Anyone who’s visited Vancouver knows it’s a beautiful city with endless natural wonders to enjoy and explore. It makes sense that much of their public art also thematically emulates and plays with nature. A perfect example is The Drop (2009) which was conceived and created by Inges Idee, a group of four Berlin-based German artists: Hans Hemmert, Axel Lieber, Thomas Schmidt and George Zey. The group’s activity focuses on art in public spaces, with The Drop being their first installation in North America. Continue reading The Drop, Vancouver BC Waterfront→
A headless cow? A bench to sit on? Actually, it’s both! German-born artist Julia Lohmann (b.1977) investigates the contradictions in our relationship to animals using off-cuts of leather, and other meat-industry waste products in her design. The Waltraud Cow-Bench (2004) is an appropriately cow-shaped upholstered leather bench, a “bovine memento mori,” the designer calls it. Continue reading Eye On Design: Waltraud Cow Bench By Julia Lohmann→
Palme auf Autostoff (Palm Tree on Fabric) By Sigmar Polke (All Photos By Gail)
David Zwirner is currently hosting Eine Winterreise (A Winter’s Journey) the gallery’s first exhibition dedicated to the work of German artist Sigmar Polke since having announced its representation of the artist’s estate. Curated by Vicente Todolí, the exhibition presents a selection of works by the artist that address an expanded notion of travel. Continue reading Sigmar Polke, Eine Winterreise at David Zwirner→
Here’s a stone groove for you body and mind: “Utopia,” the epic new single from German duo Digitalism, and its accompany, mind-expanding video. Directed by Japanese artist Yoshi Sodeoka – famed for his neo-psychedelic work with artists such as Beck and Tame Impala – the talented director takes the viewer on a trippy, kaleidoscopic journey through dreamscapes and nature, bringing the duo’s musical vision to life, while expanding on the identity of their new album Mirage, which is out now.
Sodeoka explains, “When approaching the video for “Utopia” I was drawn to the golden spiral as a representation for infinity, which to me suggests the possibility of an ideal social condition without any limitations on its inhabitants.” Nice.
Mirage reached Number 1 on Hype Machine and Essential New Tunes on BBC Radio 1 within its first week of release, and continues to pave the way for this incredible new collection of work. Digitalism are on the road in the US and Canada in late May/early June. Tour Dates are below. Enjoy!
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
05/24 – Double Door – Chicago, IL
05/25 – Shelter – Detroit, MI
05/26 – The Garrison – Toronto, ON
05/27 – L’Astral – Montreal, QC
05/28 – The Sinclair – Cambridge, MA
06/01 – The Independent – San Francisco, CA
06/03 – El Rey – Los Angeles, CA
Neo Rauch (born April 18th, 1960) was raised in communist East Germany. Upon encountering a united Germany in the early 1990s, Rauch assimilated and parodied the social realist ruins of communist art along with the popular imagery of capitalism. His unusual style, which renders contradictory and often competing sensibilities intelligible and seemingly unified, has given rise to a generation of painters in the Leipzig area as well as a dynamic gallery scene.
