Rome, Two Aspects of Enzo Cucchi at MAXXI: “The Poet and the Magician”.. and More
Italy_Rome
Two Aspects of Enzo Cucchi at MAXXI: “The Poet and the Magician”
Museum in Rome by Zaha Hadid (1950-2016), MAXXI National Museum of 21st Century Arts presents “The Poet and the Magician,” a solo exhibition by Enzo Cucchi (b. 1949) through October 8.
One of the leading Italian painters of the second half of the 20th century, Cucchi also works as a poet and sculptor and has been noted for his use of diverse symbols. The title of the exhibition, “The Poet and the Magician,” refers to the two sides of Cucchi. The “poet” refers to his characteristic use of text as a central idea, while the “Magician” alludes to the painter’s ability to capture and transform reality in material and figure.
The exhibition features more than 200 works from his decades of career, spanning painting, typography, crafts, sculpture, and publications. However, it eschews the format of a chronological retrospective of his work. Instead, the exhibition aims to convey the freedom of Cucchi’s world by scattering the pieces throughout the space.
Scotland_Edinburgh
Leonor Antunes’s Solo Show “the apparent length of a floor area” at Fruitmarket
Edinburgh’s Fruitmarket gallery presents “the apparent length of a floor area,” a solo exhibition by Portuguese artist Leonor Antunes (b. 1972). Antunes is known for her installations that utilize the architectural features of buildings. In this exhibition, she presents works that pay homage to overlooked figures in the history of modern design and architecture, primarily female artists.
‘the homemaker and her domain’ is a large structure on the first floor of the gallery, a wooden structure with several hanging works that reference the work of female architects and weavers and take their names as titles. Not only are these artists marginalized in art history, but their lives reveal the social history of migration. Antunes uses a multitude of techniques and materials to reinterpret the works of these women artists or to complete their unfinished practice. The designs, materials, and techniques that make up the work not only have feminist connotations but also demonstrate the artist’s formal experimentation with space and sculpture.
The exhibition is part of the Edinburgh Art Festival and runs through October 8.
Germany_Munich
Haus der Kunst: “Inside Other Spaces. Environments by Women Artists 1956 – 1976”
Opening on September 8, Munich’s modern art museum Haus der Kunst presents “Inside Other Spaces. Environments by Women Artists 1956 – 1976” through next March.
“Environments” is a concept first applied to art by the Italian painter and sculptor Lucio Fontana (1899-1968) in 1949. It refers to art forms that create and transform space, that have comprehensive aspects of painting, architecture, and design. These forms create immersive and playful spaces for the public to enter and participate in.
While Fontana’s concept of environment quickly spread internationally, historical accounts of it remained limited to the work of a few male artists in the United States and partially Europe. This exhibition attempts to provide a diverse and non-centered historical narrative through the lens of women artists. Eleven women artists spanning three generations from Asia, Europe, North America, and South America are featured with their works created between 1956 and 1976.
The works on display were dismantled after exhibitions as they were large and difficult to maintain. The show features reconstructions of all eleven works, based on the past three years of research into the originals of the works. The artists are Judy Chicago, Lygia Clark, Laura Grisi, Aleksandra Kasuba, Lea Lublin, Marta Minujín, Tania Mouraud, Maria Nordman, Nanda Vigo, Faith Wilding, and Tsuruko Yamazaki.
