On the 8^th of December, Marina Abramovic (1946) received the “Lorenzo il Magnifico” prize at the Florence International Biennale of Contemporary Art.

During the ceremony, the famous Jugoslavian performative artist held a conference – debat with the present audience about her career and her future plans (in 2012 she’s opening the “Marina Abramovic Institute”, focused on the art of performance) and read what she presented as her Manifesto (recalling how all main art movements from the XX century had had theirs and expressing the urge for a new one in current times): as you might not expect this is not a technical document about performance (the kind of art she masters) but rather a Decalogue about what an artist’s conduct of life is supposed to be.

She explained it was composed by roughly writing down everything coming out directly from her heart, basically with no rational brakes to the flow of thoughts and feelings.
The structure is built upon different focal points – probing different aspects of an artist’s life – faced one by one in different paragraphs, all ending with an obsessive three-lined refrain.

Some of the themes can be considered traditional, such as the importance given to a deep self-exploration – the key to bring to life universal artworks along with the line “artist is Universe”; or the quite sensible yet obvious statement “an artist should not kill another human being” – probably strictly connected to her historical background, Jugoslavia; again the suggested attitude about self-control, mandatory with the artworks and almost forbidden in private life.

On the other hand, new fundamental issues were introduced to those more common elements, adding unusual possible readings of the contemporary art scenario.

First of all, she spoke about suffering.
Suffering and its psychological implications are considered the main engine of the artistical process. An artist is supposed to suffer in order to create the best works and reach the necessary changes to evolve oneself.
But this is history, we all kind of know.
The further step Abramovic took, debating this point, is the distinction she marked with mental illnesses such as depression, strictly considered as an obstacle to artistic production itself.
She firmly stated how depression is a clinical disease and must be medically cured and treated . Depression has nothing to do with the art world and, along with that, an artist cannot be affected by it, while intended to create art pieces.

From here, the dissertation flows to the theme of suicide, openly mentioned and condemned:

“An artist should not commit suicide
An artist should not commit suicide
An artist should not commit suicide”

This is the obsessive refrain at the end of the paragraph opened with the line: “Suicide is a crime against life” .

Her takes on Death are carried on in the last parts of the Manifesto: she explains that an artist must earn the necessary awareness of his/her own mortality and let it lead him/her to a serene departing from this world. Leaving detailed instructions, an artist is also supposed to precisely organize his/her own funeral in advance, as the last art piece before one leaves, she says.

Other interesting personal contributes were about love-life (answering to some questions from the audience she explained how, after having experienced two 12 year-long love relationships with other artists, she got to her statement “an artist should not fall in love with another artist”)and the close connection between art and eros, since sexual impulses are the most genuine, natural and powerful energies animating life.

More like a personal, intimate and volontary confession rather than an artistic statement , the reading of this Manifesto confirmed the charismatic role Abramovic still embodies in contemporary art world, the voice of a woman who is not afraid to speak out.

[photo via re-title.com]

Art and religion it’s a matter of FAITH.

The human and the numinous, two indissoluble and irreconciliable worlds in perpetual dialogue one with the other.Tourya Othman takes part in that very same dialogue, with her new body of works: “Faith” series, selected for the Biennale Internazionale d’arte contemporanea of Florence 2009.

faith series -tourya othman

Oils on canvas showing a novel rendering of present religiousness.The artist herself explains how her fascination for the power of faith and devotion grew out of a travel through Cuba, in 2001. That journey gave her the necessary inspiration to create “Santos” series – unusual interpretations of images of worship leading to unexpected perspectives about the sacred.After that same creative vein, then, “Faith” series was born, this time taking us into a different conceptual dimension, compared to the previous paintings:these portraits of nuns, with features of dolls and the value of icons, immediately lead us to a closer stage of religiousness, more intimate, more mundane.
A domestic religiousness, more focused on objects and concrete life, linked to traditions and rituals, to those specific cultural peculiarities recognizable even if included in the same theological horizon.

faith series - tourya othman

From here,the artistical research gets further, gets to question about what is remaining of the ancient, primitive spirituality and how much socio-cultural differences enhanced or suffocated the original mystical power of religion.
The canvases probe the most private facets of contemporary life, meditating about the existence of uncontaminated professings, in the form of a reality lived with honesty rather than a mere doctrine bound by specific jestures and symbols.The realistic style of these images pave the way to a dialectic confrontation between the secularity of the subjects displayed – phisically individuated – and the incorporeal consistency of the identities standing behind those same subjects.
This is a path that leads the audience in front of the atavistic cosmic interrogatives ruling the inexhaustible exchange among men, mundane conventions and divine aspirations.

