Art in NYC: World War I and the Visual Arts at The Met

August 11, 2017January 18, 2018 arts-NY 1 Comment

Art in NYC: World War I and the Visual Arts at The Met

The horrors of war in the eyes of the witnessing artists

This rather small exhibition at The Met, Fifth Avenue museum is guaranteed to leave a strong impression on the viewers. So powerful are the dark images that one hardly brings oneself to see the rest of art splendor at the museum. The sirens of bombardments, the smelly trenches, the victims in pain tell a sad story of war and devastation as it depicted by Kathe Kollwitz, Otto Dix, George Grosz, Gino Severini and many others.

Art in NYC: World War I and the Visual Arts The Met — Plague German by Otto Dix, 1919 / not in the exhibition

The exhibition starts with the patriotic posters issued by each and every country that had participated in the military actions at the time. The mood of the posters is about the same no matter which country they belong. In loud and demanding voices they all were asking their respective compatriots to bravely participate in collective sacrifice to support the honor of the king, or emperor, or kaiser, or sultan. That heroic and brave mood changes to the cries of the wounded and the tears for the dead as the exhibition continues.

The World War I, which started with the assassination of the archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in June of 1914, lasted till November, 1918 and had resulted in the death of one million combatants and seven million civilians making it one of the deadliest conflicts in history.

The exhibition opens with the cautious works from 1914-1915 such as lithographs by Natalia Goncharova, graphics by Christopher Nevinson and Gino Severini. While not exactly endorsing the war, in those initial years of the conflict many were looking at it as redemption. As more countries entered the war and more horrors started to fall on the civilians and the soldiers, the patriotic tunes turned to the screams for help.

The last gallery in the exhibition delivers probably the most powerful message begging to remember where the war leads. In that gallery you will find The War (Der Krieg) cycle of 50 etchings by Otto Dix released in 1924 to commemorate the ten-year anniversary of the war start. Dix had volunteered for the German Army in 1914, served for 4 year and was badly wounded. Being profoundly affected by the conflict, his feelings about it changed as the nightmares of destruction continued to hound him for some time.

The same gallery also presents the drawings and prints by George Grosz. A contemporary and friend of Dix, Grosz was also serving in German army at the time of WWI but not with such clear patriotic overtones. His works satirize the high ranks of the military and depict the sorry state of the soldiers.

One of the most potent entries in the show are the lithographs by Kathe Kollwitz. Having experienced firsthand the grieve and pain of the loss of her son in WWI, Kollwitz’s depiction of women in deep mourning are a mighty plea to stop any posturing towards the war. This year as the world celebrates her 150th anniversary, Kollwitz humanistic works condemning the war and oppression can be seen at various exhibitions in London, Berlin and Cologne. An expose on Artnet.com points out that at each of these shows “there is good, hard art to be discovered”.

As for the show at The Met, its message is particularly relevant today amid the reckless threats and provocations.

For museum hours and more click here.

Enjoy your free visit to the Met museum with NewYorkPass!

Venue: The Met Museum on Fifth Avenue

Time: July 31, 2017 – January 7, 2018

The Met Fifth Avenue Roof Top Garden: The Theatre of Disappearance by Adrian Villar Rojas, April 14 – October 29, 2017

May 25, 2017January 18, 2018 arts-NY

Adrián Villar Rojas: The Theatre of Disappearance at The Met Fifth Avenue Roof Top Garden

On view April 14 – October 29, 2017

The Roof Top Garden of the Met Fifth Avenue Museum is hosting a fascinating exhibition titled “The Theater of Disappearance” by Argentinean artist Adrian Villar Rojas. The exhibition, which includes 16 large sculptures by Villar Rojas, is intertwined with multiple other events under the same umbrella title this year including film series at Berlin Film Festival and visual art shows in Greece, Austria and Los Angeles. This overarching theme seems timely today as our accelerated pace of life with at times endless pileup of stuff leads to its opposite, a void or disappearance.

Villar Rojas came to fame when at the age 32 he was selected to represent Argentina at the 2011 Venice Biennial. His next big engagement on the international art scene was at the Documenta 2013 and Istanbul Biennial 2015. Villa Rojas is known for making life-size sculptures from large animals caring heavy loads as at the Istanbul Biennial to the ruins of tumbled staircase at MoMA PS1 “LA INOCENCIA DE LOS ANIMALES” in 2013.

For current installation at the Met the artist used spectrometry and 3D scans of the artifacts from the Met collection mixing up the time periods, places, ideas and facts. Ideally the viewers have to visit this installation after seeing the originals on the floors below. The FT review notes that at times it seems that the artists is “undoing all of art history”. The ArtNews reports about Rojas’s laborious study of the Met Museum collection encompassing its all 17 departments as well as interviews with the staff as part of the creation process.

