March 23, 2019

China Arts and Entertainment Group presents Princess Zhaojun at David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center, March 21- 24, 2019

Princess Zhaoujun is a new dance drama performed by the China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater with a cast that includes over 50 dancers. Direct from China with traditional Chinese music, opulent costumes, and expressive choreography, Princess Zhaojun brings to life the real story of one of China’s most important heroines, Wang Zhaojun, then an imperial concubine, who sacrifices her comfortable palace life to secure peace on the turbulent border of northern China. 

Centuries ago, the Xiongnu, a minority ethnic group on China’s north, had constantly invaded the territory that today stands as China’s Inner Mongolia region, and threatened the northern border of Han Dynasty. During the period of Emperor Yuan (49BC-33BC), Huhanye Chanyu, monarch of the Xiongnu, expressed his wish to establish friendly relations with Han Dynasty. Emperor Yuan decided to make peace with Huhanye Chanyu through marrying off his daughter. His daughter, the princess, refused the arrangement, and Wang Zhaojun, bored with palace life, offered to go instead. To Wang’s surprise, she fell madly in love with Huhanye and did her best to serve as a good queen and build up friendly ties with the Han Dynasty. Today, the name of Zhaojun not only symbolizes physical beauty, but also a spirit of goodwill to bridge different cultures, even at the expense of one’s own interests.

Scenes from Princess Zhaoujun. All photos provided by the China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater.

Said Wang Xiuqin, General Manager of China Performing Arts Agency, CAEG, “Wang Zhaojun is an unsung heroine in the history of Chinese culture and selflessly offered herself in marriage to the monarch of Xiongnu to bring about peace. We hope that this dance drama, performed with imagination and elegance by the China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater, will excite the hearts and minds of audiences and bring the story of Wang to life.”

Princess Zhaoujun is presented by China Arts and Entertainment Group Ltd. (CAEG) and performed by the China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater. The production is directed and choreographed by Ms. Kong Dexin, a 77th-generation direct descendant of Confucius, written by Yu Ping, and composed by Zhang Qu. Princess Zhaojun has scenic and lighting design by Ren Dongsheng, costume design by Yang Donglin, and style design by Sun Aina.

March 18, 2019

Evelyne Huet: Dear Humans at Atlantic Gallery, New York, March 12 – 30, 2019

“‘Dear Humans’ is a new solo exhibition by French artist Evelyne Huet. The 21 digital paintings in ‘Dear Humans’ explore the complexity of human emotions, imagining both their genesis and their evolution. Painting on a screen using her fingertips, Huet simplifies the lines and shapes of bodies, often just the face, to the extreme, searching to discover feelings such as happiness, fear, and pain, as well as more universal expressions of religions, myths, and history. Through layers of color, she builds complex images that reflect the multitude of experiences which encompass the universal human condition. 

Huet’s training as a mathematician informs her creative practice. “I chose to study this discipline for its infinitely dreamlike dimension”, she explains. Her expertise emerges in her study of the human form, which she reduces to its most basic elements. This is mirrored in the refined palette, which is simplified to minimal colors so as to allow her to focus on the expression of emotion.” — Atlantic Gallery

Envious Thoughts, 2015, digital print, Diasec plexi/plexi, edition 1/3, 47″ x 33″

Urban Violence, 2016, digital print, Diasec plexi/plexi, edition 1/3, 47″ x 33″

Fly Me Away, 2016, digital print, Diasec plexi/plexi, edition 1/3, 47″ x 33″

The Jaguar’s Dream, 2017, digital print, Diasec plexi/plexi, edition 1/3, 47″ x 33″

The Gulag Archipelago, 2017, digital print, Diasec plexi/plexi, edition 1/3, 47″ x 33″

Worried Thoughts, 2018, digital print, Diasec plexi/plexi, edition 1/3, 47″ x 33″

The Civil Rights (2), 2018, digital print, Diasec plexi/plexi, edition 1/3, 47″ x 33″

How Will Tomorrow Be, 2018, digital print, Diasec plexi/plexi, edition 1/3, 47″ x 33″

In Their Forests The Trees Were Dancing, 2018, digital print, Diasec plexi/plexi, edition 1/3, 47″ x 33″

Images courtesy Atlantic Gallery.

