Big Apples

Off to NYC for a week in the am - which means I get to catch the end of the Whitney Biennale, Greater New York at PS1 and oh so excitingly Marina Abramovic's solo show. Let alone the latest things at James Fuentes (photograph of Claude Leveque's show above) and Team. Though in reality I'll probably get distracted by sunshine and see a crumb of what I want. Damn the sun.

Best sounding exhibition of the year

I've gushed about my enthusiasm for VIDEODROME in the past so you can imagine my excitement and annoyance when Berlin-based curator Aaron Moulton got there first! A show worth travelling the globe for
And look at these artists.... Long live the new flesh.

Douglas Gordon, AIDS-3D, Spartacus Chetwynd, Oliver Laric, Vuk Ćosić, Omer Fast, John Kleckner, Jorge Peris, David Levine, Daniel Baker, Joep van Liefland, Oliver Payne & Nick Relph, 01100101001.org, Cory Arcangel, Seth Price, Ignacio Uriarte, Anetta Mona Chişa & Lucia Tkáčová, Jeremy Shaw, Aleksandra Domanović, Daniel Kingery, Patrick Tuttofuoco, Christian Jankowski, Arcangelo Sassolino

VIDEODROME
Curated by Aaron Moulton
June 4-18, 2010

Opening on Friday June 4th at 8:00.
BERLIN BIENNALE Special opening hours at AUTOCENTER
BBQ and party on Saturday June 12th.

"I've lived my whole adult life talking about my life. I've lived in front of cameras. And maybe I'll die in front of them."
--Quote taken from reality television superstar Jade Goody on her deathbed

"And therefore whatever appears on the television screen emerges as raw experience for those who watch it."
--Brian O'Blivion in Videodrome

AUTOCENTER
www.autocenterart.de
Eldenaer Strasse 34 a
10247 Berlin

Twin Issue 2

Issue 2 of book/publication Twin is out now! I do the art for it and the issue includes an large feature on Tauba Auerbach, a curated project from Ken Miller on contemporary abstract photography, a stunning portfolio of photos by Scott Douglas of Louise Bourgeois with interviews about her from Tracey Emin, Annie Morris and Amie Dicke, a portfolio of cosmic inspired emerging artists and lots more. Buy it here!

Up and Away

I found this image on my phone from a defunct airline this morning and couldnt stop smiling. Ash apocalypse air anyone? Maybe a trip to Mars is preferable..

Head Above Water

Emerged from the chaos of No Soul for Sale at the Tate this weekend where I had the privilege of being on the Board of Trustees looking at work for the Museum of Everything. Felt like I was on holiday in my own city thanks to Tjorg Douglas Beer over with his Forgotten Bar project, the awesome Maurizio Cattelan, Polina Stroganova of 401 contemporary and Mauro Bonacina who's my art discovery of the week! (pictured above).

Show of the Month: Ben Sansbury

Ben Sansbury gets a worthy whole page in my art pages this month in Dazed. I've been looking forward to this show for a long time. (Its accompanied by a dose of old rave from Gavin Watson. Its a great name Gavin....)

Preview Thurdsay 6-9pm (with afterparty). Exhibition run May 14 - June 19 at SPACE Studios http://www.spacestudios.org.uk/

NEU! BEN SANSBURY: AMAXAMA

Marked by Sansbury’s consciously clunky and totemic aesthetic, AMAXAMA is a mash-up of forms and thoughts centred on a single monumental hub. Housed in a large-scale walk-in structure built by Sansbury over a three week period leading up to the exhibition, sculpture, painting, photography, collage, film and sound will coalesce to form a single complex installation.

An expanded referential field underpins AMAXAMA as a whole. Sansbury is seduced by that which is old and Other; symbolic registrations drawn from myth and tribe merging with an archival passion for Old Europe and its many alchemic oddities to form the baseline of his exhibition.

AMAXAMA is Ben Sansbury’s first major solo exhibition. He studied at St Martins and The Royal College of Art. He lives and works in London.

