Closing exhibition: The Virtuous Creator. Joaquim Machado de Castro (1731-1822)

 Inaugurated on May 18th and presenting over one hundred items - sculptures, models, drawings and other important documents, from the museum's own colllection and from public and private ones - the exhibition "The Virtuous Creator. Joaquim Machado de Castro (1731-1822)" will close this September 30.

 Divided in eight sections and occupying the whole ground floor of the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga (Lisbon, Portugal), this major retrospective (almost 60 years after the last one dedicated to the artist in 1954) provides the necessary elements to admire the work and learn about one of the most, if not the most, consagrated Portuguese sculptors of all times, Joaquim Machado de Castro.

 Author of mangers, his most known and visible scultpure is the Equestrian Statue of D. José, located in Terreiro do Paço, Lisbon. But during his long life - he died at the age of 91 - Machado de Castro created a renowned portfolio of works, including the Neptune's Fountain in Loreto, Lisbon (Fonte do Neptuno do Chafariz do Loreto), the sculptures of the Basílica da Estrela and Palácio da Ajuda, in Lisbon, the statue of D. Maria I (National Library) and the busts of the Cascata dos Poetas da Quinta do Marquês de Pombal, in Oeiras.

 Particular events led the sculptor to create religious imagery, of which are examples the Santa Ana Ensinando a Virgem a Ler (MNAA), a Virgem da Piedade (Capela Palatina de Salvaterra de Magos), São João Baptista (Igreja Matriz de Almeirim), Nossa Senhora da Encarnação (Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Encarnação, Lisbon). He also sculpted funerary art, such as the tomb of D. Mariana de Áustria, in the former Real Hospício de S. João Nepomuceno and now Museu Arqueológico do Carmo, and the one of D. Mariana Vitória, in the Igreja de S. Francisco de Paula, located in the parish of Prazeres, Lisbon.

 Joaquim Machado de Castro started the first sculpture class in Portugal, with the purpose of training artists to colaborate in his workshop. He also fought for the awareness and appreciation of sculpture in the country.

 Commissioned by Ana Duarte Rodrigues e Anísio Franco, "The Virtuous Creator. Joaquim Machado de Castro (1731-1822)" exhibtion can be visited during the following schedule:

Tuesday - 14h00 - 17h30
Wednesday - Sunday - 10h00 - 17h30

The museum is closed on Monday, Easter Sunday and January 1st, May 1st and December 25th.

Regular admission is €5. Other price plans and discounts are available.

 On September 28th takes place the EPAL Day and the museum will be opened from 10h00 to 24h00 with free admission and on the 29th, the day before the closing, the public will be able to visit the exhibition until 24:00, with free admission after 18:00.

A free multimedia guide is available for smartphones and tablets at http://mnaa.overtour.pt

Map
Latitude: 38.704516
Longitude: -9.162278

"The Bride" (A Noiva) by Joana Vasconcelos at CENTQUATRE (104)

The cultural space CENTQUATRE (104), in Paris, presents from July 5 through September 18, one of the most important works by the Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos: "The Bride" (A Noiva; La Mariée).

Considered by the critics and by the artist herself, one of her most iconic works, "The Bride" is a 600 x Ø 300 cm chandelier completed between 2001 and 2005, made from stainless steel, cotton thread, steel wire, and over 14,000 OB tampons. Its reflective look results from the plastic that involves the tampons.

After the refuse by Catherine Pégard, Director of the Palace of Versailles to include the chandelier in the exhibition featuring the artist, with several sculptures in the palace and its gardens, the public will now have the chance to visualize Joana Vasconcelos' acclaimed and sometimes controversial sculpture at CENTQUATRE (104).

The preview will take place this Wednesday, 4th of July at 19h00.

FIESA 2012 - 10th International Sand Sculpture Festival

Since its start in 2003, FIESA (Festival Internacional de Esculturas em Areia) has become an unmissable event of its kind, attractring artists and public worldwide.
Once again, visitors will have the opportunity to appreciate the wonderful sand sculptures, often of admirable size, executed by creative and devoted artists who turn sand blocs into marvelous works of art.

Under the theme "Idols" the 10th International Sand Sculpture Festival - FIESA 2012, will take place as usual at Pêra, Algarve, located in the south of Portugal (GPS 37º 07'43 .35''N / 8º 19'56 .04''W).

This year's theme will present an historical and geographical approach on characters, either real or fictional, religious entities, icons, etc, who have caused admiration, devotion, or have been idolized by crowds through times, from recent years to millenia.
During its exibition time, FIESA 2012 will offer a space for sand sculpture activities, where each day, adults, teens and children will be able to experience this form of artistic expression and show their creative abilities.