March 14, 2019

A Matter of Size: Miniature Bindings & Texts from the Collection of Patricia J. Pistner at The Grolier Club, March 5 – May 18, 2019

“Thousands of years before books were contained within a hand-held technological tablet or phone, there were cuneiform tablets no bigger than the size of a quarter. On view in the second floor gallery of the Grolier Club are 275 rare diminutive texts and bindings from around the world that have been created over the span of 4,500 years.  Size matters: these tiny tomes range in size from a maximum of four inches to less than one millimeter. Drawn from the collection of Patricia J. Pistner, the exhibition represents the history of the book in miniature form.

A Matter of Size: Miniature Bindings & Texts from the Collection of Patricia J. Pistner includes cuneiform tablets and other antiquities, medieval manuscripts and early printed materials, books and bindings by women, imprints of Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln, as well as contemporary design bindings and artists’ books. 

A collector of miniature books for over thirty years, Pistner’s love for very small tomes began at the age of seven when she began “publishing” tiny books for her first doll’s house.  As an adult, her passion was reignited after being inspired to fill the small library shelves of the miniature French townhouse she had commissioned.” — The Grolier Club

Photographs by Corrado Serra.

Western Bindings: Embroidered Bindings (detail)

Western Bindings: Silver Bindings (detail)

The Unusual

The Unusual (detail)

Installation view of Little Libraries and Modern design Bindings

Little Libraries

Modern Design Bindings

The Ancient World: Western (detail)

The Ancient World and Manuscripts: Judaic (detail)

The Ancient World and Manuscripts: Islamic (detail)

The Ancient World and Manuscripts: Other (detail)

A Look Inside: Printing Miniature (detail)

Asian Materials

 “The plan to fill that library with real, readable, printed miniature books led to assembling the most aesthetically compelling, representative samples of the history of the book in the smallest formats,” says Pistner. “My hope is that fellow bibliophiles find tomes here that spark their interest and lead to an increased interest in and respect for the format.”

The exhibition is selected and organized by Pistner, along with Jan Storm van Leeuwen, former keeper of rare bindings at the Royal Library in The Hague and winner of the ILAB Breslauer Prize for Bibliography for his important study, Dutch Decorated Binding in the 18th Century.

March 10, 2019

Hymn to Apollo: The Ancient World and the Ballets Russes at The Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW), March 6 – June 2, 2019

“The Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW) continues to illuminate the rich dialogue between the ancient and the modern with Hymn to Apollo: The Ancient World and the Ballets Russes, an exhibition exploring the seminal role of antiquity in shaping the radically new creations of the famed ballet troupe founded in 1909 by Sergei Diaghilev. The first exhibition to examine this topic, Hymn to Apollo contains around 95 objects, including outstanding examples of ancient pottery, sculpture, metalwork, and more, coupled with costumes, photographs, watercolors, musical scores, digitized films of Ballets Russes productions, and a rich trove of archival material.” — ISAW

Dr. Fitzgerald notes, “Though the Ballets Russes was separated from ancient dance by two millennia, many of the company’s artistic collaborators found a deep connection between their own work and that of antiquity. They were inspired by the freedom of movement seen in images on vases and in marble, the way that dance was integrated into the life of the community, and its ability to interact with its environment, both built and natural. These artists and composers looked to the ancient world not to reconstruct what was, but to build on an ethos that felt vital and relevant.”

Attributed to the Frignano Painter. Skyphos with a Dancing Maenad. Late Classical, 375–350 BCE. Terracotta. Campania, Italy. H. 16.5 cm; W. 15 cm. Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Dr. Harris Kennedy, Class of 1894: 1932.56.39. Photo: Imaging Department © President and Fellows of Harvard College

Artist Unknown. Female “Psi Idol” Figure. Mycenaean, pre-Hellenic, ca. 1250 BCE. Terracotta and pigment. H. 11.1 cm; W. 6.3 cm; D. 3 cm. Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund: 35.744

Artist Unknown. Female “Phi Idol” Figure. Mycenaean, pre-Hellenic, ca. 1420–1190 BCE. Terracotta and pigment. H. 10.5 cm; W. 4.6 cm; D. 3.1 cm. Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund: 35.742

Adolf de Meyer. Vaslav Nijinsky as the Faun in Opening Scene from Prelude à l’Après-midi d’un Faune, 1912. Platinum print. H. 15.9 cm; W. 21 cm. New York Public Library, Jerome Robbins Dance Division, Roger Pryor Dodge Collection NYPL: (S) *MGZEC 84-819, No. 2000. Image courtesy of the New York Public Library

