This June something extraordinary is happening in the
world of art. In a rare alignment of events, four of
Europe’s premier contemporary art exhibitions will
open within days of one other. This once-in-ten years
occasion has been dubbed “The Grand Tour,” an homage
to the 17th century tradition for elite youth to
travel through Europe’s greatest capitol cities in a
quest for heightened cultural knowledge.
The Tour opens June 10 with the 52nd Biennale di
Venezia in Italy. As a means to increase the rate at
which modern art is disseminated throughout the world,
the Biennale has constructed 30 permanent national
pavilions in Venice’s historic city centre since its
inception in 1895. This year debuts a new pavilion
dedicated entirely to Italian culture. The Biennale
also boasts a large exhibition hall which will house a
themed exhibition by the show's Director, Robert
Storr. This year’s theme is “Think with the Senses -
Feel with the Mind. Art in the Present Tense.” Storr
proposes that since the existence of Plato,
philosophers have divided and compartmentalized human
consciousness pitting one faculty against another:
mind versus body, thought versus feeling, etc. Storr
believes the challenges to understanding that reality
exceed the power of theories and definitions to
contain them. “Think with the Senses - Feel with the
Mind” is based on the concept that art is the means by
which humans are made aware of the whole of their
being. According to Storr “to make sense of things in
given circumstances is to grasp their full complexity
intellectually, emotionally and perceptually.”
Art 38 Basel opens in Switzerland June 13. The show
features leading art galleries from 30 different
countries. Exhibitions include Art Statements - 25
one-person shows by young artists; Art Premiere - 16
curated projects representing the juxtaposition of
works by two artists; and Art Unlimited - an
exhibition platform for unusual art projects such as
installations and performances. This year Art
Unlimited will house artist Ai Weiwei‘s architectural
sculpture Fragments, an installation of antique
furniture and timber from destroyed Qing dynasty
temples. The sculpture is part of Weiwei’s larger
exhibit, Fairytale, on display at Documenta 12.
Documenta 12, opening in Kassel, Germany June 16,
began as an attempt to reconcile German public life
with international modernity after the end of Nazi
dictatorship. Today Documenta serves as a forum where
visitors can discern whether art is succeeding in
grasping the world in images, and whether these images
have validity for its public. Under the guidance of
Documenta’s artistic director Roger M. Buergel the
artwork will not be shown independently, but be put
into relationship with each other. To promote this
idea of connectedness the exhibition poses the
questions: is humanity able to recognize a common
horizon beyond all differences, and is art the medium
for this knowledge?
This year, amid great buzz, Documenta features
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s highly anticipated project
Fairytale. For the exhibit 1,001 Chinese will be given
matching clothes and luggage, flown to Kassel,
assigned bamboo bunks in Ai-designed temporary
quarters in an old textile factory, and sent to wander
the city for the three-month duration of the show. The
focus of this project is the participants’
experiences, specifically how individuals will change
as their material circumstances do.
Skulptur Projekte Munster opens in Germany June 16.
The exhibition will showcase works of 35 artists from
all over the world including Jeremy Diller, Elmgreen & Dragset
Mark Wallinger and Isa Genzken.
Those participating in the 2007 exhibition are
challenged to examine the character of contemporary
sculpture, primarily its capacity to change the
appearance of public space. Sculpture projects will
explore the interdependence between the arts, the
city, and the public. The sculptures are to be created
mainly in Munster and then installed throughout the
city, gradually changing its face.