You can find Tourya’s works here:

www.touryaothman.net

http://issuu.com/ttart/docs/tourya_-faith_and_santos_paintings_ii

[all images via touryaothman.net]

She’s a woman, she’s a feminist, she’s an artist.  And she believes in changes. And truth.

falling out all over - brenda oelbaum

Q: Do you consider yourself a feminist artist? And what’s your opinion about all-female exhibitions or other activities focused on the so called “female art”: something advantegeous (a further possibility to show artistical achievements, for women) or counterproductive ( sending the subtle message that those same women can affirm themselves as artists only inside this kind of “protected area”) ?
I most definitely consider myself a feminist artist.

I think very highly of “all female” exhibitions and other activities that focus on the work of women artists.  The playing field is by no means equal and in a time when ” feminist ” and “feminism” is still considered a negative term, I think there is most definitely a need for those kinds of exhibitions and activities to continue.  I find it horrifying the amount of first wave feminists and even the young women artists today who refuse to be involved in such shows or call themselves feminists, because they feel that they are being marginalized by that terminology…that is bull shit and shows their lack of understanding and the history that was made in the early 60′s and 70′s by the women that came before them.  We are erasing our herstory ourselves in many cases.  I heard just recently about an artist who was invited to receive the prestigious honor of a Women’s Caucus for Art Life Time Achievement Award who declined because she will not received an award that is not given to men as well.  There’s  no fool like an old fool.

I think the new wave of feminists as I see it are not so interested to sit at the table with their male counterparts but to build their own table.  To reach further in their work then the self centered egotistical male-centric goals.  Women today ( whether they will describe themselves as feminists or not ) are working on a global level, in an activist, service and goal oriented way.  Stretching the early concepts of community projects to actually create global change and bring national attention to global issues that not only serve other women but the world as a whole.  Issues of water rights, hunger, immigration, issues that are not merely self serving but universal in scope and power.

Calling yourself a feminist and showing in only women’s shows is by no means safe…we continue to be looked down upon…I think it takes a brave artist to call themselves a feminist today.  I’m sorry that there are so few that would do that.  I think if you born with a vagina you are a feminist, of course many others can join us…there is strength in  numbers and there are indeed male feminists but lets get it straight…girl, women = feminist by birth right whether you accept it or not everything you experience in life from your first pink sleeper through your first menstrual cycle to the way you are treated on your death bed. Every experience in your life is informed by the fact that you are have a XX chromosomes.  I think that you should grab on to that use that power, because we are indeed powerful.

Q: Your work “No shortage of diet books” deal with a very private, intimate, yet very common issue: the condition of obese people, nowadays. Sharing such a personal experience through your art it’s something that got you closer to people or just restricted your possible audience to the ones who can actually feel linked to it?
Actually the Title of the Piece is the “Venus of Willendorf Project” and the picture of my laying on my side looking at the viewer is entitled “Falling Out All Over” I am not sure how the IMOW came up with that name  “No Shortage of Diet Books”.*  You can read all about my process in a book entitled “Collecting and The Internet: The Pursuit of Old Passions through the use of New Technology” edited by Susan Koppelman and Alison Franks.

• http://www.libreriauniversitaria.it/books_collecting-ART50200.htm

• http://www.amazon.com/Collecting-Internet-Pursuit-Passions-Technologies/dp/0786438452

• http://www.amazon.com/Collecting-Internet-Pursuit-Passions-Technologies/product-reviews/0786438452

• http://www.susankoppelman.com/

As you state yourself in your question this experience is very common where you are wrong is that it does not only effect obese people.  Perhaps it is more obvious in the obese, but I dare you to enter any public or private gathering of women where some one thin or fat is not talking about their “diet” ” food plan” or “exercise regime”…how they maintain their weight, what they ate that day…what they didn’t eat that day…perhaps it is more an issue of a capitalist society as opposed to a universal issue.  But is it definitely a sign very common issue.

I think this work brings me very close to the public and my audience fat or thin…fit or not…as I said it is a preoccupation of world and it is spreading like wild fire more and more to include more men and even more cultures as places like India now find themselves with an ever growing so called ” Obesity Problem” because of the increase of the sedentary lifestyle of working at a computer.

