Nevertheless, duty calls so we are back to work, bringing you news on what's now, what's next, and what's after that. To that end, here are a few of the galleries we checked out on our little journey through Old Europe in search of the new and exciting. Expect lots more in depth posts and interviews once we've gotten over the jet lag...
1) Circle Culture: This showroom/gallery space in Berlin's Mitte hosted a really quirky and crowded opening entitled Me Myself and Unai last Friday, featuring the works of Barcelona-based artist Unai. Featuring a really eclectic range of works, from a wall-size installation, to paintings, collage and quasi-sculptural works, the show was something of a return to form for Circle Culture, which has hosted shows ranging from the acclaimed Beautiful Losers to EMERGE favorites including Laurent Fetis and Geoff McFetridge in the past.
2) Pool Gallery: This quirky international gallery space just a few blocks from Circle Culture also had an opening last week. Featuring the work of Oklahoman photographer Benjy Russell, the show was full of large and small photographs of dusty, burnt out homes and grainy shots of horses. A little heavy on the dustbowl, rural decay thing, but really nice looking work nevertheless. When folks made the rounds through the small gallery, they all gathered out front to make fun of some poor soul who parked his ultra-gauche Ferrari on the street in front.
3)Contemporary Fine Arts: This mainstay of Berlin's contemporary gallery scene has been hosting the first German solo show by the polarizing New York artist Dash Snow entitled "The End of Living... The Beginning of Survival." Featuring a mix of photography, Snow's trademark collages and assemblages including a "Book Fort"- literally a child's fortress made of books- the show is pretty fun if not the most enduring exhibition we've ever seen. If nothing else, it's impressive for the sheer volume of work presented. What's more, the works are rumored to have sold out within the first two days after opening in April.
4) Air De Paris: One of the most established and influential galleries in Paris' still emergent contemporary art scene, Air De Paris hosted the opening of "The Towne Index" by New York artist Sarah Morris this past Saturday. Featuring a recent film she made documenting an interview with film legend Robert Towne, the show also included three massive canvasses which comprise a series titled "Beijing," which will also be the location and subject of her next film, to be shot during the Summer Olympics to be held in 2008. The works continue to articulate Morris' geometric aesthetic, which uses line and color to reference complex architectures through references to geometry, science, forms of urban organization, and the ancient art of origami, which first appeared in China in the first century.
More to follow so stay tuned...