Unique in the Iberian Peninsula and organized by ProSandArt - Cultural Events Organization, FIESA is considered the largest sand sculpture festival in the world, by the size of its sculptures and the area they occupy. It can be visited by day or by night when the sculptures are illuminated by light play.


Fiesa 2012 can be visited during the following hours:

Between May 25 and June 29 from 10am until 9pm.
Between June 30 and September 15 from 10am until Midnight.
Between September 16 and October 25 from 10am until 8pm.
Since this is an outdoor event  schedules are dependent of weather conditions.

Ticket prices range from €4.50 to €8 (free for children up to 5 years old)
Contact the organizers concerning special discounts for groups, schools and kindergartens.

Mount Nemrut Statues could be moved to a Museum in Kahta (Turkey)

Discovered in 1881 during excavations done by German engineer Charles Sester, who was assessing transport routes for the Ottomans and tried without success to find the tomb of Antiochus I, the gigantic sculptures atop Mount Nemrut (Turkish: Nemrut Dağı ; Armenian: Նեմրութ լեռ), which are on the UNESCO World Heritage List, could be moved to a museum in Kahta, Adıyaman province, according to a proposal of Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay.

Dated from the Commagene-era, 1st century BC, the sculptures have for long sustained the erosion caused by the elements and their low relief carved surfaces are prone to laminating. Plans are now underway to restore some of the more damaged pieces and to protect them from erosion.

There's controverse however concerning the best way to protect and conserve these statues.
While Günay proposes that the sculptures could be brought down from the mountain by helicopter, the ODTÜ's Commagene Nemrut Conservation and Development Program, lead by Professor Neriman Şahin Güçhan, maintains that there is no scientific evidence that the heads need to be moved in order to be preserved.

Professor Güçhan said that her team has already produced a chemical mix to protect the sculptures and that they did submit it to the Mount Nemrut Scientific Consultation Board, established on Günay's orders. She said the council has already approved the proposal. According to Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay, he still hasn't been shown the chemical mix.
Other proposals included covering the statues with a tent or glass, but weren't approved for now.

However, other archeologists, namely Necmi Karul, from the Association of Archeologists, shares the opinion that moving the sculptures might be the best option, since they have been sustaining damage for a long time and chemicals will not be enough to protect them from the elements.

The sculpters are located near the village of Karadut in the district of Kahta, 66 kilometers from Adıyaman, at an altitude of 2,206 meters. The Commagene-era figures and constructions are known variously as the "eighth wonder of the world" and "the throne of the gods." The Commagene sanctuary on Mount Nemrut Dağ was built 2,000 years ago and features colossal toppled heads of kings and gods.

Magical Moments Festival of Disneyland Paris at the Blankenberge Sand Sculpture Festival 2011

The 2011 edition of the Blankenberge Sand Sculpture Festival shows the works from 38 artists from Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Ukraine, Poland, Russia, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Siberia and Australia, who will transform tonnes of sand (the ideal kind of sand comes from the river, featuring coarser and more angular grains, which cling more easily to each other) into wonderful sculptures.

Based on the theme "Magical Moments Festival of Disneyland Paris", the festival offers its visitors a journey to the magical land of imagination that Disney has presented through generations of children and grownups.

By the hands of these sculptors, characters such as Alladin, Alice, Flynn Ryder, Rapunzel, Peter Pan, Tinkerbell and Captain Hook, the unmissable novels of Jules Verne, or the adventures of the Wild West and the Pirates of the Caribbean, the Blankenberge Sand Sculpture Festival 2011 is an event to be visited by everyone who likes art, namely sculpture, and especially by those who keep the child within.



Tickets can be easily purchased at the box office at the entrance to the festival, in every Belgian Railway station, on the coastal tram service (Kusttram) and online (with a reservation cost).
More information is available on the official website.

The festival can be visited until Semptember 12, everyday between 10am and 7pm.

Antalya, Turkey will host Sandland 2011

The 5th International Antalya Sand Festival "Sandland 2011," in the Mediterranean province of Antalya, Turkey, will be inaugurated on May 1, 2011, counting with the participation of nearly 25 professional sculptors from around the world who already started working on their sculptures since this April.

This year's edition is dedicated to Hollywood and will show 30 famous reproductions, including ‘Back to The Future,’ ‘Braveheart,’ ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Jurassic Park,’ ‘E.T,’ ‘Spiderman,’ ‘Jaws,’ ‘King Kong,’ ‘The Godfather,’ ‘The Matrix,’ ‘Pirates of the Caribbean,’ ‘Harry Potter,’ ‘Transformers,’ ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’ ‘James Bond’ and ‘Lord of the Rings.’

