Oct. 31, 2023
Every month, Berlin Art Link shines a spotlight on international exhibitions and events with our Worldwide Hit List. We want to highlight artists, galleries, museums and new projects touching on a variety of topics, employing multiple media and featuring diverse subjects. Below are some of the stand-outs that we’ve selected for the month of November.
Semiose
Philemona Williamson: ‘The Borders of Innocence’
Exhibition: Nov. 18—Dec. 30, 2023
semiose.com
44 R. Quincampoix, 75004 Paris, France, click here for map
Throughout her career spanning over 40 years, Philemona Williamson has created an evocative body of work that she describes as “visual poems.” Her oeuvre is rooted in the complex experiences of her unique childhood, which inspired her to examine common themes of adolescence. Through the veil of personal memory, Williamson’s narratives recall the beauty, drama and vagaries of innocence. In her paintings, youthful bodies, toys, flora and fauna float and frolic in vibrantly colored dreamscapes, but just as memory is an unreliable narrator, these stories are fragmented, mysterious and open to interpretation. In ‘The Borders of Innocence’ at the Parisian gallery Semiose, the artist brings together personal and more universal narratives in her brightly colored paintings that portray children and teenagers, often in mysterious situations. These large-format works resemble palimpsests, with multiple layers, figures and scenes emerging across the canvases.
Philemona Williamson: ‘Here I Hold Becoming,’ 2020 // Courtesy the artist
Museum Ludwig
‘2023 Wolfgang Hahn Prize: Francis Alÿs’
Opening Reception and Award Ceremony: Friday, Nov. 17; 6:30pm
Exhibition: Nov. 18, 2023—Apr. 7, 2024
museum-ludwig.de
Heinrich-Böll-Platz, 50667 Köln, Germany, click here for map
With the Wolfgang Hahn Prize, the Gesellschaft für Moderne Kunst honors exceptional contemporary artists on an annual basis. The 2023 prize recipient is the Antwerp-born, Mexico City-based artist Francis Alÿs, whose works will be presented on this occasion in an exhibition at Museum Ludwig in Cologne, curated by Yilmaz Dziewior. His diverse work includes painting, drawing, installations, video, photography and performances, and has been shown in numerous exhibitions around the world, including the Belgian Pavilion at the 2022 Venice Biennale and 2013 DOCUMENTA in Kassel/Kabul. Using simple artistic gestures, Alÿs examines complex social realities while exposing contradictions of political and cultural regimes, as well as those of his own aesthetic productions. His interventions in real situations, in which he frequently appears as an actor, subtly refer to issues such as migration, demarcations and the consequences of globalization.
Francis Alÿs: ‘Untitled,’ 1994, private collection // © the artist, photo by Jochen Müller, Museum Morsbroich, Leverkusen
MoMA
‘Artist’s Choice: Grace Wales Bonner—Spirit Movers’
Exhibition: Nov. 18, 2023—Apr. 7, 2024
moma.org
11 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019, United States, click here for map
For the 16th installment of MoMA’s celebrated ‘Artist’s Choice’ series, Grace Wales Bonner gathers artworks with a particular focus on Black cultural and aesthetic practices inspired by the styles, experiences, forms and sounds of the African diaspora. Approximately 50 works from MoMA’s collection selected by the acclaimed London-based fashion designer will be on view in the museum’s street-level galleries from November 18th, 2023 through April 7th, 2024. Wales Bonner has chosen these works after years of research in MoMA, selecting artworks that touch on themes of musicality, storytelling and the intersection of cultural narratives. The show is set to embody the idea of “Spirit Movers,” which, according to Wales Bonner, evoke multiple histories, inspire contemplation and conjure new connections between people and places. Featured artists include Terry Adkins, Moustapha Dimé, Agnes Martin, Man Ray, Betye Saar and David Hammons, among others.
Henri Cartier-Bresson: ‘Washington, D.C. 1957,’ gelatin silver print, 17.1 × 25.4 cm. Gift of John C. Waddell. The Museum of Modern Art, New York // © 2023 Henri Cartier-Bresson/Magnum Photos, courtesy Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, Paris
Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art
Ayo Akingbade: ‘Show Me The World Mister’
Exhibition: Nov. 18, 2023—Apr. 14, 2024
baltic.art
S Shore Rd, Gateshead NE8 3BA, United Kingdom, click here for map
The upcoming exhibition of the London-based artist, writer and director Ayo Akingbade at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art comprises two new film commissions. ‘The Fist’ and ‘Faluyi’ (2022), both shot on location in Nigeria, are distinct but interconnected works built upon Akingbade’s interest in history, place-making, legacy and power. ‘The Fist’ delves into the history of the first Guinness brewery outside Ireland and the UK, built post-Nigerian independence in 1962 on the outskirts of Lagos. Shot on 35mm, it captures the labor dynamics among workers as well as the political dimensions of this iconic drink’s production. ‘Faluyi’ follows a protagonist’s journey through ancestral lands, shot in 16mm at Idanre Hills, a UNESCO World Heritage site, exploring the artist’s personal connection with Nigeria. The two films are presented in the gallery with an installation that resembles the Guinness factory’s infrastructure.
