A rendering of one piece in Ai Weiwei’s multipart Public Art Fund project Good Fences Make Good Neighbors at Washington Square Park. Courtesy of Ai Weiwei Studio / Frahm & Frahm.
Just in time for the eclipse, and coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the Voyager space probe launch, last week Kickstarter announced a new series of campaigns called Projects of Earth—two of which feature new work by Art21 artists. Already launched is Ai Weiwei’s Public Art Fund installation series, Good Fences Make Good Neighbors, which will bring fence-inspired sculptural works to multiple sites around New York City in October.
Launching soon is a project by Trevor Paglen in collaboration with the Nevada Museum of Art. Paglen is currently working with aerospace engineers to develop and launch Orbital Reflector, a reflective sculpture that will be visible in the night sky—the first satellite to exist purely as an artistic gesture.
Also this week:
- Walton Ford and writer Zoë Lescaze released a new book on the history of paleoart (artwork depicting prehistoric times), as a way to understand dinosaurs through an art historical lens.
- SFMOMA’s largest painting ever, by Julie Mehretu, arrived Wednesday for installation.
- Finally in awards this week, James Turrell’s immersive installation at MASS MoCA has been given an Award of Merit, and tonight Kerry James Marshall is being honored by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs at the 4th annual Fifth Star Honors, a local award show and concert in Millennium Park.
Events & exhibitions
New York City
- This is the last week to see Mika Rottenberg’s 2015 video piece NoNoseKnows at the Met Breuer. The work is included in the exhibition The Body Politic, which closes this Sunday, September 3. [Read a review in Hyperallergic.]
Austin
- A new temporary exhibition at the Blanton Museum of Art features Teresa Hubbard and Alexander Birchler’s three-channel film installation Giant (2014). The final piece in a trilogy of films exploring “the social character of the cinematic experience,” Teresa Hubbard / Alexander Birchler: Giant is on view through October 1. [Read a review in The Austin Chronicle.]
London
- Whitechapel Gallery’s current group exhibition features the work of 30 artists and photographers including Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, and Jeff Wall. Entitled A Handful of Dust, the show closes Sunday, September 3.
Lille, France
- This is also the last week to see Capital Africa, a group exhibition featuring work by El Anatsui at the cultural center, Gare of Lille-Saint-Sauveur. Presented by lille3000, the show closes on Sunday.
Venice
- Ai Weiwei’s new film on the refugee crisis, Human Flow, is premiering this week at the 74th Venice Film Festival. It’s screening twice on Friday, September 1.
Tuscany, Italy
- Art of the Treasure Hunt, an exhibition installed in multiple locations in the Chianti region, includes work by Marina Abramović and Kiki Smith and will be on view through October 30.
Mumbai
- Louise Despont’s solo exhibition at Galerie Isa, Greenhouse, closes this Friday, September 1. [Read reviews in The Indian Express and The Hindu.]