Visitors will see immortal Hollywood actors such as Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin in the fantasy world of sand, as well as a 25-meter-tall dinosaur sand sculpture that will add to the atmosphere of ‘Jurassic Park.’
Special lighting and sound effects will add colour to the sand sculptures at night, enhancing the experience.

Artists from United States, Canada, Brazil, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Spain, Portugal and Turkey will use near 10,000 tones of sand to create the 30 Hollywood scenes.

Last year the festival was visited by near 160,000 and more than 200,000 are expected this year, making it a reference in it's kind and a contribution to the tourism in Turkey and more specifically Antalya.

The Sandland 2011 - 5th International Antalya Sand Festival, can be visited until November 14, 2011.

The Art Inquirer could not find an official website of the event, but you may probably get more information, should you wish to visit the festival, at the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

FIESA 2011 - 9th International Sand Sculpture Festival (Pêra, Algarve)

Now in its 9th edition, the International Sand Sculpture Festival (FIESA) brings to Pêra in Algarve, some of the best sand sculptors in the world, showing their artistic skills and creativity through the creation of amazing works of art made with sand.

In this year's edition, until June 15th, visitors will have the chance to observe the creative process of some of the sculptures, something that will certainly add to enhance the public's experience.

In similarity with previous editions, FIESA 2011 offers a space where children and grownups may try their creative skills on this form of artistic expression.

During the night , the festival will also include shows and performances and video projections.

Since it's start in 2003, FIESA (Festival Internacional de Escultura em Areia) presents a different theme every year. This year's theme is "Animal Kingdom", a freely translation of "Animalândia" where artists were invited to represent animal in a humouristic manner and personified through human behaviours, at the same time paying tribute to characters from children and adults fiction.

Scenes with endangerous species in their natural habitat show the concern of the aritsts and of the organization toward the environment and the preservation of species.

Organized by ProSandArt, FIESA is considered the world's largest sand sculpture festival due to its occupational area (near 15,000 sqm) and for the size of the sculptures created from 35,000 tones of sand.

FIESA 2011 was inaugurated today and can be visited everyday from 10h00 to 20h00 between April 15 and June 15 and between September 15 and October 15.
From 10h00 to 24h00 between June 16 and September 14.

Admission is free for children up to 5 years old and there are special prices for groups, schools and kindergartens (call to reserve: Mobile: (00351) 969 459 259 / Fax: (00351) 282 317 084)

The Andy Monument by Rob Pruitt

Commissioned by Public Art Fund, NY, a nearly ten-foot-tall chrome finished sculpture of Andy Warhol created by Rob Pruitt, will be unveiled tomorow in the Union Square, Pedestrian Mall at 17th Street and Broadway, just outside the building that housed Warhol’s Factory for more than ten years in the 70s and early 80s, tomorow Wednesday March 30 at 11:00am.

Inspired by Warhol’s art and life and a tribute to the late artist, The Andy Monument will stand on the street corner, just as Warhol did when he signed and gave away copies of Interview magazine which he founded in 1969.

Based on a combination of digital scanning of a live model and hand sculpting, Rob's creation aims to represent Warhol as a ghostly, silver presence: a potent cultural force as both artist and self-created myth. The chrome figure wears his signature fright wig and carries a Polaroid camera around his neck. In his right hand he carries a medium brown bag, which Rob imagines to be filled with copies of Interview magazine.

In the likeness of what is becoming common these days, interaction through the use of technological devices and social media will be made possible.

The sculpture created by Rob Pruitt will stand in the Union Square, NY, until May 13, 2012 (updated).

Photo by James Ewing

Papercut Sculptures by Peter Callesen

Born in Denmark, Peter Callesen studied at the Arhus School of Architecture and at the Goldsmiths College (London), to name a part of his educational background.
One cay say that Callesen is mostly known by his paper scultpures, from A4 size papercuts to large scale works and installations. But he does not stick with paper, Callesen also uses MDF, paint and why not, light bulbs.
Many of his works have a common theme, classical fairytales, afterall his from the country of Hans Christian Handersen. Through this, Callesen conveys a union between childwood's fantasies and the reality of adult life.
His work has been exhibited at the Artgenda (Hamburg), Shangai Art Museum (China) and The Museum of Religious Art (Denmark).
He's also featured in public collections and publications.
Callesen is represented at this time by Helene Nyborg Contemporary.