Read an Interview of OpenAI's First Artist in Residence →

Installation view of Disruptive Reflexivity in the Flux of Becoming (2024) in the Write a convoluted exhibition title for Alexander Reben’s show in the basement of the Charlie James Gallery exhibition. Courtesy of the artist and Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles. Photo © 2024 Yubo Dong; photo credit @ofphotostudio Yubo Dong.

interview by Mia Milosevic

Alexander Reben is a multidisciplinary artist and engineer whose work investigates the intersection of technology, humanity, and creativity. Known for his provocative explorations of artificial intelligence and automation, Reben challenges the boundaries between the artificial and the real, prompting philosophical inquiries into human identity and technological evolution. As the first artist in residence at OpenAI, he developed tools that expand artistic expression and explore AI’s potential in reshaping creative practices. His latest exhibition at Charlie James Gallery, Write a convoluted exhibition title for Alexander Reben’s show in the basement of the Charlie James Gallery, showcases a diverse range of work, from AI-generated musings to intricate sculptures created with robotics, each piece reflecting Reben's fascination with the dialogue between human ingenuity and machine autonomy. Reben’s latest artistic innovations, including some created during his residency at OpenAI, are on view until December 7 at Charlie James Gallery in Los Angeles. Read more.

Adorned Youth by Stephanie Pfænder & Camille Ange Pailler (Copy)

Ran is wearing earrings & top by Colombe De Naes, bracelet by Charlotte Chesnais
Winter is wearing jacket by Celine, short by Colombe De Naes, ring by Charlotte Chesnais, earrings by Schiller

photography by Stephanie Pfænder c/o Shot View
styling by Camille Ange Pailler
casting by Olga Sikorska
Models Winter via Eli Xavier & Ran via Tigers Mgmt 
makeup by Susanna Jonas
hair by Tobias Sagner
photography assistant Valentina Murtazaeva
stylist assistants Sinead A Ni Tomas & Nadine Sahm

Ran is wearing earrings & top by Colombe De Naes, bracelet and necklace by Charlotte Chesnais, skirt by Pauluschkaa, tights socks by Noemi Braun

Ran is wearing a dress by Pauluschkaa, earrings by Dheygere, bracelet by Colombe De Naes

Winter is wearing jacket by Etre earrings and ear cuff by Schiller

 

Winter is wearing a necklace by August, two necklaces by Schiller, top by Colombe De Naes, skirt by Pauluschkaa, boots by Vivienne Westwood

 
 

Ran is wearing a top by Etre, necklaces by Colombe De Naes, chocker by Schiller, ring by August

 

Winter is wearing a shirt by Acne Studios, ring and earrings by Schiller

Trashy Clothing x Barragán unveil "Arsenal of Democracy", a fusion of Fashion and Resistance

Trashy Clothing and Barragán have joined forces for a bold winter collection, Arsenal of Democracy, blending fashion with subversive commentary. Shot in Jordan with close friends of the brand, the campaign reimagines American wartime propaganda to critique cultural imperialism, exploring themes of psyops and fashion’s role in power structures.

Designed by Omar Braika, Shukri Lawrence, and Victor Barragán, the collection features six pieces—two wrap skirts, a dress, a wrap top, and two T-shirts—that fuse the brands’ styles with sharp social critiques. The designs reflect Trashy Clothing’s Palestinian roots and Barragán’s Mexican heritage, confronting imperialism from both perspectives.

“This collaboration started after a tweet dissected our takes on American imperialism,” said Trashy Clothing’s team. “When we announced it, the community immediately said, ‘Of course!’ Our shared vision of fashion as resistance made this collection feel inevitable.”

Accompanied by exclusive tracks from Adam Rajab, the campaign amplifies its satirical tone and political edge, immersing viewers in the chaotic world the brands have created.

Pre-orders for ”Arsenal of Democracy” are now open on Trashy Clothing’s official website.

Shot by Omar Braika and Shukri Lawrence
Hair by Abdelrahman Karshan
Soundtrack by Adam Rajab
Featuring Omar Sha3, Noor Abu Waar, Hescham Karshan, Big Murk, and Haifa.

American Artist Reimagines Rocket Science Origins Using Octavia Butler’s Futuristic Lens through the LACMA Art + Technology Lab

American Artist: Earthseed is the second in a three-part film series from Hyundai Artlab spotlighting the Art + Technology Lab at LACMA—a pioneering program revitalized through Hyundai Motor and LACMA’s partnership since 2015. The series highlights the Lab’s commitment to fostering bold, cross-disciplinary projects that challenge conventional boundaries in art and technology. 

In this short film, American Artist brings a multi-year collaboration with the Lab into focus providing an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Monophobic Response, a two-channel film and sculptural installation inspired by Octavia E. Butler’s speculative narratives. 

