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• The Sammlung Essl at Klosterneuberg ~ Austria′s Biggest Private Collection of Contemporary Art ~ Toured By AKN Editor
• MOLAA opens "Of Rage and Redemption ~ The Art of Oswaldo Guayasamín"
• Turner and The Masters Opens at the Museo del Prado
• Humberto Castro solos at ArtSpace/Virginia Miller Galleries in Coral Gables, Florida
• Two Warhol's and Three Lichtenstein's Stolen from The Arbergs Museum
• Peter Paul Rubens Challenges the Old Masters at the Alte Pinakothek Museum
• Frida Kahlo ~ Her Myth, Her Art, Her Influence . . Lives On
• Museum in Leuven Opens with New Building and Rogier van der Weyden Exhibition
• The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center opens Space Exploration Exhibit
• Liechtenstein Museum Presents a Cross-section of the History & Typology of the Picture Frame
• Capturing Nureyev: James Wyeth Paints the Dancer
• Robert Stackhouse to be Exhibited at Polk Museum of Art
• Bonhams & Butterfields Sells Unique Pens at Unique Prices
• Art Knowledge News Presents "This Week In Review"

The Sammlung Essl at Klosterneuberg ~ Austria′s Biggest Private Collection of Contemporary Art ~ Toured By AKN Editor Posted: 28 Jan 2011 08:29 PM PST A short journey from Vienna, in the town of Klosterneuburg, is the Essl Collection Museum, which occupies its very own purpose-built art museum by the Danube. It houses Austria′s biggest private collection of contemporary art. Art collecting powerhouse couple, Agnes and Karlheinz Essl (Karlheinz Essl is the founder of bauMax, a chain of do-it-yourself and garden centres) believe that "art enriches life and releases innovative forces," the two have always sought to collect challenging works. The collection was originally meant to be housed in the 'MuseumsQuartier' in Vienna, but after a long - and typically Austrian - argument about the architecture of the museum it was built in Klosterneuburg, where they live and where bauMax has its headquarters. The striking building was designed by the award-winning Austrian architect Heinz Tesar and when it opened in 1999, the Essls could now display a collection that boasted the likes of Damien Hirst, Paul McCarthy, Thomas Struth, Andreas Gursky, Bill Viola, Tony Oursler and Jonathan Meese. Visitors enter the Exhibition Building of the Essl Collection through an entrance pavilion in the southern part of the building. From the entrance hall and the light-flooded stair hall that extends freely over all five storeys one reaches the first floor with its inner courtyard, lawn and water basin. This floor also contains the lobby, the entrance to the library, the galleries and the exhibition hall. On the mezzanine floor, a spacious studio is used for the numerous events and activities of the educational program. The six large storage rooms on the ground floor with a total floor space of 2,500 sq. meters are supplemented by additional rooms devoted to conservation, workshops, technical equipment and the administration of the artworks in the storage rooms. The seven galleries which are located on the west side contain the permanent display of the Essl Collection. They each have different dimensions and are lit through their three meter high skylights. The east-facing Exhibition Hall receives its daylight from the windows along one side and is visually linked to the corridor on the floor below that leads to the art storage rooms. The Rotunda connects the Exhibition Hall with the "Large Hall" on the floor above. Adjacent to it is the Lecture Hall, where lectures, special events and music performances are held. The Rotunda connects the Exhibition Hall with the Large Hall. It has been intentionally left empty and is filled only with the sounds of specifically conceived sound installations by various composers. The "Large Hall", where the sculptures and installations are displayed is lit by windows along one side as well as by skylights. The hall is covered by an 820 sq. meter roof that is shaped like a wave. Adjacent to the "Large Hall" are the Café and the museum shop. Situated approximately 600 meters from the Essl Museum, the Schömer-Haus (also designed by Heinz Tesar) is just a few minutes' walk away. Although its main function is as the