Best in Show: 2011

This is my third annual round up of the best art shows of the year (see 2010 and 2009).

1 Mark Leckey at Printemps de Septembre

2 Friedrich Kunath at Whitecube Hoxton Square

3 Christoph Buchel's Piccadilly Community Centre

4 Thomas Hirschorn at the Swiss Pavillion at the Venice Biennale

5 Wolfgang Tilmans at Andrea Rosen (chosen by Beatrix Ruf)

6 The launch of French Riviera gallery culminating in the brilliant Les Televisions

7 Without Sanctuary (thought this was far more than exhibition and shouldnt really be judged in these confines)

8 Ostalgia at the New Museum (glimpse of Michael Schmidt U-NI-TY installationbelow)

9 Il Labirinto di Cristallo at Bubblebyte.org

10 The New Psychedelica at MU (I know I curated this but I was so pleased with the outcome and it was so important to me it would be ridiculous not to choose it. Still from Carlos Laszlo's film below)

New Psychedelica Editions

The limited edition prints by Paul B Davis (the top image which says Critical Space when you cross your eyes) and Yoshi Sodeoka are both now for sale on the MU website .

Its hard to see the detail on the site but both are beautifully produced numbers at a bargain price. Yoshi's image above is from the same film but the print is of a different still. Just wanted to give you the sensation.

MU TV

The New Psychedelica from stichting MU on Vimeo.

The New Psychedelica opening and me. For those who like TV.

The New Psychedelica opens April 8

The New Psychedelica opens in Eindhoven next weekend! I'll be taking photos of the install and opening and after party (where Rodaidh McDonald from XL, Dave MacLean from Django Django and The Oscillation are playing) but here's a little more info behind the show - a Q and A I did for anothermag.com.You can read the full list of artists here.

The images above are from some of the artists in the show (from top to bottom);
Rosa Menkman – Into the Tulgey Woods, 2011 Video still
Yoshi Sodeoka – Violet Dark Spring of the Numinous Orb, 2011 Video still
Daniel Swan – Comp 1 (0.00.00.08), 2011
Jeremy Shaw – This Transition Will Never End, 2008 Single channel video (still)

N-Y-C-ya

Just back from NYC - despite killer jetlag it was definitely the most fun i've had in the city.

Highlights of the week were the lunches for artists at Soho House I put on where I had the pleasure of hanging out with Lawrence Weiner, Nick Relph, Ken Miller, Agathe Snow, Ian Tweedy and Evan Gruzis among many others, my big brother Jose Parla's rammed opening, the crazy group show at CANADA gallery (which included work by Jim Drain one of the stars at my next show at MU), the White Columns party at China Chalet, Kathy Grayson's dinner for The Hole, doing a talk with Slater Bradley and fascinating cinematographer Ed Lachman, and some exceptionally nice times in the company of Jeremy Shaw and Blake Mawson.

After the hilarious amusement of being listed in Modern Painters top things to do during Armory (getting drunk with me is apparently a nighlife highlight) I got double blogged - Jonathan Yeo who I curate Soho House with did Vanity Fair's blog and the delightful Alexandre Stipanovich on Opening Ceremony's blog (where I nabbed the photo above).

Much more NYC to come in the coming months.

Post Internet

I'm slightly in love with how well done I Heart Photograph is becoming. This essay by Artie Vierkant was very interesting.... and lead to me the blog Post Internet. Made me feel all excited again about how the internet is interacting with art again and revved up for the exhibition at MU i'm curating for April.....



(all images by Artie Vierkant)

Nov 20 Book Launch

The book on Julie Verhoeven's work I wrote the essay for launches in London on Friday.

The launch of the exhibition in Eindhoven was beyond fun thanks to Kris Latocha, Philip blast from the past Conneller, Erik Krikortz, Maya Hayuk, Richard Mortimer and Richard Battye (the Dicks on Decks who were dressed to resemble me by sheer coincidence!), Steve from Zinger Presents, Angelique at MU, Black Piet and of course the awesome Julie herself.

Friday 20th November 6 – 9pm
Launch of ‘A Bit of Rough’ a book dedicated to the work of Julie Verhoeven
Donlon Books 210 / Shop 3, Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 9NQ

This publication includes an essay by critic Francesca Gavin.
Copies of the book will be available on the evening with original drawings by Julie Verhoeven.
Published by MU www.mu.nl
Images courtesy of ZINGERpresents, Amsterdam

Julie Verhoeven at MU

Julie Verhoeven: Bit of Rough
Opening: Friday November 13 from 8 pm by Francesca Gavin.

From 11 p.m. there’ll be an afterparty at a secret location with a performance by the London Dicks On Decks In Drag, Richard ‘Ponystep’ Mortimer and Richard ‘George and Dragon’ Battye. More info during the opening at MU.

Wildly feminine, cheerful, seductive and wicked at the same time. Nimbly hopping between art, fashion and illustration, the English multi-disciplinary artist Julie Verhoeven (1969) has built up quite a reputation for herself over the past few years. Her work adorns fabrics from Versace and accessories from Mulberry.

As from November 13th, Julie will be bending MU totally to her will, transforming De Witte Dame into a feminine cross between a latex cabinet of curiosities, a Victorian boudoir and a stencilled punk bunker.

On the occasion of the exhibition, MU will publish ‘A Bit of Rough’, a book dedicated to the work of Julie Verhoeven. This publication includes an essay by critic Francesca Gavin.

MU | Emmasingel 20 | De Witte Dame | 5611 AZ Eindhoven | Nederland | www.mu.nl