Adolf de Meyer. Vaslav Nijinsky as the Faun Approaching Lubov Tchernicheva as a Nymph from Prelude à l’Après-midi d’un Faune, 1912. Platinum print. H. 15.7 cm; W. 18.4 cm. New York Public Library, Jerome Robbins Dance Division, Roger Pryor Dodge Collection: (S) *MGZEC 84-819, No. 2003. Image courtesy of the New York Public Library

Artist Unknown. Statue of a Young Satyr Turning to Look at His Tail. Roman, Imperial, ca. 1–200 CE. Marble. H. 34.9 cm; W. 17.8 cm; D. 12.1 cm. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1919: 19.192.82 CC0 1.0. Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Artist Unknown. Plaque Depicting a Satyr and a Maenad. Roman, Augustan or Julio-Claudian, 27 BCE–68 CE. Terracotta. H. 50.8 cm; W. 44.5 cm; D. 4.4 cm. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1912: 12.232.8a CC0 1.0. Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Attributed to the Circle of the Lydos. Hydria (Water Jar) Depicting a Chorus with Flute Players and Dancers on the Shoulder, and a Foot Soldier and Horseman on the Body. Archaic, ca. 560 BCE. Terracotta; black figure. Greece, Attic. H. 50.1 cm; W. 39.4 cm; Diam. 30.9 cm. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Bothmer Purchase Fund, 1988: 1988.11.3 CC0 1.0. Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Léon Bakst. Costume Design for Tamara Karsavina as Chloé, for Daphnis et Chloé, ca. 1912. Graphite and tempera and/or watercolor on paper. H. 28.2 cm; W. 44.7 cm. Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT, The Ella Gallup Sumner and Mary Catlin Sumner Collection Fund: 1933.392. Image: Allen Phillips/Wadsworth Atheneum

Giorgio de Chirico
. Costume for Nicolas Efimov as a Male Guest, from Le Bal
, ca. 1929
. Three-piece suit: wool and paint; Dickey: twill, paint, and braid
Jacket: L. 78.7 cm; L. with collar 82 cm; Dickey: W. at front hem 38.5 cm; L. with collar 44.7 cm; Pants: L. 97.8 cm; Inseam 71.1 cm; Waist 71.1 cm. Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT, Purchased through the gift of James Junius Goodwin, and the Special Gift Account: 1968.112a-c. Image: Allen Phillips/Wadsworth Atheneum

Léon Bakst. 
Costume for a Female Slave, from Cléopâtre,
1913. 
Wool, silk, lamé, and ribbons. Center-back length: 94 cm; Underarm chest: 83 cm; Circumference of collar: 53 cm (inner) and 70 cm (outer). 
Dansmuseet—Museum Rolf de Maré Stockholm: DM 1971/64. 
Image © Dansmuseet – Musée Rolf de Maré Stockholm

Léon Bakst
. Costume for a Nymph, from Narcisse,
1911. 
Dress: Silk and paint with repp detail at waist
. Center-back L. 92 cm; Underarm chest ca. 78 cm (unfitted); Waistline 74 cm
. Dansmuseet—Museum Rolf de Maré Stockholm: DM 1969/47. Image (c) Dansmuseet – Musée Rolf de Maré Stockholm

Artist Unknown. 
Statuette of a Veiled Dancing Woman. 
Late Classical, ca. 350 BCE. 
Terracotta. 
Boeotia, Greece
. H. 23.6 cm; W. 11.6 cm; D. 4.6 cm
. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Museum purchase with funds donated by contribution: 01.7922. 
Photograph © 2019 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

The Painter of London D12. 
Libation Bowl Depicting Dancing Girls and a Girl Playing the Double Pipe. 
Classical, ca. 450 BCE.
Terracotta; white ground
. Athens, Attica, Greece. 
Diam. 22.5 cm; D. 3.2 cm. 
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Edwin E. Jack Fund: 65.908
. Photograph © 2019 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Artist Unknown
. Statuette of Dancing Youth. Hellenistic, 200–100 BCE. 
Terracotta
. Sicily, Italy. 
H. 22.1 cm; W. 13.3 cm; D. 6.9 cm. 
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Museum purchase with funds donated by contribution:  01.7961. 
Photograph © 2019 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

The Briseis Painter. 
Two-Handled Amphora Depicting a Maenad and a Flute-Playing Satyr, and a Satyr Dancing with Krotala (Wooden Clappers). 
Early Classical, ca. 470 BCE. 
Terracotta; red figure. 
Athens, Attica, Greece. 
H. 28.4 cm
. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Henry Lillie Pierce Fund: 01.8028. Photograph © 2019 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Hymn to Apollo: The Ancient World and the Ballets Russes was organized by ISAW and is co-curated by Clare Fitzgerald, Associate Director of Exhibitions and Gallery Curator, and Rachel Herschman, Curatorial Assistant, both at ISAW. Ballets Russes scholar Lynn Garafola served as an outside advisor.