This film takes a closer look at how American Artist’s creative process incorporates historical events and imaginative storytelling to interrogate modern societal structures. Reimagining a 1936 rocket engine test through Octavia E. Butler’s lens, American Artist transforms archival material into a critique of societal and technological dynamics. Together the film and the work challenge perceptions of progress and underscores the role of inclusive storytelling in shaping our understanding of the future.

Watch the full film on Hyundai Artlab

Mufutau Yusuf's Impasse Uses Dance to Examine the Role of Memory in the Construction of Identity

Mufutau Yusuf, Impasse, image credit Luca Truffarelli:

Mufutau Yusuf is a Nigerian-born Irish choreographer, performer, teacher, and curator, living between Brussels and Ireland. Born in Lagos, he moved to rural Country Meath, outside of Dublin, Ireland, at age nine with his father and discovered contemporary dance at sixteen through the Dublin Youth Dance Company. Raised in a culture where movement and dance are integral to its heritage, Yusuf was drawn to the opportunities in Europe, where he saw the potential to cultivate a professional career in dance.

He later trained at the Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance, and since graduating in 2016, has performed with leading companies such as Wim Vandekeybus/Ultima Vez in Belgium and Liz Roche Company, Irish Modern Dance Theatre, Emma Martin/United Fall, and Catherine Young Dance in Ireland. Currently, he is a choreographer-in-residence with Ireland’s National Dance Company, Luail.

Yusuf’s unique voice has earned him a respected place within contemporary dance ecology. His acclaimed piece Òwe—Yoruba for “proverb”—premiered at the Irish Arts Center in 2022. Combining personal and archival materials with immersive visuals, soundscapes, and a blend of traditional and contemporary movement, it is an investigation of identity, particularly of Yusef’s Nigerian roots. 

Sound design is integral to Yusuf’s choreography. In Pigeon, a work that navigates the intersection of language and cultural fusion, he juxtaposes recordings from Nigerian markets with those from Cork’s Moore Street Market, Dublin. 

His recent piece, Impasse, commissioned by Arts Council Ireland, features a soundscape by composer Mick Donohoe, layering abstract sounds, tearing noises, and Bach-inspired compositions. Motivated by Yusuf’s interest in racial and political identity—particularly as it relates to the Black body in contemporary Western contexts—Impasse is a compelling exploration of ethnicity, identity and the experience of the Black diaspora. Delving into questions of representation, misrepresentation, and invisibility Yusef uses the piece to; “further understand my relationship with my Black body and its experiences within a contemporary Western society. This raised questions on the notion of representation, misrepresentation, and lack thereof.”

Mufutau Yusuf, Impasse, image credit Patricio Cassinoni

Performed as a duet with the Congolese dancer, Lukah Katangila, Yusef delves into the role of memory in the construction of identity. Drawing on both his own experiences and those of his collaborator as migrants, he examines themes of assimilation, diversity, and representation, using dance as a medium to explore the complexities of belonging and selfhood. In a 2022 interview with The New York Times he explained “As migrants, you always improvise, attuning yourself to your surroundings, and that comes across in my work.”

Originally premiered at the Dublin Dance Festival 2024, Impasse has since toured across the UK, including a standout appearance at the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe, where it earned a five-star review from The Guardian as "a piece of magical stagecraft" marking Yusef as "a choreographer to watch." Before its London premiere at Sadler’s Wells Lilian Baylis Studio on Thursday the 14th and Friday the 15th of November, Yusuf will present Impasse at the Festival Afropolis, QDance Centre in Lagos. 

Mufutau Yusuf, Impasse, image credit Patricio Cassinoni

About Impasse

Creative Team:
Mufutau Yusuf (Junior) – Choreographer / Performer / Set Designer
Lukah Katangila – Performer
Tom Lane – Sound Design & Composer
Mick Donohoe – Composer
Matt Burke – Light Designer
Alison Brown – Costume Design

Maryam Yussuf – Prop Design
Ikenna Anyabuike – Text / Spoken Word
Rima Baransi - Rehearsal Assistant
Lisa Mahony – Production Manager
Lisa Krugel – Stage Manager / Set Assistant 

Mufutau Yusuf, Impasse, image credit Luca Truffarelli:

Cocktail Celebration and Signing For Autre's Fall/Winter Citizen Issue At The Stone Island Flagship In NYC

November 7th, Autre Magazine took over the Stone Island flagship in Manhattan to celebrate our FW24 “CITIZEN” Issue and a 166-page supplement by @sicknethi generously supported by the cult luxury outerwear brand. Sethi signed copies and two large lightboxes of the covers greeted guests at the door.

