July’s Picks
Fondation Carmignac
Porquerolles (France)
In 2018, the site in Porquerolles will be open to the public from June 2nd until November 4th.
The Carmignac Foundation site was inaugurated on June 2nd, 2018 on the Island of Porquerolles, the largest of the three islands of Hyères, in the region Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. Departing from the harbor of La Tour Fondue, a nice ferry ride takes you to the island, which is located only a few miles from the coast into the Mediterranean Sea. A fifteen-minute walk among fragrant pines, heather and myrtle will lead you to the Domaine de Courtade, headquarters of the Foundation, at the heart of the Port-Cros national park. The villa, which is the heart of the Foundation and offers permanent and temporary exhibits, benefits from a 21.000 sq./ft. underground space. The inaugural exhibition, Sea of Desire, presents influential artists such as Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Gerhard Richter and Jean-Michel Basquiat alongside younger, emerging ones. The villa is surrounded by a 37-acre sculpture garden designed by landscaper Louis Benech. The works, which are all monumental, have been placed as to interact with the surrounding vegetation: “At the South end of the garden, we created a game of hide-and-seek between the works, trees and shrubs. At the North end of the park, screens of giant reeds allow to stage the artworks.”
GaiaMotherTree
Ernesto Neto
Central Station of Zurich (Switzerland)
From June 30th to July 29th, 2018
Starting at the end of June, the Beyeler Foundation will be presenting a monumental installation by Brazilian artist Ernesto Neto at the Central Station of Zurich (Switzerland). GaiaMotherTree (2018) is a giant structure made of multicolored hand-dyed cotton ribbons, sewed and tied together to form a nearly 65-foot-high see-through structure that reaches up to the station’s ceiling. Visitors are invited to enter the sculpture and wander around its circular base. A program of conferences, performances and workshops is offered through the month of July. More info here > www.fondationbeyeler.ch
The Mastaba (Project for London, Hyde Park, Serpentine Lake)
Christo
Serpentine Gallery, London (England)
From June 19th to September 9th, 2018
Since its inauguration, Christo’s Mastaba in London has become an unavoidable protagonist of social networks. Combined with an exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery which contextualizes its conception, the Mastaba is made of 7.506 oil barrels stacked horizontally on top of each other, thus forming a trapezoidal pyramid floating on the peaceful waters of Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park (London). A 130-feet-high and 100-feet-wide structure for a total weight of 600 tons that is reminiscent of traditional Egyptian tombs. According to Christo, the piece would not have existed without the interaction of the surrounding natural elements, particularly water, vegetation and light. The latter is particularly interesting at sunrise, when the first rays of sun hit the red, blue and mauve barrels, colors that Christo picked to contrast with the colors of the sky and vegetation.
Alexander Calder: From the Stony River to the Sky
Hauser & Wirth Somerset (England)
Until September 9th, 2018
Hauser & Wirth Somerset dedicates its summer exhibit to American sculptor and painter Alexander Calder. More than a hundred works, most of which have never been displayed in England before, are presented in five spaces of the galleries as well as in the gardens of the Durslade Farm, which hosts Hauser & Wirth Somerset. Among the large scale indoor sculptures, one can view La Grande Vitesse (1969), the original of which is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan (USA). Five stabiles and one mobile are installed in the gardens, including Funghi Neri (Black Mushrooms) (1957), one of Christo’s first monumental public space commissions.
Manifesta 12 The Planetary Garden
Palerme (Sicily, Italy)
Elected Italian capital of culture for 2018, the city of Palermo hosts the 12th edition of Manifesta, a European nomadic biennial dedicated to contemporary creation. This edition is entitled Il Giardino Planetario. Coltivare la coesitenza (The Planetary Garden. Cultivating Coexistence), referring to the research work of French landscaper, botanist and gardener Gilles Clément: “Together, we decide that Earth is a single, small garden.” Fifty artists from all walks of life occupy twenty sites, including churches, palazzi, theaters and public spaces, to explore the vision of a planetary garden through installations, performances, lectures and exhibitions.
