the landscape of Japan and Scotland, moving side by side. The dialogue allows room for contemplation, a chance for the viewer to see their own story within the work. A new location emerges, one in which memory and imagination can coexist, as they listen to a voice mediating the feeling of “placelessness."

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Pernille Spence & Zoë Irvine, Bob & Sink, 2018 pernille-spence.co.uk | zoeirvine.net Pernille Spence and Zoë Irvine have been collaborating since 2015. Their work is a synthesis of ideas, methods and mediums from their individual practices in sound, performance, sculpture and video. Bob & Sink follows the journey of a group of oranges as they pass through rivers and streams one-by-one.

The oranges meet with obstacles, move around them and progress on their way. They are a foreign body – buoyant and immersed – yet separate. They are in suspension, floating in community, swirling through pools, bouncing down waterfalls and disappearing into tunnels and underground channels only to re-emerge further downstream. Gravity pulls them on. They are perpetually in motion.

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Kenichi Shikata, cradle of light (series), 2019 shikatakenichi.com

Kenichi Shikata was born in Kyoto and graduated from the Art and Architecture School of Waseda University. The artist creates sculpture and photography using geometric patterns. Shikata's works engage with space through light and shadows. waft eyes is from the series cradle of light. The project uses light to express concepts of presence and absence. Through an inner void, light pours in and offers a beautiful shadow that is a mix of forms and shapes. In Japan, the phenomenon of light between leaves is called “Komore-bi." This concept can be seen here – through the use of industrial materials. Shikata has exhibited at the 28th UBE Biennale and the Kansai and Osaka Internaitonal Airports.

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Natalia García Clark, Self Portrait, 2019 nataliagarciaclark.com

Natalia García Clark is a conceptual artist from Mexico City. Her practice uses simple gestures to point out contradictions in the power structures that govern western societies. Rather than elucidating these gestures, she uses an array of mixed mediums to materialise her lack of understanding about them. In this video, the artist appears and eventually disappears as she walks away from the camera. A sense of measurement is key in the spectator’s ability to count the steps before she gets smaller and melts into the distance. Portraying herself within the limitations of each viewer’s perception is absurd. At the same time, Clark asks: “how can I define myself without stepping away from my own subjectivity?”

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Christiane Zschommler, Project Fear (series), 2019 christianezschommler.co.uk

Christiane Zschommler was born and brought up in East Berlin. She has lived in the UK since 1992. Her practice has developed by using notebooks, photographs, documents and government statistics. She creates images by obscuring the content, reducing it to fundamental shapes until there are only traces of the original. Project Fear explores the communicative function of knowledge. It obscures the text from published studies about the impact of Brexit from 2015 to 2017, reducing forms to geometric coloured shapes. The significance of removing the text is a reflection of the meaningless rhetoric regarding Brexit.

There is a sense of tension between illegible written evidence, and sound collages of political speeches.

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Bill Posters & Daniel Howe, Big Dada, 2019 billposters.ch

Big Dada is comprised of six “deep fake” new media works featuring synthesised personas of Marcel Duchamp, Marina Abramović, Mark Zuckerberg, Kim Kardashian, Morgan Freeman and Freddie Mercury. Big Dada was inserted into Instagram as a digital intervention in June 2019 and quickly went viral, leading to global press coverage and unexpected – and contradictory – official responses from Facebook and Instagram regarding their policies concerning new computational forms of power and propaganda. Big Dada was created as an extension of the Spectre project, an installation that creates a space for viewers to interrogate the deeper social and ethical implications of Dataism, Psychopolitics and Surveillance Capitalism.

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Erik Deerly, Dysmorphia, 2018 erikdeerly.com

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Erik Deerly is a visual and sound artist, as well as an Associate Professor of New Media at Indiana University Kokomo. His work includes sound, installation, video, photography and Net.art. He has exhibited across the USA, as well as in Asia and Europe. Awards include SXSW 1st Place Award, a Webby nomination, and a New Frontiers of Creativity and Scholarship Grant. Over the last decade, Deerly has focused on time-based compositions in an investigation of alternative narratives. These have been created solely by a deliberate manipulation of otherwise extraneous content. In Dysmorphia, he further explores those possibilities, whilst representing the moving image in a purely two-dimensional form.

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Rhea Storr, A Protest, A Celebration, A Mixed Message, 2018 rheastorr.com

Carnival has provided fertile ground on which to consider cultural representation, masquerade and the performance of black bodies. It allows an exploration of a longstanding Bahamian tradition: Junkanoo (a sort of carnival). Rhea Storr’s work is concerned with the ability of 16mm film (and other analogue practices) to speak about black and mixed-race identities. She explores moments of tension where images break down, meet a resistance or are themselves resistive. Images that deny access – fail to articulate what they represent or don’t tell the whole story – provide significant starting points. Storr organises the analogue film lab at not/nowhere, an artist workers’ co-operative run by people of colour.

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Chris Yuan, Counterfictions, 2019 Trained in architecture, Chris Yuan works with video, fiction, sound, architecture and performance.

His practice looks into the messy web of human construction, nature and mythology. Previously, he worked for the 2016 Serpentine Pavilion architect – Bjarke Ingles Group. His work has been exhibited at the Venice Architectural Biennale, K11 and Rice Gallery. Counterfictions uses Donald Trump as a starting point, as he builds a fictional wall in the public imagination. Similarly, Counterfictions is a sound architecture piece that constructs alternative realities of ecological collapse after the construction of Trump’s border wall proposal. The story starts with a journalistic comment on Donald Trump’s wall, and ends with a myth of biologists tracking a genetically mutated species along the US-Mexico border.

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reviews

Exhibition Reviews Responses to the climate crisis; a journey to Mars; deep-winter photography: Aesthetica provides coverage of the season's most compelling exhibitionsm including Judy Chicago, Dan Flavin, Olafur Eliasson and Theaster Gates.

1Eco-Visionaries

CONFRONTING A PLANET IN A STATE OF EMERGENCY

According to the UN, by 2050 global carbon emissions must reach zero to avoid a climate breakdown. This is in the same year that our population is expected to reach 9.7 billion. These are some of the facts that line the corridor into Eco-Visionaries, an exhibition that brings together artists, designers and architects from across the globe to respond to the environment, both for today and up to 2050.

The projects are diverse – incorporating film, sculpture, architectural drawings and models – linked by an effort to imagine what the future could look like. In one gallery, a life-size projection of a rhino stomps around, breathing and grunting. This is a digital rendering of the last male white rhino who died in 2018, brought to life by the manipulation of zoological archive footage by AI technologies. It’s a

startlingly life-like recreation, but as the rhino moves, the audio becomes warped, and the image disintegrates into a block of pixels, revealing the piece for what it is: an illusion.

Elsewhere, Pinar Yoldas presents the organs of an invented life-form which has evolved from inorganic waste. These visions appear otherworldly – too distant from our current world view to be conceivable – but that is exactly the point.

To continue existing, our world needs to radically change.

Rimini Protokoll takes this idea further in win><win. Live jellyfish pulsate inside a tank whilst voices narrate the animals’ ability to adapt, to regenerate and to persist because they are the near opposite of humanity. It’s a frightening, but powerful comment on our desperate need to recalibrate our understanding of the world and its vulnerabilities.

Words Millie Walton

Royal Academy of Arts, London 23 November - 23 February royalacademy.org.uk

2 Dan Flavin

A SERIES OF SITUATIONS

Influenced by abstract expressionism, Dan Flavin (19331996) began his career exploring the concept of found sculpture using crushed cans in the street. Under the tutelage of conceptual minimalists like Sol LeWitt and Robert Ryman, as well as “dematerialist” conceptualists like Lucy Lippard, he developed signature icons: sculptures made out of commercial, ubiquitous light fixtures.

A minimalist outlook made Flavin drop the idea of naming his installations. He preferred to refer to them globally as “situations”, apparently devoid of intention. The first major exhibition in France since 2006, David Zwirner’s current collection of “situations” spans three decades.

First shown in Donald Judd’s loft building in 1970, the iconic untitled “barrier” occupies the main exhibition space

at the gallery. The party wall of two-metre-tall interconnected “sliding” squares is framed by blue and red fluorescent light. It interacts particularly well with the hothouselike metallic roof beams of the David Zwirner gallery. Flavin’s work invokes the cheering possibility of transforming commercial fixtures into their opposite: you could say he turned the luminous into the numinous. There’s a sense of wonder to be found in the seeming mundane.

A Leaning Diagonal – a single-unit, cool-white lamp leaning against a wall – is perhaps too minimalistic for some viewers, but the lesser-known circular light assemblages come as a pleasant surprise. There is something distinctly mesmerising here; Flavin’s colourful sequences hold your attention for longer than you would think possible.

