Portalegre tapestry in Rome

Between the 3rd and the 27th of November 2011, the Istituto Portoghese di Sant’Antonio in Roma, will be hosting the exhibition “L’Arazzo di Portalegre – Espressione Contemporanea di un’Arte Secolare” (Portalegre Tapestry - A Contemporary Expression of a Secular Art).

For the first time in Rome, a rare Portalegre tapestry of Bruno Munari, dated from 1985, will be exhbited.

The manufacture of Portalegre is one of the few and oldest, dedicated to the wall tapestry and reproducing the works of famous artists through the close collaboration between the original artist, the draughtsman/woman, and the womanweaver.
Some of the most well-known names include Almada Negreiros, Graça Morais, Jean Lurçat, Júlio Pomar, Le Corbusier, Menez and Vieira da Silva.

“L’Arazzo di Portalegre – Espressione Contemporanea di un’Arte Secolare” can be visited at the gallery of the Istituto Portoghese di Sant’Antonio in Roma, until November 27, Wednesday-Sunday (16.00 - 19.00).
The inauguration willl take place 3 novembre 2011 at 18.00.
Admitance is free.

A recent exhibition showing a couple of tapestries reproducing the artwork of famous portuguese artists, took place in Lisbon.

Pablo Picasso etching stolen from Museo Iberoamericano de Arte Moderno de Popayán MIAMP (Casa Museo Negret) in Colombia

This October 21th, between 5:30pm and 5:45pm, a limited edition etching (6/50) entitled "Homme nu avec Femme ivre et Jeune Flûtiste" by Pablo Picasso, measuring 37cm x 47, dated from 1955, and numbered 18.9.55 II, was stolen from the Sala de Dibujo y Grabado (Drawing and Engraving Room) of the Museo Iberoamericano de Arte Moderno de Popayán MIAMP (Casa Museo Negret) in Colombia. The engraving/etching was donated in 1994 by master Edgar Negret Dueñas.

According to Christie's the etching has an estimaded value of £1,500 - £2,500 ($2,357 - $3,928)

Any information that may help the Colombian authorities to find the piece, should be communicated to (0057)3213947778 (cell phone).

Vieira da Silva painting "Saint-Fargeau" sold for 1.54 Million Euro

This October 22nd, the oil painting "Saint-Fargeau" (162 x 114 cm) by the portuguese artist Maria Helena Vieira da Silva (1908-1992), and completed between 1961-1965, was sold for € 1,544,701 (includes buyer premium) during the auction of the Jorge de Brito collection at the Tajan auction house. This result marks a new record for a portuguese artist at auction.

From a total of 57 auctioned pieces, 37 were sold, totalizing near 8 million euro.
The sale included 20 Vieira da Silva paintings, Chinese porcelains, a "Buffalo" jade statue from Ming Dynasty (17th century), and the painting "Cariatide" (1916) by Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920), sold for € 858,589, among other important pieces.

A catalalogue is available for download.

The Jorge de Brito collection, now managed by the heirs, is considered the most important portuguese collection of the second-half of the 20th century. The collection includes 6 Vieira da Silva paintings, which are in the Fundação Arpad Szenes-Vieira da Silva, in Lisbon.
During the following 5 years, the Portuguese State has buying preference.

2011 Contemporary Art Fair NYC & American Craft Show NYC at the Javits Convention Center

The 2011 edition of Contemporary Art Fair NYC & American Craft Show NYC, will take place at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, Hall 1A, from 18th through 20th November.

With near 200 exhibitors, the event will include paintings, sculptures, photography and mixed media by emerging and established artists, as well as jewelry, furniture, fashion, ceramics, glass, wood, metal and textile from new and acomplished artisans.

The 2011 Contemporary Art Fair NYC & American Craft Show NYC can be visited during the following schedule:

Friday November 18, 2pm - 7pm
Saturday November 19, 10am - 7pm
Sunday November 20, 10am - 4pm

Admission prices (one ticket includes both shows):

Adult: $16 Seniors: $14: Students: $8 Children: Free under 10

Richard and Joanna Rothbard of American Art Marketing, are the producers of the event.

For the artists who wish to participate, the applications are open until filled.
You can download the 2011 application forms for the Contemporary Art Fair NYC and for the American Craft Show NYC.
There's also the option to enter online.

For updated information about American Art Marketing events, please refer to this page.

In The Presence of Things. Four Centuries of European Still-Life Painting - Part Two: 19th - 20th Centuries

Today inaugurates one of the most expected exhibitions organized by the Gulbenkian Museum and curated by Neil Cox PhD.

Exhibiting the works by some of the most prominent names, with particular focus on modern still life in the 19th century and on the fundamental changes which occurred during the first half of the 20th century, "In the Presence of Things. Four Centuries of European Still-Life Painting (1840 - 1955)", invites the viewer to observe the different approaches to still-life painting through different ages and geographical places.