Images courtesy The Institute for the Study of the Ancient World.

March 9, 2019

The Tale of Genji: A Japanese Classic Illuminated at The Met Fifth Avenue, March 5 – June 16, 2019

“A major international loan exhibition focusing on the artistic tradition inspired by Japan’s most celebrated work of literature is on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Bringing together more than 120 works of art from 32 public and private collections in Japan and the United States—including National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties, most of which have never left Japan—The Tale of Genji: A Japanese Classic Illuminated explores the tale’s continuing influence on Japanese art since it was written around the year 1000 by the noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu (ca. 978–ca. 1014).  Often referred to as the world’s first novel, The Tale of Genji has captivated readers for centuries through its sophisticated narrative style, humor and wit, and unforgettable characters, beginning with the ‘radiant prince’ Genji, whose life and loves are the focus of the story.

The exhibition presents the most extensive introduction to the visual world of Genji ever shown outside Japan. It features nearly one thousand years of Genji-related art—an astonishing range of works including paintings, calligraphy, silk robes, lacquerware, a palanquin for a shogun’s bride, and popular art such as ukiyo-e prints and contemporary manga—and provide viewers with a window into the alluring world of the Heian imperial court (794–1185) that was created by the legendary authoress.

Comprising 54 chapters, The Tale of Genji describes the life of the prince, from the amorous escapades of his youth to his death, as well as the lives of his descendants, introducing along the way some of the most iconic female characters in the history of Japanese literature.  Organized thematically in eight sections, the exhibition pays special attention to the Buddhist reception of the tale, while also giving prominence to Genji’s female readership and important works by female artists.” — The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Photographs by Corrado Serra.

The altar is adorned with ceremonial objects borrowed from Ishiyamadera Temple. The Main Hall of Ishiyamadera Temple in Otsu, Japan features “The Genji Room”.

The Tale of Genji: A Japanese Classic Illuminated is organized by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Japan Foundation, with the cooperation of the Tokyo National Museum and Ishiyamadera Temple.

The exhibition is curated by John T. Carpenter, Mary Griggs Burke Curator of Japanese Art in the Department of Asian Art at The Met; and guest curator Melissa McCormick, Professor of Japanese Art and Culture at Harvard University; with Monika Bincsik, Diane and Arthur Abbey Assistant Curator for Japanese Decorative Arts at The Met; and Kyoko Kinoshita, Professor of Japanese Art History at Tama Art University.

March 8, 2019

T. rex: The Ultimate Predator at American Museum of Natural History, March 11 – August 9, 2020

“Everyone knows Tyrannosaurus rex. But did you know that T. rex hatchlings were fluffy and gangly, more like turkeys than the massive killing machines they grew up to be? Or that T. rex evolved from a large group of dinosaurs that were, for the most part, small, and fast? Or how about that the mega-predator had the rare ability to pulverize and digest bones? T. rex: The Ultimate Predator, the first major exhibition of the American Museum of Natural History’s 150th anniversary celebration, will introduce you to the entire tyrannosaur family and reveal the amazing story of the most iconic dinosaur in the world through life-sized models—including the most scientifically accurate representation of T. rex to date–fossils and casts, engaging interactives, and the Museum’s first multiplayer virtual reality experience.

Visitors to T. rex: The Ultimate Predator will encounter a massive life-sized model of a T. rex with patches of feathers—the definitive representation of this prehistoric predator. The exhibition will also include reconstructions of several T. rex hatchlings and a four-year-old juvenile T. rex; a ‘roar mixer’ where visitors can imagine what T. rex may have sounded like by blending sounds from other animals; a shadow theater featuring a floor projection of an adult T. rex skeleton coming to life; and a life-sized animation of T. rex in a Cretaceous environment that responds to visitors’ movements. At a tabletop ‘Investigation Station,’ visitors can explore a variety of fossil casts ranging from coprolite (fossilized feces) to a gigantic femur, with virtual tools including a CT scanner, measuring tape, and a microscope to learn more about what such specimens can reveal to scientists about the biology and behavior of T. rex.” — American Museum of Natural History

Photographs by Corrado Serra.