Words Erik Martiny

David Zwirner, Paris 30 November - 1 February davidzwirner.com

3 Judy Chicago A MAJOR UK SURVEY

Judy Chicago’s (b. 1939) pioneering career extends over half a century. She is perhaps best known for the feminist monument Dinner Party, which celebrates women’s accomplishments by giving them a literal place at the table. The work comprises a triangular banquet, fitting 39 ceramic plates representing 39 women. Chicago completed the installation in 1979 after years of planning. At the UK’s first major survey of her work, BALTIC presents a test plate and a film about this groundbreaking piece. However, this innovative show, in the words of the gallery's Curator Irene Aristizábal, is about what lies beyond this piece, claiming a space for some of the artist’s lesser-known projects.

The exhibition follows like an autobiography. It provides an exclusive insight into Chicago’s mind – offering a refined

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and intimate understanding of land art performances from the 1960s, such as Atmosphere, right through to an abstract spray paint series from the 1970s, such as Heaven is for White Men Only, to the recent Purple Poem for Miami.

Throughout the decades, Chicago connects the dots between birth and death in a very powerful way. The works deploy great empathy and sensitivity to the human condition at large, with a strong collective voice. For Chicago, every ordinary experience has great importance – every single voice is worthy of being heard. It isn’t surprising to see drawings that foreshadow the artist’s own death, juxtaposed with works on animal extinction (such as The End: A Meditation on Death and Extinction (2013-2016). Chicago identifies with other species and the landscape together.

Words Gülnaz Can

BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead 16 November - 19 April baltic.art

1. Rimini Protokoll, win > < win. Installation view, Eco-Visionaries: Confronting a planet in a state of emergency, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 23 November 2019 - 23 February 2020. Photo: © Royal Academy of Arts, London / David Parry.

2a. Dan Flavin, untitled (for Frederika and Ian) 3, 1987. © 2019 Stephen Flavin / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Courtesy David Zwirner. 2b. Dan Flavin, untitled, 1970. Installation view, Dan Flavin (1962/63, 1970, 1996), Dia Center for the Arts, New York, May 22, 1997 - June 14, 1998. Photo: Cathy Carver, courtesy Dia Art Foundation, New York. © 2019 Stephen Flavin / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Courtesy David Zwirner. 3. Judy Chicago, Purple Atmosphere, 1969. Fireworks performance.

Performed at Santa Barbara Beach, Santa Barbara, CA. © Judy Chicago / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo courtesy of Through the Flower Archives. Courtesy of the artist; Salon 94, New York and Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco.

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4a. On Mars Today, multi-sensory experience, Moving to Mars exhibition. With thanks to Oxygen Model Management. Image: Š Felix Speller for the Design Museum. 4b. On Mars Today, multi-sensory experience, Moving to Mars exhibition.

Image: Ed Reeve. Courtesy the Design Museum. 5. Still from the film Dance of Malaga, 2019. Š Theaster Gates and courtesy of the artist. Image: Chris Strong. 6. Pentti Sammallahti, Deerness, Mainland, Orkney, 2016. Courtesy of the artist.

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4Moving to Mars

A MULTISENSORY ADVENTURE

Humanity’s dreams and aspirations for Mars unfold across this fascinating, multilayered exhibition. The Design Museum, London, looks to the red planet as a place of dreams and nightmares – a site of scientific endeavour and utopian reverie or hellish inhospitality.

From ancient Egyptian astronomers to Percival Lowell’s speculations of Martian canals in the 19th century, the closer we’ve observed the planet the more we’ve projected a desire for extraterrestrial life. H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds (1898) and cult B-movie The Devil Girl from Mars (1954) offer infernal visions that pale in comparison to the reality. Rendered across three screens is an immersive installation showing actual footage from the Curiosity rover. The visuals are eerily familiar, reminding viewers of uncanny western landscapes, but with high levels of solar radiation, dust storms and average temperatures at around -60°C.

Human life seems altogether unlikely when faced with such extremes, and yet the Design Museum picks at the complex practicalities. Audiences are offered bright, 1950s spacescapes from Chesley Bonestell, made in collaboration with the engineer Wernher von Braun (who helped design Nazi Germany’s V-2 rocket before working as a key figure for NASA.) Similarly, a room is filled with architectural models for Martian colonies – the most impressive being a 3D-printed, pineapple-shaped habitat titled Marsha (2018).

Just about all of these projects conjure a sense of sci-fi glee, but the most provocative entry is undoubtedly Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg’s The Wilding of Mars (2019). The piece imagines how we might colonise the fourth rock from the sun – not with humans, but with plants. It is a melancholy prospect, with mankind facing up to its mortality, but it spreads the hope that life might develop beyond Earth.

Words Thomas McMullan

Design Museum, London 18 October - 23 February designmuseum.org

5Amalgam

THEASTER GATES

Amalgam is dedicated to the diverse community of Maine emerges between disparate artefacts and sculptures in Island in Malaga, who were forcibly evicted from their wood, bronze and stone. Later, audiences wander through homes in 1912. It’s not a recreation, nor a memorial. Rather, an immersive forest of wooden pillars amongst which African Theaster Gates (b. 1973) is interested in evoking the sense masks act as stand-ins for the people whose lives were torn of a place where human relationships grew organically asunder. There’s tragedy, but also a deeper call to remember outside of social prejudice. Across six large installations, he the possibilities that Malaga presents as a way of living.

At the show’s heart is the film Dance of Malaga. It’s an emoexplores the concepts of lesson and consequence together.

Gates is sensitive to the fact that the islanders never in- tional work which connects the fate of the island’s populatended their lifestyle to be a political statement. In this way, tion with the wider legacy of racial politics in the USA – not there’s something down to earth about even the most gran- just with key historical moments, but with the permeation of diose works. Entering the exhibition, viewers are confronted everyday racism. Its tone – justifiably angry, yet also making by the monument of Altar, which includes an enormous, a strong case for following Malaga’s example of integration towering roof. Rendered in matte black slate, it remains – is that of Amalgam as a whole. As one artwork rendered through neon letters declares, “In The End Nothing Is Pure”: homely and welcoming even at its imposing scale.

Natural materials are a constant through Amalgam. In there is beauty and power to behold, and this spacious, conIsland Museum and Department of Tourism, a harmony templative exhibition offers plenty of room for appreciation.

Words Julia Johnson

Tate Liverpool 13 December - 3 May tate.org.uk

6When Winter Reigns PENTTI SAMMALLAHTI

Dedicated to photography for over five decades, Sammallahti (b. 1950) is a much-loved practitioner in Finland and beyond, having gained prestige by winning the Finnish National Photography Award four times, as well as exhibiting at MoMA, New York; the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris; the Moderna Museet, Stockholm and the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin.

Throughout these brisk months, The Photographers’ Gallery, London, presents an exhibition full of simple, wintry scenes from Pentti Sammallahti. Meticulously curated, When Winter Reigns juggles cold terrains of ice and snow with emotions of resilience, sadness and humour – from both human and animal subjects spreading into the snow.

Each image evokes a fairytale or fable, bound by a Narnian quality. Hounds bend to mirror tree branches. A curious dog in misty Katanoah peers down a surreal rocketship, a space-

clad human smiles at the viewer. Hitchcockian birds chatter.

A lonely horse laments under the night sky in Pyhajarvi. In Ristisaari, a frog swims in a trail of full lunar light, jovial and mischievous. In the White Sea, Russia, a pack of canines is inexplicably poised, rigidly sat around a motorbike in a hierarchical, Orwellian fashion. It's undoubtedly compelling.

The landscapes are ashen – often rejoining in the brightness of white morning sun or the mystery of the dark nocturnal skies. They are shot in areas spanning Siberia, Africa and Asia, as well as in Sammallahti’s birthplace – Finland.

The delicate, hand-painted and toned silver gelatin prints are soft, striking and visually poetic. There is a clear commitment to the importance of timing, sublime structure and love for both the bleak and beautiful in this exhibition. A little like Sammallahti, When Winter Reigns is quiet and humble at first glance, though without a doubt it leaves a lasting impression.

Words Robyn Sian Cusworth

The Photographers’ Gallery, London 22 November - 2 February thephotographers gallery.org.uk

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Still from Waves. Directed by Trey Edward Shults.

film

A Sense of Duty WAVES Waves is a neon-drenched Floridian melodrama of distinct, consequential acts. It turns a contemporary nuclear family inside out under the tender guidance of writer-director Trey Edwards Shults. Backed by A24 – a brand that now holds cult adoration – the film boasts a mighty cast plucked from the studio’s enviable roster of actors. Topping the bill is Kelvin Harrison Jr, who plays the film’s primary storyteller. A stoic but successful high school athlete, Tyler feels most at home with his partner Alexis – a small but sweet performance from teen drama go-to Alexa Demie (HBO series Euphoria,) This is Harrison Jr’s second collaboration with Shults after starring in his 2017 apocalyptic horror It Comes At Night. In this, a deadly virus sweeps the land to pick apart the human connections between the survivors. With Waves, Shults uses turbulent familial bonds to magnify the racial and social hardships of their home. The tension that the family endures is vocalised as a constant reminder from the father figure, played with reserved sincerity by Sterling K. Brown.