Roberto Matta's Surreal Dreamscapes Prove Themselves Ageless @ Galerie Mitterrand in Berlin

Galerie Mitterrand is opening its very first exhibition at 95 rue duFaubourg Saint-Honoré, History is round like the Earth by Chilean artist Roberto Matta. In collaboration with the Matta family and Paradiso Terrestre gallery, the exhibition brings together some thirty works – paintings, sculptures and drawings – covering each decade from the 1930s to the 1990s. An original text by American art historian Terri Geis will also be published for the occasion.

Affiliated with Surrealism, Matta began producing drawings in the 1930s that were freely inspired by the landscapes he discovered during his travels in Latin America. With André Breton’s encouragement, he worked between Europe and the United States, where he met the pioneers of Surrealism and became associated with the Abstract Expressionists (Arshile Gorky, Robert Motherwell, etc.).

In addition to his historical relationship with different movements of modern art, this exhibition intends to revisit the abundant work of the Chilean artist and examine its singularities. Matta’s illuminated, almost psychedelic aesthetic, halfway between esotericism and anticipation, makes him a forerunner of science fiction in the field of plastic art. Combining futuristic architecture, technological-industrial constructions and biomorphic figures, these compositions are in turn reflections on the historical-political context (authoritarian regimes of the twentieth century) and a more metaphysical projection of the human condition. Through its freedom, its great pictorial diversity and its insight into society, Matta’s work appears now more relevant than ever.

History is round like the Earth is on view through December 21st at Galerie Mitterrand, 95, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris VIII.

The Post Human Urge: A Review of Post Human at Jeffrey Deitch in Los Angeles

 

Image courtesy of Pippa Garner and Jeffrey Deitch.

 

review by Mia Milosevic

IA anguille sous roche [A.I. eel under the rock] is a contemporary adaptation of the French idiom Il y a anguille sous roche [There’s a eel under the rock], which indirectly translates to something is simply not right here…. The transformation speaks to society’s fears surrounding technological advancement, where man-made innovation upends the traditional and replaces it with a futuristic permutation of what once was. The metamorphosis of this fixed expression speaks to the evolution of humanity, to the post human body, which is colloquially characterized by its unconventional additions and subtractions.

Thirty-two years ago, Jeffrey Deitch curated an exhibition called Post Human, which included the work of thirty-six artists. On September 12 of this year, Post Human made its second Earth-landing, opening at 925 N. Orange Drive in Los Angeles. The 1992 exhibition revolutionarily summoned new frontiers surrounding post humanism to the foreground, and entrenched the term into contemporary vernacular. The body became ostensible, and so did much of what is naturally embedded within it. 

The current showing of Post Human is a supersaturated, chaotic amalgamation of work, which revolves itself around the most up-to-date understanding of our corporeal tendencies. 

Paul McCarthy’s The Garden showcases a practice of ecosexuality, adopting a radical form of environmental activism rooted in the optimization of nature’s glory holes. What appears to be a forest oasis houses the mechanical effigies of nature’s erotic lovers. The applicable law on consent as it relates to this kind of sexual engagement has not yet been sorted out. Interestingly, Jana Euler’s The Judge is positioned some ways across from the greenery, staring up disapprovingly at the orgiastic jardin.

Josh Kline’s Aspirational Foreclosure (Matthew/Mortgage Loan Officer) and MAOI Inhibitors Can’t Fix This (Elizabeth/Administrative Assistant) are life-size 3D-printed plaster characters who are crouched in fetal position, laying on their sides, wrapped in an over-sized plastic bag which is politely knotted at the top. Matthew and Elizabeth have been presumably consumed by the microplastics we are thought to ingest on a daily basis. This inversion unfortunately lends an exceptional amount of perspective to the inextricable link between plastic and the 21st century body.

Charles Ray’s Family Romance is a mixed media installation and sculpture of four people holding hands. The piece absolutely levels traditional conceptions of the classic family dynamic, and does so quite literally. Ray makes the mom, dad, son, and daughter all the same height, removing the power dynamics generally associated with typical familial roles and further embracing the Freudian sexual awkwardness which invites any and all incestphobic viewers to reveal themselves. Ray says that you can find the meaning of the sculpture where the figures’ hands come together. 

In Post Human’s original catalogue, Jeffrey Deitch wrote about how people would one day be able to expunge their family histories and create an identity entirely devoid of family ethos and genetics. The idea is an intriguing one, especially in the context of Ray’s Family Romance.

Pierre Huyghe’s Idiom is a golden LED screen mask integrated with a real time voice generated by Artificial Intelligence. The anthropomorphization of metal by way of shape makes the facade recognizable, but it’s still not human. IA anguille sous masque?

Pippa Garner’s Human Prototype is best described as a literal intersection of the modern body. A Barbie-esque character and a Black man sporting a fedora are forced into one corpus. The arm of an inscrutable third person serves as the head of the being, its hand clutching an iPhone. The creature is an eerie, cyborgian rendition of our technological reliance. In Human Prototype, the artificial implies plurality and multi-beingness; the extent to self-identity may not always know bounds. The culprit behind X says that he thinks we are already cyborgs. Jeffrey Deitch probably agreed with the statement a few decades before it was made.

