Accept invitation & Art tips
Blog post from the series of Socialising In The Art World
In my previous posts I have mentioned how I have supported collaborative art ideas of others and how I approach artists. Let me share one more example of how you can expand your network of relevant contacts.
Since my first open call in November 2019 I visited a couple of Suzanne´s shows including the latest one during the Berlin Art Week at Pfund Gallery.
Suzanne introduced a series of mostly large scaled paintings which originated during the time of lockdown commencing in March. Even those paintings from March 2020 evoked the emotions that I found in the installation from 2017 called Müde bin ich at Galerie Schloß Parz in Austria.
I took the opportunity of the location and embarked upon an exploration in the local art galleries. I have discovered pretty interesting gems in Charlottenburg.
One of such galleries is Galerie Kornfled where I came across an artwork by Tamara Kvesitadze. Her installation of flying ravens racing towards a human head was a brilliant reflection of the year 2020.
Another intriguing artist was Italian artist Angelo Santo Venerito who opened his studio during Art Week Berlin.
The eye catching artwork in his studio was actually a very subtle paper box of vermilion color filled with sand and tiny like skull looking objects spelling the word LAM — PED — USA.
The first thing that has drawn my attention were the miniature skulls spelling the word. Lampedusa is the first island between Africa and Italy. Infamous for the shipwrecks of boats full of refugees leading to their death.
At the end I wrote an review about Tamara´s & Angelo´s artwork and published on my website.
Galerie aKonzept & Raphael Levy was another pleasant discovery. It is a newish gallery that opened 2 years ago and this time it presented two Polish artists Natalia LL and Ryszard Wasko.
Natalia LL is a very progressive female artist from the 60´s and 70´s who heavily criticised Conceptual Art for avoidance of physical sensuality.
Ryszard Wasko is Berlin based multimedia artist using photography as his medium of expression. For instance his artwork called Poppy Street, 1990, is a photograph of Hunger March in Lodz, Poland, in 1981.
By using a red paint he turned the faces of protesters into a field of poppy seeds. The plants are usually the only ones that would grown on fields ruined by the countless battles causing a starvation of masses.
Not all galleries were focused on the existential questions like for an example artwork by Fabian Ginsberg at Kienzle Art Foundation.
Ginsberg´s artwork focused on the criticism of the art scene itself. It questioned a position of artist, artwork and concept of art.
Shifting away even more from the questions dealing with socio-political issues of the society, artwork Narciuss by Masaya Hashimoto at Bermel von Luxburg Gallery explored a concept of beauty and deception.
The artist introduced delicate pieces of modest sized sculptures looking like flowers. The sculptures created an impression of utilising luxurious material such as porcelain or marble but contrary was the truth.
The sculptures were made of deer antlers. A shedded pride turned into a miniature narcissus.
At last but not at least I would like to mention Wentrup Gallery but not the main space.
For the opportunity of Berlin Art Week the gallery presented in their external rooms several artists mainly from the US.
My attention was drawn to the artwork made of mixed media and found objects by Natalie Ball. The artwork confronts the reductive narratives surrounding Native American identity.
So, this might happen when you accept some else´s invitation.
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