The exhibition, which in portuguese is entitled "A Perspectiva das Coisas. A Natureza-Morta na Europa 1840-1955," includes 93 paintings from 70 artists, including those of Realists and Impressionists such as Claude Monet, with his painting Still-life with Melon, one of the most important pieces owned by the Gulbenkian museum, the paintings of Post-Impressionist painters like Cézanne, Van Gogh, Manet and Gauguin, as well as works by Picasso, Duchamp, Braque, Matisse, Magritte, Dalí, Man Ray and Max Ernst.



This is a unique opportunity to observe in person, works of art which were gently loaned by some of the most important museums in the world, in a total of 37, including Centres Georges Pompidou (Paris), Kunstmuseum (Basel), Musée D'Orsay (Paris), Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza (Madrid), Philadelphia Museum of Art (USA), Tate (London), National Gallery of Art (Washington), The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), and The Museum of Modern Art (New York).



In The Presence of Things. Four Centuries of European Still-Life Painting - Part Two: 19th - 20th Centuries (1840 - 1955), can be visited between 21 Oct 2011 to 8 Jan 2012 at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Temporary Exhibition Gallery:
Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 - 18:00
Thursday and Saturday 10:00 - 20:00
Admission: 5€ | Admission + audio-guide: 6€

The first part (17th - 18th Centuries) took place last year, with curatorship supervised by the Prof. Peter Cherry.

Palácio do Correio Velho - 270 Modern and Contemporary Art Auction

A modern and contemporary art auction featuring works by some of the most famous portuguese artist is taking place at the Palácio do Correio Velho, Lisbon, Portugal.

Divided in two sections (19th and 20th October at 21h00), the 270 Modern and Contemporary Art Auction (Leilão 270 - Arte Moderna e Contemporânea) comprises 325 lots with prices estimates ranging between €40 and €120,000.

Between the renowned names represented in the auction, are those of: Amadeu de Sousa-Cardozo, Eduardo Viana, Paula Rego, Abel Salazar, Graça Morais, Júlio Resende, Ângelo de Sousa, Vieira da Silva, Arpard Szenes, Artur Bual, Malangatana Ngwenya, Mário Cesariny, Cargaleiro, Almada Negreiros, Júlio Pomar, José de Gumarães, and João Cutileiro.

Catalogues for the first and second sessions, as well as a virtual gallery of the auction, are available.

A document for absentee/telephone bidding is also available for download.

Win a visit to Danny Heller's studio in L.A.

Born in Northridge, CA in 1982, Danny Heller holds a B.A. in art with an emphasis in painting by the College of Creative Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
After capturing Santa Barbara’s surf landscapes during his formative years, Danny started focusing his attention into the retro iconography characteristic of mid-century Los Angeles.
Now working in his studio located in Silver Lake, Danny concentrates on chronicling Modern American imagery, depicting the architecture, design, and car culture found in Southern California.



His paintings have been shown through individual and colective exhbitions and published in art magazines.
Danny Heller's work has been acquired by the Foundation Colas, Boulogne-Billancourt, France and by the Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, CA.

In 2008, Danny gave an interview to the Art Inquirer, sharing his approach to art and part of his techniques.

Now, after three years, The Art Inquirer and Danny Heller are collaborating again to provide a magnificent experience for two readers of this blog: a visit to his studio in Silver Lake, LA.

Whether you are an emerging or seasoned artist, or an art lover, this will be a great opportunity to get directly in touch with an artist at his studio.
During the visit you'll be able to ask Danny about his development as an artist, how he approaches his favourite themes and subjects, and even get some tips on how to improve your painting techniques.

As mentioned before, the visit is for two readers of The Art Inquirer.
Here's how it's going to work:

If you're interested in participating in this visit, just leave your comment here and a link to a simple post on your blog about this event, so that I may easily contact you in case you win. That's all you have to do.

The two winners of this event cannot be relatives.

After randomly selecting the winners, The Art Inquirer will contact them directly and will ask them to provide a contact.

The visit will take place in November, during the morning or afternoon, and at the same time for both winners. The specific day and timing will be arranged between Danny and the winners, with whom he'll get in touch.

Danny Heller and The Art Inquirer will do their best to provide you the best possible experience during your visit to his studio.

As long as all the parties agree, they are free to arrange the visiting parameters as they wish, including changing the month of the visit. The Art Inquirer does not pose any final conditions.

Eventual traveling and personal expenses are responsability of the winners.



The artist's latest individual exhibition, entitled "The LAX Series," was inaugurated yesterday at the George Billis Gallery in LA and will run until November 12.

Disclaimer: This studio visit is not a sales visit. Danny Heller's paintings can be acquired through galleries that represent him.

2011 Edition of ArtReview’s Power 100 is headed by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei

This month, Art Review has issued its tenth annual ranking of whom their editors consider to be the contemporary art world’s most powerful players. In their own words: "...a guide to the general trends, networks and forces that shape the artworld."

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, who was detained and imprisoned by the Chinese authorities during 81 days earlier this year, comes first on Art Review’s Power 100. This choice results from the artist's art practice and activism, manifesting his artistic independence from the system.

Besides Weiwei, the 2011 Edition of ArtReview’s Power 100 includes a few artists, being Cindy Sherman, Takashi Murakami, Marina Abramovic and Anish Kapoor
, four of them.