Post Human is on view through January 18 @ Jeffrey Deitch in Los Angeles, 925 N. Orange Drive

Basquiat Serenades a Venus of Antiquity @ Gagosian in Paris

Gagosian’s exhibition, Venus, sees a pairing of two rarely seen masterpieces from different millennia: Untitled (1982), a significant painting from Jean-Michel Basquiat’s acclaimed Modena series, is shown in dialogue with an Imperial Roman sculpture of the goddess Venus loaned from the Torlonia Collection in Rome, the world’s largest private collection of Roman art. This is Gagosian’s eleventh exhibition dedicated to Basquiat and demonstrates the gallery’s ongoing commitment to the artist’s legacy.

Untitled is one of eight large-scale paintings that Basquiat made in Modena, Italy, in the summer of 1982 at the age of twenty-one. Produced at the invitation of collector and art dealer Emilio Mazzoli for an exhibition that never came to fruition, the works were not shown together until they were reunited last summer at Fondation Beyeler in Riehen/Basel, more than four decades after they were made.

Highlighting how Venus has been a muse across centuries, the exhibition is on view through December 20th at Gagosian’s gallery at 9 rue de Castiglione, Paris.

Gavin Fujita Overlays the Sacred with the Profane @ Buchmann Galerie in Berlin

In his show, “Blessings and Curses of this World,” Gajin Fujita masterfully plays with the codes of American popular culture and interweaves them with pictorial elements of the diverse ethnic cultures in a globalized world. Logos of multinational companies are fused with motifs reminiscent of the woodcuts and Ukiyoe paintings of the Edo period, the tribal signs of graffiti form the background for Raphael’s putti, creating a truly contemporary cosmos of hyper-entanglement.

The extensive painterly oeuvre of the Japanese-American artist is notable for its striking synthesis of traditional Japanese motifs and techniques with those of contemporary Western graffiti art, as well as its engagement with the rich histories of both Western and East Asian painting. Fujita thus calls into question the visual codes that underpin our supposedly stable cultural identities. By employing a distinct visual vocabulary that highlights the inherent contradictions associated with globalized cultural forms, the artist introduces a dynamic motion to the works.

Gajin Fujita emphasizes the tension between tradition and the present by using gold leaf for the background, as was used for precious paintings from the Orient to the Occident. In European medieval panel painting, the gold ground iconographically separated the sacred space from the profane space. In Fujita’s work, it serves as a background for graffiti tags and bright lacquer colours.

Gajin Fujita’s oeuvre represents the expression and outcome of a contemporary, multifaceted production of culture and images. His pictorial space demonstrates the coexistence of markedly contradictory cultural signs that are characteristic of the globalized reality of our contemporary era. The consistently popular work of the Californian painter is thus in tune with the times without losing sight of history.

Blessings and Curses of This World is on view through November 9th at Buchmann Galerie at Charlottenstraße 13, 10969 Berlin.

saké blue: Read an Interview of Estelle Hoy →

Image courtesy of Estelle Hoy

interview with Estelle Hoy
saké blue is published by After 8 Books
edited by Antonia Carrara

OLIVER KUPPER: Hi Estelle! Congratulations on launching your new book. As I mentioned yesterday, my colleague said of saké blue, “It’s like Clarice Lispector and Curb Your Enthusiasm had a baby.” 

ESTELLE HOY: [laughing] That’s excellent. My favorite review yet. After we launched saké blue in New York with After 8 Books, Lisa Robertson asked some astute questions about satire within a text and its role in politics. Lisa is brilliant, so she doesn’t understand that some of us need time to think. Now that I’ve thought about it for a few weeks, I think satire in a text has a kind of mutant state that reverberates differently with different people. People don’t always like satire; they find it belligerent. Something I’ve maybe observed, at least in my own life, so this is by no means general, is that my least educated friends find me funnier; there’s something in that I think, and I feel artistically safer within the working-class environment I grew up in and a little bit fearful that people with a certain level of post-grad education, who’ve taken grave offense to something I’ve written, will slide into my inbox. And slide they do. I’m generally a bit scared of people. How does this relate to Lisa’s question? Maybe one answer is that satire in my work is simply a way of finding the characteristics of sociology and how to understand social forces and their stratifications. Which demographics respond to the conflicts of satire the most and revile it the most? I should do some empirical research, but I’m not in the mood. Read more.

