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• The Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden Museum ~ This Cultural Oasis Is Toured By Our Editor
• Christie's to Offer Magnificent Gustav Klimt Portrait in London
• Eli Klein Fine Art hosts The Best of Chinese Contemporary Artists
• New Painting by Shiva Ahmadi at Leila Taghinia-Milani Heller Gallery
• Met Won’t Show a George Grosz at Center of a Dispute
• The Louvre exhibits Picasso/Delacroix ~ 'Women of Algiers in Their Apartment'
• ARCOmadrid Honors J. Paul Getty Trust With A Collecting Award
• Sotheby's Paris sales of Impressionist, Modern & Surrealist Art brings $54.4 Mil
• Picasso Portrait from the Collection of Julian Schnabel Highlights Christies Impressionist Sale
• Xavier Deshoulières solos at Virgil de Voldère Gallery
• Phoenix Art Museum Hosts Major Retrospective of Ernest L. Blumenschein
• MoMA Presents Major U.S. Retrospective of German Artist Martin Kippenberger
• Smithsonian American Art Museum shows Special Installation of Washington Modernists
• University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) opens “The Lens of Impressionism"
• Art in Empty Spaces ~ Now Turning Vacant Spaces into Creative Places
• Exhibition 'Cai Guo-Qiang ~ I Want to Believe' at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing for Olympics
• This Week in Review in Art Knowledge News

The Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden Museum ~ This Cultural Oasis Is Toured By Our Editor Posted: 13 Dec 2010 08:17 PM PST The Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden museum is an exhibition venue for international modern and contemporary art and is one of the oldest cultural institutions in Baden-Baden. The gallery, with its neoclassic façade, designed by architects Hermann Billing and Wilhelm Vittali, is situated in Lichtentaler Allee park. It houses no collection of its own, but the best of traveling exhibitions. It serves as an ideal platform for artistic media of all kinds: a forum where paintings, sculptures, photographs and videos can express themselves to the full. The Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden has been for many years the beacon of the avant-garde movement, here artists, who later became world famous, had their first major exhibits. Works like the legendary "14 x 14" by Klaus Gallwitz plus displays of the pieces by Ellsworth Kelly, Bruce Nauman, Imi Knoebel and Dan Flavin have converted Staatliche Kunsthalle into a magnet for the international art scene. The museum was founded by the German painter Robert Engelhorn, who presented the 1906 "project for a permanent art exhibition in Baden-Baden". The construction of the building finished in 1908 and was officially opened in 1909 as an exhibition hall. Under the title "Permanent Art Exhibition Baden-Baden" the museum had two exhibitions a year until the 1930s with only an average participation of members of the Free Artists Association. The curators of the museum made improvements and attracted artists from all over the world. Since the late 1950s the Staatliche Kunsthalle was transformed into an institution of international standing. Under the leadership of Dietrich Mahlow (1957-1967), the museum was a showcase of world cultures. From that point onwards the Staatliche Kunsthalle evolved showing the works of important new and classical artists in the same venue. The museum's architecture is unique. It has nine sky-lit rooms and a chamber (approx. 800 square metres) for mounting alternating exhibitions. The Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden rises on a hill, the asymmetric structure appears to be closed in, yet it is surrounded by open terraces. Although the architectural style is late Art Nouveau, the building has Greek and Roman elements. There are triangular gables, pilasters with Ionic capitals, the circulating and verkröpfende cornice with egg bar that appears next to the scrolls and the year 1908 in Roman numerals on the distinctive arched portal. The structure has a high rectangular portal with triangular pediment Mittelrisalith similar to the ones in Delphi, Greece. The staircase leads to the lower floor of the Kunsthalle, in which there are now a cafe, the box office and administrative spaces. This opens to the side of the sculpture gallery. The art gallery has undergone numerous alterations in the course of their history and continuous improvement of technical equipment. The extensive library of the Art Gallery is housed in a separate building. September 2002 saw the beginning of construction work on the building that will house the internationally first-rate Frieder Burda Collection, the Kunsthalle's partner and future neighbor. The years 2003 and 2004 also meant a period of reconstruction and renewal for the Kunsthalle. The foyer is to be considerably extended so as to be able to accommodate new functions. The reconstruction will integrate the glazed bridge in the foyer linking the Kunsthalle and the Frieder Burda Collection. The foyer is used during the day as reading-room, while in the evening it is a venue for film showings and other events. The museum has four to six exhibitions a year devoted to individual artists. Every exhibition has an extensive program of tours, lectures, readings and films. The shows usually include works of art gathered from museums and private collections. The special structure of the architecture and spatial sequences provide opportunities for on-site installations and wall paintings for the duration of the exhibition. Among the hidden paintings on plaster are works of Palermo, Helmut Middendorf, Gerhard Merz, KRH Sonderborg, Hamish Fulton, Corinne Wasmuth, Holger Bunk, Nic Hess, Paul McCarthy and Stephen Prina. The exhibition program for 2010 opened with Stefan Mueller, who taught with unusual materials and techniques between the grand gesture of painting and the economy of artistic and scenic resources. Later in the year, Christopher Williams, a leading exponent of conceptual photography, examined in a group exhibition, the theme of self-portraits in contemporary art, a genre with which since the 1960s, artists such as Andy Warhol, Martin Kippenberger, Jeff Koons in paintings, sculptures and installations. Baden-Baden is one of the most picturesque of all the German bathing towns. The springs of Baden-Baden have been known for more than 2,000 years, and their composition resembles that of the Roman baths of the 3rd century. The water at the baths of "Caracalla-Therme" spa is rich in sodium chloride, and comes from artesian wells 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) under the Florentiner Mountain. The Spielbank casino is more than 200 years and the oldest of its type in Germany. Dostoyevsky is said to have written "The Gambler" after he lost his money and even his shirt here. The exhibition program for 2010 opened with Stefan Mueller, who taught with unusual materials and techniques between the grand gesture of painting and the economy of artistic and scenic resources. Later in the year, Christopher Williams, a leading exponent of conceptual photography, examined in a group exhibition, the theme of self-portraits in contemporary art. Daniel Buren, the great French conceptual artist, transforms until February 11th 2011, at the minimalist art gallery into an accessible work of art. In the future, positions of conceptual art in relation to ground-breaking perspectives of art from the 20th and the early 21st Century. The newest exhibition of the Staatliche Kunsthalle is "Every artist is a person !: Positions of the Self-Portraits" on show until January 9th 2011 explores the artists' feelings through their self-portraits. Since the15th century artists began to paint portraits of themselves as a way to find out their role in society and these work have become part of history, showing representations physical representations of masters like Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt van Rijn and Max Beckmann. The development of artistic self-examination in the years after 1945 has been studied to certain extend with works of pop art of the late 1980's, this exhibition takes a look at the self-portrait from the historical point of view. The increasing prevalence and importance of photography led not only Andy Warhol to a critical examination of the genre, but it caused the public to reflect on the artist's personality and the development of cults based on the artists' works. A young generation of artists have found other ways of expressing themselves using photography, video art and painting. Self-portraits offer the possibility of a radical reformulation and critical engagement with one of the great themes of art history. Artists such as John Baldessari, Bruce Nauman, Sigmar Polke, Gerhard Richter, Martin Kippenberger, Albert Oehlen, Katharina Sieverding, Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman and Andrea Fraser opened the self-portrait topics of art and intellectual history and critical questions about authorship, individual, gender and genius. Artists stage themselves in ways that reflect their own personality or radically surround themselves with cultic auras, setting themselves against a backdrop of social or historical references. The painted self-portrait offers an opportunity for radical re-framing and a critical engagement of one of art history's great themes. The work of the American artist Bruce Nauman figures prominently in the exhibition. He is an sculptor, photographer and experiments with neon, video, drawing and printmaking. In 1993, Nauman received the Wolf Prize in Arts (an Israeli award) for his distinguished work as a sculptor and his extraordinary contribution to twentieth-century art. The basis of Nauman's artistic approach and the resulting actions is his own existence as an artist involved in an incessant process of self-experience. Nauman seeks the challenge in situations which lead himself and the viewer beyond the limits of one's own horizon of experiences; "one is thus forced to become increasingly aware of oneself and the situation. The Staatliche Kunsthalle is one of the few museums in the world where every time you visit you will find a different works of arts exhibited.. ANNOUNCEMENT: Our Editor has been invited to visit Museums and cultural sites in mainland China, Korea, Vietnam. Myanmar, Thailand (Siam), Singapore, Bali and mainland Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, Bhutan, Malaysia, Japan, Mongolia, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and now Germany. Because of the Editor's travel we will be posting many interesting articles from our archives, some of the BEST Articles and Art Images that appeared in your magazine during the past six plus (6+) years . . Enjoy.

Christie's to Offer Magnificent Gustav Klimt Portrait in London Posted: 13 Dec 2010 07:39 PM PST LONDON.- Christie's announced that they will offer one of the last of the great female portraits painted by Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) at the Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale in London on 23 June 2010. Executed in 1917-18, Frauenbildnis (Portrait of Ria Munk III) is the third and final painting in a series of three portraits commissioned by the Munk family of their daughter Ria. One of the last and most modern of Klimt's full-length female portraits, the painting offers a glimpse into the working methods of one of the most celebrated artists of the 20th century and is expected to realise £14 million to £18 million.

