Biennale Post 5

Gabriel Kuri always makes me chuckle, and I was glad to see his works in the Venice Pavillion at Giardini. He makes art that is unexpected and witty with an everyday element. I appreciated these materials and concepts very much.

Three Arrested Clouds

Three Arrested Clouds detail

Communication Diagram

Biennale Post 4

I loved the Chilean showing at the Biennale so hard, but I will do my best not to gush. The project is called Gran Sur by the artist Fernando Prats. His work really touched me with its physical nature. He imbues his work with the essence of sites affected by the 2008 Chaitén volcanic eruption and the huge earthquake in 2010. He creates paintings by rubbing large papers on the edges of cracked homes, leaving them curbside on a rainy day, or throwing rubble at the blank pages. His search for beauty in the wake of these natural disasters seems restorative, a kind of artistic rehab. Ah, sometimes my words are so unsatisfactory! Here, let me show you.

The paintings resulting from these actions:

Then there’s the Elephant Island project that thrills my adventuring, 8 year-old boy heart. Fernando Prats re-purposes the words that Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton printed in a 1911 advertisement for his Antarctic expedition:

“Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success.”

These neon words were installed on Elephant Island on the site of the famed Endurance shipwreck.

They’re outside the Chilean Pavilion too, as a still-relevant challenge.

Sigh, I love how hopeful this art makes me feel. As a last word, here’s an enlightening interview with Fernando Prats.

Biennale Post 3

One of the best things I saw in Venice was an external Biennale exhibition, Anish Kapoor‘s Ascension at the Basilica di San Giorgio. I can’t say it any better than the blurb from the Art Map so I will copy it here:

“Anish Kapoor presents a site-specific installation in the Palladian basilica of San Giorgio Maggiore: a column of white smoke rises. A cross between the sacred and profane, the smoke is also an ephemeral boundary between substance and the immaterial.”

The stillness required to focus on smoke…the difficulty in seeing forms within vapors…the backdrop of Andrea Palladio’s harmonious and glorious architecture…the serenity of being in a holy space as I kept repeating in my mind the phrase “a cross between the sacred and profane”…definitely makes the list of my favorite moments.

Biennale Post 2

Another good one was Lee Yong-Baek at the South Korean pavillion at Giardini, and I’m not just saying that because I’m South Korean. (Granted, I felt very proud to be represented well.) Called The Love is Gone, but the Scar Will Heal, this exhibition presented artwork that was beautiful and fascinating but also something more. The artist addresses the stark contrast between an angel and a soldier, the inner and outer self, reflection and destruction.

Angel Soldier_Video

Uniforms from Angel Soldier_Video hanging above the pavillion

Pieta: Self-death

Broken Mirror

You should also check out the website. You can access the whole catalog online, complete with high-quality images.

Biennale Post 1

I am reviving this blog just so I can jot down my reactions to the stimulation of the 54th art biennial in Venice. There is a lot of bad, as you can imagine, with so much art concentrated in one place at one time. But some is very good–even life-changingly good.

The first post will be about Urs Fischers‘ untitled works at the Arsenale. He has created wax sculptures out of wax with wicks that are lit each day. It is quite something to see Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabine melting away. And every time you see them, the sculptures have changed. It is a beautiful experience.

Identity Crisis

So, er, I think I might be having a little one. I’ll be back when I have a stronger grasp on what I’d like to say and if that has any significance. Ciao, darlings!

24 Hours is Not Enough

You know how sometimes life gets so busy you feel like all you want & need is more time? Well, that’s me now. I wish I could blog more, but here’s a calming playlist to tide you over until I can. Cheers.

Calling All Angelenos…

to Fashion’s Night Out Los Angeles!

FNO is an event that started last year as a partnership between Vogue and CFDA to benefit the NYC Aids Fund, encouraging shoppers to spend for a good cause. Stores stayed open until late night with a slew of celebrations and special promotions. Needless to say, it was a hit. And if you’re like me, you were super jealous that only New Yorkers got to have all the fun last year. Well, now Angelenos can join in on the FNO festivities! 200+ retailers from all over the city will offer a night of fashion, music, art, food and spectacle.

Here’s what you need to know.

1. FNO LA is on September 10 with most activities happening between 6-10pm. That’s only 2 weeks from now! Mark your calendars.

2. There are fashion scenes for any and every style. Check out shops on Melrose, Rodeo Drive, Robertson, West 3rd,  Abbott Kinney, Los Feliz Village, and even pop-ups downtown. The Beverly Center, Westfield Topanga, and Westfield Century City are participating too if you prefer shopping centers.

3. The Beverly Center will be the central hub for the night. The opening ceremony with Mayor Villaraigosa is at 5pm. Runway shows happen at 5:30, 6:30, and 7:30. Click image for a complete schedule. Also there’s free self-parking from 4pm-6pm with free Dash buses running to Melrose, Robertson, and 3rd St.

4. This is the official FNO LA shirt designed by Marc Blaskovits, a graphic design student at FIDM. He was inspired by the downtown skyline and the city’s signature palm trees because “a street lined with palm trees symbolizes the road to the American dream.” It looks cheesy in writing, but it’s quite sweet when Marc says that with his vaguely European accent. You can purchase the shirts at FIDM now for $15 or at the event. 100% of proceeds go to fashion scholarships.

The designer and his model.

I think it looks much better on than laid flat for promo pics.

5. Don’t call it an after-party. The “post-retail fashion celebration” for FNO LA is exclusively for FNO attendees. If you spend $25 or more at any participating retailer, you get access to two SBE clubs–Industry and XIV. There will be a showcase of LA designers at Industry and special drinks+models at XIV. So hit up either or both after 10pm. It’s sure to be fun.

There are hundreds of events going on throughout the night, but I’m especially excited about these two.

Ferris Wheel on Rodeo.

FNO cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery on West 3rd.

So don’t miss out on the first ever FNO Los Angeles. It’s going to be a-ma-zing.
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Favorite Fall Fashion Ads

Banana Republic perfectly embodies the upcoming season.

The entire Mulberry campaign is DIVINE.

El Pollo Loco a la Just Cavalli.

Nine West captures the essence of great window shopping.

The beauty of Oscar de la Renta is in details like fur trims and orange tassels. Mmmm.

Say goodbye to summer with "Juicy Fields Forever".

A Fluffy Moment in The Art Institute of Chicago, Modern Wing

The Art Institute of Chicago is iconic.  Everyone recognizes ‘American Gothic’ and ‘A Sunday on La Grande Jatte’ (thanks to Ferris Bueller, no doubt). But those revered masterpieces had nothing to do with my enjoyment of this museum. Nope, my mind was full of silly thoughts as I moseyed around only the Modern Wing.

Salvador Dalí, ‘A Chemist Lifting with Extreme Precaution the Cuticle of a Grand Piano’

What a great title. Oh, this one made me laugh. Then I noticed this lady who reminded me so much of…

Alexander McQueen, Spring 2008.

And what a delectable morsel of fashion this was! It went perfectly with the whimsical feeling of the painting. I was beaming at the right edge near the frame, probably bemusing other visitors while lost in my fashion flashback.

Marcel Duchamp, “Hat Rack”

‘Twas really as charming a corner as it looks.

The hat rack made me think of this octopus. Its shadow made me think of this spider.

The beautiful Renzo Piano building and an unusually sunny Chicago sky rounded out this oh-so-pleasant and lighthearted museum visit. You should go to there.

Photo Credits: Alexander McQueen (L) via Modern Venus; (R) via Style.com; Octopus via The Phlog; Spider via Nellybeans. All other photos taken by me.