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Presents Color in Motion: Chromatic Explorations of Cinema and Cyberpunk: Envisioning Possible Futures Through Cinema

Color in Motion: Chromatic Explorations of Cinema delves into the essential role of color in cinema, featuring film clips, technological equipment, and objects, including the legendary ruby slippers designed by Gilbert Adrian from The Wizard of  Oz (1939), the green dress designed by Edith Head and worn by Kim Novak in Vertigo (1958), a blue ensemble worn by Jamie Foxx as Django in Django Unchained (2012), and a Wonka chocolate bar from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) . Interactive installations invite visitors to engage with color in innovative ways. A comprehensive catalogue will accompany the exhibition, offering deeper insights into the legacy of color in film.

Color in Motion: Chromatic Explorations of Cinema is curated by Senior Exhibitions Curator Jessica Niebel with Assistant Curator Sophia Serrano, Research Assistant Alexandra James Salichs, and former Curatorial Assistant Manouchka Kelly Labouba.

Cyberpunk: Envisioning Possible Futures Through Cinema explores the global impact of the cyberpunk subgenre on film culture, showcasing iconic films like Blade Runner (1982), The Matrix (1999), and international titles such as Sleep Dealer (2008) and Akira (1988). At its core, an immersive installation will trace the genre's origins and its evolution into 21st-century themes like Afrofuturism and Indigenous futurism. Visitors can also experience a mixed-reality (MR) installation, and the exhibition includes a catalogue with rare behind-the-scenes images and exclusive merchandise.

Cyberpunk: Envisioning Possible Futures Through Cinema is curated by Vice President of Curatorial Affairs Doris Berger, with Assistant Curators Nicholas Barlow and Emily Rauber Rodriguez. 

 

Color in Motion: Chromatic Explorations of Cinema, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Photo by: Josh White, JWPictures ©Academy Museum Foundation

 

Color in Motion: Chromatic Explorations of Cinema runs through July 13, 2025, and Cyberpunk: Envisioning Possible Futures Through Cinema runs through April 12, 2026.

The Academy Museum exhibition galleries and store are open six days a week from 10am to 6pm and are closed on Tuesdays.

In conjunction with the exhibition Color in Motion: Chromatic Explorations of Cinema, the Academy Museum proudly presents The Wonders of Technicolor, a screening series that celebrates the vibrant and indelible impact of Technicolor on Hollywood productions and audiences. From shaping narratives to evoking emotions, color transcends logic, resonating deeply with audiences. Introduced in the 1930s, Technicolor IV became the dominant color technology in Hollywood, defining the look of studio films with its crisp images and vibrant hues. This series highlights Technicolor's profound influence on filmmaking, showcasing its contributions to production design, costume, and cinematography, as seen in classics like Vertigo (1958) and Cabaret (1972).

Tickets to the Academy Museum are available only through advance online reservations via the Academy Museum’s website and mobile app.

Absorb the Color of Late Capitalism in Baby Blue Benzo @ 52 Walker

David Zwirner at 52 Walker in New York City announces its thirteenth exhibition, Baby Blue Benzo, which features work by Canadian-born, New York–based artist Sara Cwynar. This presentation focuses on a new film—for which the show is titled—shot on both digital video and 16mm and projected at monumental scale. To complement Baby Blue Benzo, a series of related photographs will be installed throughout the gallery space.

Engaging with vernacular photography and the moving image, as well as their attendant technologies, Cwynar’s practice—which also includes collage, installation, and performance—explores how pictorial constructs and their related systems of power feed back into real life. Such projects as Rose Gold (2017) and Baby Blue Benzo consider color—namely, how its use and value are constantly renegotiated by the shifting conditions of consumerism, technology, and desire. Drawing from her background in graphic design and a lineage of postwar conceptual photography, Cwynar tampers with visual signifiers to deconstruct notions of power and recontextualize image culture in late capitalism.

In her new film, Cwynar combines newly produced video and photographs with found images amassed in her archive. The principal scenes for Baby Blue Benzo were filmed at a studio in Los Angeles, where Cwynar staged a surrealistic shoot—featuring two sets of circular camera tracks—with massive props and elaborate historical costumes that became a kind of stand-in for the artifice and arbitrariness of composing images. The artwork’s central visual pillar is a replica of the titular 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR, which is to date the most expensive car to be sold at auction.

Baby Blue Benzo is on view through December 21 @ 52 Walker Street, New York City

Highlights From The Inaugural Art Basel Paris @ The Grand Palais

Art Basel Paris 2024 at the Grand Palais. Courtesy of Art Basel


text by Sammy Loren

Beneath the majestic light shining through the glass roof of the Grand Palais, Art Basel Paris could almost be mistaken for a religious gathering. Nearly 200 galleries and more than 65,000 congregants made the pilgrimage to the 8th arrondissement for one of the art world's most important fairs. A celebration of art and wealth, prestige and power, the Paris iteration of Art Basel isn’t the most thrilling (Miami), nor the biggest (Basel), yet it has an unmistakable allure and a more humane scale.