“Dinosaurs, and Tyrannosaurus rex in particular, are such an important and iconic part of the Museum and have been throughout our history,” said Ellen V. Futter, President of the American Museum of Natural History. “So it seems fitting to launch the Museum’s 150th Anniversary celebrations with a major new exhibition on the ever-intriguing King of Dinosaurs. This exciting and fascinating exhibition will do what the Museum has done throughout its history and continues to do today: share the latest scientific breakthroughs with the public, introduce visitors to the researchers on the cutting-edge of discovery, shed new light on the great story of life on Earth, and inspire wonder and curiosity in visitors of all ages.”

“In the last 30 years, we’ve seen a huge increase in both the number of tyrannosaur fossil discoveries as well as the availability of technology that lets us explore complex questions about these charismatic animals,” Mark Norell, curator of exhibition, said. “I never would have imagined that one day we’d be able to look at the shape of T. rex’s brain, analyze the tiny daily growth lines on their massive teeth to determine how quickly they put on weight, or use advanced biomechanical modeling to figure out the force of its bite.”

March 5, 2019

The Power of Intention: Reinventing the (Prayer) Wheel at The Rubin Museum of Art, March 1 – October 14, 2019

“The Power of Intention: Reinventing the (Prayer) Wheel is an exhibition that brings together traditional and contemporary art to illuminate the relationship between our intentions, commitments, and actions. Inspired by concepts related to Buddhist prayer wheels — ritual objects containing thousands of written prayers and mantras — the show looks at how we can empower ourselves to create positive change within and between us. This marks the official opening of Power: Within and Between Us — the Rubin’s yearlong, institution-wide thematic exploration, incorporating exhibitions, talks, programs, and experiences designed to spark new ways of thinking about power, from intention to action. 

Prayer Wheels can be small handheld devices turned by hand or large, building-size structures that can only be rotated with effort, often by several people working together. With each turn, the mantras are believed to be read and sent out into the world for the benefit of all.

The Power of Intention: Reinventing the (Prayer) Wheel expands on this idea, highlighting the potential of intention to kindle positive change. It explores the notions and concepts inherent in the construction, activation, and meaning of the prayer wheels, including the power of commitment, engagement, repetition, accumulation, and belief.” — The Rubin Museum of Art 

Photographs by Corrado Serra.

Left: Youdhi Maharjan (b. 1984, Kathmandu, Nepal); Committed to Becoming; 2018; hand cut text collage on reclaimed book pages; 20 x 16 in. (50.8 x 40.64 cm); courtesy of the artist. Right: Table-Top Prayer Wheel (manl ‘khor lo); Tibet; before 1936; copper-alloy, tin-alloy, steel, ink, paper, cloth; Newark Museum; Newark Museum Purchase 1936, Carter D. Holton Collection, 36.323 A-C.

Left: Pierced Handheld Prayer Wheel (mani lag ‘khor); Tibet; before 1927; copper-alloy, steel, glass, ink, paper, bamboo; Newark Museum; Gift of Mrs. J. B. Barlow, 1927, 27.653 A-D. Right: Youdhi Maharjan (b. 1984, Kathmandu, Nepal); Power of Thought; 2018; cutout text collage on reclaimed book pages; 22 1/8 x 30 5/8 in. (51.2 x 77.8 cm); courtesy of the artist.

Monika Bravo (b. 1964, Bogotá, Columbia); Landscape of Belief; 2012; glass, mirror, projector, media player, aluminum, wood, text from Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities, time-based electronic installation; courtesy of the artist and Johannes Vogt Gallery.

Scenocosme: Gregory Lasserre (b. 1976, Annecy, France) & Anaïs met den Ancxt (b. 1981, Lyon, France); Metamorphy; 2014; interactive installation; courtesy of the artists.

Alexandra Dementieva (b. 1960, Moscow, Russia); Breathless; 2012; interactive light object with production by Cyland MediaLab, VGC (Vlaamse Gemeenschapscomissie) (BE), and Adem vzw (BE), support from iMAL asbl/vzw and Flemish Ministry of Culture, programming and engineering by Aleksey Grachev and Sergey Komarov, and breath detector/Interface-Z construction by Peter Maschke; courtesy of the artist.

Installation view

Left: Avalokiteshvara; Central Tibet; 14th–15th century; pigments on cloth; courtesy of the Stephen and Sharon Davies Collection. Right: Wind-Powered Prayer Wheel (mani rlung ‘khor); Tibet; before 1920; metal, ink, paper, bamboo, string; Newark Museum; Newark Museum Purchase 1920, 20.406 A-C.

