Weekly Roundup

Mel Chin. Cross for the Unforgiven, 2002. AK-47 assault rifles (cut and welded); 54 x 54 x 3 inches. Courtesy of the artist.

Mel Chin. Cross for the Unforgiven, 2002. AK-47 assault rifles (cut and welded); 54 x 54 x 3 inches. Courtesy of the artist.

New and recent work on view by Mel Chin, John Baldessari, and Ai Weiwei, as well as news featuring Pierre Huyghe, Carrie Mae Weems, and other ART21-featured artists, all in this week’s roundup.

Pittsburgh exhibition examines gun culture

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presents UNLOADED: a multimedia group show that “explores historical and social issues surrounding the availability, use, and impact of guns in our culture.” Included in the exhibition is Mel Chin’s 2002 sculpture, Cross for the Unforgiven. On view at SPACE (Pittsburgh, PA) through April 26.

Artist is awarded Kurt Schwitters Prize

Pierre Huyghe has been awarded the 2015 Kurt Schwitters Prize for his “contemporary reinterpretation of Schwitters’ principles of collage and the poetry of everyday life.” Huyghe will receive the award at the end of the year in a ceremony that will coincide with an exhibition of the artist’s work at The Sprengel Museum (Hannover, Germany).

Two simultaneous exhibitions in London and Paris

Work by John Baldessari will be on view in two separate exhibitions at Marian Goodman Gallery’s London and Paris locations. Pictures & Scripts (London, UK; on view February 28–April 25) is a series of new paintings that juxtapose still images appropriated from black and white films. Early Work (Paris, France; on view February 28–April 11), comprises examples from most of the artist’s earlier work, some of which have rarely been exhibited since their creation.

Photography exhibit highlights artists’ works

Marion Gray: Within the Light—an exhibition of work by by San Francisco-based photographer Marion Gray—features never-before-seen photographs of performances by artists such as Joan Jonas, Ann Hamilton, Marina Abramović, and more. On view at the Oakland Museum of California (Oakland, CA) until June 21.

Film explores how photography shaped African America

Carrie Mae Weems and her work are featured in Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People. The documentary examines the role of photography in portraying the lives of African-Americans from slavery to present. Through March 9, viewers can watch the film through PBS Video at PBS.org or through the PBS streaming apps.

Sculpture explores diversity of people and culture

Ai Weiwei’s sculpture, Iron Tree, is the latest addition to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park (Grand Rapids, MI). On view to the public beginning April 20, the sculpture is described as the artist’s largest and most complex outdoor sculpture to date. Standing at more than 22 feet tall, the iron pieces that comprise the sculpture were cast from tree elements found around the southern China. A dedication ceremony and a lecture about the artist are planned for April 20.