"Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Between February 24 and April 25, 2010, a comprehensive exhibition about an important period of Pablo Picasso's life and Western Art will be hosted by the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
The exhibition named "Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris" comprehends the artistic period between 1905 and 1945, including drawings, paintings, sculptures and printings from the museum's collection of Picasso, as well as works loaned by private american collections, totalizing two hundred and fourteen objects.
One of the highlights is the painting "Three Musicians" from 1921, in which the artist appears to depict himself and his poet friends Guillaume Apollinaire and Max Jacob as players in a Cubist concert and is considered to be the result of Picasso's journey exploring the Synthetic Cubism.
Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris traces the trajectory of the artist's career from his initial experiments with abstractionism to his pioneering role in the development of Cubism and his relation with Surrealism and other art movements.
The significant role that the city of Paris played during the first half of the twentieth century is evidenced through the exhibition of works by expatriate artists like Jacques Lipchitz, Man Ray, Marc Chagall and Patrick Henry Bruce, who collectively formed the avant-garde group that would become known as the School of Paris.

TEFAF - Maastricht 2010

From the 12th through the 21st of March, 2010, it will take place in the city of Maastricht (The Netherlands), the TEFAF 2010 (The European Fine Art Fair)

Considered the world's leading art and antiques fair, it will offer visitors the chance to observe and acquire masterpieces (from an estimated 50,000) exhibited by 263 art and antiques dealers from 17 countries.

The exhibited objects are subjected to rigourous checks performed by 26 specialist vetting committees and verified for possible mention in the The Art Loss Register.

A new section named TEFAF on Paper, represented by 19 dealers, will include among other items, antiquarian books and manuscripts, Japanese prints, watercolours and drawings by Old Masters.

During the days of the fair, Maastricht will host a series of shows and cultural events, including classical music and jazz concerts, plays, exhibitions and lectures.

Visitors to the TEFAF - Maastricht 2010 are not allowed to carry cameras, umbrellas, backpacks and large bags.

It is also requested that no art or antiques should be brought for valuation.

Dogs aren't allowed, however assistance or guide dogs carrying an official certificate will be granted access.

Disabled visitors can also choose to be accompanied by another person (the organization cannot provide personal assistance).

According to Mr. Manon van den Beuken (Project Co-ordination), who kindly provided this information, several blind people have visited the fair in the past together with an accompanying visitor.

TEFAF is organized by The European Fine Art Foundation.

Viktor Pinchuk Foundation - Future Generation Art Prize 2010

In December 2009, the ukrainian billionaire, philanthropist and art collector Viktor Pinchuk announced at the Gramercy Park hotel the establishement of two art prizes, one for top artists from his homeland and the Future Generation Art Prize for artists worldwide between the ages of 18 and 35 inclusive.
This biennial art award will provide the top winner with a prize of $100,000 ($60,000 in cash), of wich $40,000 must be used by the winning artist for the creation of new works.
Artists from anywhere in the world and without any restrictions to artistic medium may apply through an open call via the Internet.
Apart from former Prize winners, artists are eligible to apply multiple times, as long as they continue to meet the participation requirements.
The select first selection will be made by 100 correspondent art experts who will nominate between two and five participants each, then a Selection Committee consisted by of 7 experts on contemporary art chosen by the jury will review the applications and select up to twenty participants for the exhibition of shortlisted entries.
Winners will be mentored by the worldwide known and famous artists Andreas Gursky, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons and Takashi Murakami.
Established by the Viktor Pinchuk Foundation with the intent of supporting emerging artists by offering sustainable means to create new works, the $100,000 prize will be overseen by a distinguished board consisted by: Richard Armstrong, director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum; Glenn D. Lowry, director of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA); Alfred Pacquement of the Pompidou Center in Paris; Nicholas Serota of the Tate in London and Elton John.
An additional $20,000 will fund artist-in-residency programs for up to five other special prize winners.
Participants must submit their online entries between the dates of January 18th and April 18th, 2010, not forgetting to carefully read the participation terms and conditions.
A short list of 20 artists will be announced on the 20th of June 2010 and their works will be posted online and exhibited at the Pinchuk Art Center (Kiev, Ukraine) in October 2010.
The winner of the Future Generation Art Prize and up to five finalists will be announced in December 2010.

Extra Giveaway - Win a Free Oil Painting

In 2008 I started a monthly giveaway on this blog, however due to the accumulation of activities, such as painting, writing articles for my blogs and work (yes, I must work), I'm owing a few months of paintings to the subscribers of my blog, to whom I apologize.

Although today is not the first of the month, I've decided to restart the giveway with a small original oil painting alla prima.

