The Contemporary Artist as Role Model in a Crisis of Competence
19/10/10 Pascal Gielen & Camiel van Winkel
In a universe of increasing incompetence, in which amateurism flourishes, the contemporary artist offers an interesting role model. Society can learn much from the ways in which the contemporary artist makes his ignorance effective.
The classic retrospective, in which works are selected to present an overview of an artist’s oeuvre, is being radically renewed at the initiative of a new generation of artists. Recent examples are the exhibitions of Liam Gillick in Witte de With and Marc Camille Chaimowicz in De Appel. Alexis Vaillant, who as curator was responsible for the latter exhibition, places this development in perspective.
Singing and Drumming to Change the World
The Alternative Art Scene of the 1980s
01/04/07 Tineke Reijnders
Today, there is great interest in the 1980s, in its music, fashion and art. As then, a flourishing alternative scene exists in which artists have taken initiative into their own hands and are active in small, temporary locations. Even in W139, now back on the Warmoesstraat, we see a revival of the mentality of ‘making and doing’ that gave the 1980s their colour. Tineke Reijnders sketches a comparison of then and now.
Limited Openness
Contemporary Art in Tehran
20/02/07 Nasrin Tabatabai
At the invitation of artist Nasrin Tabatabai, architects Niloufar Niksar, Kianoosh Vahabi and film maker Poutia Jahanshad from Tehran discuss the state of artistic production in their country. In Iran, visual art is still seen as opponent of the system unless it conforms to the gevernment's ideological principles.
With all the talk about academies exceeding boundaries it’s perhaps a good idea, when all is said and done, to look at things simply. At least, it would be good if that were possible. Here we have the school, an art school if you like, and there, a bit further on, is the outside world. Simple enough, you might think.
Freespace or marketplace
23/08/06 Willem de Rooij en Simon Straling
The market is making inroads on education. The annual student presentations are hunting grounds for gallerists and curators who are tripping over each other in their insatiable craving for talent. The question is whether the transformation from place of freedom to marketplace is good for the quality of the art academy. Artists Willem de Rooij and Simon Starling have a wealth of experience , first as students and now as teahers and are totally familiar with various renowned academies. At the request of METROPOLIS M they conducted a email about the pros and cons of open and closed education.
What drives the fervent use of the alias in contemporary art? Will Bradley investigates the origin of the pseudonym tracing it back to political activism in the 19th century, when the pen name functioned as a means to fight against various forms of injustice. Today the battle has been won, certainly in the arts, but the nom de plume persist. Who is this modern-day third person?
Her artillery
Trisha Donnelly
23/04/06 Bruce Hainley
Her work and its clarification are fragmented. Trisha Donnelly (San Francisco, 1973) is like an escape artist, constantly circumventing a simple verdict. Bruce Hainley attempts to typify the works through the mind of the artist.