New York Museum of Modern Art Isa Genzken’s recent retrospective, featuring a complex mixture of things with resonating presence, provided a 180-degree exodus from participatory art and its aim of eliminating the artist. While Genzken’s work is neither imposing nor necessarily spectacular, it is very contemporary.
Amy Pleasant
Atlanta Whitespace Gallery Personal but at the same time universal, Amy Pleasant’s exhibition “re / form” was conceived with the Whitespace Gallery in mind. The two rooms of this converted coach house retain vestiges of their history—herringbone brick floors, a few words scribbled years ago on the wooden walls.
Roberley Bell
Boston deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum Conflate the styles of Henry Moore, Jean Arp, and Dr. Seuss, stir in California slickness and cartoon colors, and you get Roberley Bell’s The Shape of the Afternoon, which occupied the deCordova’s rooftop with a visionary garden.
Katinka Bock
Seattle Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington In an important North American debut, German artist Katinka Bock created seven new works for the Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington, while deputy director Luis Croquer selected six additional pieces dating from 2008 to the present.
Contradiction is My Logic: A Conversation with Alexandre Arrechea
Alexandre Arreachea, who was born in Cuba, worked as part of the well-known collaborative Los Carpinteros before embarking on a solo career in 2003. Now, he navigates between living in spain and exhibiting in biennials from Venice to Teipei and in museums from New York to Honolulu.
Michael Hakimi
Berlin Krome Gallery The two objects in Michael Hakimi’s recent exhibition—works that oscillate somewhere between photography and sculpture—sat apart at the front and rear of the gallery. This situation alluded to a third, missing sculpture that ghosted the other two and broke apart the stillness of the space.
Material Splendor, A Conversation with El Anatsui
When I first interviewed El Anatsui, back in 2006, I was captivated by his use of found materials, form, and social context, but I consciously steered away from critical and art historical issues. To me, there was a more interesting story that acknowledged the heart, particularly in the haunting sculpture Visa Queue (1992).
When Chance Meets Precision, A Conversation with Shirazeh Houshiary
Shirazeh Houshiary, who was born in Shiraz, Iran, and moved to London in 1974, had her first solo show in 1980 at the Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff. Early on, she won recognition as part of a group of sculptors, including Richard Deacon and Tony Cragg, who came of age in the 1980s.
Erwin Wurm
Frankfurt Städel Museum “Erwin Wurm: One Minute Sculptures,” curated by Martin Engler, head of the Städel Museum’s contemporary art collection, consisted of a survey of older works and new works created specifically for the Städel collection.
Douglas Coupland
Vancouver Vancouver Art Gallery Douglas Coupland’s first solo museum show, “everywhere is anywhere is anything is everything,” took viewers through a sprawling cultural foray into today’s schizoid society. Coupland’s early schooling included a diploma in sculpture, and this influence is felt throughout the show.