Schömer-bauMax-Corporate Group headquarters it also provides extra exhibition space for the Essl Museum. Entry is free. it serves as an exhibition hall for the Essl collection and as a concert hall. The concert series, Music at the Schömer-Haus, has been curated by the composer Karlheinz Essl since 1992. About four times a year, the building is transformed into a venue for exceptional musical events, where primarily New Music is presented with all its radical, unconventional facets. Visit the museum (and Schömer-Haus) website at: http://www.sammlung-essl.at With more than 6.000 exhibits the Essl Collection today offers an excellent overview of Austrian painting since 1945, placing it in an international context. Collecting in depth was always an essential idea and the artists' development in the course of their oeuvre was to be shown. The scope of the Austrian exhibits in the Collection ranges from the Abstract Expressionism of the 50's and 60's to the Vienna Actionism and New Painting of the 80s and all the way to the reductionist art of the 90s. In addition to the post-war paintings the Collection contains an important group of works of Classical Austrian Modernism. In the past few years the selection of the works by international artists has been made mainly on the basis of their significance for painting and their relationship to the Austrian art tradition. Among the well-known artists represented are; Arnulf Rainer, Sam Francis, Maria Lassnig, Antoni Tàpies, Hermann Nitsch, Günter Brus, Georg Baselitz, Markus Lüpertz, Valie Export, Markus Oehlen, Daniel Richter, Gerhard Richter, Hubert Schmalix, Siegfried Anzinger, Jonathan Meese, Sean Scully, Per Kirkeby, Oskar Kokoschka, Lois Renner, Gottfried Helnwein, Karel Appel and Krystufek . The collection is supplemented in photography, video and sculpture by the work of Franz West, Nam June Paik, Shirin Neshat, Cindy Sherman, Jannis Kounellis and Barbara Szüts as well as high-quality sculptures. Currently the Essl Museum has 3 exhibitions on exhibition. "India Awakens" (until February 13th 2011) is in the main exhibitions hall and presents the new generation of contemporary Indian artists. Alongside paintings, sculpture and photography the exhibition will include spacious video installations and contemporary Tribal Art. All works were acquired by the Essl Museum and have partly been created specifically for this exhibition. In the main hall, under the title of "Private Wurm", one of Austria's most internationally successful artists, Erwin Wurm presents recent works (until 30th January 2011). In this personal show the artist takes a look at his childhood and youth. In his work, Wurm explores the realms of action art, performance art and sculpture and translates them into a contemporary media context. "Beautiful Klosterneuburg", a personal choice of works selected by German artist Albert Oehlen is presented in the seven gallery rooms (until 8th May 2011). The exhibition features paintings and sculptures by artists including Rudolf Hausner, Friedensreich Hundertwasser but also contemporary art by Paul McCarthy and Heimo Zobernig. In the 1980s, Albert Oehlen was part of the "Neue Wilde" group, which included names such as Martin Kippenberger, Werner Büttner and his own brother Markus Oehlen. These "new savages" took an ironic stance and challenged the entire medium of painting. At the nearby Schömer-Haus art collector Agnes Essl takes a look at artists whose work has been represented in The Essl Collection from its inception and who have become creative "Associates of Long Standing (until spring 2011). Of the idea behind the exhibition, Agnes Essl says: "In our first guest-book I found an invitation to a preview of Kurt Moldovan's work for 10 November 1979. This exhibition was one of the first we had organised in a very private context in our home for our relatives and a few friends. Then others followed, among them Rudolf Hradil, Herbert Breiter, Ernst Gradischnig, Gottfried Salzmann, Markus Vallazza, Hans Kruckenhauser and Giselbert Hoke. That was the beginning of our collection!" 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, Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and now Austria. 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.