Left: Charwei Tsai (b. 1980, Taipei, Taiwan); A Supplication; 2019; watercolor and ink on rice paper; 59 x 59 in. (150 x 150 cm); courtesy of the artist. Right: Charwei Tsai (b. 1980, Taipei, Taiwan); Spiral Incense; 2019; natural herbs/herbal medicine; diameter 39.4 in. (100 cm); courtesy of the artist.

“We may not think of our intentions as sources of power; however they are the driving force behind each of our actions. This exhibition invites us to change how we think about power and consider that we can use our own intentions to empower ourselves and create change for ourselves and others,” said Elena Pakhoutova, curator of Himalayan Art and organizer of “Power of Intention.” She added, “Commitment, considered an integral component of an intention, powers a person to carry the intention into action, however small it may be. Then, a conscious positive action replaces what might have been a habit or mindless act. Prayer wheels are a symbolic reference point for visitors’ experiences of the contemporary works of art in the exhibition, where each work relates to a specific notion that helps reinforce our individual intentions and spark positive action.” 

March 4, 2019

Novecento: Nuovi Percorsi at Museo del Novecento, Milan, from February 23, 2019

The Museo del Novecento in Milan inaugurated the new galleries dedicated to Marino Marini and new thematic itineraries that focus on art from the 1960s to the 1980s, with the installation of 122 works by 56 artists, and a new educational workshop. Novecento: Nuovi Percorsi (Nineteen Hundred: New Itineraries) is the title of two new itineraries which show an important rereading of the museum’s collection. The project is an integral part of a comprehensive program that will conclude in 2020 on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the inauguration of the Museum.

Organized by the Museum’s Directorate and Scientific Committee, Novecento: Nuovi Percorsi presents the innovative project for the sculptures of Marino Marini designed by the architect Italo Rota. Rota also collaborated in the preparation of the works of the second half of the twentieth century, almost a thousand square meters of new itineraries, which include the installation of one hundred and twenty two works of art and the integration of thirty new artists.

All images are exhibition views of Novecento: Nuovi Percorsi (Nineteen Hundred: New Itineraries). Photos by Bruno Pulici. Courtesy Museo del Novecento.

Michaela Ghersi from Milan collaborated with this article.

March 3, 2019

The Orchid Show: Singapore at New York Botanical Garden, February 23 – April 28, 2019

“For its 17th year, The New York Botanical Garden’s popular annual orchid exhibition returns with The Orchid Show: Singapore, developed in partnership with Gardens by the Bay and Singapore Botanic Gardens. Two iconic architectural elements inspired by both sites—the iconic Supertrees of Gardens by the Bay and the famed Arches of Singapore Botanic Gardens’ National Orchid Garden—are featured as part of a horticultural tribute to the ‘City in a Garden,’ one of the world’s greatest orchid cultures.

Singapore Botanic Gardens, the only tropical garden in the world designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to the country’s National Orchid Garden, a leader in orchid hybridization, with its famed Arches festooned with thousands of mesmerizing orchids and many other exotic tropical species.

Gardens by the Bay is Singapore’s immersive horticultural attraction best known for its Supertrees—soaring vertical habitats that are marvels of nature, art, and technology. Dripping with brilliantly colored orchids, these impressive structures are embedded with photovoltaic cells that harvest solar energy, a shining example of Singapore’s contributions to the field of environmentally sustainable horticulture.

At The New York Botanical Garden, The Orchid Show: Singapore showcases renditions of both the Arches and the Supertrees—creating a kaleidoscope of colors with thousands of spectacular orchids, including dancing lady (Oncidium), rainbow (Vanda), cane (Dendrobium), and Asian corsage orchids (Cymbidium), and many other exotic tropical species.” — New York Botanical Garden

Photographs by Corrado Serra.

March 2, 2019

Hudson Rising at New-York Historical Society, March 1 – August 4, 2019

“The New-York Historical Society presents Hudson Rising, a unique exhibition that explores 200 years of ecological change and environmental activism along ‘the most interesting river in America’ through artifacts, media, and celebrated Hudson River School paintings. Hudson Rising reflects on how human activity has impacted the river and, in turn, how the river environment has shaped industrial development, commerce, tourism, and environmental awareness. The exhibition also explores how experts in various fields are currently creating ways to restore and re-engineer areas of the river in response to climate change.