It’s the fair’s first year at the Grand Palais, a glorious Beaux-Arts exhibition hall. The palace features ornate steel railings and soaring plate glass ceilings, which flood the space in a luminous light. When it opened for the 1900 Universal Exposition, the Grand Palais served as the site for France—then at its cultural and political zenith—to peacock its prowess for all the world to see. Over a hundred years later, France finds itself much diminished: Paris no longer the capital of the world, French abandoned as the lingua franca. Hosting an art fair as illustrious as Art Basel inside the Grand Palais therefore felt charged with meaning, at least for me. The French government had just completed a major restoration on the building and I couldn’t help but hear them, as well as the elite art world saying, Don’t count us out yet! 

Walking through the maze of lanes, I was drawn into My House by American artist Tschabalala Self at Eva Presenhuber. Self remodeled the entire booth into a sort of home, the white cube’s floors and walls painted in vivid blue and lined with gold and ivory accents. The space could be a richly wallpapered bedroom—or a cage surrounded by the sky. This transformation creates an unsettling “home” for the artist’s colorful, darkly complex paintings and sculptures. My House references historic figures such as Sarah Baartman and Josephine Baker. In the early 19th century, Baartman was trafficked to France from present day South Africa whereas Baker fled the segregationist era United States for Paris. In France, Baartman faced trauma while Baker found a sense of freedom. My House suggests that a similar dynamic endures for many today, in France and beyond.

Installation view, Txchabalala Self, My House, Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Art Basel Paris, 2024

Around the corner I found pieces by Tursic & Mille, a French artistic team made up of Ida Tursic and Wilfried Mille. Their works at Galleria Alfonso Artiaco showcase the duo applying oil paints onto engravings, giving the work a textured, collage-like effect. Tursic & Mille’s paintings blend the abstract with the figurative, the mundane with the mythic. In one a woman seemingly cut from the pages of a fashion magazine flashes her eyes at the viewer, her wave of blond hair swelling into yellow paint that crests and breaks over the entire painting. In another beside it, pink flowers sprout against an inky sky with clouds of paint hanging low and ominous. Tursic & Mille create an interior frame within the paintings and colors bleed all over as if to comment on the very origin of images in a world saturated by them. 

Upstairs with the emerging and medium-sized galleries ringing above the main floor, LambdaLambdaLambda, the only gallery ever from Kosovo, showed pastels by Nora Turato. The Zagreb-born, Amsterdam-based artist’s highlight was the Freudian triptych, anyone has some mom? with the text “Where’s my mom?” drawn across the three panels. The word ‘mom’ is an alarming shade of red and stands alone on its own white panel. The piece reflects on everyone’s sense of neediness, dependency, and infantile desire for emotional security. It seemed to echo everyone’s wish for simpler times when the burden of our decisions—and their subsequent fallout—fell on someone else’s shoulders.

Nora Turato
anyone has some mom?, 2024
Oil pastel on paper and Dibond, framed
installation size: 220 × 254,5 × 5,2 cm

I get Turato’s point. Regression seems more and more en vogue. While in Paris, gallerists lamented the market’s softness, a few whispering to me how they suspected collectors were waiting for Trump to win before throwing money around again. For the past couple years gallerists unloaded a lot of works by buzzy young artists, a speculative boom that has since largely gone bust. In response, programs showed not just established names, but also more historic ones: de Chirico, Kandinsky, Dalí, Giacometti.  

One striking example of this swing was LA’s Hannah Hoffman Gallery who along with New York’s Candice Madey jointly exhibited works by Darrel Ellis. The suite of photographs, portraits and paintings, though produced in 1980s New York, seem more in conversation with the European Modernists and present a singular vision. Ellis’s father came of age during the Harlem Renaissance and photographed the optimistic spirit of booming, post WWII New York City. After he died, his son inherited his archive. The younger Ellis mined that trove of images to inspire his work. Yet Darrel Ellis lived in a different New York City than his father. By the 1970s, New York City faced financial ruin, Vietnam unmasked the American Empire and the Civil Rights era ended in the assassinations of MLK Jr. and Malcolm X. Ellis’ eerie, disjointed works reflect that darker, more critical strain of American art. Whereas many of his downtown NYC contemporaries retreated into minimalism, Ellis developed a visual language that feels poetic and sharp, poignant and unsentimental. The works often portray intimate and domestic scenes, and show how time and memory shape our reality.

And what is our reality? That's the central question. How some of us wander around snapping up paintings and others figure out what to say about them. Over the weekend the wider world—the one absent from the fair, the one spiraling towards the abyss—felt muted and distant. I encountered optimism, enchantment and a healthy dose of nihilism at Art Basel Paris and like the many thousands of beguiling art works I saw, the fair itself resists providing any tidy answers, which is both its great challenge and even greater charm.