“We don’t have the luxury of being average,” he growls at his son, Tyler. A lower note on the casting list, Brown is the film’s core, an impenetrable knot of physical strength, professionalism and persistence. His choice of rigorous discipline over affection may sound clichéd but the performance from Brown is anything but; the plain-talking education that he bestows upon Tyler is as hard on him as it is on his son,

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who chooses to respond with casual indifference when every “Waves is a neonother signal radiating from him says otherwise. drenched Floridian When the tightly wound mechanics of the household splin- melodrama of distinct, ter, tragedy ensues, and an intergenerational sub-narrative consequential acts. It blossoms into the film’s final chapter. It’s here that another turns a contemporary pair of stars-on-the-rise steps into the fold: Tyler’s younger nuclear family sister Emily (Taylor Russell) and Luke (Lucas Hedges). Both inside out under the are enchantingly aligned, a giddy breeze that rolls over the tender guidance of still sadness of the film before it. Hedges has harnessed a writer-director Trey great range of roles over his short but impressive career, but Edwards Shults.” proves here that he can happily play the love interest without treading on the toes of Russell’s youngest child.

Both as a director and screenwriter, Shults pours an almost unbearable sense of duty onto the shoulders of the family, which makes their admittance of failure all the more difficult to behold. The home that they live in is spotless, their cars and belongings modern, but the cost of obtaining these things is drawn out over long, extreme close-ups, often lit by a saturated rainbow of flashing police lights, dance floors or the commercial signs that pepper nocturnal Florida.

Words The runtime is a little indulgent at over two hours, but gen- Beth Webb erous towards the many collaborators who fling Waves into the realm of the extraordinary. A carefully assembled, multidisciplinary account of tragedy will never look more hand- A24 Films some than this. Compelling viewing for 2020. a24films.com

Making the Space GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL

Still from Agnes Joy. Directed by Silja Hauksdóttir.

Glasgow prides itself on is its lack of hierarchy; there are “Glasgow prides Glasgow Film Festival transports audiences to dizzy new heights in the annual Country Focus programme, this year no press and industry screenings in the programme, so all itself on is its lack spotlighting Iceland and its exemplary film scene. “I do think visitors can share the same experience. “I really want to avoid of hierarchy; there they punch above their weight in terms of cinematic output,” having any sort of elitist tag around the festival,” Gardner are no press and explains. With this in mind, Country Focus offers a melange industry screenings says Allison Gardner, Programme Director for the festival.

“Glasgow has a very roots-up music scene and so does Ice- of titles for Icelandic cinephiles and newcomers alike, whilst in the programme, so land. I think that cold, damp countries ultimately encourage playing on the recent success of international hits like Ben- all visitors can share people to be creative.” Music plays prominently in the pro- edikt Erlingsson’s prize-winning feminist eco-drama Woman the same experience.

'I really want to gramme, therefore, with Gardner keen to embrace the coun- at War and Grímur Hákonarson’s rural family affair Rams.

“If I had to recommend films for newcomers to Icelandic avoid having any try’s thriving scene by honouring a stalwart native. “We’re doing a Björk night,” she reports happily. “Her first film, The cinema, I’d definitely say Echo and The County,” she says. sort of elitist tag.'”

Juniper Tree, turns 30 in the same month as the festival, so we’ll “Echo is a kind of documentary-fiction mosaic about festive be hosting an anniversary screening in her honour, and we’ve season Iceland, which stretches across homeless people to families, with a different scene for each scenario. So, it’s like a also found a 35mm print of Screaming Masterpiece.”

The Country Focus strand will host seven UK premieres at mini snapshot of Icelandic life.” The County is Hákonarson’s the festival in February, including Silja Hauksdóttir’s Agnes fictional follow-up to Rams and follows a rebellious widow’s Joy, a comedy-drama about a dissatisfied mother and her fight against injustice in her small rural community.

The Country Focus joins a throng of recurring programme rebellious daughter who are charmed by a visiting actor. “I really like this one,” says Gardner. “As a mother of two teen- segments for this year’s festival. Utilising the city’s many Words agers myself it really chimed in with me.” The film will also unique settings, GFF hosts a series of imaginative live cinema Beth Webb be one of 10 from the festival programme nominated for the events, which this year take visitors to Neo Glasgow for a speAudience Award, a prize reserved exclusively for first- and cial immersive screening of Korean horror Train to Busan, or second-time directors. “The Audience Award is great because the far reaches of space for an enchanting family showing of Glasgow Film Festival these films need us to help shine a spotlight on them,” says Wall-E. Audiences will struggle to find a festival as assured in 26 February - 8 March its identity yet so willing to embrace others as this.

Gardner. “And the audience is really important to us.” glasgowfilm.org

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Image: © Zoe Rain.

music

A Tapestry of Ideas DRAMA Na’el Shehade (beats) and Via Rosa (vocals) are in their Chicago studio, munching on tacos and piecing together the setlist for their upcoming tour. The duo record and perform as dance pop act DRAMA, and the setlist they’re composing will no doubt feature a good number of tracks from their upcoming album, Dance Without Me (released 15 February, Ghostly International). It’s an accomplished and pleasing debut. Rosa’s lush, smoky alto is couched in Shehade’s expert, mid-tempo house beats. The result splits the difference between rugged (Shehade has a background in hip hop collaborations, having worked with titans such as Kanye and the windy city’s very own Chance the Rapper) and ruminative.

The pair first met in Chicago, at a studio where the Chi-town native was producing an album for a mutual friend. “She insisted we work together,” remembers Rosa, who moved to the city in 2010. “But it took about a year before we got together in the studio.” They bonded over a number of things in those first months: food (both have worked in the food industry), Disney flicks, romcom classics. “We watched a lot of My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), which is probably what influenced the lyrics about love, marriage and seeing myself at a wedding with no one to dance with,” says Rosa.

Love (both lost and found) runs throughout the album – a gently melancholic theme that feels comforting and relatable, stirring rather than morose. Lifetime, with its strings and

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promises (“I’ll give you a lifetime to figure this out”), elevates “Love (both lost house to cinematic levels of emotional grandeur, whilst For- and found) runs ever and a Day bubbles and thrums defiantly in spite of the throughout the heartbreak that laces the lyrics. “Honestly,” says Rosa, “what album – a gently ties the songs together is the track list, and how it mirrors the melancholic theme timeline of my life. Na’el turned my stories into a musical.” that feels comforting Like all good crate-diggers, Shehade cites a range of early and relatable, stirring influences. “The overall blend was 1990s/2000s pop, hip- rather than morose. hop and house music; Portishead, Fiona Apple, Nas, DJ Pre- Lifetime, with its mier, Daft Punk, Paul Johnson.” It’s a varied palette to pull strings and promises, from and explains why DRAMA sounds soulful rather than elevates house to formulaic. As the architect of the band’s sound, Shehade is cinematic levels.” undeniably talented, very much a son of the city that raised him. “My brothers were both DJs and promoters in the 1990s when house music was taking the city by storm. They’d sneak me into parties when I was 13. It was an education.”

An Arab American of Palestinian descent, Shehade also credits Palestine as a deep influence, having travelled to the Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem in 2017 and 2018 to teach music workshops. “When you think of refugee camps, you Words think of the lack of basic human rights, and that's exactly Charlotte R-A what it was. But I also witnessed how happy and motivated the students were to be alive and making art; it made me realise how much we take for granted. That might have been the Ghostly International most humbling and eye-opening experience I’ve had.” ghostly.com

Exploring Vulnerability KATIE GATELY

Courtesy of Jasmine Safaeian.

“Grief feels like a seizure – an earthquake erupting inside subway in NYC. I created many of the instrumental record- “Death is an your body,” explains Katie Gately. “Earthquakes feel very ings back and forth between NYC and LA, and then did the inescapable fact of well-aligned with this sensation sonically; they are often felt final vocal recordings in LA, where I had a recording set-up.” life, but often we pull Gately takes on a number of narrative positions through- away from it. I just before they are heard. They sneak up on you, travelling vertically from your toes to your nose, hitting your eardrums out the album; Flow is written from the perspective of her think publicly talking mother. In Tower, she inhabits the medicine that confronts the about these things is later. Both subtle and violent ... just like grief.”

The American musician and producer speaks from harrow- cancer and in Allay she speaks as the cancer as a character. useful. I've benefitted ing experience: in 2018, two years after the release of her “I think [anthropomorphising the cancer] was an attempt to from other artists' 2016 debut Color [via Tri Angle] marked her as a one-to- feel less powerless. I had so much anger watching my mother darker work, so I'm watch, Gately lost her mother to an extremely rare form of suffer. I was witnessing the disease's power and trying so hard eager to express these cancer. The record she’d been writing before the diagnosis to understand it. It was like trying to empathise with a socio- emotions out loud.” was promptly shelved, and a new album – one in which she path – impossible. But I wanted to capture that feeling in a could explore and document this life-shattering period – was song, the way you would an antagonist in a film. It felt important to encounter the villain and look them right in the eyes.” begun, complete with samples of real-life earthquakes.