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ANNEXE /// GAVIN WATSON: RAVING ‘89
Raving ’89 is an exhibition by celebrated British photographer Gavin Watson. Documenting the subterranean rave and acid house culture that emerged across the UK in the late 80s, Raving ’89 is a captivating chronicle of a grassroots social and cultural movement.

Hennessy Youngman

A great Philly based artist Jayson Musson (who will be in my next book) has started an internet alter ego telling the art world how it is... Hennessy Youngman. Watch and laugh.

Call for art: Museum of Everything at the Tate

I am going to be one of the judges the afternoon of Friday May 14 for Museum of Everything's second show.
Open submission outsider art required!

0n May 14th, 15th and 16th 2010, The Museum of Everything will present Exhibition #2 at Tate Modern as part of No Soul for Sale.

For Exhibition #2, The Museum of Everything will showcase 1000 works on paper and canvases by newly discovered artists from across the British Isles. Artists of all descriptions are invited to submit their work, provided they are non-traditional, non-professional and non-exhibited. Elderly artists and artists with disabilities are especially welcome, as are nominated friends, relations, representatives and descendants of artists. Owners of discovered and anonymous artwork are also invited.

Artwork should be brought in person to the Tate Modern during the show. It will be assessed by our Board of Trustees and if successful, will be displayed in the Turbine Hall and published in a book of the exhibition.

For interviews, information or images, please email mje@musevery.com or visit the website for more information www.musevery.com.

Exhibition #2: 14th, 15th and 16th May 2010 at Tate Modern, London

Athens and Bourdeaux

If I lived an even more stupid life and could jump on a plane to Athens I'd so go see this amazing group show with AIDS 3D, Vvork et al.

Or jump over to Bordeaux to see Jim Shaw at CAPC Musée d'Art Contemporain

Left Behind
May 7 - September 19, 2010. Vernissage and musical performance: May 7 at 9 pm. CAPC Musée d'Art Contemporain, Bordeaux, Entrepôt Lainé, 7 Rue Ferrère, F-33000 Bordeaux

Goodbye to Berlin

The crazy month is over. I curated and installed the collection at the new Soho House Berlin and am really proud. All Berlin based artists including Douglas Gordon, Tacita Dean, Thomas Demand, Christian Jankowski, Adrien Ghenie, Anselm Reyle, Cyprien Gaillard, and a ton of young ones.

Had an amazing time and am sad to leave. Went to Bellmer and Bourgeois which didnt disappoint. The top show of gallery weekend for me was Peter Doig's curated show at VW - an amazing selection of paintings and a room with some brilliant videos including my favourite video piece ever - Adrien Piper's Funk Lessons (and rough youtube clip above).

The month was particularly great because of Cecile Evans, Clarissa Labin, Ella Soccorsi, Sebastiaan Schlicher, Oliver Laric, Aleksandra Domanovic, Samuel Boutruche, Johann Koenig, Daniel Keller and Nik Kosmas of AIDS 3D, Ana Finel Hongiman, Aaron Moulton and Mette, Margherita, Nick and Javier at Peres, Johann von Lanzaneur, Paul McDevitt, Manon Awst and Benjamin Walter, Jean Gid Lee and Andrew Cannon, in fact the list is way too long. Normality feels really daunting.

Sunday Fair

May 2: 12-7pm

SUNDAY is a one day contemporary art event which will gather some of the most noticeable young galleries from Berlin and other parts of Europe under one roof. The idea is to create an easygoing and accessible temporary platform where galleries can set up their exhibitions in the most unconstrained ways.

Participating galleries are: Sandra Bürgel (Berlin), Chert (Berlin), Circus (Berlin), Croy Nielsen (Berlin), Hollybush Gardens (London), Tanya Leighton (Berlin), Limoncello (London), Lüttgenmeijer (Berlin), Norma Mangione (Turin), PSM (Berlin), Supportico Lopez (Berlin), Rob Tufnell (London), Rodeo (Istanbul), Tulips & Roses (Vilnius), Villa Reykjavik (Reykjavik).
http://www.sunday-fair.com/