The way in which I have collected my material for my work the diet books themselves…has brought people from all different sectors into my life to be participants in the work.  People who would never even think about art at all or it’s power to move and influence society.  But they do see the politics of destroying books, they do see books that have caused them hardship…books that have made them sick, books that have made their self worth crumble.  And for the most part they are happy to donate them to my project not because they have any interest in the arts but because they are interested in activism.  They too are tired of the crap that is shoved down their throats day after day.  They are tired of being told they are wrong they need to turn themselves inside out to be better, more lovable, more beautiful, fitter, healthier, smarter. I think what I say in my work and in my politics is cutting edge…perhaps the audience is not there yet…but that shock value goes really far.  Great art pushes buttons, makes people think, gets people to ask questions, and look deeper into the subject whether it be in a topical way or in an art appreciative way.

* “No shortage of diet books” is how Brenda’s works are named on IMOW’s website, here:

http://imow.org/community/directory/user/index?id=18827

Q: It seems like the use of obese nude is becoming more commonplace in current art, but still, it is stigmatized: either to be repulsive or just symbolizing difference. Your works represents its human nature, instead. What’s your perception of works using obese nude as their figurative subject but not their ideological focus? I’m thinking of some Jenny Saville’s works or Fernando Botero’s, for example..
Well I think you are wrong when you say that Botero‘s work does not use “fat” in an ideological way…lol…and for a long time I really didn’t see him that way either…and I have to say I didn’t like his work at all…I felt that he had found a gimmick that was working for him…kind of like a graphic designer or illustrator…he had a “look” he became recognizable for those rounded bulbous figures…it was just a stylistic choice…but when he did his Abu Ghraib series…I really started to look at him more closely…and was able to see that he was using the image of “fat” to create a kind of value judgment of the characters portrayed in his work be they politicians or the wealthy of Colombia.  I don’t particularly like the way “fat” is used in his work it kind of perpetrates the stereotypes of “fat”=”lazy” “fat”=”greedy”, “fat”= “bad”, “fat”=”ugly”, “fat”=”stupid”…blah blah blah.  You ask we see more “fat” more and more in art …and yet it is still stigmatized… I think it is its use in this manner that perpetuates these concepts.

from "abu ghraib" series - fernando botero

I know less about Saville‘s intention in her use of fat…only what I can surmise from some of her quotes …in that it was about a power…a physical power that she was looking for in the female form dare I say “fat = feminist” “fat=woman” “fat=nature” “fat-abundance” “fat=power”?? I find her use of fat far more empowering and sensual, and fearless.  Forcing her viewers to really look at what for many people is not very visually appealing, and invites them to experience it in a new and dynamic way, erotically, hypnotically, overpowering.

Q: Contemporary art is considered to be split into two different general directions: one more fomalistic, mostly in search of new esthetic results and one more ethics – related, as a form of denounce (eco – socio – cultural denounce). Where would you place your work, between two opposite poles? Do you think art is supposed to supply to clearly defined needs, in our current society?
As I stated in the answer to your first question I feel that the split in Contemporary art may not just be seen as Formalistic vs. Ethics Based…but really Men’s Work vs. Feminist Work…and I very strongly believe that  I work in an Activist manner which I could classify as Ethics based and Feminist.  I trust that my skill as an artist will make the work hold it’s own in a formalist arena…my use of classical imagery and further in the project paleolithic simplicity.

I love work that has more to offer then balance, color, form, theory…I most enjoy work with a back story…work that is in itself a historic document…it informs the viewer about a moment in time that may have passed or that may throughout history speak a universal truth…but because of it’s nature will always have some significance and some value as more then just a pretty picture, or something that only an elite educated audience can truly understand. I think that time of High art vs. Low art, Craft vs Art, Women vs. Men is over…but we are indeed unique in our vision and our purpose and we should join together to continue to empower each other and make art that has substance and relevance for centuries to come.

Make the difference.

