The Palais de Tokyo recently received a temporary facade to their contemporary art museum in Paris, France. A huge dollhouse has been constructed out front of the museum, complete with see-through walls, furniture and nostalgia. As one oversized metaphor, artist Amabouz Taturo imagined and, with help, built the structure to discuss the theme of childhood. In conjunction with the exhibition CHILDHOOD: Another day for the banana-fish currently happening inside the museum, the dollhouse acts as one large introduction to the major themes that run throughout the exhibition. The title comes from a short story by J.D. Salinger and helps to describe the exhibition as at once playful and arresting; challenging the mind to enter different worlds both familiar and not. Entirely devoted to the imagination, the exhibition is made up of multiple rooms and atmospheres that are catalysts for the childhood memory, but also childhood fears and anxieties, namely the room filled with clowns. Through the collaboration between artists and craftspeople alike, these rooms have become otherworldly fantasy escapes, made explicitly to convey nostalgic emotion and associative individualism.
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Universities across the United States are upping their art game. A university art gallery provides a unique educational service to the school and the community, however universities are now seeing them in a much more lucrative light. With numerous considerations in mind, colleges are putting more money towards the development of these spaces. A higher caliber exhibition space tends to impress prospective students and satisfy alumni wishes. Many university art galleries provide a space for student and staff work to be displayed as well as other local and traveling exhibitions. However, some colleges have surpassed this ideal, establishing a gallery that acts as its own entity and are actually rivaling traditional art institutions.
This fall, Virginia Commonwealth University will open its Institute of Contemporary Art, a 41,000 sq. ft. building with a world famous architect behind the $41 million project. Not to mention Renzo Piano at Harvard University, Zaha Hadid at Michigan State, and the new $50 million exhibition space opening at Duke this fall. These impressive projects set an example of worthy financials distributed towards the arts for the greater community benefit. Not only will these organizations provide educational arenas for both students and locals, but many will provide professional opportunity. As a previous student and gallery attendant to a University Art Gallery, I can contest to the full breadth of benefits that this space provided me and other students. The opportunity to experience hands on work in a museum setting not only provides a wealth of knowledge for professional growth, but interest, involvement and the confidence to continue as an occupation. For students not involved behind the scenes, the galleries can offer endless inspiration in the form of artist talks and tours. And while these spaces usually function on a donation basis, similar to traditional art museums, this trend of universities providing more financial support can only increase the possibilities, upgrading not only the college, but the town it resides in. 10/10/2017 0 Comments TRENDING TUESDAY | ZEITZ MOCAA
Although a landmark institution for Africa as a continent, there are critical reviews of the museum's financial sourcing. The main foundation, and thus dedication, is from a German man who owned and ran a global company, hardly started or based out of Africa. This sense of appropriated identity is also felt with the choice of location. Cape Town has a reputation for its hostility to black South Africans; stuck in a deep divide that promotes a colonial feel throughout the city. Critics are worried that this museum will not support a greater African tradition, but rather serve a select audience and agenda.
Every art institution has lucrative backing, and certainly motivations, and while asking to remove all cultural affiliations and bias is impossible, the ultimate goal is to educate and inspire. As a brand new museum, MOCAA has a large and diverse audience, with a vast and complicated history, to serve. As the first institution of its kind, MOCAA has been provided a unique set of challenges that should provide a singular experience for viewers. The creativity of the actual space and the organization of the collection and resources is an important addition to Cape Town and the anticipation of possibility can certainly be felt universally. Bitcoin happens to be one of the world's most popular cryptocurrency today after seeing a massive increase earlier this summer, ranging around $4,500 for one coin. While some consider the technology to be uncertain and hard to understand, others are fully embracing its unforeseen potential. The majority of Bitcoin, and other cryptocurrencies like it, have been used for a wide variety of purchases, its entirely intangible existence poses a major shift away from what we know now as cash. Its presence in the Forex market is met with excitement and wariness as participants attempt to understand its capabilities and if all this hype will outlast and flourish as a new universal currency.
Another largely speculative investment happens to be art. Sure, certain triggers lead collectors to better understand the market and make rational purchases. However, having those purchases sustain their value, much less grow, still holds an element of uncertainty. Just like any investment decision, the passion and belief in its success is critical. With both investment avenues becoming more popular, the merging of the two was bound to happen. Some galleries are fully embracing the technology of Bitcoin, and other cryptocurrencies, accepting it as payment for art. In a rather hopeful move, these institutions say that soon these currently successful coins will soon be in everyday use. In some places, that is already the case, the coins are being accepted in even coffee shops and grocery stores. So why not art galleries or even auction houses for that matter? An investment is paying for another investment, thus transferring that risk regardless. The value in either, the art and the cryptocurrency, exists because of the limited quantity of both. Many investors are holding onto to their Bitcoin, waiting for it to stabilize and have a more definitive value, much like with major art purchases. Art collectors hold onto works, usually interested in selling them at a later date for much more. This standard practice will most likely continue when considering art, however as more Bitcoin is dispersed and more readily used it will become just another form of electronic money. Money that can be used to purchase anything, including art.
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