MOLAA opens "Of Rage and Redemption ~ The Art of Oswaldo Guayasamín" Posted: 28 Jan 2011 08:26 PM PST LONG BEACH, CA - The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) presents today Of Rage and Redemption: The Art of Oswaldo Guayasamín. The first exhibit of its kind in the United States in more than fifty years, Of Rage and Redemption: The Art of Oswaldo Guayasamín covers each of Guayasamín's major periods-his early paintings that reflect the plight of the indigenous peoples of the Andes, his more mature work that addresses human suffering in the context of war and injustice, and, finally, the paintings of his last period that embody the art-ist's hopeful affirmation of life and love. No less valid today than when he was commenting on the atrocities of World War II or the Spanish Civil War, Guayasamín's art is, in its whole, often made difficult by its violent honesty. On view 19 April through 16 August, 2009.

Turner and The Masters Opens at the Museo del Prado Posted: 28 Jan 2011 08:24 PM PST MADRID.- Having already been seen in London and Paris, Turner and the Masters will now be shown at the Museo del Prado in Madrid. Its aim is to reveal to visitors the extent of Turner's links with other historically important artists and the profoundly original way in which he assimilated their influence. This comparison will assist in an understanding of how Turner's approach to and assimilation of other artists was intended not just as an homage to them but also involved a subtle and highly original type of transformation of their teachings. On exhibition 22 June through 19 September.

Humberto Castro solos at ArtSpace/Virginia Miller Galleries in Coral Gables, Florida Posted: 28 Jan 2011 08:22 PM PST   Coral Gables, FL -   Humberto Castro, an artist from Cuba whose previous works often referred to flight, cages and voyages over water, has expanded his visual metaphors to the concept of fables and historic immigration as the foundation for contemporary society. "Contemporary Fables," his October 2008 exhibition at ArtSpace/Virginia Miller Galleries in downtown Coral Gables, transposes the fable—a literary term for a brief story about talking animals, plants or other objects offering a moral lesson—into paintings. On exhibition through 31st October, 2008.

Two Warhol's and Three Lichtenstein's Stolen from The Arbergs Museum Posted: 28 Jan 2011 08:19 PM PST BALSTA, SWEDEN - Two Warhol's and three Roy Lichtenstein's were stolen from the Abergs Museum. Carina Aberg, an official at the Abergs Museum, stated to Art Daily, "Early this morning, the 18th of July, burglars broke up a door in Abergs Museum, rushed in and quickly grabbed exactly what they wanted, they must have known where there were a couple of Warhol-pictures and three Lichtensteins. We send along pictures of the stolen artwork. Police have no trace of the burglars and the artwork could have already left the country."

Peter Paul Rubens Challenges the Old Masters at the Alte Pinakothek Museum Posted: 28 Jan 2011 08:18 PM PST MUNICH.- The paintings by Peter Paul Rubens in the Alte Pinakothek – one of the largest and most important collections of his works anywhere – are undoubtedly one of the museum's highlights. Over the next few months, these will be supplemented by an exhibition that focuses on a fascinating and yet unusual aspect of his pictorial oeuvre. Ruben as a copyist? What may seem to us today as a mere reproduction with nothing of the aura of the original was regarded by Rubens as a particular artistic challenge. His oeuvre includes a large group of such derivative works, frequently of famous paintings by Titian or Raphael. On exhibition until 7 February, 2010.

Frida Kahlo ~ Her Myth, Her Art, Her Influence . . Lives On Posted: 28 Jan 2011 08:15 PM PST   MEXICO CITY - Frida Kahlo spun her own life into a myth. She was so good at it that her art almost got lost along the way. Her persona, fashioned over almost three decades of self-portraits, fused physical suffering and emotional isolation. Her frank depiction of a woman's psychic pain made her a feminist icon. She became a Chicana heroine and an unintended purveyor of Mexican kitsch. She is an emblem of confessional painting at a time when nothing is intimate anymore. Among the 354 pieces on display are some of Kahlo's most famous self-portraits, but through lesser-known self-portraits, still lifes, portraits, drawings and watercolors, she emerges as an artist who gathered multiple influences into her own language.