Listening to the completed album for the first time was akin Loom, released 14 February via Houndstooth, is a stunning, strange and – at times – an almost overwhelming explora- to an exorcism, says Gately. “I think performing it live will be tion of, and document to, Gately’s loss. Her deft and play- an enormous effort, but well worth it. Death is an inescapable ful use of found-sound samples, chosen for their associative fact of life, but often we pull away from it – mainly to protect power, take on an otherworldly direction: peacocks scream- ourselves. I just think publicly talking about these things is ing, pill bottles shaking, a coffin closing, wolves howling, a useful. And I've benefitted from other artists' darker work, so Words Charlotte R-A shovel digging, a paper shredder, stone grinding and heavily I'm eager to express these emotions out loud.”

There are obvious differences between Color and Loom, processed audio from her parents’ wedding.

Loom was made in nocturnal fits and bursts, during periods and yet the latter retains the paint box approach Gately has of intense insomnia. “I wrote most of the lyrics in my child- to melody and texture. Retaining that sense of self as an Houndstooth hood bedroom [in Los Angeles] at night, but also on the artist was important to Gately, who’s already writing again. houndstoothlabel.com

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Image: © Masdar.

books

Greener Landscapes RETURN TO THE SOURCE You only need to look at the plume of flames engulfing Australia right now to see what Greta Thunberg means when she said: “Our house is on fire.” Across the world, we’re seeing first-hand disastrous effects of the climate crisis, and the increasing urgency to cut carbon emissions and stay within the two-degree barrier as projected by the IPCC. At the centre of this global transition is the Land Art Generator Initiative, an annual design competition that focuses on how renewable energy can create sustainable solutions.

For its 2019 iteration, entrants from around the world were asked to envision renewable energy-producing artworks for the UAE’s Masdar city in Abu Dhabi, and the winning projects are detailed in Prestel’s new book, Return to the Source.

With a foreword by the initiative’s co-directors, Elizabeth Monoian and Robert Ferry, and essays by a number of leading industry experts, the publication includes plans and detailed descriptions of two winners, as well as 26 shortlisted entries. “The recent history of climate communications may have taught us that people are not motivated to action through apocalyptic warnings and threats,” note Monoian and Ferry. “Rather, we are driven to act by the desire for a better world. Something captivating is needed to convince us that the transition to a post-carbon world has a happy ending, and the story it tells us must be culturally relevant.”

Overall, the competition promises to “design a future that

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people desire to run towards,” by suggesting natural energy- “The projects featured based solutions through the lens of public art, therefore offer- paint a promising ing “easy on the eyes” alternatives to wind turbines or dams. picture of life Amongst these is runner up Sun Flower, a towering kinetic beyond the inferno sculpture that collects energy through solar panels fixed atop – something that is gigantic “petals” that – arranged in a lattice structure – stretch achievable. They raise out during the daylight hours, providing well-needed shade important insights to those down below. At night, some of the energy collected is into how sustainable used to illuminate the structure so that the translucent petals infrastructure can radiate a golden glow. Sun Flower heralds a new era in sustain- pave the way for ability, where art, energy production and our built environ- communities.” ment can co-exist symbiotically,” say Monoian and Ferry.

Admittedly, the essays in Return to the Source can be convoluted in parts. The book starts with a general introduction of the history of the sustainability movement, before tumbling into heavy stats territory of the finances needed to “solve” the climate crisis (between $3-4 trillion per year, apparently).

Another essay touches on the history of land art in the UAE, whilst the following gives a site-specific breakdown of design management within Masdar city, making for dense reading.

Words Nevertheless, the projects featured in the publication paint Gunseli Yalcinkaya a promising picture of life beyond the inferno – something that is possible and achievable. They raise important insights into how sustainable infrastructure can pave the way for Prestel Publishing communities, and how people will inhabit these new spaces. prestel.com

Aesthetic Excess LESS IS A BORE whose book Complexity and Contradiction in America laid down the foundations for a new way of thinking.

Venturi’s main concern with minimalism wasn’t so much that it didn’t work, but that it required a highly restrictive set of rules that do not take into consideration local cultures, histories, traditions and environments. “Venturi advocated for an architecture that would both reflect and perhaps even make sense of this new world: revelling in its complexities and contradictions, rather than trying to solve them,” explains Hopkins, who applies these principles to our current age of political and economic transformation. We are now characterised by automation and a blurring of physical and digital worlds.

Despite its radical origins, Postmodernism developed a bad reputation by the late 1990s, becoming synonymous with the corporate, financially deregulated era of Thatcher and Reagan (Hopkins describes it as a “dirty word, one that no self-respecting architect would dare mutter”). Yet “its legacy has been pervasive. Issues of place, context and meaning that have their origins in Postmodern theory have been internalised as part of nearly every architect’s thinking – even if they don’t necessarily realise or appreciate it,” he says. Whilst the book doesn’t move on to explain how its influences can be seen throughout contemporary design, or why its principles can guide us into the future, Venturi’s message of adaptability seems increasingly relevant to our ever-changing world.

“Whilst Modernism was stripped back – swallowing cities with increasingly uniform concrete – Postmodernism revelled in excess.

Inside this publication is a fancy-dress box of surface, pattern and iconography.”

Words Gunseli Yalcinkaya

Phaidon phaidon.com

Ettore Sottsass, Mourmans House, Lanaken, Belgium, 2002. Image taken from Postmodern Architecture: Less is a Bore, by Owen Hopkins, published by Phaidon, £29.95 (phaidon.com).

If we were to ask ourselves which architectural style has been most vilified throughout history, it would be Postmodernism.

The movement emerged in the 1970s as a radical riposte to the hegemony of Modernism. It was characterised as a “wild abandon” – favouring bold forms, ornaments and embellished materials such as raw timber and exposed concrete.

The movement is the focus of Less is a Bore, a new publication by curator and architectural critic Owen Hopkins, which details over 200 buildings that make the most of colour and shape, asking whether maximalism is making a comeback.

It begins with an introduction by Hopkins, who situates the movement as a contrast to the dictum “less is more.” Whilst Modernism was stripped back – swallowing cities with increasingly uniform concrete – Postmodernism revelled in excess.

Inside this experimental publication is a fancy-dress box of surface, pattern and iconography, including projects by the likes of Studio Mutt, Camille Walala and Robert Stern, whose structures bear a stronger resemblance to a slice of Battenberg cake than they do a Mies van der Rohe.

“The doctrine ‘less is more’ bemoans complexity and justifies exclusion for expensive purposes,” says Hopkins, whose aim is to “reveal and celebrate maximalism in all of its forms, and in doing so provoke and inspire the next generation of designers.” It’s fitting, then, that the publication’s name is taken from the godfather of postmodernism, Robert Venturi,

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film reviews

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And Then We Danced LEVAN AKIN

It’s refreshing to see a Georgian take on a well-worn LGBTQ+ narrative. And Then We Danced charts the awakening of an adolescent’s same-sex desire by a handsome interloper, whose union is ultimately frustrated by society’s heteronormative design. The film differentiates itself from hits like Call Me By Your Name (2017) by the radical act of its production. The first LGBTQ+ film made in conservative Georgia, it encountered homophobic sentiment throughout its shoot: from death-threats to protests by clergy, ultra-Nationalists and far-right groups.

Writer-director Levan Akin adopts a measured approach to the story of Merab (Levan Gelbakhiani), a dancer at the Georgian National Ensemble who falls in love with Irakli, a newcomer from Batumi (played by Bachi Valishvili). Their covert glances speak volumes. But is there a future for them in staunchly religious Georgia?

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Words Daniel Pateman

Peccadillo Pictures peccapics.com

Be Natural PAMELA B. GREEN

Funded by a Kickstarter campaign, Pamela B. Green’s documentary about film pioneer Alice Guy-Blaché is a curious journey. Green’s boundless enthusiasm powers this film, but there’s a naïve quality as Green bounces, puppy-like, from interview to interview.

Compared to the Lumière brothers, say, Guy-Blaché is certainly a forgotten figure, and Green does an admirable job in digging into the life and work of a woman who slipped through the cracks. Guy-Blaché was originally a secretary for Léon Gaumont, but she eventually made it to America, where she set up her own studio, Solax, in 1910, before events conspired against her.

It’s a fascinating story, especially if you’re new to GuyBlaché, as so many of the famous interviewees are; directors from Peter Farrelly (Green Book), Jon Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) and Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight) all ex-

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It’s clear from the beginning that both men are closet non-conformists. Despite his talent, Merab’s routines are repeatedly halted, chided for being “too soft” when he should be “like a monument.” Irakli is more suited to Georgian dance’s masculine stoicism – broad-shouldered and executing bold, unencumbered moves with precision – but his difference is noted when he joins the group casually sporting an earring.

Impressive in their debuts, Gelbakhiani and Valishvili convey an easy intimacy that’s heightened by the film’s naturalism. The camera roves through Tbilisi beside the two leads whilst long takes show them united in elated silence. And Then We Danced may offer a narrative which is over-familiar in the West, but it’s a bold statement in Georgia: a compassionate call for understanding from a society at the crossroads of tradition and modernisation.

press their amazement that they’ve never heard of her.

