ArtDubai 2012 Preview

ArtDubai is yet to start officially,  however yesterday  it  hosted visitors for the whole day starting from the Royal Family headed by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai,  around 11 am, followed immediately by press. Tonight is the opening night, invitations only,  but the the very VIP have already seen the art as well at the preview last night from 7 to 10 pm. 
Here are some pictures from the pre-opening of this highly important for the Middle-Eastern art scene event.  By its sixth edition ArtDubai has definitely grown beyond regional importance, with 75 galleries from 32 countries participating in the fair. As Antonia Carvin, the director of the fair has announced on the press conference, this year the museum groups are also visiting, and overall the event is enjoying increased international participation. 

Psychedelic carpets by Faig Ahmed. Aidan Galelry 

Royal Academy in the nearest future. 2012 Exhibitions, part 1.

In 2012 the Royal Academy is going to hold 5 big exhibitions, with 2-3 of them, in my estimate, promising to be highly exciting. 

The list is as follows.

1. David Hockney RA: A Bigger Picture 

    21 January - 9 April 2012

by Jean-Perre Concalves de Lima for the New York Times

Already announced by the museum,  with a special 

highlight of 51 iPad drawings executed by David Hockney in the recent years (iPad being quite recent, especially as an artist's media). 

WHO IS ISOYA?

London is not free of talent. 

One way to discover this is to visit graduation shows of art schools, like the one I've seen this July -  Goldsmiths MA-ers have exhibited their last  works while still students before plunging into the cruel reality of London (and international) art world.

Hirofumi Isoya, Installation View 2011

In the manner of Louis XV, I always have my favori. This time my favouritism could not but fell on the head of  one artist - Hirofumi Isoya, whose work I immediately found truly captivating.

Newly discovered Velasquez to be sold by Bonhams!

Bonhams claims to discover previously unknown portrait by Diego Rodriguez de Sylva y Velazquez (1599-1660).  The painting will be on sale in December with an estimate of  £2,000,000 - 3,000,000.

Understandably, the auction house is  highly excited. The painting, if it is by Velasquez, will be 99th picture known to us today as executed by this great Spanish master (with only 4 in private hands and 94 in the museums).

Frieze as it is (FRIEZE 2011 VIP Opening Pictures)

Jake and Dinos Chapman at White Cube, Frieze 2011 

Pavillion of Art&Design London. Day 0

Few pictures from the Pavillion of Art&Design London (PAD),  modern design and art fair occupying for 5 days (12-16 October 2011) the whole of Berkeley Square, Mayfair.

The fair's website http://www.padlondon.net/ claims that  "Once again Moët Hennessy sponsors the donation of a major piece of Design or Decorative Arts to the Victoria & Albert Museum as part of the Moët Hennessy-PAD London Prize". However,  as it appears the prize has not been awarded this year, due to V&A's  sudden decision to file for a divorce with PAD. Instead of accepting a piece chosen by PAD's judging panel, the museum preferred to receive plain cash (£20, 000) from the Outset Design Fund to make its own choice and purchase a new object.

 Patrick Perrin, co-director of PAD, reported the judging committee  of the prize chaired by architect and designer Nigel Coates to be "very upset". 


(see the front page of  the Arts Newspaper, 12 October 2011)




See more pictures inside

Art in Movement (at the RA and the V&A)

Curious, how two exhibitions which seemingly have nothing to do with each other are  creating a beautiful mosaic in my spotless mind (spotless due to a month break from any exhibitions and museums). 

The first one - a modern wunderkammer "Power of Making"  in the V&A   (on until 2 January 2012),  the second  -  "Degas and the Ballet. Picturing movement" in the Royal Academy (on until 11 December 2011). 

Degas  exhibition is arguably the most gracious pas the RA has performed recently. It presents  an impressive load of stretching, resting, swirling,  'arabesque-ing'  figures drawn, painted and even photographed by the french artist  along  his  life.  Private and state Institutions from all over the world have contributed to the show - ranging from the Pushkin Museum  to the MOMA,  from Jasper  Johns's to University of Oklahoma's collections.