Eli Klein Fine Art hosts The Best of Chinese Contemporary Artists Posted: 13 Dec 2010 07:36 PM PST New York - Eli Klein Fine Art is pleased to present our 2010 Winter Show. This group exhibition features the work of some of the Gallery's most-established artists as well as our highly promising emerging artists. This eclectic group includes Cathy Daley, Chen Qiang, Hung Tung-lu, Jiang Huan, Liu Yan, Luo Qing, Meeson Pae Yang, Miao Xiaochun, Sophie De Francesca, Wei Dong, Zhang Lujiang, Zhao Kailin, and Zhang Dali. On exhibition through 1 March, 2010.

New Painting by Shiva Ahmadi at Leila Taghinia-Milani Heller Gallery Posted: 13 Dec 2010 07:33 PM PST NEW YORK, NY.- An exhibition of new paintings and sculpture by Shiva Ahmadi will be on view from February 4 through 27 February, 2010, at  Leila Taghinia-Milani Heller (LTMH) Gallery. Ahmadi has created a dynamic visual language inspired by Persian miniatures and Islamic art and architecture that she uses to explore social and political issues affecting both the Middle East and the West. Shiva Ahmadi: Reinventing the Poetics of Myth examines issues of capitalism and the glory of oil in the Middle East and as well as the dependency of the West on oil. To call attention to these issues, Ahmadi often paints on panels shaped like oil barrels or actual oil barrels, which become transformed into objects of beauty.

Met Won’t Show a George Grosz at Center of a Dispute Posted: 13 Dec 2010 07:28 PM PST New York City ( NY Times ) - In response to an ownership dispute, the Metropolitan Museum of Art says it has decided not to borrow a painting by George Grosz from the Museum of Modern Art for an exhibition of German Expressionist portraits that opened yesterday.  The artist's estate argues that it is the rightful owner of the painting, a 1927 portrait of the poet Max Herrmann-Neisse, and of another work by Grosz in MoMA's collection.  MoMA, which has been discussing the issue with the estate for three years, counters that it has thoroughly investigated the claim and has concluded that it has no legal basis.

The Louvre exhibits Picasso/Delacroix ~ 'Women of Algiers in Their Apartment' Posted: 13 Dec 2010 07:27 PM PST   PARIS.- Coinciding with the major exhibition "Picasso and his Masters" held at the Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais, Paris, the Louvre (Denon Room) plays host to around 20 painted and graphic variations on Delacroix's masterpiece, Women of Algiers in Their Apartment (1834), executed by Picasso in 1954-55. In tandem, the Musée d'Orsay presents a series of variations on Manet's Déjeuner sur l'herbe (Luncheon on the Grass). Throughout his career, from his academic training to the last years of his life, via the Cubist revolution and his neoclassical period, Picasso drew on paintings of the past.

ARCOmadrid Honors J. Paul Getty Trust With A Collecting Award Posted: 13 Dec 2010 07:25 PM PST MADRID.- For the 13th year running, the Amigos de ARCOmadrid Association granted its ARCOmadrid Collecting Awards. The prize-giving ceremony was held during the official cocktail reception-opening dinner of the International Contemporary Art Fair, offered by the Region and the City of Madrid at IFEMA North Conventions Centre. The winners of this year's awards are Carmen Buqueras de Riera and Emilio Pi & Helena Fernandino, who share the prize in the category of Spanish art collecting, and The J. Paul Getty Trust in the international collecting category.

Sotheby's Paris sales of Impressionist, Modern & Surrealist Art brings $54.4 Mil Posted: 13 Dec 2010 07:24 PM PST   PARIS, FRANCE - Paris Week, the inagural series of events organised this week by Sotheby's France, has concluded tonight on a high note, with the results of the sale of Impressionist, Modern & Surrealist Art bringing the total for the week to €37,165,325 ($54,477,158), the best result achieved in Paris for a series of sales at Sotheby's to date.

Picasso Portrait from the Collection of Julian Schnabel Highlights Christies Impressionist Sale Posted: 13 Dec 2010 07:11 PM PST NEW YORK, NY - Christie's announced the upcoming sale of Pablo Picasso's Femme au chapeau from 1971, a monumental portrait from the private collection of acclaimed artist and Oscar nominated director Julian Schnabel. This iconic portrait, the largest Picasso created in his last years, will be a highlight of Christie's Evening Sale of Impressionist and Modern Art on May 6. It is estimated to sell for $8-12 million.