Of course, the archivists and film historians with whom Green liaises do know exactly who she is, so it’s hardly like Guy-Blaché has entirely been erased from history.

Green also ignores certain facts – not least the release of a 2009 box-set that featured 66 of her groundbreaking shorts – as she styles the film like a breathless thriller.

Featuring numerous maps tracing her continent-hopping investigation, this restless quality is one of Be Natural’s more frustrating elements, with big-name interviewees (Gillian Armstrong) given seconds of screen time.

The archive footage of Guy-Blaché and her movies is beautiful, especially one scene that moulds black-andwhite clips into the modern-day Parisian streets. As an introduction to her oeuvre, Green’s film is exemplary – but viewers might search for a slightly less frenetic approach.

Words James Mottram

Modern Films modernfilms.com

Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am TIMOTHY GREENFIELD-SANDERS

In his latest documentary, Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders turns the lens on one of America’s greatest and most important writers. This film comprises interviews with Hilton Als, Angela Davis, Fran Lebowitz, Sonia Sanchez and Oprah Winfrey, but the work is truly brought to life when Toni Morrison faces the camera to narrate her past and the experiences living through politically tumultuous times. There is something mesmerising about watching Morrison speak as she addresses viewers face-on (none of the other interviewees do). It’s an unusual and intimate set-up but one that never feels like a performance or a lesson.

As she recounts in one anecdote, Morrison discovered the power of words at a young age. She would, as audiences are well aware, go on to excel in using them, first at school, then at Howard University, where she played an

active role in the drama department. This, she claimed, would influence her prose style as a novelist (as one critic puts it, her fiction is at once “pedestrian and Shakespearean”). Later, she would find a job as an editor in New York, which brought her closer to many African American activists and writers leading the struggle for a fairer America during the civil rights movement. It was around this time that Morrison began to write novels, beginning with the world-renowned title The Bluest Eye (1970).

For the most part, Greenfield-Sanders’ film is a pretty conventional talking-heads documentary, which often relies on older interviews and montage. However, it does a good job at discussing the historical contexts of Morrison’s work and explaining why, precisely, her novels changed the face of American literature by dismantling many of the assumptions surrounding African American narratives.

Words Christopher Webb

Republic Film Distribution republicfilmdistribution.co.uk

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music reviews

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I Bloom MIEKO SHIMIZU

Mieko Shimizu – a London-based Japanese left-field electronic artist – creates a haunting, sinister and yet incredibly precise descent into warm water. I Bloom is a smattering of modern modular synth landscapes meeting sparse traditional live instrumentation. At its strongest, it harnesses the Koto (Japanese harp) to devastatingly powerful effect, telling stories that feel poetic and ancient. Album opener Me My Ghost (as Shimizu explains) was created as a means to explore leaving the safety of the house – communicating to the spirits of the night, understanding them and thus accepting one’s own skeletons in the closet.

It’s esoteric, and yet, somehow, like the rest of this taut journey of a record, it makes sense. Long meandering songs get glitchy where they need to be, chilling at one turn and touching at another. The rollercoaster of Aleilla drifts from relaxed meditation into the groans of Shimizu

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Words Kyle Bryony

Street Furniture Records miekoshimizu.com

Vices PEGGY SUE

From the opening moments of gently strummed guitar on I Wanna Be Your Girl, Peggy Sue transports the listener to a hazy place somewhere back in the 1960s with a hint of 1990s-inspired garage-rock thrown in for good measure. Peggy Sue is a contemporary London-based duo comprising Katy Young and Rosa Slade who make a confident return with fourth album Vices, the first fulllength release by the duo since 2014’s Choir of Echoes.

Its 10 tracks are bittersweet tales of love and distraction characterised by chiming guitar and tender harmonies.

For this album, the pair also took inspiration from Deep Throat Choir – the 30-strong singing group – with whom the duo have previously performed.

With collaborative working to the fore, Ben Gregory (Grip Tight) features on bass along with drummer Dan Blackett (Landshapes) and Euan Hinshelwood

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falling down an empty canyon-sounding space, floating and transcending realms. Heavy, emotionally weighted keys insert drama at every corner. Lazy Light (one of two duets with William D. Drake) feels more Serge Gainsbourg by the moment, bolstering as a rally cry and yet equally as tear-inducing and emotive.

It feels alien and yet strangely like we are allowed a rare opportunity to peek into a very personal, very connected world, similar and yet more off-kilter than our own. The truly unbelievable My Shell is so painfully sombre in its detuned piano strokes that even the Björk-reminiscent choppy vocals take you away from the heightened emotion of it all. Album highlight and fervent rush of a song The Change Is Coming is as classic-sounding Massive Attack as one can get, dipping and diving through key changes with such intensity that it is difficult to take a breath.

(Younghusband) whilst long-time collaborator Jimmy Robertson has been brought back on board to produce.

Recording initially in Berlin and then London, Peggy Sue focused on darkness and light in a quest to deliver what it defines as “messed-up love songs for things that feel good but are not necessarily good for you.” The album cover art even taps into that equivocation, featuring a photograph of a glass of orange juice by Joana Polonia – a deliberate flirtation with ambiguity.

The interplay between the positive and negative is a feature throughout Peggy Sue songs, though never more prominent than here. In particular, Souvenirs walks that line to perfection with a feeling of contented melancholy and luxurious chord changes whilst Better Days jauntily sashays by. As long as Peggy Sue continues to sound so celebratory and lugubrious, its future is assured.

Words Matt Swain

French Exit peggysue.bandcamp.com

Leave What’s Lost Behind COLONY HOUSE

In a beautiful idea for a concept album, Tennessee natives Colony House have constructed 13 songs detailing an inter-generational tale of a runaway, buried deep in a family’s folklore. The record provides a novel wrapped in cinematic pop akin to Vampire Weekend, with rousing and firesome lyrics perfect for encapsulating a comingof-age story. Bright and uncomplicated production mixing classic stock drum loops with live musicianship give it the aesthetic of a record with Dangermouse at the helm, with the floaty optimism of The Shins.

Album highlight El Capitan is gem nestled in the feelgood gooey centre of the project – heady finger clicks and sing along positivity. More hammed-up moments occur in Where I’m From, but they still have subtle touches despite being over-polished – balancing carefully on the edge of disingenuous. The four to the floor bounce

of Take It Slow is truly inspired, with the ear worm lyric “I want to be alive, while I am alive” echoing throughout, and the twisty pitched guitars of Julia back vibey production with Queen-esque harmony vocals.

Colony House has given us a varied and storied, thick book of a record and yet still made it relatable enough to appeal to the daytime TV shows in which they have appeared. The running runaway strand of the album tugs on everybody’s heartstrings, and the catalyst of its success in doing so is undoubtedly the production and orchestration. There's something special to be found here.

Live strings, gentle piano and heavily reverbed lyrics take you to beside a fire, comforted, listening to this tale unfold. Leave What’s Lost Behind is a wintery bluster of accessible high emotion, singing that inherent, buried feeling we all contain of wanting to escape.

Words Kyle Bryony

Roon Records colonyhousemusic.com

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book reviews

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The World’s Best Architecture PHAIDON EDITORS

“We’re not here to build for other architects, we’re here to build for all of humankind.” The World’s Best Architecture opens with these words from renowned Danish designer Bjarke Ingels. It is an all-encompassing quote which defines the book: a compilation of buildings chosen by the people who use them. Architizer’s A+Awards programme is judged by communities around the world, offering the public a rare platform to be at the centre of the discussion. The result is a diverse and wide-reaching compendium of over 150 projects – where established and emerging names are printed side-by-side.

Architecture-lovers may recognise some of these visually striking structures. Kengo Kuma & Associates’ structure for V&A Dundee is a compelling new museum connecting the River Tay and the city. The institution, which is inspired by nearby cliffs, has social interaction

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Words Eleanor Sutherland

Phaidon phaidon.com

Faceworld MARION ZILIO

Marion Zilio's latest title, Faceworld: The Face in the Twenty-First Century, charts the history of the technical, economic, political, legal and artistic fabrication of the face.

In it, Zilio argues that the narcissism of the selfie may well be a chance for us to come to terms with the non-human part of ourselves – to understand the technical aspect of our face and digest our role as consumers, communicators and human beings in today’s hyper-visual world.

The title is in-depth, well-considered and inherently reflective. It begins with the date the word “selfie” was added to the Oxford English Dictionary (2013) and builds upon its ties to the “Facebookisation” of the world (Facebook having launched in 2004.) What follows is a series of cohesive and imaginative readings into contemporary culture – how we are experiencing unease as cameraphones diffuse the self-portrait into a cloud of pixels.

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and connectivity at its heart. Nature is also the inspiration for Steyn Studio’s Bosjes Chapel, which responds to its mountainous backdrop through undulating white forms.

Paul Keskeys, Architizer’s Content Director, names it a “new architectural icon for South Africa.”

There has never been a more important time to consider our relationship with the environment. A sustainable approach to architecture is demonstrated by a selection of award-winners. For example, New Yorkbased Terreform ONE’s mission is to design against extinction, whilst the No Footprint House in Costa Rica by A-01 responds to its habitat by passive climate control.