Art Basel Paris 2024 at the Grand Palais. Courtesy of Art Basel

Moncler's Citizens of The City of Genius Dream of Utopia for Fashion Week in Shanghai

 
 

10 designer neighborhoods, 10 unique experiences, 10 extraordinary collections, 1 source of inspiration: The City of Genius.

The live show is the ultimate expression of creativity thriving amidst dissolving boundaries, enabling different worlds and cultural backgrounds to inspire one another in a genuine act of co-creation. Fueled by Shanghai’s vibrant spirit and magic energy, it is a place where local and international creative talent unite, guided by the childhood genius that lives within all of us.

The City of Genius embraced Shanghai’s inspiring culture of innovation and heritage, driving deep connections with local visionaries and international talent from diverse spheres of influence and cultural perspectives, at the apex of global culture, in a worldwide exchange of creativity. 

The spirit of co-creation brought together traditional and modern methods of creativity, connecting Chinese and global culture spanning art, film, music and entertainment. The show featured an installation by iconic artist Xu Bing, and his creative reimagination of language was woven throughout event communications, the show venue, the livestream, and the accompanying campaign. To touch language is to get in tune with the very beating heart of culture. The art installation astounds with its spectacular beauty. Bing’s work was shot by photographer and filmmaker Wing Shya, who created The City of Genius manifesto film starring Moncler global brand ambassador, Leah Dou.

The unforgettable show finale featured a one-of-a-kind live showcase by creative performance director Henry Lau, surrounded by dancers, musicians, and a dazzling sound and light display designed exclusively for the event. Henry Lau presented a rousing performance of his greatest hits. The performance was opened by Chen Lijun, an outstanding Yue opera actress, blending traditional Chinese opera with contemporary pop in a groundbreaking rendition of Chinese-style music. The stunning performances marked a dazzling end to the event.

 
 

The stellar designer lineup saw Edward Enninful, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Donald Glover, Lulu Li, Mercedes-Benz by Nigo, Palm Angels, A$AP Rocky, Willow Smith – as well as special appearances from Rick Owens and Jil Sander – bring their unique concepts for The City of Genius to life. The landscape of designer worlds saw each co-creator realize their imagined aesthetic utopia: a distinct neighborhood to fully represent the soul and inspiration of their Genius collections.

LACMA Art + Technology Lab grant recipient Sarah Rosalena Uncovers the Contributions of Women in Astronomy Through the Lens of Indigenous Cosmology

Sarah Rosalena: In All Directions is the first of three films from Hyundai Artlab centered around the Art + Technology Lab at LACMA – one of the museum’s unique programs that was revitalized through a long-term partnership between Hyundai Motor and LACMA beginning in 2015. This series showcases bold experimentation and cross-disciplinary innovation fostered by the Lab through the eyes of three artists. 

This first film delves into how Rosalena’s groundbreaking projects, Exit Points and Standard Candle, were enhanced by research opportunities provided through the LACMA Art + Technology Lab. Collaborating with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory allowed Rosalena to investigate the historical contributions of women "computers" in astronomy, examining their crucial roles in early measurements of celestial bodies. 

This experience enabled her to reproduce their labor, further exploring the intersection of technology, gender, and the influence of data and Indigenous lands in shaping our understanding of the cosmos. By bridging these realms, she invites viewers to reconsider how we perceive space and our place within it.

Watch the full film on Hyundai Artlab

Miu Miu and Art Basel Paris present 'Tales & Tellers,' a project by Artist Goshka Macuga

Miu Miu collaborates with Art Basel Paris’ Public Program to present Tales & Tellers, an innovative project envisioned by artist Goshka Macuga and curated by Elvira Dyangani Ose, with exhibition design by OMA. Presented at the historic Palais d’Iéna and running until October 20th, 2024, the project dig into women’s narratives and experiences, using a mix of film, video installations, and live performances. Actors reenact moments from Miu Miu’s past film collaborations and runway shows, blending these stories with real-life perspectives to craft an immersive narrative. The project underscores the Italian brand’s commitment to exploring femininity through the intersection of fashion, film, and art.

Building on Miu Miu’s Women’s Tales initiative, which since 2011 has provided female filmmakers a platform to express diverse ideas of womanhood, Tales & Tellers incorporates various media to highlight women’s stories. The performances, enhanced by video works, bring past collaborations to life as actors embody characters from earlier Miu Miu films, transforming the space into a living, multi-dimensional narrative. These reinterpretations offer the audience a fresh view of memories and experiences, breathing new life into familiar stories.

