55TH VENICE BIENNALE | DARIA'S PHOTO DIARY

Marc Queen

Russian Pavilion

Russian Pavilion

Russian Pavilion American Pavilion American Pavilion American Pavilion 
/ all images copyright Daria Kirsanova and artfridge / courtesy the artists, galleries and Venice Biennale

INTERNATIONAL BATHING

all images showing work by Grayson Revoir with his show "International Bathing" at Jan Kaps, Cologne / photos  and courtesy Jan Kaps and the artist

Its almost two years ago that I went to Düsseldorf to interview Jan, Benny and Niels - three curators forming FORMAT:C. Already back then the combination of talent and ambition was striking. Insofar, it was to be expected that sooner or later one of them would open their own art space. Jan Kaps finally did the big step and already the first show "International Bathing" proves that the quality and the art he would present is exactly what Cologne needed: Grayson Revoir, a 1983-born artist from New York, prepared an installation-based show that challenges expectations on cleanliness, perfection and construction.

ON FLOWERS

From the top: Photo by Maxime Ballesteros; two larger paintings by Robert Lucander (l.) / painting installatio by Lars Bjerre (r.); three fabric works by Aiko Tezuka; light sculpture by Søren Jensen, carpet by Eva Steen Christensen / light painting by Christian Achenbach; images by artfridge and Galerie Mikael Andersen, courtesy Galerie Mikael Andersen, Berlin

It comes as a surprise when a contemporary art gallery announces that they will present a show about flowers. Flowers got unpopular - really unpopular - at least in the western art world. While up-and-coming Iranian artists like Mahmoud Bakhshi Moakhar use the tulip in regard to its symbolic value of revolution, flowers vanished into a dark corner between house-wife-art and decoration in the western art. But why did that happen? Are there still possibilities to involve the motif in the contemporary or is it already a lost battle? Has there actually ever been a battle? In their current show "Blumen/Flowers/Blomster" Galerie Mikael Andersen in Berlin questions the flower-cliche and tests its relevance with 21 contemporary positions.

INTIMACY

all images: performance by Cedric Audrey Phibel as a part of the group show Intimités at Savvy Contemporary Berlin, photos by artfridge, courtesy the artists

Yesterday I went to the project space Savvy Contemporary to see the last show at their old location on Richardstrasse in Neukölln. In August they will be relaunching in a much bigger space on the same street. Curated by Yves Chatap, the current show "Intimités" shows works by several artist, who have been investigating in the displacement of everyday life habits and traditions between intimate and public situations. While the main part of the show is dominated by photography and video, the highlight of the exhibition was the striking performance by Cedric Audrey Phibel. Costumed as transsexuals, two men staged a mix between the setting of a chaotic Rock-Band and the narrative story of a fresh wedding couple. Intimate elements, such as shaving the hair of the head, involving dildos or being half-naked, were enforced by the fact that the performance took place in the middle of the street. The happening was crowned by Phibel carrying a half pig on top of his head.

SANTIAGO YDAÑEZ: SCHMUTZIGER SCHNEE

all works by Santiago Ydañez in the exhibition "Schmutziger Schnee" at Invaliden1 in Berlin, all photos by artfridge, courtesy Invaliden1 

"This is not allowed!", a little boy says to his mum, pointing at the black and white portrait of a man, who looks quite familiar to him. "You mean, because its Hitler?", his mum asks, and the boy answers "No, this is Dali!" 

Santiago Ydañez will be happy about this dialogue. It took place at his current show "Schmutziger Schnee" (Dirty Snow) at Invaliden1 gallery in Berlin. While most of his works employ irony, this particular show intends to fight intolerance with irony, which includes German's being incapable of making fun of anything related to the second world war. 

BERLIN. STATUS [2]

from the top: Sculpture by Jennis Cheng Tien Li ; Drawings by Philip Loersch ; Photograph by Sarah Schönfeld ; Soundobject Nik Nowak ; Photograph by Julius von Bismarck ; Installation by Mariechen Danz ; Object by Robert Seidel ; Table with objects Emma Waltraud Howes ; installation view; all images by artfridge, courtesy the artists, their galleries and Künstlerhaus Bethanien

They keep on repeating it: Berlin has more than 300.000 registered artist. While some Berliners like do adorn themselves with this creative spirit and some artists are close to desperation, it should be easy for a curator to pick 100 relevant contemporary positions. Last year BERLIN.STATUS [1] was a huge success, showing 50 Berlin-based artists. But the second part, currently on display at Künstlerhaus Bethanien, cannot convince as much as the first exhibition. BERLIN. STATUS [2] is not only a show by Berlin-based artists, its also a show about Berlin - about urbanism, rebellion and politics. And whenever an exhibition in Berlin is said to be about Berlin, it gets really boring.