Xavier Deshoulières solos at Virgil de Voldère Gallery Posted: 13 Dec 2010 07:05 PM PST New York City - Virgil de Voldère is proud to present our third solo exhibition with Xavier Deshoulières, a French artist based in Paris. The exhibition is comprised of five paintings that feature his singular painting technique and an emphasis on elusive, mysterious narrative. Although the artist's recent subject matter is diverse—a military jet, a jungle, dilapidated houses, Atlantic City hotels—a common iconographic element found in most works is the barren tree, its branches and limbs as depopulated with leaves as the built structures Deshoulières renders are with people. On exhibition through 7 June, 2008.

Phoenix Art Museum Hosts Major Retrospective of Ernest L. Blumenschein Posted: 13 Dec 2010 07:04 PM PST Phoenix, AZ – Phoenix Art Museum celebrates the career of one of the most successful American artists of the early 20th century with the opening of In Contemporary Rhythm: The Art of Ernest L. Blumenschein. A founder of the famed Taos Society of Artists, Blumenschein rocketed into the spotlight with his modernist approach to capturing the American West.  This major retrospective, on view March 15 through June 14, 2009, covers every aspect of the artist's career and is the first Blumenschein exhibition in 30 years and the first in Arizona.

MoMA Presents Major U.S. Retrospective of German Artist Martin Kippenberger Posted: 13 Dec 2010 07:01 PM PST NEW YORK, NY - Martin Kippenberger: The Problem Perspective is the first major retrospective of the work of Martin Kippenberger (German, 1953–1997) to be mounted in the United States. One of the most significant and influential artists of our time, Kippenberger produced a complex and richly prolific body of work from the mid-1970s until his untimely death in 1997 at the age of 44. This large-scale exhibition includes paintings, sculptures, installations, multiples, drawings, photographs, posters, announcement cards, and books, offering a comprehensive examination of the artist's expansive 20-year career. The exhibition will be on view in MoMA's Joan and Preston Robert Tisch Gallery, sixth floor, from March 1 to May 11, 2009.

Smithsonian American Art Museum shows Special Installation of Washington Modernists Posted: 13 Dec 2010 06:52 PM PST WASHINGTON, DC - "Local Color: Washington Painting at Midcentury," on view at the Smithsonian American Art Museum through Oct. 13, presents a special installation of 27 large-scale paintings from the museum's permanent collection. The installation examines the cross influences of Washington-based artists between the mid-1950s and mid-1970s when the nation's capital was home to one of the most dynamic artistic communities in the country.

University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) opens “The Lens of Impressionism" Posted: 13 Dec 2010 06:50 PM PST Ann Arbor, Mich - The University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) announces it will present a landmark exhibition of rare works of art and important new scholarship brought together to explore the provocative relationship between photography and painting along the Normandy coast in mid-19th-century France. Organized by UMMA, "The Lens of Impressionism: Photography and Painting Along the Normandy Coast, 1850–1874" will be on view in Ann Arbor October 10, 2009 through January 3, 2010 and will travel to the Dallas Museum of Art in 2010.

Art in Empty Spaces ~ Now Turning Vacant Spaces into Creative Places Posted: 13 Dec 2010 06:44 PM PST LONDON.- Arts Council England's £500,000 initiative to help artists turn vacant high street shops into artistic and vibrant places is now open for applications. From today artists are able to apply for grants to support artistic activity that will transform empty retail units into creative spaces - anything from an art gallery to recording studios or family arts workshops - which the whole community can enjoy. The role the arts can play in economic regeneration can already be seen across the country, where the innovative use of empty shops is already helping to prevent high street decline.

Exhibition 'Cai Guo-Qiang ~ I Want to Believe' at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing for Olympics Posted: 13 Dec 2010 05:27 PM PST NEW YORK, NY.- The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and The Center of International Cultural Exchange, Ministry of Culture, P.R.C. will present the Guggenheim's highly-acclaimed exhibition "Cai Guo-Qiang: I Want to Believe" at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing during the Olympics from August 19 to September 2, 2008 as an official event of the cultural Olympiad.

This Week in Review in Art Knowledge News Posted: 13 Dec 2010 05:26 PM PST This is a new feature for the subscribers and visitors to Art Knowledge News (AKN), that will enable you to see "thumbnail descriptions" of the last ninety (90) articles and art images that we published. This will allow you to visit any article that you may have missed ; or re-visit any article or image of particular interest. Every day the article "thumbnail images" will change. For you to see the entire last ninety images just click : here . When opened that also will allow you to change the language from English to anyone of 54 other languages, by clicking your language choice on the upper left corner of our Home Page.  You can share any article we publish with the eleven (11) social websites we offer like Twitter, Flicker, Linkedin, Facebook, etc. by one click on the image shown at the end of each opened article.  Last, but not least, you can email or print any entire article by using an icon visible to the right side of an article's headline.

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