Museum in Leuven Opens with New Building and Rogier van der Weyden Exhibition Posted: 28 Jan 2011 08:13 PM PST LEUVEN, BELGIUM.- In 2002 the City of Leuven decided that the Vander Kelen-Mertens municipal museum should be substantially enlarged and adapted to meet modern-day requirements. In 2004 an international competition was launched and from the short-list of five the jury chose the Stéphane Beel firm of architects which has international experience of museum architecture. Stéphane Beel's past achievements include the Central Museum in Utrecht (1994/99) and the Rubens' House pavilion in Antwerp (1997). Current projects include extending the deSingel arts centre in Antwerp and renovating the Royal Museum for Central African in Tervuren.

The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center opens Space Exploration Exhibit Posted: 28 Jan 2011 08:12 PM PST COLORADO SPRINGS, CO.- The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center presents "NASA | ART: 50 Years of Exploration", through March 7, 2010, organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in cooperation with the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. This exhibition has special relevance to the community given the large number of aerospace industries based here. Along with the many great works of art in this exhibition, the FAC has a tremendous line-up of ancillary programming from an innovative, site-specific video installation, to side exhibits by Colorado Springs legend Eric Bransby and Denver artists Monica Petty Aiello and Vance Kirkland as well as a film series, lectures, music, special Bemis classes and workshops and an educational interpretive space in the galleries.

Liechtenstein Museum Presents a Cross-section of the History & Typology of the Picture Frame Posted: 28 Jan 2011 08:11 PM PST VIENNA.- The Liechtenstein Museum is staging the exhibition Structure and Ornament which presents a cross-section of the history and typology of the frame from the late medieval period to the 19th century. It also showcases the various different techniques involved, from construction to finishing, gilding and patination. Around 100 objects from the Collections' holdings are complemented by works from important private collections in Britain, France and Germany as well as by major loans from national and international museums. The exhibition illustrates the phenomenon of the frame in context with furniture, metalwork and textiles as well as graphics and engravings of ornamental motifs together with miniature paintings in precious settings. On exhibition through 12 January, 2010.

Capturing Nureyev: James Wyeth Paints the Dancer Posted: 28 Jan 2011 08:09 PM PST Kansas City, MO - Upon meeting the celebrated Russian dancer Rudolf Nureyev in 1974, American artist James Wyeth was captivated by the beauty and intricacy of the art of dance, as well as Nureyev's charismatic personality and exceptional talent.  The two artists developed a close friendship, and a fruitful collaboration resulted, inspiring Wyeth to produce over 35 paintings and drawings of Nureyev.  Capturing Nureyev: James Wyeth Paints the Dancer is organized by the Farnsworth Museum, Rockland, Maine.  On exhibit at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art until 20 August.

Robert Stackhouse to be Exhibited at Polk Museum of Art Posted: 28 Jan 2011 08:07 PM PST   LAKELAND, FL – Robert Stackhouse, 1960 graduate of Auburndale High School, will have his work exhibited at Polk Museum of Art starting December 1. Robert Stackhouse: Swimmers & Floaters will feature images of snakes and boats, two things that influenced him during his teen years on Lake Juliana.

Bonhams & Butterfields Sells Unique Pens at Unique Prices Posted: 28 Jan 2011 08:05 PM PST LOS ANGELES, CA.- International auctioneers, Bonhams & Butterfields, are pleased to announce a stellar result for the company's first auction exclusively dedicated to modern Montblanc writing instruments. The February 15, 2010 sale contained more than 130 lots of exceptional pens with a focus on the Writer's Editions, Patron of the Arts and 333 series, as well as several of the more limited items including the highly sought after Black Widow and Diego Rivera editions mostly coming from the Ron Renaud Collection.

Art Knowledge News Presents "This Week In Review" Posted: 28 Jan 2011 08:04 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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