Last Two Days of Mirror of Judgement: Michelangelo Pistoletto at the Serpentine Gallery

"How many corrugated cardboards did Michelangelo Pistoletto use for this show?" I asked one of the invigilators at the Serpentine Gallery when I visited there last week. "I don't know," she said, surprised at the incredulity of my question while giving me a look that says "Does it really matter?" She was right - it really didn't matter because the effect is a labyrinth and experience of space like nothing else you can imagine.

Except the space for the Mirror of Judgement is made out of rolls and rolls of corrugated cardboard, a cheap material that is accessible and familiar in our consciousness. As one of the early pioneers of Arte Povera or "Poor Art", Michelangelo Pistoletto has explored the use of cheap  materials to seek fundamental discussions on contemporary life. (more...)

Turning Japanese: Sake-Tasting Event and The Daiwa Foundation Art Prize 2011

My friend Cristina, Pach,  and I had a chance to attend a  sake-tasting event at the Japanese embassy last Thursday and had fun drinking 14 of the award-winning sake (from the International Wine Challenge).  Despite our sake-newbieness, our favourite turned out to be the IWC Trophy Champion for 2011 (Nabeshima Daiginjo, 2010). The judges of the International Wine Challenge describe it as "Soft with a sweet, fruity aroma. On the palate the flavours are dry, earthy and nutty with hints of fresh stone fruits. The finish is long with warming alcohol and lift."

Our palate needed some re-education on everything about sake. I've always thought sake should be served warm but we learned a special tidbit from a Japanese girl who told us that warm sake is a sign of low quality.  (more...)

Israeli Art Takes Centre Stage in Freedom of Expression: True Colours

Artrustee, an art consultancy company based in Tel Aviv, has invited me to review an exhibit of Israeli Art at the Gallery Soho last week. With more than 17 of the most prominent artists from Tel Aviv, the four-day exhibit confirms how exciting Tel Aviv's contemporary art scene is fast becoming. In Freedom of Expression: True Colours, the artists explore themes of identity, territory and sexual liberation with a particular focus on gay and lesbian issues.

Some of the artists that participated in the exhibit were: Raphael "Rafi" Perez, Dan Reisner,Ronit Yanizki, Ammon David Ar, Sichi Gilad, Uri Gershuni, Maya Kapelushnik, Howard Fox and so much more. Please read the article here and tell me what you think =) (more...)

Interview with Argentinian artist Martha Zuik

I have been using Linkedin lately as a tool to network with artists and  people who work in the creative sector. One of the artists I've had the opportunity to connect with is Argentinian  artist Martha Zuik, who recently had a back to back show in Centro Cultural Borges in Buenos Aires and also at the Instituto Cervantes in Hamburg, Germany where Prince Felipe and Princess Leticia of Spain came to grace the show.

Martha's paintings have been shown in different parts of the world since 1958 and at the beginning of her career was able to exhibit in Paris along side Picasso, Magritte and other masters.

For years, Martha has accumulated a strong body of work in different media such as paintings, line drawings, and sculpture. (more...)

Thomas Struth Searches for the Sublime: Photographs 1978-2010 at the Whitechapel Gallery

Unlike other photographers, it sometimes takes Thomas Struth a few days to capture an image on camera. The celebrated German photographer's long and arduous creative process demonstrate the emphasis he puts in the art of seeing and his meticulous love  for details.

Visiting his first UK survey at the Whitechapel gallery, I was overwhelmed by the range and diversity of subjects and the way they were arranged as if the pieces themselves were engaged in a visual  conversation. From jungles, skyscrapers, family portraits and his much celebrated museum photographs and technical pieces, it is evident that Thomas Struth continues to search for the sublime in the mundane - things that  we don't normally give a damn just because we see them everyday. (more...)

Just to Feel Normal: A Last Look at the Top Three Winners of the BP Portrait Awards 2011

With Lucien Freud's death, whoever attempts to become the next best figurative painter of the 21st century has got some huge shoes to fill. Not to say there aren't any good  figurative portrait painters around today, but only a handful has something unique to say, especially in an art form where the same things have been said all over and over again.

So here goes the BP Portrait Awards which believes in figurative painting´s place in society and have supported young portrait artists for over 30 years

This year´s portrait awards at the National Portrait Gallery, however, was far from free from intrigues. (more...)

Ayrton Senna: In His Last Race to Spirituality and Immortality

I never understood people´s fascination with car racing. My primal girl-self cannot grasp what type of adrenaline one gets from hearing the sound of screeching tires and the humming of machines for what I would plainly categorise as a man sport. Since being involved in a minor accident years ago, I had sworn never to drive again. But lo and behold! Seeing the documentary on Ayrton Senna had made me change my mind. Aside from becoming a fan of the legendary driver and having a newfound respect for Formula One, I´m no longer afraid to take up driving once again.

Who would have thought that a film about racing would touch my soul to the core? But that´s what exactly this film did.  Directed by Asif Kapadia, the film is in itself a breakthrough in documentary filmmaking as it tells the story of Senna through archival footage (more...)