Left: Yinka Shonibare MBE. How to Blow up Two Heads at Once (Ladies), 2006. Right: Lemonade/Digital booklet.
In addition to our art news roundup, this week we’re also bringing you a selection of recent interviews with ART21 artists about their current projects and exhibitions.
- Yinka Shonibare MBE was credited by the Boston Globe as the inspiration for Beyoncé’s ankara cloth dress in Lemonade. Beyoncé is a known fan of Shonibare, and her new album ends with a reconciliation that applies both to her marriage, and to the cultural reconciliation artists like Shonibare create through their work.
- Lego admitted to the Wall Street Journal last week that refusing to sell Ai Weiwei bricks in bulk was a “mistake.” Ai received millions of donated Legos from around the world after sharing Lego’s refusal letter on Instagram with a photo of a toilet clogged with the toy bricks.
Interviews
Follow your gut.
- John Baldessari shares his advice for younger artists on Huck magazine: “Follow your gut.”
- On the occasion of his renowned solo show, Mastery at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Kerry James Marshall was interviewed both by Interview Magazine and The Art Newspaper, saying “It’s been work for me to arrive at the moment that I have…When the work started to sell at those kinds of prices, I didn’t get scared. I got busier.”
- In Jeff Koons’ recent talk at FLAG Art Foundation, he shared what it was like collaborating with Lady Gaga on her album cover Artpop.
- After winning the High Museum of Art’s 2016 Driskell Prize, Mark Bradford spoke with ArtsATL about the development of his career: “That was one of the tenants of Abstract Expressionism—looking in and ‘finding God’—and I’m sure he’s white and male, you know (laughter)…I just thought, I’m not going to go down that road.”
Events & exhibitions
NYC
- Frieze New York is coming to Randall’s Island this Thursday through Sunday! Keep an eye out for work by Roni Horn and Paul McCarthy on view with Hauser & Wirth at booth B7.
- This Friday, May 6th Sarah Sze will be in conversation with curator and writer Paul Holdengräber at the New York Public Library, discussing the publication of her first monograph.
- Cindy Sherman’s first body of work since 2012 can be seen at a new exhibition opening this Thursday, May 5th at Metro Pictures. Get a preview in this New York Times feature.
- Concurrent exhibitions by Richard Tuttle will be on view in Manhattan this week: Richard Tuttle: The Critical Edge is on view at the Met until June 26th, and Richard Tuttle: 26 is opening this Friday, May 6th at Pace’s Chelsea gallery. Read a review of both shows in the Wall Street Journal.
East Coast
I didn’t get scared. I got busier.
- ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, NY — Work by Jenny Holzer, Charles Atlas, Andrea Zittel, Laurie Simmons, and more are all on view as part of a multi-exhibition series at Bard’s Hessel Museum of Art.
- BOSTON, MA — Ai Weiwei’s Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads was installed last week around the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy’s Rings Fountain, where they will remain until late October.
- PHILADELPHIA, PA — Janine Antoni’s new exhibition Ally, developed through the Fabric Workshop and Museum’s residency program, is comprised of sculpture, installation, film, and performance. The exhibition includes artist talks and performance dates scheduled throughout May, June, and July. Read a review in The Art Newspaper.
The South
MEMPHIS, TN — Four figures from Yinka Shonibare MBE’s series Rage of the Ballet Gods are being installed in the rotunda at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art this Saturday, where they’ll remain on view till November.- CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA — An exhibition of prints by Richard Serra is closing on Sunday at the University of Virginia’s Fralin Museum.
International
- MONTREAL — Last week an exhibition of work by Joan Jonas opened at DHC/ART. Titled From Away, it’s the first retrospective in Canada dedicated to the artist, and includes work spanning over five decades.
It’s impossible to include all the incredible exhibitions and art events happening this week in a single post. If there’s something you feel should have been included in today’s roundup, leave a comment below!