“The projects tell us not just about the nature of great architecture today but also what it could look like tomorrow,” Keskeys explains. This volume is marked by a creative spirit of continual innovation.

Of course, no reading into the selfie is without considering the anthropological journey we have taken – from gazing into mirrors and the Narcissus pools to paying for lavish painted portraits. We then move into the 20th and 21st century experimentation of masquerade through the works of Cindy Sherman, Gillian Wearing and Claude Cahun. Zilio doesn’t disappoint; she covers all this and much, much more, including data-mapping, political economies and contemporary aesthetics.

Beyond the highly convincing arguments, the book is, above all, optimistic. After covering the ground of data dissemination, issues of security and the dark “oblivion” of images sent down the Snapchat wormhole, Zilio makes a wonderful case for the 90 million images uploaded to Instagram each day – that they may merely be part of a new stage “essential to our psychic development.”

Words Kate Simpson

Polity politybooks.com

Video/Art: The First Fifty Years BARBARA LONDON

When technology boomed in the 1960s, art changed forever. Video/Art: The First Fifty Years is abundant with facts on the technological revolution that led to video art and the ongoing mutation of media art. Written by Barbara London (b. 1946) – curator and spokesperson – the book delves into video as a fundamental art medium, alongside stories from London’s professional life.

Beginning in Manhattan in 1968, readers plunge into a hub of buzzing counterculture via memories of pivotal experimentation and underground screenings frequented by influencers like Patti Smith, Andy Warhol, John Cage and Merce Cunningham. “I realised [upon watching Cunningham perform] that art could consist of everyday actions carried out live, rather than static images locked down in concrete forms,” recounts London.

The chapter Defining a Medium, Defining a Field de-

tails the dawn of video, outlining bold experiments and puckish risks taken by trailblazers like Nam June Paik and Robert Rauschenberg. Moving to the importance of intersectionality, the chapter Multimedia: Video, Performance and Music catalogues groundbreaking artists such as Laurie Anderson and Joan Jonas.

Whilst performers skyrocketed video art from fringe form to a widely accepted medium, so did the increased accessibility of equipment – the text chronicles how gadgets have shrunk drastically from sedentary industry cameras to portable, handheld devices.

Looking to the future in a globalised world, London discusses how video art has advanced to media art, unavoidable with the rise of digital tools, graphics and the vast impact of the internet. How will artists continue to transcend traditional visual vocabularies?

Words Robyn Sian Cusworth

Phaidon phaidon.com

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Art. Architecture. Design.

Fashion. Photography.

Aesthetica The Art & Culture Magazine Issue 93 – February / March 2020

Aesthetica

THE ART & CULTURE MAGAZINE

www.aestheticamagazine.com

Issue 93 February / March 2020

TOWARDS PRESERVATION

LAYERS OF COMPLEXITY

REACTIVE INSTALLATIONS

BUILDING THE FUTURE

A major photographic survey looks at Yanomami communities in Brazil

Emmanuelle Moureaux suspends time for the Greenwich Peninsula

Cornelia Parker tells the truth about the current geopolitical emergency

The Design Museum presents an outline of the year’s best projects

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artists’ directory

SANDRA CATTANEO ADORNO Photographer Sandra Cattaneo Adorno explores the unique characteristics of Rio de Janeiro, combining elements of street photography with fine art. She captures a strong, golden light passing over the landscape, scattering dark contrasts.

The beguiling images not only capture people and moments, but also suggest something quintessential about the city – the sweet yearning that Brazilians call “saudade”, which hints at another level of reality: the invisible one of poetry and magic.

A multi-award-winning artist, Adorno has exhibited at shows and art fairs worldwide and has been featured in The Guardian, The Times and National Geographic, amongst others.

Her first book, The Other Half of the Sky, was published in 2019 and she is currently working on a second book on Rio de Janeiro, to be published

by Radius Books in April 2020.

www.sandracattaneoadorno.com Instagram: @sandracattaneoadorno

ANA FATIA Ana Fatia is a designer and art director based between Lisbon and Shanghai. Widely celebrated, she was considered one of the 150 most promising and talented designers of the world by the Salone Satellite during Salone del Mobile.Milano and at Now! Le Off at Paris Design Week.

An Industrial Design graduate from ESAD Arte & Design, she is passionate about investigating and experimenting with raw substances, challenging conventions with every artwork.

Her latest projects are inspired by human anatomy, transforming materials into bio-organic forms, through high technology, craftsmanship and sustainable production. Incomoda was an award winner at Design Shanghai 2019 and was acquired

by DuPont as part of a permanent exhibition at the DuPont Shanghai Innovation Center. MirrorMine (top) is a result of pure craftsmanship and questions the digital world where we are split between physical and online identities. It was created exclusively for the 5th edition of Design Shanghai.

www.anafatia.com Instagram: @anafatia

For submission enquiries regarding the Artists’ Directory, contact Katherine Smira on (0044) (0)844 568 2001 or directory@aestheticamagazine.com

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artists’ directory

TAE HO KIM

PAUL BROWN Abstract artist Paul Brown expresses a love of colour, line and layers through his varied practice. In each piece, he adjusts the space on the canvas, offering endless vibrant possibilities and interactions between shapes. The works delve into the subconscious – seeing an image through to its resolution.

www.riseart.com/artist/paul-brown | Instagram: @paulbrownart

Holding an MA in Visual Communication from the Royal College of Art, Tae Ho Kim focuses on reinterpreting the visible world through geometric structures. The Imperfect Visual Materialism series asks the question: what position does illusion hold in modern, visual culture? The resulting works play with patterns as symbolic expression.

Kim believes the expression of optical illusion to be underestimated, noting: “the highly sophisticated mathematical structure and the profound scientific approach that make the illusion have been less emphasised than its aesthetic and playful elements.”

www.rca.ac.uk/students/tae-ho-kim

JAZMIN DONALDSON Buenos Aires-born, London-based artist Jazmin Donaldson explores storytelling within painting. Key influences include the richly-textured world of fairy tales and myths – she re-purposes known motifs to tell contemporary stories. Donaldson is particularly interested in women’s role in society – how we perceive it, how it changes over time and what feminism and the patriarchy mean today.

The work shown here is entitled ‘I’ve Heard It All Before’ Said Alice, and was created using oil and charcoal on canvas. In 2019 Donaldson received an MFA in Painting from the Slade School of Fine Art, UCL where she was a winner of the Sir Andrew Taylor Prize.

www.jazmindonaldson.com | IG: @jazmindonaldson_art

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JO DE PEAR Jo de Pear’s latest series has been made using the cyanotype print process, exposing sensitised paper to the strong light of the Caribbean sun.

A combination of tropical flora and sea coral, as well as multiple exposures is used to construct each unique piece. By layering and moving the subject matter, materials are left to cast long shadows in the breeze, and the burnt blue hues draw the viewer into a seemingly different world.

www.jodepear.com I Instagram: @jo_de_pear

andy farr

anthony lamb

Andy Farr is an award-winning British artist. His paintings invite the viewer to "wonder what may have happened, is happening or what might come to pass." As such, the works are a balancing act between the accidental and envisaged, and are executed in a visual style that connotes serendipity whilst incorporating layers of texture woven through a variety of media. www.andyfarr.com I Instagram: @andyfarrart

Anthony Lamb is a fine art photographer based in Dubai. He takes a minimalist approach. This simplicity shifts the viewer’s perspective; the imagery is less about actual place and more about emotional state. Lamb has exhibited internationally, collaborated with global companies and is a winner of prestigious awards including the PX3, IPA and ND Awards. www.anthonylambphotography.com | IG: @anthonylambphotography

ÇaĞla ulusoy

emily HlavÁČ green

Istanbul-born artist Çağla Ulusoy holds an MA in Painting from the Royal College of Art. After living throughout Europe and the USA, she is currently based in Mexico City – as such, she is inspired by the intersection of cultures and traditions. Her latest series explores the subject of fear controlling and dominating women's lives in society, and will be shown at Zonamaco, Mexico City, 5-9 February. www.caglaulusoy.com I IG: @cagla_ulusoy34

New York-based New Zealand artist Emily Hlaváč Green uses photography to document the esoteric beauty of everyday moments.

Spanning portraiture and travel, her work intersects intimacy, nostalgia and imagination. Clients include Vogue Italia, The New York Times, Reebok, Fitbit, Kathmandu, Tourism Dunedin and Jetstar. www.emilyhlavacgreen.com I Instagram: @emilyhlavacgreen

giles clarke

gritt sanders

Giles Clarke is an award-winning photojournalist with Getty Images Reportage. His work focuses almost entirely on capturing the human face of current and post-conflict issues throughout the world. Clarke is based in New York, where he is represented by Ilaria Quadrani Fine Arts.