Names such as Hans Ulrich Obrist & Julia Peyton-Jones, Glenn Lowry, Larry Gagosian, Nicholas Serota, David Zwirner, Klaus Biesenbach, Eli Broad, François Pinault, Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, Victor Pinchuk, Artangel, Creative Time, artists Anton Vidokle, Julieta Aranda & Brian Kuan Wood (all three from e-flux), Boris Groys and Kaja Silverman, are among the list of curators, museum directors,gallerists, art patrons, collectors, distribution agencies and thinkers who influence and dynamize the art world.

The November issue of ArtReview's magazine includes full profiles, analysis, features, photography portfolios and commissioned artwork by Matt Mullican.

MAXXI presents: Indian Highway

Presented by the MAXXI museum in Italy, the Indian Highway itinerant collective exhibition brings to the public, a selection of 60 works by 30 artists, including 4 site-specific installations conceived for MAXXI Art and a series of works exhibited for the first time, offering a comprehensive panorama of the Contemporary Indian artistic scene.

This constitutes the first investigation by an Italian museum about the art of this fascinating country and reflects the economic, social and cultural developments of the past twenty years. In the likeness of the highway as a supporting element of the migratory flows moving from the periphery towards the city, Indian Highway is about technological development, the economic boom and the growing global relevancy and influence of this subcontinent in the world of the arts since the 1990s.

The exhibition can essentially be divided into three macro areas:

Indian Identity and Histories: investigates political, social and religious themes such as the war between India and Pakistan, the religious struggles, the transience of the national borders.

Exploding metropolises: examines urban expansion and chaos and the abandonment of the rural areas.

Contemporary Tradition: explores the revisiting of ancient forms of expression in Indian culture such as miniatures, ceramics and ink paintings.

The Indian Highway exhibition can be visited between 22 September 2011 – 29 January 2012, at the MAXXI (Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI Secolo) in Rome, Italy.

Indian Highway is curated by Julia Peyton-Jones, Hans-Ulrich Obrist and Gunnar B. Kvaran together with Giulia Ferracci, Assistant Curator MAXXI Arte, and organised in collaboration with the Serpentine Gallery, London and the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, Oslo, Norway.

Curated by Amar Kanwar for the ‘Exhibition Within The Indian Highway Exhibition’, The News shows a selection of three news extracts of news footage: The first is filmed in the early 1930’s and shows us glimpses of protests against British rule in India; the second is from 2004, of Manipuri activists under attack from the police, while demanding the removal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act [AFSPA], a law that gives the army the right to search, arrest and even kill with impunity (across the North East of India) since 1958; and the third clip, shot in 2011 shows the people of Jagatsinghapur District, Orissa, protesting against the police attempt to forcibly enter their villages to acquire land for the South Korean Steel Company POSCO.

Carrousel du Louvre – Paris: Art Shopping 2011

Under the motto "L'Art Contemporain à Moins de 5000€," the 9th edition of the Art Shopping salon will take place at the Carrousel du Louvre, Paris, during the days of 22 and 23 October 2011 (11h – 20h).

The event aims to provide an opportunity to new generation galleries and emerging artists to show their art to the public in a friendly and accessible atmosphere, while at the same time offering visitors the chance to contact directly with the artists and eventually purchasing contemporary art within reasonable prices.

Each edition of Art Shopping at Carrousel du Louvre is usually attended by near 10000 visitors who spend between 1000 and 2000€.

Tickets for the Salon Art Shopping automne will cost €10 (€7 when purchased in advance over the internet). Entry is free for under 12 years old.

Register for the Learning & Product Expo: Art!

Registration is open for the Learning & Product Expo: Art!
The event will take place in the Hall B of the Pasadena Convention Center, CA, between the 28th and the 30th October 2011.

Visitors will be able to learn about the latest news from their favourite art materials manufacturers, try and buy products at discounted prices, assist to demonstrations provided by renowned artists and attend workshops.
A juried art show will also take place during the expo.

The Learning & Product Expo: Art! (7th Annual Pasadena, CA expo) is a major art event for all those involved in the art world, from emerging to more seasoned artists, passing through those who dedicate themselves to the business side of the arts.

New Kindle Touch Giveaway for Christmas

Christmas is approaching and to celebrate the soon to achieve 100000 visits, The Art Inquirer will offer a new Kindle Touch (with special offers) valued at $99 to one of its readers.



In order to be elegible to enter this promotion, you need to complete the following simple tasks:

a) Write a simple article on your blog about this promotion, with a link to this post.

b) Stumble any article of The Art Inquirer (this one is optional)

c) Leave a "I want the new Kindle Touch" comment with a link to your article and an optional link to the stumble.

d) Subscribe The Art Inquirer's newsletter through Feedblitz (see right column)

e) Follow this blog

You can enter this Christmas promotion until November 30, 2011 (GMT time).

Each participant will be attributed a number (two numbers for those who have stumbled an article).

On December 1st, the winner of the new Kindle Touch will be announced.

Due to Amazon's price policies, this promotion is only valid for residents in the USA.

A list of free ebooks for artists, compiled by Briggsy, can be found at the Conceptart forum.