Romance Was Born, with shoes

I don't usually report on fashion events but I just could not go past the amazingly sculptural and ridiculously high shoes that were on display at the Lisa Ho Fashion Show, Romance was Born at Australian Fashion Week 2009. The show included an amazing of Marie Antoinette level extravagance. Surely the influx of "recessionistas " (which buy the way is a silly and absurd term and offensive to both the recession and people who enjoy fashion), would have been applaud. But isn't fashion more about having a little fun and adventure than being serious, although maybe not in those shoes. You can see the rest of the show online.

The Romance Was Born show at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week. Photo: Getty Images

The Cullen Hotel

Image: APCB

With a recent cocktail preview of the Cullen Hotel currently being constructed in Prahran, Melbourne, the series of art hotels is back in the spotlight. The Cullen is the third of seven artist themed boutique hotels (the first to open was Tim Storier in Sydney, the second, The Makin in East Melbourne) planned by the Asian Pacific Building Corporation to be built around Australia. Other names to be included are Charles Blackman and Brett Whiteley and other significant Australian artists. Unfortunately not one female artist has been named - which is equally expected as it is disappointing. Although I am sure each of the artist represented is deserving I wonder why this decision was made. The inclusion of an artist's name clearly attaches the hotel to concepts of inventiveness, creativeness and vision - do no Australian female artists have these?

Marcus Westbury - new column at The Age

Image: Brock Perks, The Age

Marcus Westbury has been named a columnist for the Age Newspaper. This is a great sign in what has been pretty dire times for arts writing in Australia, particularly at the larger newspapers. Although writers such as Elizabeth Fortescue and Andrew Frost are a little light in the current darkness so hopefully Marcus will follow this tradition. His columns will begin on 27th April 2009 every Monday. I have often covered Marcus's various other endeavours including community and TV projects here at constructing art. You can check out his other current projects at his website.

The Kingpins at Kaliman Gallery

Image Care of Kaliman Gallery

© The Kingpins

In what is set to be the biggest opening is the next couple of months, The Kingpings continue to build on their international and national profile. Their work was also featured on the artlife on ABC recently and they continue to create great performance work that most performance artists are now compared against. Keep up the good work!

THE KINGPINS NO PROBLEM I’M A MATERIAL GIRL IN TOUCH WITH LIFE
2 May – 23 May 2009
Preview: Friday 1 May 6 – 8pm
Gallery hours: Tuesday – Saturday 11am – 5:30pm
Telephone: +61 2 9357 2273
http://www.kalimangallery.com
info@kalimangallery.com
http://www.thekingpings.com.au

Work AC: 49 Cities at the Storefront

Work AC: 49 Cities is a review of the history of urban utopia, for hundreds of years the pursuit of the perfect metropolis has been a central driving force in architectural innovation and this exhibition analyses and demonstrates the differences and similarities between these various projects. You can also download a section of the catalogue online.

Work AC: 49 Cities is on display at the Storefront for Art and Architecture until May 30.

Storefront for Art and Architecture
97 Kenmare Street
New York, NY 10012

Roni Horn aka Roni Horn at the Tate Modern

Roni Horn
Untitled (Aretha) 2002-04
The Museum of Modern Art, New York; fractional and promised gift of Kathy and Richard S. Fuld Jr.
© Roni Horn
Solid cast glass
15 x 30 x 30 in (38.1 x 76.2 x 76.2 cm)

This exhibition combines sculptures by Roni Horn similar to the resin works of Rachel Whiteread as well beautiful photographs which demonstrate the simple and clean style of photography that has become so popular over the last decade or so. Her works combine a number of different influences including doubling of images, the landscape of Iceland and natural and animal forms. You can also seen Horn discuss her work on the Tate Modern website.


Roni Horn
You are the Weather 1994-95
The artist and Hauser & Wirth Zürich London © Roni Horn
gelatin-silver print
64 C-prints and 36 gelatin-silver prints, 21.4 x 26.5 cm each, 100 units

Peter Zumthor wins 2009 Pritzker Prize

Peter Zumthor has won this years Pritzker Prize, although this is not much a surprise considering Zumthor's contribution to contemporary architectural style and approach in recent years. Frankly I had assumed he had already won it. Many students and architectural nerds will have studied his thermal spa in the Hotel Therme located in Vals at some point in their education. The stone cladding and use of lighting in this building has also be appropriated in many others across Europe and the rest of the world. Zumthor continues to make great work, of which the architectural community can be very proud.


(Original image inhabitat)

Foster and Partners - Shanghai Expo 2010

I am generally a fan of Foster & Partners work, they seem to very academic and research based in their approach and this is something that I respect. However I am not entirely convinced by their contribution to the 2010 Shanghai Expo. The nod to the sand dunes of the UAE, the country that this has be made for is a little obvious and the aesthetics are questionable to say the least. There have also been some fairly strong reactions on archi blogs although most are supporting the eco aspects of the building. Can't wait to see what the international reaction will be!

(Original post info designboom)

Hong Kong International Art Fair

ArtHK 09, Hong Kong, 14-17 May

With so many Art Fairs not going ahead this year and with Hong Kong such a financially driven city I wonder how this event will go. However it is exciting to see high quality events a little closer to home. Some great galleries that I often feature here at constructing art such as Gallery Barry Keldoulis and Grantpirrie, and several other will be attending. So good luck to all of them. I am also very excited to see the work of Antony Gormley and Anish Kapoor, Cai Guo-Qiang and Jitish Kallat at the fair.