The photos from Art Summary blog lets you get a taste of the exhibition:

Photographs by Corrado Serra. Artist’s Statement The Met’s history as an institution is a testimony to America’s path as a nation. Its doors opened in 1870 with a large collection of plaster casts of sculptural masterpieces. By the mid-twentieth century, genuine artifacts had displaced the copies. Departments quickly emerged, dividing the cultural endowment into regions […]

via The Roof Garden Commission: Adrián Villar Rojas, The Theatre of Disappearance at The Met Fifth Avenue, April 14 – October 29, 2017 — Arts Summary

The Roof Top floors had to be redone with the tiles created by the artists for this installation . The particularly designed greenery were added as well as the bar. The effect of the spectacular Manhattan skyline in the background accentuates the bacchanal in the garden. Come and see it yourself.

For museum hours and more click here.

Enjoy your free visit to the Met museum with NewYorkPass!

Venue: The Met Museum on Fifth Avenue Time: till October 29, 2017

April – October 2017 Fall Art in NYC: CHIHULY at New York Botanical Garden

April 26, 2017January 18, 2018 arts-NY 1 Comment

April – October 2017 Fall Art in NYC: CHIHULY at New York Botanical Garden

Open from April 22 – October 29, 2017

World-renowned glass sculpture artist Dale Chihuly returns to New York Botanical Garden with his new installation CHIHULY. The exhibition includes 20 works combining early drawings and the latest creations.

“CHIHULY, a major new exhibition at The New York Botanical Garden spotlights world-renowned artist Dale Chihuly’s bold innovation in a variety of media throughout his celebrated career. Chihuly’s first major garden exhibition in New York in more than ten years features more than 20 installations and includes drawings and early works that reveal the evolution and development of his […]

via CHIHULY at New York Botanical Garden, April 22 – October 29, 2017 — Arts Summary

Dale Chihuly’s art blends easily with the nature, so this year installation at the NYBG is not the first experiment in that regard. The New Botanical Garden gives these innovative art works a genuine environment. In an interview with the ArtNet Todd Forrest, the NYBG’s vice president for horticulture and living collections stressed that “the combination of art and nature that exemplifies Dale Chihuly’s art is something that is very close to our hearts at the New York Botanical Garden.”

Chihuly came a long way in reaching the level of expression he is presenting to the public today. After years of studies and work at the top art schools in the US, he studied glass blowing at the Venini factory on the island of Murano off Venice, Italy. There and elsewhere in Europe he was able to experiment with the techniques, colors and materials that now make integral parts of his installations.

The exhibition at the NYBG is highlighting the interplay not only between the glass creations and the nature but also between daylight and nighttime illumination. The garden will open late for the visitors to experience this magic. Check the hours here.

Enjoy your free visit to New Botanical Garden with your NewYorkPass!

In addition to the art and nature there will be summer concerts in the garden. The opening concert in the series on Friday June 16, 2017, the French Connection, is featuring vocal sensation Camille Bertault and Alphonso Horne on trumpet.

Venue: New York Botanical Garden, NY

Date: April 22 – October 29, 2017

March – January 2018: Mummies at the American Museum of Natural History

April 12, 2017January 18, 2018 arts-NY

March 2017 – January 2018: Mummies at the American Museum of Natural History

Reach history of the mummies from pre-Columbian Peru to ancient Egypt

The custom of preserving the bodies of dead humans and animals was practiced by people from ancient times. The most well-preserved objects are usually found in dry and hot climates where nature provides the most suitable environment for the mummification. Due to their geography both Egypt and Peru had very elaborate embalming traditions and associated religious rituals. The exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History brings on view the mummies from these two countries located on opposite sides of the globe.

Photographs by Corrado Serra.

via Mummies at American Museum of Natural History, through January 7, 2018 — Arts Summary

While many think that the oldest mummies came from Egypt, its actually Peru where the oldest mummies were found. The ancient people living in hot and dry areas of nowadays Peru, started making mummies 7,000 years ago. While Egypt’s mummies are better known, its oldest is 3,500 years old.

The show at the American Museum of Natural History comes from the Fields museum in Chicago. Some of the objects on view were not exhibited from 1893 when the World’s Columbian Exposition took place in Chicago.

Current exhibition goes into history, techniques and practices of mummifications with many interactive tables to learn and explore. Even a CT scanner is prominently on view as its a staple of modern exploration of the artifacts. The New York Times review explores various method used by archeologists to glean inside and reconstruct the objects and how they lived.

Find out more about the exhibition here.

John Lindberg book Ancient Egypt and National Geographic documentary Inca Mummies:Secrets of the Lost World are absolutely fascinating journeys into the history, traditions and art of these rich cultures.

Enjoy your free visit to American Museum of Natural History with your NewYorkPass!

Venue: American Museum of Natural History, NY

Dates: March 20, 2017 – January 7, 2018

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