Ceramics is one of the most ancient industries on the planet, nearly 27,000 years old to be exact. While most of us think of pottery or decorative objects, a new exhibition at Bonnefanten Museum in the Netherlands aims to illustrate ceramic's staying power as a higher art form. Opening on October 16th, "Ceramix" will feature works by artists such as Matisse, Rodin, and Picasso, to more contemporary artists like Ai Weiwei, Jeff Koons, Luigi Alders, Jessica Harrison, and Katsuyo Aoki, who was featured in Hi-Fructose Vol. 21. Over the years, ceramic have provided these artists with a new kind of creative expression.
For five years in a row, the open air exhibition "Sculpture in the City" has brought some of the best contemporary artists to the public in London. Opening this week on July 9th, this year's installment will feature new works by Ekkehard Altenburger, Bruce Beasley, Adam Chodzko, Ceal Floyer, Laura Ford, Damien Hirst, Shan Hur, Folkert de Jong, Sigalit Landau, Kris Martin, Keita Miyazaki, Tomoaki Suzuki, Xavier Veilhan, and Ai Weiwei. The exhibit merges the new with the old as their works are set against the city's most historic landmarks. Take a look at more photos of Sculpture in the City 2015 as it comes together, after the jump.
San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum kicked off their “summer of contemporary” this June with their new showcase, "28 Chinese". The full sweeping exhibition is brought to us by Miami collectors and Museum founders, Mera and Don Rubell of the Rubell Family Collection. Comprised of painting, photography, video work, sculpture and large-scale installations, "28 Chinese" is an exploration into modern Chinese art. Working in contemporary methods, the selected artists often delve into their relationship with traditional Chinese culture by way of conceptual processes. See more photos from the exhibition after the jump.
As of 2014, Contemporary artist and activist Ai Weiwei (previously covered here) remains under restrictions of movement- but he continues to criticize the Chinese regime through his art. Opening tomorrow, the Faurschou Foundation Copenhagen in Denmark will showcase some of his most notable pieces to date, including new sculptures, with "Ruptures." The exhibition is named for the rupture in Weiwei's career by the Chinese government, while showcasing the staying power of his work.
While he is currently barred from leaving China, renowned artist and activist Ai Weiwei has been working on "@Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz" since his release from prison in 2011. Incarcerated for his politically outspoken artwork, Ai used his experience as fuel for a unique exhibition that fills the historical former prison and military fortress with site-specific installations that draw attention to human rights crises worldwide. Orchestrated remotely with the help of San Francisco-based curator Cheryl Haines and legions of volunteers, the exhibition is as much a spectacle as it is an educational experience.
A notorious former prison off of San Francisco's coast will be the site of Ai Weiwei's latest exhibition, "@Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz," opening September 27. The renowned Chinese artist — who has served time behind bars in his native country for the politically outspoken content of his work — has been working remotely on the site-specific project in a transcontinental collaboration between Beijing and San Francisco with curator Cheryl Haines. Because Ai Weiwei is currently on house arrest for tax evasion in Beijing, the project took three years of planning and nine months of making with the help of many volunteers. He will personally never see the work.