Upcoming exhibitions include Art Market San Francisco, 23-26 April. www.gilesnclarke.com I Instagram: @clarkegiles

Copenhagen-based Gritt Sanders seeks to create stories that seem to float in an timeless, imaginative universe. Painterly expression and symbolic features underline the fluid, figurative artworks. As a multimedia artist, Sanders begins with a photographic image and augments it using textured layers of lighting and brushwork to create the seemingly hypnotic pieces. www.grittsanders.com I Instagram: @grittsanders

For submission enquiries regarding the Artists’ Directory, contact Katherine Smira on (0044) (0)844 568 2001 or directory@aestheticamagazine.com

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Jessie Woodward

jiŘÍ kamenskich

Jessie Woodward uses painting and mark-making as playful and spontaneous forms of media. Vivid, energetic and unique, the finished works draw attention to the dynamics between colours, shapes, ratios and textures. Woodward is interested in how vibrant and abstract compositions can evoke "visual energetic joy and pleasure" in the viewer. www.jessiewoodward.co.uk | Instagram: @jessieabstract

Czech artist Jiří Kamenskich is interested in our relationship to the landscape. Of the Picking & Hunting series, he notes: "One of the biggest polluters is lead ammunition used in fishing and shooting. I collect and clean the lead, then melt it down and put it into a hole in the ground.

Finally, I dig out the mould. Each "thorn" sculpture has its own heritage – the place where the material was collected." www.jirikamenskich.com

julijana ravbar

kirstine mengel

Julijana Ravbar is an abstract artist based in Slovenia. The foundation of her work is in the balance of shape and line with colour and texture – an intuitive, visual diary of an interior language. Shown here is the 2019 large-scale acrylic painting entitled Morning Sea. Ravbar's works can be found across the world in private collections and commercial businesses. www.artfinder.com/julijana-ravbar I Instagram: @julijana_ravbar_art

Kirstine Mengel is a Danish architectural photographer, specialising in creating space and capturing the lines of manmade structures. The style of her work is influenced by visual serenity, light and minimalism.

The multi-award-winning Stairs series highlights Mengel's signature emphasis on graphic elements enveloped in a Nordic style. www.kirstinemengel.dk I Instagram: @kirstinemengel

kiyora

melba juez-perrone

Kiyora’s detailed papercutting works aim to depict the changing pockets of energy that make up our universe. Through bold, patterned contradictions, the compositions express light and dark, movement and stillness – using paper as a plane of representation and an outlet for creative expression: a source of energy in its own right. Kiyora is based in Japan. http://kiyora888.mods.jp I Instagram: @kiyora888

Melba Juez-Perrone sees painting as a visual representation of the poetry inside us. Each of her works is an expression of these emotions, through colourful and vivid portraits and still lifes. The pictures evoke her multicultural background – moving from Guayaquil, Ecuador to Boston for her studies, and then to Harvard, where she is currently based. www.melbajuezperrone.com

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ole gahms henriksen

orla o'byrne

Ole Gahms Henriksen is a Danish painter and ceramic artist who moved to Spain, deeply influenced by the curves of the mountains in Andalusia, the local sunlight and the serenity of the Mediterranean. Using acrylic on canvas, he plays with colour variation, light, repetition and layers, evoking a spiritual understanding of minimalism. The acrylics on canvas – shown here – are ma2018-20 and ma2018-10. www.olegahms.dk

Irish artist Orla O’Byrne's large-scale chalk drawings, projections and works in plaster deal with themes of impermanence, authenticity in art and the human compulsion to cling on to what we know. A graduate of the Crawford College of Art and Design, she has won numerous awards.

Her solo show, A drift, opens on 4 March at the James Barry Exhibition Centre, Cork. www.orlaobyrne.com | Instagram: @orla_o_byrne

patricia heuker of hoek

ria lins

Patricia Heuker of Hoek is a Dutch photographer influenced by humanity's intervention with the planet. Layering natural imagery with ethereal portraits, the three-piece Fragile series draws attention to floods, smog and plastic distribution. The works express the fragility of ecosystems and their precariousness with the future: "our (mis)behavior with our planet and therefore our children." www.worldoftries.com I Instagram: @worldoftries

Utilising a variety of materials, Belgium-based Ria Lins creates jewellery that responds to the ideas surrounding relationships and human contact.

The pieces in the Unexpected Colours series are tactile and soft, weaving strands as an expression of movement and connection. They bring together threads which stand as a metaphor for interpersonal dialogues. www.ria-lins.be

romaine kaufman

susan borowitz

Romaine Kaufman uses abstract expressionism as a visual tool, connecting human energy and "the spirituality of nature between land and water." The works are a response to the world as it develops globally – offering an impression of various geographies as they change and react to our emotions and desires. Originally from Western Australia, Kaufman is currently based in Florida. www.romainekaufman.com

Susan Borowitz is an American photographic artist who works primarily in conceptual staged narratives, focusing on themes that reflect the experience of women – particularly ageing women – in an unwelcoming society. Her Locked-In series explores the phenomenon of feeling stuck, especially in midlife, and the inability to control the forces that affect our existence. www.susanborowitzphoto.com I Instagram: @stuffdog2

For submission enquiries regarding the Artists’ Directory, contact Katherine Smira on (0044) (0)844 568 2001 or directory@aestheticamagazine.com

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artists’ directory

Adriana Poterash

alejandra estrada

Chicago-based artist Adriana Poterash explores a diversity of media to achieve a strong visual impact. Combining oil painting, photo-transfers, digital painting and three-dimensional layering, she offers an innovative approach to contemporary art. Daily images of common objects, random people and scenes of city life are altered and reassembled into a seamless world of unexpected unions. www.adrianapoterash.com

Alejandra Estrada is an artist and fashion designer based in Mexico City. Her art is the central source of inspiration for her women's and unisex clothing brand Alysta, with prints of paintings featuring on many of the fashion pieces.

She has also displayed oil-oncanvas artworks at exhibitions in London, Chicago and Mexico City. www.alystaclothing.com Instagram: @aliestrada Instagram: @alysta.clothing

Expectations. Oil, collage and photo-transfer.

Anjali B Purkayastha

London-based artist अ Anjali B Purkayastha employs an intricate, illustrative style. She creates visual narratives which are rich in a wide vocabulary of patterns; these are rooted in traditional Asian art forms.

The viewer is urged to approach each piece with stillness and silence, to allow for a personal connection.

Purkayastha's work has been exhibited in India, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and the UK. Instagram: @anjalibpurkayastha

Brett Dyer

Dark Side, 2019. Mixed media on wood panel, 12in x 12in.

Christian Nze

Claudia Pombo

Christian Nze is an emerging artist based in Paris. He specialises in visual identity, typography, brochures, posters, editorial, digital two-dimensional art, three-dimensional art, as well as cover art for singles and albums.

Shown here is personal work from Behind my Mind – a "series of abstract posters that represent three of my everyday moods." www.cnze.design Instagram: @cnzestudio

Brazilian-Dutch painter Claudia Pombo offers an adapted view of nature and human situations.

Her creative expressions include Amazonian mythology and metaphysical art, as well as landscapes. The works shown here depict the Karajá, who according to myth were immortal when they lived in the "inner world"; when they decided to explore the "outer world", they became mortal. www.clpombo.wordpress.com

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Brett Dyer is a professor and artist based in Dallas. His latest series combines figures with evocative colours and patterns, revealing the complexity of the human spirit.

Dyer’s work has been shown in numerous exhibitions throughout the USA and he is winner of an excellence in teaching award from the Dallas County Community College District. www.brettdyerart.com Instagram: @brettleedyer

Cristina Troufa

diana whiley

Portuguese artist Cristina Troufa creates autobiographical paintings; as a form of self-knowledge and self-questioning, the work explores her inner world. She notes: "It's something spiritual – a route between several lives and several times in the same life, coexisting side by side from strategies of self-representation that question the meaning of life.” www.cristina-troufa.blogspot.com Instagram: @cristina_troufa

Australia-based digital artist Diana Whiley is inspired by nature and its impact on the psyche – its influence on the creation of rituals and myths. She is currently creating abstract and moody pieces as a response to numerous visits to the Adelaide Botanic Garden.

She likes to preserve moments that evoke a sense of place. www.dianakwhiley.weebly.com Instagram: @dizwhi

Eleanor McKnight

ELIRD

Eleanor McKnight harnesses colour and depth to evoke a sense of escapism and serenity. Living between London and the Turks and Caicos Islands allows her to absorb the mood of each location and pay homage to the beauty of our planet.

She is currently represented by NYA Gallery in New York; upcoming fairs include Bath Art Fair and Contemporary Art Fairs – Surrey. www.emcknightart.com Instagram: @eleanormcknightart

Founded by Ena Mulavdic and Ebrahim Mohammadian Elird in Istanbul, ELIRD's ornate creations are one-of-a-kind – technically and artistically demanding pieces.