Curated by Marci Reaven, New-York Historical’s vice president of history exhibitions, and Jeanne Haffner, associate curator, Hudson Rising begins with a prelude featuring artist Thomas Cole’s panoramic five-part Course of Empire series (1834-36), a treasure of New-York Historical’s collection that depicts the transformation of a pristine landscape into a thriving city, then its dramatic decline, and the fall of civilization. Cole’s poetic questioning of the social costs of what was seen in his time as progress, serves as a prelude to the exhibition narrative, which begins with the industrial age and continues into the present day.” — New-York Historical Society

“Nature has spread for us a rich and delightful banquet. Shall we turn from it?”  — Thomas Cole, “Essay on American Scenery”, 1836

Photographs by Corrado Serra.

Thomas Cole’s panoramic five-part Course of Empire series (1834-36)

“This path-breaking exhibition explores ideas about the environment that developed in the context of the Hudson, examining how we became aware, as New Yorkers and as Americans, of the role that humans played in the river’s ecological degradation,” said Dr. Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of New-York Historical. “The exhibit also looks at the strategies we devised to address it. Spanning the entire industrial era, Hudson Rising presents a compelling account of how the Hudson has been an incubator for our ideas about the environment and our relationships to the natural world for two centuries-plus.”

February 27, 2019

Dorothea Tanning at Tate Modern, February 27 – June 9, 2019

“Tate Modern stages a major exhibition of the work of pioneering artist Dorothea Tanning (1910-2012). Organised in collaboration with the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, it is the first large-scale exhibition of her work for 25 years and the first ever to span Tanning’s remarkable seven-decade career. Bringing together some 100 works from across the globe, the exhibition explores how she expanded the language of Surrealism. From her early enigmatic paintings, to her ballet designs, uncanny stuffed textile sculptures, installations and large-scale late works, it offers a rare opportunity to experience the artist’s unique internal world.

The exhibition follows the story of Tanning’s life and work, from her influential first encounters with Surrealism in New York in the 1930s, through to her later years as a painter, poet and writer. Prominent early works are brought together, such as the artist’s powerful self-portrait Birthday 1942 (Philadelphia Museum of Art) which attracted the attention of Max Ernst whom she married in 1946. These join key examples of Tanning’s mid-career prismatic paintings, as well as and her later soft sculptures to show the full breath of her practice.” — Tate Modern

Dorothea Tanning (1910 – 2012). Birthday, 1942. Oil paint on canvas, 1022 x 648 mm. Philadelphia Museum of Art. © DACS, 2018

Dorothea Tanning (1910 – 2012). Children’s Games, 1942. Oil paint on canvas, 280 x 180 mm. Private collection © DACS, 2018

Dorothea Tanning (1910 – 2012). Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, 1943. Oil paint on canvas, 407 x 610 mm. Tate © DACS, 2018

Dorothea Tanning (1910 – 2012). Self-Portrait, 1944. Oil paint on canvas, 610 x 760 mm. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art © DACS, 2018. Photo © Katherine Du Tiel

Dorothea Tanning (1910 – 2012). Maternity, 1946-47. Oil paint on canvas, 1422 x 1219 mm. Private collection © DACS, 2018

Dorothea Tanning (1910 – 2012). La Truite au bleu (Poached Trout), 1952. Oil paint on canvas, 400 x 550 mm. Michael Wilkinson, New Orleans, L.A © DACS, 2018

Dorothea Tanning (1910 – 2012). Hôtel du Pavot, Chambre 202, 1970-1973. Fabric, wool, synthetic fur, cardboard, and Ping-Pong balls, 3405 x 3100 x 4700 mm. Centre Pompidou, Paris. Musée national d’art modern/ Centre de création industrielle. Photo (C) Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Philippe Migeat © DACS, 2018

Dorothea Tanning (1910 – 2012). Éntreinte, 1969. Wool flannel and fake fur stuffed with wool, 1016 x 1028 x 482 mm. The Destina Foundation, New York © DACS, 2018

Dorothea Tanning (1910 – 2012). Verbe, 1966-1970. Flannel, wool, tweed, cardboard, polyfill, forged steel, and wooden jigsaw puzzle pieces from Johannes Vermeer’s “The Artist’s Studio” (ca.1665/66), 890 x 1160 mm. Yale University Art Gallery, Janet and Simeon Braguin Fund © DACS, 2018

Photographer unknown. Dorothea Tanning, Great River, Long Island, 1944. Photograph The Destina Foundation, New York © unknown

Dorothea Tanning is curated by Alyce Mahon, Reader in Modern and Contemporary Art History at the University of Cambridge, and Ann Coxon, Curator, International Art, Tate Modern, supported by Emma Lewis and Hannah Johnston, Assistant Curators, International Art, Tate Modern. The exhibition is organised by the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid in collaboration with Tate Modern.

