MoMA PS1 presents major exhibition looking at art from the past years from a post-9/11 perspective

LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y.- MoMA PS1 presents a major exhibition reflecting upon the attacks of September 11, 2001, and the ways that they have altered how we see and experience the world in their wake. Eschewing images of the attacks on 9/11, as well as art made directly in response, the exhibition provides a subjective framework within which to consider the attacks in New York and their aftermath. Organized by MoMA PS1 Curator Peter Eleey, September 11 occupies the entire second floor [...]

The Linda Pace Foundation Announces Acquisition of a Sound Sculpture by Susan Philipsz

SAN ANTONIO, TX.- The Linda Pace Foundation announces a major acquisition and related exhibition of sound sculpture Sunset Song, 2003, by Susan Philipsz, a Turner Prize-winning artist. The work joins the more than 500 objects in the Foundation’s diverse contemporary art collection, which was begun by the late philanthropist Linda Pace. From May 8–June 26, 2011, Sunset Song will be presented daily in CHRISpark, the one-acre park built by Pace in 2005. Scottish artist Susan Philipsz created Sunset Song as [...]

Never-Before-Seen Works at the Art Gallery of Ontario Reveal a Darker Side to Henry Moore

TORONTO, ON.- An exhibition heralded by the Guardian as “the most important exhibition of [Henry] Moore’s work for a generation” is coming to the Art Gallery of Ontario this fall. The Shape of Anxiety: Henry Moore in the 1930s is a dramatic reconsideration of one of the 20th century’s most revered artists. The exhibition will be on view from October 23 through February 6, 2011 in the AGO’s Henry Moore Sculpture Centre. Organized by Tate Britain in collaboration with the [...]

Gallery’s Detective Work Shows Two Portraits Painted at the Same Time

LONDON.- New scientific detective work has revealed that two renowned 16th century portraits of Queen Elizabeth I belonging to two different galleries were painted on wood panels from the same tree. The portraits were first associated with Hilliard in 1933, and the new findings support the attribution as it is now known that both portraits were painted in the same studio. The paintings of Elizabeth I, known as the ‘Phoenix’ portrait and the ‘Pelican’ portrait, will be shown together for [...]

Tate Britain Presents Duveens Commission 2010 by Fiona Banner

LONDON.- Tate Britain today unveils its new Duveens Commission, Harrier and Jaguar, by Fiona Banner. Banner’s largest work to date, Harrier and Jaguar brings the highly-charged physicality of two real fighter jets, both previously in active military service, into the unexpected setting of the neoclassical Duveen Galleries. Harrier and Jaguar has been specially devised for the Tate Britain Duveens Commission 2010, supported by Sotheby’s. In the South Duveens, a Sea Harrier jet is suspended vertically, its bulk spanning floor to [...]

Art Fund Director Stephen Deuchar Awarded CBE for His Service to the Public

LONDON.- Stephen Deuchar was awarded the honour for his service to the public as former director of Tate Britain from 1998 until 2009. He joined the Art Fund as director in January 2010. On receiving the award, Stephen Deuchar said: “It’s a great honour and I’m delighted. I feel privileged to have worked at Tate Britain amongst so many inspirational colleagues.” During this time at Tate, Stephen oversaw the creation of Tate Britain in 2000 at Millbank, home of the [...]

Transforming Tate Britain Application Submitted for Planning

LONDON.- Tate has submitted the planning application for an exciting project to transform its original London gallery, Tate Britain. Transforming Tate Britain aims to conserve the beautiful fabric of Sidney Smith’s 19th-Century building and carry out a major upgrade to the galleries, enabling Tate to show more of its Collection in conditions suitable for a wider range of art media. The project will remodel and renovate core visitor areas – opening up the stunning domed atrium at the heart of [...]

New Book Shows Explosions, Fires, and Public Order by Sarah Pickering

NEW YORK, NY.- Sarah Pickering’s “Explosions, Fires, and Public Order”, (Aperture, April 2010) is a visually arresting glimpse into the secret world of civil defense. Combining four series, the book begins with Public Order, a project exploring the Metropolitan Police Public Order Training Centre, a simulated urban environment near London where officers rehearse responses to imagined scenarios of civic unrest. Next, the Explosions series documents the tactical use of controlled explosions by the British military to add realistic stress to [...]

Hammer Presents Rachel Whiteread in First Drawings Retrospective

LOS ANGELES, CA.- This winter the Hammer Museum presents a retrospective of drawings by Rachel Whiteread, the first large-scale museum survey of work on paper by the British artist. Organized by Allegra Pesenti, curator of the Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts, this exhibition includes key examples of the artist’s sculpture displayed alongside her drawings. The exhibition features 155 drawings, 8 sculptures, and a vitrine filled with roughly 200 objects selected by Whiteread. Although her sculpture is well-known and widely [...]

Andy Holden Displays a Giant Knitted Rock at Tate Britain

LONDON.- From January to April 2010, artist Andy Holden will be displaying a giant knitted rock as part of Tate Britain’s Art Now programme of contemporary displays. Never before shown in the UK, Pyramid Piece 2009 is a vastly enlarged replica of a small Egyptian stone fragment, created from knitted yarn and foam over a steel support. It will be on display alongside a companion film work, Return of the Pyramid Piece 2008, and a collection of tourist souvenirs, In [...]

Scotland-Based Painter Richard Wright Wins Contentious Turner Prize

LONDON.- A Scotland-based painter known for destroying his large-scale wall murals after they have been exhibited won Britain’s best-known art award, the Turner Prize, on Monday. Richard Wright said he was surprised he beat three other finalists to win the annual 25,000 pound ($40,000) prize, which was announced at London’s Tate Britain gallery. The award was presented by British poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy. Glasgow-based artist Richard Wright, 49, reacts after being announced as the winner of the Turner Prize [...]

Children in art galleries: an accident waiting to happen?

If you’re taking a small child to an art gallery, what’s the worst that could happen? A two-year-old girl was among those requiring first aid at Tate Modern earlier this year after visiting Robert Morris’s Bodyspacemotionthings, which featured see-saws and a tightrope. But parents and gallery staff are more likely to worry about the risk of damage children can pose to the art. Children like to touch things; they can be clumsy and are prone to sudden movements. “We’ve had a few [...]