Highlight #16: Figures Who Left Their Marks on the Art World

Shows in China, Spain and the U.S.

Spain, Bilbao <JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT: NOW'S THE TIME>

3 July ~ 11 November 2015_Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

The exhibition features over 100 paintings and drawings by Jean-Michel Basquiat, exploring multiple themes that the artist played with. Basquiat references numerous ideas in a single painting through symbols, images and texts to present the enigmatic environment that surrounds him and the perplexing world he experiences.

Born and raised in Brooklyn New York, Basquiat is considered one of the most revolutionary artists of the 1980s. He was inspired by everything around him, from music, television, books and conversations, communicating his ideas through fascinating artworks. Viewers are constantly challenged by his imaginative pieces, which are often viewed as "childlike paintings" with rough lines and playful symbols. His unique artistic style is widely praised and loved, as it also revolutionized the art world. As the title of the exhibition states, now is the time to enjoy and learn more about Jean-Michel Basquiat's masterpieces at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.

<The Ring>

1981 Acrylic on canvas 152.4×121.9cm Private Collection, CourtesyAcquavellaGalleries ⓒ Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York
<Man from Naples>

1982 Acrylic and collage on wood 122 ×244.5cm Guggenheim Bilbao Museoa ⓒ Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York
<Loin>

1982 Acrylic and oil stick on canvas 183×122cm ⓒ Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York
<Ailing Ali in Fight of Life>

1984 Acrylic on canvas 193×267cm Collection Bischofberger, Switzerland ⓒ Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York

China, Beijing <WILLIAM KENTRIDGE: NOTES TOWARDS A MODEL OPERA>

27 June ~ 30 August 2015_Ullens Center for Contemporary Art

Here comes a comprehensive exhibition of South African artist William Kentridge, who is known for his powerful drawings, prints and animated films.
The exhibition includes works from nearly every major project the artist has undertaken from 1988 to present day. It also spans a variety range of media, including drawings, linocut and silkscreens, kinetic sculptures, video and large-scale installations.
Kentridge typically juxtaposes his drawings with film, as they are a crucial point of inspiration for the video works. His process entails filming a drawing, erasing and adjusting the piece, and then filming it again. In this exhibition, Kentridge playfully addresses opera as an idealistic artistic form.

The show’s highlight is a three-channel projection titled <Notes Towards a Model Opera>, a new commission that is rooted in his extensive research into the intellectual, political and social history of modern China.
At the exhibition’s end, visitors encounter a reading room where they can page through a selection of Kentridge’s publications and short films.

Installation view of <William Kentridge: Notes Towards a Model Opera> at Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing
Installation view of <William Kentridge: Notes Towards a Model Opera> at Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing
Installation view of <William Kentridge: Notes Towards a Model Opera> at Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing
Installation view of <William Kentridge: Notes Towards a Model Opera> at Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing

U.S.A, New York <YOKO ONO: ONE WOMAN SHOW, 1960-1971>

17 May ~ 7 September 2015_ Museum of Modern Art(MoMA)

Yoko Ono's latest solo exhibition is on view in New York. Though known to most of the general public as the wife of John Lennon a member of Beatles, her influential role in the contemporary art scene is what most contemporary art followers think of first and foremost.
The idea for the show came from Ono's unofficial exhibition titled <One Woman Show> at the Museum of Modern Art in 1971. The show was irreverently titled by the artist as “Museum Of Modern (F)art,” and when visitors entered the space, there was little evidence of her work because she left flies fly and called it artwork.

More 40 years later, the current exhibition surveys the decisive decade that led up to that unauthorized show, bringing together over 100 of Ono’s early works, including objects, installations, performances, audio recordings and films. Archival materials rarely shown to the public are also included.
The exhibition progresses in chronological order, although visitors are able to navigate multiple routes to gain different perspectives on the art. ■ with ARTINPOST

<Cut Piece>

1964 Performed by Yoko Ono in New Works of Yoko Ono Carnegie Recital Hall, New York March 21, 1965 Photograph by Minoru Niizuma ⓒ Minoru Niizuma Courtesy Lenono Photo Archive, New York
<Works by Yoko Ono>

Poster Carnegie Recital Hall, New York November 24, 1961 Photograph by George Maciunas The Museum of Modern Art, New York The Gilbert and Lila Silverman Fluxus Collection Gift, 2008 ⓒ 2014 George Maciunas
Yoko Ono with <Apple>

1966 At press preview for Yoko Ono: One Woman Show, 1960-1971 On view at MoMA May 17 - September 7, 2015 Photo: Ryan Muir ⓒ Yoko Ono