Images courtesy Tate Modern.

February 26, 2019

The Self-Portrait, from Schiele to Beckmann at Neue Galerie New York, February 28 – June 24, 2019

“The Self-Portrait, from Schiele to Beckmann is an unprecedented exhibition that examines works primarily from Austria and Germany made between 1900 and 1945. This groundbreaking show is unique in its examination and focus on works of this period. Approximately 70 self-portraits by more than 30 artists—both well-known figures and others who deserve greater recognition—will be united in the presentation, which is comprised of loans from public and private collections worldwide.

Admired for their revelatory nature, self-portraits yield insight into both the appearance and the essence of the artist, in some cases providing almost confessional portrayals, sharing profound insights regarding their self-image as a maker, and their perceived relationship to society. On a more universal level, they can also expose deeper truths about the human condition. During the first four decades of the twentieth century, the self-portrait, a genre that has transcended the ages, reached new heights in Germany and Austria.” — Neue Galerie

Paula Modersohn-Becker (1876–1907). Self-Portrait with Two Flowers in Her Raised Left Hand, 1907. Oil on canvas, 55.2 x 24.8 cm (21 3/4 x 9 3/4 in.). Jointly owned by The Museum of Modern Art, New York, Gift of Debra and Leon Black, and The Neue Galerie New York, Gift of Jo Carole and Ronald S. Lauder

Egon Schiele (1890–1918). Self-Portrait in Brown Coat, 1910. Watercolor, gouache, and black crayon on paper, 45.6 x 32.2 cm (18 x 12 5/8 in.). Private Collection

Käthe Kollwitz (1867–1945). Frontal Self-Portrait, ca. 1910. Charcoal on gray-blue Ingres paper, 28.5 x 26 cm (11 1/4 x 10 1/4 in.). Käthe Kollwitz Museum Cologne. Photo: Käthe Kollwitz Museum Cologne © 2019 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956). Self-Portrait, 1915. Oil on canvas, 100.3 x 80 cm (39 1/2 x 31 1/2 in.). The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Museum purchase funded by the Caroline Wiess Law Accessions Endowment Fund © 2019 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Max Beckmann (1884–1950). Self-Portrait in front of Red Curtain, 1923. Oil on canvas, 122.9 x 59.2 cm (48 3/8 x 23 1/4 in.). Private Collection © 2019 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Max Beckmann (1884–1950). Self-Portrait with a Cigarette, 1923. Oil on canvas, 60.2 x 40.3 cm (23 3/4 x 15 7/8 in.). The Museum of Modern Art, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. F. H. Hirschland. Photo: © The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by SCALA / Art Resource, NY © 2019 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Lovis Corinth (1858–1925). Last Self-Portrait, 1925. Oil on canvas, 80.5 x 60.5 cm (31 3/4 x 23 7/8 in.). Kunsthaus Zürich. Photo: © Kunsthaus Zürich

Otto Dix (1891–1969). Self-Portrait with Easel, 1926. Tempera on panel, 80.5 x 55.5 cm (31 3/4 x 21 7/8 in.). Leopold-Hoesch-Museum, Düren. Photo: Peter Hinschläger © 2019 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Georg Scholz (1890-1945). Self-Portrait in front of an Advertising Column, 1926. Oil on canvas, 60 x 77.8 cm (23 5/8 x 30 5/8 in.). Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe. Photo: bpk Bildagentur / Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe / Art Resource, NY © 2019 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Felix Nussbaum (1904–1944). Self-Portrait with Jewish Identity Card, ca. 1943. Oil on canvas, 56 x 49 cm (22 x 19 1/4 in.). Felix-Nussbaum-Haus Osnabrück, loan from the Niedersächsische Sparkassenstiftung. Photo: Museumsquartier Osnabrück, Felix-Nussbaum-Haus Osnabrück © 2019 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

The Self-Portrait, from Schiele to Beckmann is organized by Neue Galerie New York. The guest curator is Prof. Dr. Tobias G. Natter, an internationally acknowledged expert on art from Vienna around 1900.

Images courtesy Neue Galerie.