The version of Frontier acquired by the Kadist Collection consists of a single-channel video, adapted from the monumental installation and performance that Aitken presented in Rome, by the Tiber River, in 2009. In this film, Aiken’s allusion to “the frontier” and iconic imagery like the cowboy suggest that the American West Coast as a cultural construction. These notions are reinforced by two key elements in the film: its protagonist, the iconic West Coast artist Ed Ruscha, and its reference to the cinematic and the experience of the movie theater. The film is structured as a journey in time, from day to night. The completed film was shot in different places around the globe, including Los Angeles, Rome, South Africa, and Israel, which suggests the blurring boundaries of the unknown and emphasizes both fictive and real landscapes.
Doug Aitken’s work started to draw international attention when his installation Electric Earth earned the International Prize at the 1999 Venice Biennale, which was organized by renowned Swiss curator Harald Szeemann. Interested in breaking conventional narratives, Aitken emphasizes circularity and non-linearity in his monumental site-specific installations. This monumentality is usually expressed in Aitken’s tendency to combine apparently disconnected fragments in order to create epic films. Although this aspect of his work differs from the all-encompassing wholes sought by modernism, Aitken’s films play with the imaginary and surreal in a way that flirts with the notion of utopia. The artist uses pop culture and, especially, the film industry as sources for his compelling and immersive environments. Aesthetic elements such as coloration, light and space and a careful editing process give his films a contemplative mood.
A New Documentary Examines the ‘Star Wars Holiday Special’ and Asks: Why? | KQED Skip to Nav Skip to Main Skip to Footer The Do List A New Documentary Examines the ‘Star Wars Holiday Special’ and Asks: Why? Linda Holmes Dec 6 Save Article Save Article Failed to save article Please try again Facebook Share-FB Twitter Share-Twitter Email Share-Email Copy Link Copy Link A moment from the infamous ‘Star Wars’ holiday special...
Commissioned by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and riffing on the “I Want You” army recruitment campaigns of the 1930s and 1940s, Labat asked Bay Area residents to interpret the slogan and make their own demands of the public in a series of live performance auditions...
Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: Ultraman Buddha hotly traded; Course on democratic dissent cancelled in Singapore | ArtsEquator Thinking and Talking about Arts and Culture in Southeast Asia ArtsEquator Radar Photo: Chardchakaj Waikawee / Facebook September 18, 2019 ArtsEquator’s Southeast Asia Radar features articles and posts about arts and culture in Southeast Asia, drawn from local and regional websites and publications – aggregated content from outside sources, so we are exposed to a multitude of voices in the region...
Under the bonnet: €300,000 Ferrari-funded restoration completed on 13th-century Cimabue fresco Art market Museums & heritage Exhibitions Books Podcasts Columns Technology Adventures with Van Gogh Search Search Conservation news Under the bonnet: €300,000 Ferrari-funded restoration completed on 13th-century Cimabue fresco Maestà di Assisi, located in the saint's home town, which survived a deadly earthquake in 1997, has been returned to its original luminosity James Imam 8 February 2024 Share Cimabue’s Madonna Enthroned with the Child, Four Angels and St Francis underwent two previous restorations: in the late 19th century and again in 1973 Tecnireco A fading fresco by the 13th-century artist Cimabue that survived a deadly earthquake 25 years ago has been returned to its original splendour following a €300,000 restoration funded by the luxury car manufacturer Ferrari...
Finding Common Ground In Street Photography - Photographs by Joep Hijwegen, Julie Hrudová, Bart Koetsier and Rolf van Rooij | Essay by Erik Vroons | LensCulture Feature Finding Common Ground In Street Photography What makes a great ‘street’ photograph? Erik Vroons explores the infinite possibilities of the genre while reflecting on the diverse work of five Dutch photographers...
In Pieces - Photographs by Sophia Bulgakova, Lia Dostlieva, Ola Lanko, Katia Motyleva and Kateryna Snizhko | Book review by Sophie Wright | LensCulture Feature In Pieces In this imaginative collection of photobooks “made with a child in mind,” five artists of Ukrainian descent explore the everyday heroism of life in wartime...
Janet Panetta, 74, Dies; Admired Dancer, Choreographer and Teacher - The New York Times Dance | Janet Panetta, 74, Dies; Admired Dancer, Choreographer and Teacher https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/08/arts/dance/janet-panetta-dead.html Share full article Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Janet Panetta, who overcame childhood polio to become a dancer with American Ballet Theater, a performer in New York’s thriving downtown modern dance scene and a revered ballet teacher, died on Saturday in Brooklyn...