Usually the work is a postcard size original watercolour, but to compensate these months, you'll have the chance to win something different.

Like usual, the winner will be known and notified on the 10th (of March, 2010, in this case).

To participate in this monthly giveaway mentioned in this article, you only need to subscribe to the newsletter of The Art Inquirer using the Feedblitz service, which you can see at the right column of this blog.

Exceptionally I won't be charging the postage for this month's giveway.

I would also like to remind you that the followers of this blog (using Google Friend Connect) have a 10% discount on my original paintings.

ARCO_madrid 2010

Now in its 29th edition, the international contemporary art fair ARCO_madrid 2010, is open to the general public between the 19th (pre-openning was on the 17th) and 21st of February 2010.
In this year's Panorama programme Los Angeles is the invited city, due to its recognised activity in the world of art.
Represented by seventeen galleries, the "Panorama: Los Angeles" is curated by Kris Kuramitsu and Christopher Miles, showcasing some of the best artists and offering visitors a general overview of what is happening in terms of art in this city.
During the weekend, the public will have the chance to view works from famous artists such as the pop artists Ed Ruscha (Omaha, Nebraska, 1935) and Wayne Thiebaud (Mesa, Arizona, 1920).
The paintings of Francis Bacon, who's art has achieved values that surpassed masters like Renoir and Van Gogh, can be appreciated in the galleries Marlborouh and Faggionato Fine Arts (Faggionato represents the heirs of Francis Bacon in UK and Europe).
Seen as one of the most proeminent contemporary art fairs, ARCO_madrid 2010 includes some of the most recognised art galleries in the world,namely: Margo Leavin Gallery, with works by John Baldessari (National City, California, 1931); L.A. Louver, with paintings by David Hockney (Bradford/U.K. 1937), living in L.A. since the 60's; Marlborough, showing the art of Francis Bacon.
One of the showcases is the art of the german painter Georg Baselitz, who's works have been exhibited in the Royal Academy of London and in the Gugghenheim, N.Y.
The artist is represented by the galleries Heinrich Ehrhardt (Spain); Sabine Knust (Germany); Catherine Putman (France); Thaddaeus Ropac (France) and by the specialist in high quality prints The Paragon Press ( U.K.)
Brazil and Latin America are also well represented with artists such as Lygia Clark (Belo Horizonte, 1920-Rio de Janeiro, 1988) and Mira Schendel (Zurich/Switzerland, 1919- São Paulo/Brazil, 1988), both represented by Dan Gallery (S. Paulo, Brazil) and Joaquín Torres-García (Montevideo/Uruguay, 1874-1949), establisher of the Constructive Universalism, represented by three galleries: Oriol Galeria D’Art, Guillermo de Osma and Leandro Navarro.
Most of the works of Joaquín Torres-García were destroyed in a fire that caught the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, while a large exhibition of the artist was being held.
As the hosting country, Spain is also represented with due merit by the artist Dora García (Valladolid, 1965), who's work is exhibited at the stands of Juana de Aizpuru S.L. and ProjectesD, as well as by the artist Antoni Muntadas (Barcelona/ESPAÑA, 1942), who's works of art have been shown in famous places like MOMA, MNCARS and MACBA.
Antoni Muntadas is considered the father of the spanish Net.Art.
From painting to performance, passing through sculpture, digital art, installation and emerging creative expressions, ARCOmadrid_ 2010 includes 221 galleries from 25 countries representing near 3000 artists.
Included are also curated projects from near thirty countries, showcasing cutting-edge contemporary art: Expanded-Box, CinemaLoop, Performing ARCO and Solo Projects.
There will also be a section called ARCO Instituciones, with the objective of making the public familiarized with the work of private and public organizations that actively support art through collecting.
Now in its eight year, the annual Experts Forum is a parallel event that brings together artists, collectors, curators, critics and other art enthusiasts to discuss relevant issues, this year with the noticeable participation of the city of Los Angeles.
Coordinated by the writer George Stolz together with the ARCOmadrid team, and curated by Kris Kuramitsu and Christopher Miles, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (MNCARS), Instituto Cervantes, Las Arquerías de Nuevos Ministerios and Matadero Madrid, are some of the cultural centres and museums that will be hosting various shows and other art events from Los Angeles.
The general programme, together with other events, makes the ARCOmadrid_2010 International Contemporary Art Fair a must for the art appreciator.

"The Young Vermeer" at the National Gallery of Scotland this Winter 2010

Announced for its winter programme, the National Gallery of Scotland will exhibit three works created between 1653 and 1656 by the famous dutch painter Johannes Vermeer.