The works reflect upon life in all its gravitas: love, hate, happiness and sadness. The duo's designs are a fusion of worlds, and are realised through a mélange of skills in fine applied arts and sculptural jewellery. www.elird.com Instagram: @elirdjewellery

Geraldine Mcloughlin

Grace Rogers

Geraldine McLoughlin is a glass artist, producing panels and sculptures for indoor and outdoor display. By using glass, she balances the reflection and refraction of light and colour. The pieces play with natural forms and how they interconnect with one another – touching on environmental issues and the complexities of the organic world. McLoughlin has exhibited work across the UK. www.geraldinemcloughlin.glass

UK-based photographer Grace Rogers studies the relationship between organic and manmade environments. Exploring a variety of locations, she exposes the beauty of altered landscapes in our changing world, and how even in a modern, technological era, we still possess a strong desire to connect with nature. Shown here is work from the In Our Nature series. www.grace-rogers.com Instagram: @grace.k.rose

Hannah Thomas

J. (Jie) Li

Spanning a range of mixed media, Hannah Thomas’s practice is based around provoking palpable emotions and shifting states of being. Her fluid, abstracted works are both experimental and instinctive. They play with visceral forms as they sway between order and chaos; colours splay across the surface with a free-flowing sense of energy. www.hannahthomas.net Instagram: @hannahthomasstudio

J. (Jie) Li is an award-winning Chinese-American artist based in New York. After graduating from Parsons School of Design, she worked as a fashion designer and consultant before returning to fine art. Since then, J. Li has exhibited internationally. The paintings are figurative and symbolic, delving into the varied elements of human nature through delicate brushstrokes. https://showcase.dropbox.com/s/J.Jie-Li-Z3RMX8rP2N2LUudQIxtmN

Jad Oakes

Jaehee Yoo

London-based Jad Oakes explores the possibilities of photography and the moving image for sculptural installations, prints and photogravures. Of the Vessels series he notes a desire to "create intimate emotive sculptures, enticing contemplation and memory." Oakes was awarded the Aesthetica Prize at the 2019 ING Discerning Eye Exhibition. www.jadoakes.studio Instagram: @jado_studio

Using plant dyes, traditional paper and natural scenery, Jaehee Yoo's practice draws upon materials and techniques from ancient South Korea. The works are indicative of tradition and identity, revealing personal memories and emotions surrounding solitary landscapes. This is demonstrated in Nocturne, a mixed media piece.

Yoo will be exhibiting work at Artexpo New York in April 2020.

Instagram: @jaeheeyoo78

For submission enquiries regarding the Artists’ Directory, contact Katherine Smira on (0044) (0)844 568 2001 or directory@aestheticamagazine.com

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artists’ directory

jean davis

John Baxter

Jean Davis is a figurative abstractionist painter who integrates subjects into undefined environments to express subconscious thoughts and feelings. The various compositions represent psychological and selfportraits. The piece shown here is Mnemosyne, created using oil and silver leaf on panel. Davis lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and works from her studio in Alameda. www.jeanzart.com

UK-based John Baxter is an awardwinning editorial and commercial photographer working with clients in the design, publishing and commercial sectors; he specialises in depicting people in their natural environments. Baxter studied at Medway College of Design and later at the University of Bolton.

Clients include Lancaster University, Out of Eden, the Design Council, Nilfisk and Süddeutsche Zeitung. www.johnbaxter.co.uk

Karin Hay White

Ky Lewis

Through collage and mixed media, Karin Hay White's abstract compositions infer architectural spaces. The featured geometric shapes and lines are inspired by constructivism. The playful pieces allow the viewer to concentrate on the complex interplay of colour and intricacies of form. The works are created using ink or acrylic paint on acid-free paper. Shown here is The One in Blue and In my Own Space. www.karinhaywhite.com

Ky Lewis is a London-based artist and photographer. Her practice focuses on cycles of life, death and decay using a combination of traditional and alternative processes.

The dramatic and brooding Ness series examines the emotional response and connection to sitespecific environments. Each work, rich in enveloping forms, is a unique manipulated silver gelatine print. www.kylewis.co.uk Instagram: @kylewis1

Laura Chen

sheau ming song

Laura Chen is a Dutch photographer based in the UK, with interests in portraiture, documentary and fine art. Fascinated by daily encounters, she uses the camera as a tool to make sense of her surroundings and ponder contemporary issues.

Chen also works with found or archival images, exploring mixedmedia art and photomontage techniques to create new narratives. www.laura-chen.com Instagram: @lauramchen

Sheau Ming Song holds a PhD from LICA at Lancaster University and is an Assistant Professor of Fine Arts at the National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei City. His work demonstrates the essential issues of two-dimensional representation and documents the visual possibilities of painting materials.

Song has exhibited at Art Taipei, Art15 London, ART.FAIR Cologne and the-solo-project in Basel. www.sms1967.com

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Shinya Itahana

Sonia Bensouda

Shinya Itahana is a Japan-based photographer who considers the ties between architecture and urban spaces, as well as human beings and their lifestyles. In this way, he looks at the visual semantics of contemporary life – in both public and private spheres. Itahana's images have been displayed twice in the Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts and he has won numerous international accolades. https://sitahana.com

Sonia Bensouda holds an MA in Interior and Spatial Design from UAL. Having grown up in Morocco, she is deeply influenced by vibrant palettes and abstract geometry.

She notes: "Researching colour combinations and developing palettes is a significant part of my process." Bensouda is also inspired

by Foucault's notion of heterotopia and painters such as Magritte. www.soniabensouda.com Instagram: @soniabensouda

Sumali Piyatissa

Sylvia Lockhart

Colombo-based abstract artist Sumali Piyatissa depicts a passion for painting through bold brushstrokes, confident use of texture and a rich colour palette; the resulting pieces represent freedom, joy and positivity.

She has exhibited work in solo shows; recent fairs include Art Innsbruck 2020. Piyatissa is currently working with renowned interior designers on diverse artistic projects. www.bukiarts.com Instagram: @bukicreations

Sylvia Lockhart explores themes about our increasing detachment from nature. Using intentional motion, she aims to capture the juxtaposition of mindfulness in nature with the tension of a moment in time. This acts as an analogy for the balance that many strive for in their busy urban lives. Zensets and Seascapes explore colour, movement and meditative stillness. www.sylvialockhartphotography.com Instagram: @sylvia_lockhart

Ulrike Nordquist

Ulysses

Using diverse media, Stockholmbased Ulrike Nordquist experiments in the realms of figurative and abstract art. She believes a power of beauty exists within all creativity: "For me, art is beauty, beauty breeds fantasy and fantasy opens up the universe." Nordquist is particularly passionate about depicting the magical character of elephants. www.ulrikenordquist.com Instagram: @Ulrike_Nordquist_Art

Ulysses works in London as a graphic designer and photographer.

Inspired by city architecture, each image seeks to provoke the viewer with a rebellious attitude that balances passion and serenity.

Once executed, the work is edited with a cool blue tone that helps take the viewer to another calm and concrete world. The photographs revel in brutalist buildings and a wider sense of urbanity.

Instagram: @ulysses_js

Viral Padiya

Yande Ren

India-based Viral Padiya's practice includes fine art, architecture and photography. The latest abstract series Fractal Art is a depiction of evolving technologies fragmented between frames. The pieces are automated and visceral â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a response to our digitised world.

Padiya's work is featured in private collections throughout the world. www.viralpadiyaphotography.com IG: @viralpadiyaphotography

Yande Ren is a Chinese artist based in London. His video works explore the development and symbolism of societies. In How about Capitalism, he uses the symbolic Chinese image of a chicken as a metaphor to delve into the Chinese perception of wealth, guiding the animal around London. The chicken acts as a powerful image for greed, gluttony, overconsumption and investment. www.renyande.com Instagram: @yande_ren

YANN

yiping li

Hong Kong-based artist and art teacher YANN experiments with oil, acrylic, watercolour, pastel and charcoal to express an emotional depiction of the human body.

A creative philosophy of embracing art in daily life provides a strong foundation for her aesthetic and visual style. YANN's work has been exhibited in Hong Kong and Beijing as well as France, Switzerland and Austria. www.yann-artist.com

Yiping Li is a jewellery artist based in Beijing. Themes explored in her practice include ritual, sacrifice, nature and native Eastern thinking. Fan 2, a brooch, is part of the current series The Props of Imagination, in which Li examines links between works of art and fictional experiences. The use of detachable structures helps guide the viewer into an imaginative experience of her work. www.Klimt02.net/yiping-li Aesthetica 161

Boomoon, Untitled #5437 Disko Bay, 2008 (c) Boomoon, courtesy of Flowers Gallery.

last words

Angela Flowers Founder, Flowers Gallery

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From childhood, I visited art galleries, and began collecting from the age of 10. In 1969, I decided that a more friendly gallery â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one that showed younger artists â&#x20AC;&#x201C; was needed. In 1970, my tiny gallery in Lisle Street opened.

I had no money and no backers, but I did have eight remarkable artists. The gallery was received with enthusiasm and admiration, offering first exhibitions in London to three eminent foreign artists: Arakawa, Ray Johnson and Friedemann Hahn. We have since opened galleries in Los Angeles, New York, and in February 2020, Hong Kong. Now, with more than 50 artists to look after and two beautiful spaces in London, we face the future with optimism, knowing that people cannot live without art. 50 Years runs 5-29 February at Flowers Gallery, Cork Street, London. flowersgallery.com.

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