In addition to these performances, Tales & Tellers screens the complete collection of films from the Women’s Tales series, accompanied by panel discussions featuring directors and artists like Chloë Sevigny, Meriem Bennani, Laura Citarella, and others. These discussions not only explore the themes in their films but also delve into the creators' personal histories and artistic inspirations, offering insights into the storytelling process and celebrating women as the keepers of their own stories. The event fosters a dialogue about how these narratives shape and reflect the world.

Welcome to the Dreamstate: Read an Interview of Kelly Lee Owens on the Occassion of Her Latest Album Release →

Album cover for Dreamstate
Image courtesy of Huxley
Photo credit: Samuel Bradley

Dreamstate breathes life into the experience of being human through electronic synths, poetic sonics, and an adeptness to color purportedly infused in our ether. Pioneering the electronic sound alongside revolutionaries such as Björk, Kelly Lee Owens has emerged as a maestra of techno. Tactfully and seamlessly blending drum and bass into a Berlinesque rave set, Owens punches the ceiling of what many understand electronic music to be. Her urge to go higher lays at the core of her latest album, which elementally fuses the concept of air into its resonance. Owens’ embrace of what it truly means to dream underpins the emotive beats which transcend her audience. Read more.

Dreamstate is out on Friday, October 18th via dh2/Dirty Hit.

Gregory Crewdson: Unveiling the Dark Side of the American Dream at Espace Louis Vuitton München

The Espace Louis Vuitton München is showcasing a new exhibition dedicated to American photographer Gregory Crewdson. As part of the Fondation Louis Vuitton’s "Hors-les-murs" programme, two exclusive series from Crewdson’s work, Dream House (2002) and Cathedral of the Pines (2014), are displayed for the first time in Munich.

Crewdson, a key figure in contemporary photography, has spent decades capturing the haunting essence of middle-class America, revealing its dark side through carefully staged, cinematic scenes. His images evoke a sense of surrealism, blending autobiography with an exploration of America’s faded dream, marked by eerie, deserted landscapes and mysterious characters. Crewdson’s work draws on film noir, psychological drama, and fantasy to create an unsettling atmosphere, reminiscent of David Lynch’s style.

Over the years, his technique evolved from simple compositions to elaborate productions with full film crews, as seen in Dream House. The Cathedral of the Pines series reflects a more personal and intimate phase, connected to his own life and family.

On view from 11.10.2024 to 22.02.2025 Espace Louis Vuitton München Maximilianstrasse 2a, 80539 München, Germany.

Challenging the Gaze: A Photographic Homage to Sofonisba Anguissola by Arale Reartes & Saskia Schmidt


photography by Arale Reartes c/o Magali Mgmt
styling by Saskia Schmidt
Models Uzu at NEU 
Happy, Steve & Louis at IZAIO 
makeup and hair by Berenice Ammann
casting by Cameron Niedrick
movement by Leonardo D'Aquino
production by Magali Mgmt 
photography assistant Brenda Vazquez
production assistant Dominik Graf
stylist assistant Denys Sadovyi & Kamal Emanga
Location scout by Marco Wagner

Arale is wearing Haderlump leather pants.
Steve is wearing Miu Miu longsleeve and Fendi pants.
Lou is wearing Miu Miu longsleeve and Avenir pants.

Sofonisba Anguissola, one of the first female Renaissance painters to gain recognition, created a celebrated self-portrait during a time when women were often confined to the role of muses. To avoid openly challenging the patriarchal norms of her era, Anguissola rendered her self-portrait such that it appears as though she, the subject, is being painted by her master.

This photographic editorial draws inspiration from Anguissola’s work and reflects on the persistence of social limitations that, centuries later, continue to relegate women to secondary roles—as muses or caregivers—creating discomfort when we occupy spaces of power and artistic creation.

Just as Anguissola defied expectations through her painting, this photographic self-portrait series by Arale Reartes plays with the ambiguity of the act of portrayal. Although these are self-portraits, the male figures also hold remote triggers, deliberately creating confusion about the identity of the author and the subject. This ambiguity invites the viewer to question not only who the true creator of the image, but also to challenge preconceived ideas about women’s place in art and society.

Arale is wearing Paloma Wool dress.
Lou is wearing Our Legacy blazer and William Fan pants.
Uzu is wearing Coach coat and Avenir pants.

Arale is wearing Haderlump dress.
Happy is wearing Coach shirt and Fendi pants.

Arale is wearing Milk of Lime bra and Falke tights.
Lou is wearing Avenir pants.

Arale is wearing Milk of Lime skirt and Haderlump jacket.
Lou is wearing full look by William Fan.
Uzu is wearing full look by Haderlump.
Happy is wearing William Fan shirt and Fendi pants.

Arale is wearing Haderlump dress.
Lou is wearing Namilia coat. 
Uzu is wearing a Joseph skirt and Coach blazer. 
Steve is wearing Chenaski pants and Namilia blazer.
Happy is wearing Namilia pants and Our Legacy Jacket.