Is resistance possible? Swiss artist Thomas Hirschhorn still thinks so, according to the texts that permeated his giant cave of an installation at the 54th Venice Biennale. That Switzerland chose Hirschhorn as its official representative demonstrates a remarkable rapprochement, or at least détente, between an artist whose stated aim is to provoke and a government
Archive
Eunsuh Choi: Crystal Clear Dreams
Glass is rarely the medium of choice for large-scale sculpture. Yet Korean artist Eunsuh Choi defies expectations and assumed limitations, exploiting this fragile material at a grand scale to achieve qualities unimaginable in marble, bronze, clay, or wood.
“Go Ahead…Touch Me!”
CINCINNATI Manifest Gallery Mischievous intent and scrupulous execution do not necessarily go hand in hand in sculpture, but “Go Ahead…Touch Me!” featured works that answer both criteria.
James Surls: Paradox Is All We Have
James Surls is an artist of remarkable power and mystery. His wood, bronze, and steel sculptures evoke a sense of ancient, present, and future worlds, from earthly landscapes to outer space, from visible nature to the inner eye.
Four from Miami: McKnight, Sardi, Thiele, and Vapor
Put aside Miami’s devotion to epidermality. Ignore the swan migrations of its art fairs and a current, hyped art scene stenciled, in setting and content, from Manhattan templates. That Sargassopolis should have lifted precariously from a low-lying wetland beside a stormy sea will be seen as a high watermark in the history of urban vanity.
“Art Unlimited”
BASEL Art Basel Since 2000, “Art Unlimited” (at the Art Basel fair) has been the ideal place to exhibit oversize sculptures, installations, videos, and performances.
Diane Pepe
PHILADELPHIA Philadelphia Art Alliance It isn’t often that an artist’s intent coalesces seamlessly with the viewer’s experience, but this was indeed the case in Diane Pepe’s recent exhibition, “Connections.”
Hasan Elahi
SAN FRANCISCO Intersection for the Arts San Francisco has been synonymous with political activism since the 1960s, and Intersection for the Arts was right there with her. Since its inception in 1965, Intersection has upheld a rich and varied tradition of supporting work that is actively engaged with political and cultural events.
Jaume Plensa
WEST BRETTON, U.K. Yorkshire Sculpture Park Jaume Plensa’s work provides an antidote to a capitalist world driven by economic principles that treat human beings as largely expendable commodities.
Christopher Janney: Defying Dimensions
Christopher Janney knows few limits in his work beyond the speed of light and our ability to hear sound. He defies the idea of dimension, though in almost every case, his interventions help shape, or at least define, the space they inhabit—not really a contradiction in terms.