Under the title "The Young Vermeer", the paintings "Christ in the House of Martha and Mary" (c. 1654-55), from the National Galleries of Scotland, "Diana and her Companions" or "Diana and her nymphs" (c. 1653-56), loaned by the Mauritshuis, The Royal Picture Gallery (The Hague, Netherlands) and "The Procuress" (1656), from the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Dresden, Germany), will be presented together for the first time in Edinburgh, between December 10th, 2010 and March 13th, 2011.

However if you don't want to wait until December, these three paintings will be showcased at the Mauritshuis from 12th of May to 22nd of August 2010.

The Life and Art of Caravaggio (Part Five)

Continuing the series of videos dedicated to the life and art of famous artists, The Art Inquirer presents the fifth episode of seven dedicated to Caravaggio.
You can watch the fourth episode, from which you will be able to access the previous ones by following the links, or go directly to the first episode.

Marilyn by Joana Vasconcelos sells for £505,250

During the Post War and Contemporary Art Evening Auction that took place this February 12th at the Christie´s sale room in King Street (London, UK), the work "Marylin" from 2009, by the portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos, sold for £505,250 (€579,817/$791,222).

Inspired upon the famous clip from The Seven Year Itch of Marilyn Monroe walking over an air-vent, the work is consisted by two shoes with stiletto heels, measuring each one 116 7/8 x 61 x 161 3/8in. (297 x 155 x 410cm.) and made of stainless steel pans, lids and cement.

"Marilyn" was acquired directly from the artist by the present owner and has been requested to be part of the Joana Vasconcelos exhibition, opening in March 2010, at the Berardo Collection Museum (Lisbon).

Last year her sculpture "Coração Independente Dourado" ( Independent Golden Heart) was sold at Christie's for €192,000.

Three Billion Dollars of Modern Art in the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (Iran)

Designed by the iranian architect Kamran Diba (Queen Farah's cousin) and located in Tehran, the museum was built adjacent to the Laleh Park and inaugurated in 1977.

The museum's modern art collection was assembled during the 70's oil boom by Kamran Diba with the support of the Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and his wife Queen Farah.

Unfortunately with the advent of the Islamic Revolution and the leadership of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeinei, the collection had to be placed in a climate controlled basement, behind a high-security door only accessible through a safe combination.

The Tehran Museum of Contemporay Art holds one of the most important modern art collections in the world, with an estimated value of up to three million dollars.

At request its collection is showed to visiting artists and students, says Mr. Habibollah Sadeghi, the museum's actual director, however the paintings exhibited in the public galleries are by Iranian artists.

In its collection are included a great number of works from famous artists including André Derain, Alberto Giacometti, Camile Pissarro, Claude Monet, Diego Rivera, Mary Cassatt and Pierre Soulages.

Also included is probably the world's most valuable painting by Jackson Pollock "Mural on a Red Indian Ground" and a Pop Art section with portraits of Mao Zedong, Marilyn Monroe and Mick Jagger, by Andy Warhol.

According to Mr. Sadeghi, there are plans to open a major museum where these works may be exhibited to the public.

Article based upon news found by Mario Vukelic from Pastel News

L’Homme qui Marche I (Walking Man I) by Alberto Giacometti sets world record

In the auction of Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale that took place this February 3rd at Sotheby's (London), a piece of the swiss sculpture Alberto Giacometti was sold for £65,001,250/€74,185,983/$104,327,006 (about £58 million without the buyer's premium)
L’homme qui marche I (Walking Man I), a life-size bronze sculpture with 183 cm height from 1960, set a world record for a piece of sculpture sold at auction, previously held by the 5000 year-old mesopotamian statue Guennol Lioness (Sotheby's 2007).
The sculpture was sold by the Commerzbank which took possession of it when acquired the Dresdner Bank in 2009.

BP Portrait Award 2010

Now in its thirty-first year and open to all artists from around the world, aged 18 and over, the BP Portrait Award is an annual event highlighting the art of portraiture.

With a First Prize of £25,000 in cash, plus a commission in the value of £4,000, the BP Portrait Award 2010 includes second and third prizes, as well as a Young Artist Award worth £5,000 for artists between 18 and 30 years of age and a BP Travel Award 2010 in the value of £5,000.

The submission deadline is February 14th 2010 and the artists whishing to participate should read the rules carefully and fill the entry form, not forgeting the entry fee.

The winning artists will have their works exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery (London), from 24th June to 19th September 2010, continuing their exhibition tour tat the Usher Gallery (Lincoln) and Aberdeen Art Gallery.

In 2009 the exhibition in London was visited by 298,000 people, which shows the relevance of this event during its years of existance, with many of the artists earning commissions as a result of the high enthusiasm from the public.