Originally on view last year in New York’s Madison Square Park, Martin Puryear’s 40-foot sculpture Big Bling was just installed in Philadelphia. Thanks to a collaboration between Philadelphia’s Association for Public Art and the Madison Square Park Conservancy, Big Bling will be on view in Fairmount Park for the next six months. A free public celebration of the piece is being held next Thursday, June 8.
Also in art news this week:
- Marina Abramović is seeking performance participants for an upcoming exhibition in Kiev. The new performance piece, entitled Generator, will begin on June 16 at the PinchukArtCentre. Interested applicants should send a CV and letter of interest by June 5.
- 60 Minutes premiered a profile on artist Ai Weiwei in a recent broadcast. The artist told the show, “I think artist and activist is the same thing.”
- Finally, Barry McGee expanded his designs for RVCA. The surf and skating-geared clothing brand now sells more than 25 items by the artist.
Events & exhibitions
New York City
- Friday, June 2, 7:30pm—National Sawdust is hosting an evening with Carrie Mae Weems. Entitled “Gentle on my Mind,” the event will use narratives, photographs and video to reveal the role that music has played in shaping the artist’s life and work. [Tickets: $35.]
New Haven, CT
- Friday, June 2, 7-9pm—New York Close Up artist Josephine Halvorson will be speaking as part of the Yale Norfolk Art 2017 Lecture Series. The event is free and open to the public.
Austin
- The Contemporary Austin is installing two large-scale Ai Weiwei sculptures that will open this Saturday, June 3. Iron Tree Trunk (2015) will be on view at The Contemporary Austin’s sculpture park, and Forever Bicycles (2014) will be installed at the Waller Creek Delta.
Omaha, NE
- The New York Close Up film “David Brooks Hits the Pavement” will be screening continually at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts as part of the exhibition David Brooks: Continuous Service Altered Daily, on view June 1–August 26.
Los Angeles
- A new exhibition of work by John Baldessari entitled Eight Colorful Inside Jobs opened last week at Mixografia. More art historically-oriented than past work, the exhibition is on view through July 15. [Learn more in the LA Times.]
Barcelona
- Paul McCarthy’s work is on view in a new solo exhibition at Fundació Gaspar that runs until July 16.
Turin, Italy
- Hiroshi Sugimoto revisited his fascination with theatrical spaces in a new photo series depicting historical Italian theaters. The new works are on view in the exhibition Le Notti Bianche at Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo until October 1, 2017.
Maastricht, Netherlands
- The recent retrospective on Raymond Pettibon, A Pen of All Work, opens this Friday, June 2 at the Bonnefanten Museum where it will remain on view through October 29.
Malmö, Sweden
- Liz Magic Laser’s work has been included in the group exhibition Subjektiv, which explores the relationships between art, politics, and subjectivity. Featuring a selection of recent work by nine artists, the exhibition opens this Saturday at Malmö Konsthal and will remain on view through September 10.
Aarhus, Denmark
- Katharina Grosse’s work is featured in the upcoming ARoS Triennial, opening Saturday. Entitled The Garden – End of Times, Beginning of Times, the exhibition will “thematize man’s coexistence with and view on nature,” and is on view at the ARoS Aarhus Art Museum, June 3–July 30.
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!