You can see some of Brenda’s works here:
http://tinyurl.com/y9k67v6
or here:

http://tinyurl.com/ya5fsh4

Or check the projects she’s involved in, here:
National Women’s Caucus for Art
http://www.nationalwca.org/
Feminist Art Project

http://feministartproject.rutgers.edu

Most times we underrate the power we actually have.
The discover of the International Museum Of Women (IMOW) reminded me, once again, how we do can change things, without leaving our desks, indeed.
This San Francisco/online based social change museum is the ultimate result of a process started in 1985 – with the (ex) Women’s Heritage Museum – aiming to value the lives of women around the world. Fair enough, though it may sound a bit naive and utopian, plus it’s just buzzwords on a computer screen. But your computer screen is the starting point, in fact:
as the real twenty-first century thing, IMOW organizes interactive, global online exhibitions, bringing together the power of cultural differences, coworking to re-invent women’s lives.
The current running Exhibiting you project gives everyone the chance to show his/her art or just being involved as a curator, picking and recommeding favourite works.
It makes the most of internet’s immediacy and accessibility to favour the exchange among individuals literally poles apart but still sharing the same concerns: women and actions.
The very first of these kind of exhibits – Imagining Ourselves: A Global Generation of Women – was launched in 2006 and connected more than a million participants world-wide (and was awarded with the “Anita Borg Social Impact Award”!).
Two years later, in 2008, Women, Power and Politics was hosted, from March to December, confirming its cosmopolitan attitude by using four languages ( Arabic, English,French and Spanish) and dealing with stories about power and politics in order to inspire women to take action in their own lives.
In October 2009 IMOW lauches its third exhibition: “Women and the Global Economy”, facing the duality of contemporary economical situation that finds women both as the world’s poorest and most exploited and as the increasing percentage of the world’s entrepreneurs, business leaders, shoppers and philanthropists.

The exhibition will illuminate the range of ways that women interact with money — as earners, consumers, caretakers and decision makers in households, board rooms, halls of government and international financial institutions.

IMOW also plans to open a permanent physical exhibition in San Francisco by 2012.

www.imow.org

For the moment, just stay tuned!

whokilledbambi.co.uk

Q: I know it’s boring, but necessary as well. What is whokilledbambi.co.uk ? Just another art blog?(and there’s nothing wrong with it, if that’s the case!)

Whokilledbambi.co.uk is a work in progress. A visual research about the relationship between art, death and violence. We don’t look for the macabre or the shocking, though. We appreciate irony, style and unconventional approaches in general.

Q: It seems like you find most of your materials surfing online (on art websites or something like that, I suppose, or where?): the reproduction on a computer monitor of a piece of art is something very useful – it gives that same piece of art the possibility to reach most places all over the world – and yet “dangerous” – how many people will content themselves in front of a digital reproduction skipping the real “physical” experience of actually being in front of a piece of art? What do you think about this?

We find stuff mostly surfing on the web, yes, but we also visit a lot of exhibitions. The web gives us the unique chance to get in touch with artists from all over the world, but seeing a photo and being physically in front of the artwork are two very different experiences. But did people stop visiting museums just because they could look at the pictures printed on art books? It happened the contrary: the interest for art has increased. Same is happening with the web.

Q: Is it your website addressed to a specific kind of “audience”? Or, do you think there’s a detectable kind of public who’s interested in what websites like yours offers?

We haven’t really thought about that. The majority of our readers is somehow art related, but the website has collected links and reviews from a wide range of magazines and blogs. Online and offline. We attract creative people in general.

Q: Do you get in contact with artists you publish in you page? Have you ever been involved in any collaboration?

Sometimes. But we never had the chance to collaborate. We received an interesting proposal from an international company for an exhibition to be held in Germany. We would have to choose the artists and also produce a work of our own. But in the end they canceled our participation because our website’s content didn’t match their policy. Too edgy. It was disappointing but we somehow expected it.

Q: Do you have any particular suggestion, like some artists to keep an eye on, or upcoming events supposed to be very innovative, or just places to be? Do you think there’s a growing artistical scene somewhere new? On the web, maybe?

Yes. The web is undergoing a very creative period. Sharing, cooperating and collaborating are more and more important for the artistic process. And we are also witnessing the rising of a new, amazing generation of net artists. They produce stunning works to be viewed online, but they are also capable to interact with physical spaces. A few links: www.newrafael.com www.harmvandendorpel.com www.aids-3d.com .

Q: Scrolling down you webpage one can see there’s not much Italian art, what do you guys think of the current situation in your country – you live spread all over the peninsula, anything happening anywhere?

Really? We don’t pay much attention to the nationality of the artists we publish. Anyway, Italy is not producing exciting art at the moment. With few exceptions, of course…

Final statement:

We’re gonna end with our anthem: You suck, I rock. End of story.

Are you curious enough?

[ all images via whokilledbambi.co.uk ]

about what i love and what i would love.