Ayo Akingbade: ‘Show Me The World Mister,’ 2022, production image
Kulturforum
Group show: ‘The Big Screen: Film Posters of All Time’
Exhibition: Nov. 3, 2023–Mar. 3, 2024
smb.museum
Matthäikirchplatz, 10785 Berlin, Germany, click here for map
The exhibition ‘The Big Screen: Film Posters of All Time’ presents 300 original film posters dating from the early 1900s to the 2020s, all chosen from the Graphic Design Collection at the Kunstbibliothek. Spanning 12 decades, this exhibition quite literally presents film posters of all time, with the first film posters having appeared in cities shortly after the cinematograph was invented in 1895. ‘The Big Screen’ is curated in collaboration with 26 film industry professionals who helped to select the film posters from over 5,000 objects held in the Graphic Design Collection. In cooperation with the Berlinale, these individuals—including Douglas Gordon, Lemohang Mosese, Ulrike Ottinger, and many more—were each invited to choose their favorite poster. The choices are explained in an accompanying audioguide. The guests’ selection ranges from film classics such as ‘The Golem’ to cult films like ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ and ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.’ The only known copy held by a museum, Boris Bilinsky’s poster for ‘Metropolis,’ designed in 1927, is the highlight of the exhibition, measuring 2.20 by 3-metres.
Boris Bilinsky: ‘Metropolis,’ 1927 // © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kunstbibliothek / Dietmar Katz
Goodman Gallery
William Kentridge: ‘What Have They Done with All the Air?’
Exhibition: Nov. 25, 2023—Jan. 20, 2024
goodman-gallery.com
37A Somerset Rd, Green Point, Cape Town, 8051, South Africa, click here for map
In ‘What Have They Done with All the Air?,’ Goodman Gallery presents William Kentridge’s new drawings and hand-painted aluminum and steel sculptures. The works form a part of an upcoming theatre production, ‘The Great Yes, the Great No,’ which aims to unpack themes of power, colonialism and migration. Its story is set in 1941 on a converted cargo ship sailing from Marseille to Martinique with passengers including André Breton, Claude Lévi-Strauss, Aimé Césaire, Frantz Fanon, Trotsky, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. The journey references earlier transatlantic crossings as well as contemporary forced migration. The drawings in the exhibition are employed as backdrops in the performance, which portray its characters and conjure an idea of the exotic Caribbean, ironically set in Kentridge’s own Johannesburg studio garden. The different artworks unite in their focus on raw material prototyping—a common thread across all of Kentridge’s projects.
William Kentridge: ‘There Were No Books,’ 2023. Paint, indian ink, charcoal, coloured pencil and collage on paper; 152 x 178 cm // Courtesy the Artist and Goodman Gallery
Kunsten Museum of Modern Art
Maria Nordin: ‘Overload’
Exhibition: Nov. 23, 2023—May 26, 2024
kunsten.dk
Kong Christians Allé 50, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark, click here for map
In the work of Maria Nordin, the human body captured in motion plays a major role. Watercolor is the principal medium of the Swedish artist; while it takes on a life of its own, Nordin handles it with virtuosity and manages to freeze the moment in her paintings. Fabric used in various forms is a particular hallmark of the works featured in the artist’s upcoming exhibition, ‘Overload,’ which will be on view at the Kunsten Museum of Modern Art from November 23rd, 2023 to May 26th, 2024. It serves not only as a tactile landscape that interacts with the architecture of the venue but also as an image of abundance and the sense of feeling lost in the present.
Maria Nordin: ‘Cascade,’ 2023 // Courtesy of the artist and Galleri Magnus Karlsson, photo by Felix Berg
MACBA
Lydia Ourahmane: ‘108 days’
Exhibition: Nov. 28, 2023—Apr. 1, 2024
macba.cat
Plaça dels Àngels, 1, 08001 Barcelona, Spain, click here for map
Lydia Ourahmane’s upcoming exhibition ‘108 days’ takes the form of a newly commissioned site-specific work for the Tower of the Museum at MACBA. Ourahmane’s projects take her immediate surroundings and objects loaded with experiential meaning as their points of departure, merging the personal into the political field and the domestic into the field of history. Ourahmane hails from Saïda, Algeria, and her installations, videos, sculptures and sound works delve into topics such as migration, colonialism and geopolitics. They question the societal structures that define our world, challenging the impositions of bureaucracy and state control while infusing personal narratives into the broader political landscape. This exhibition marks an important moment for Spanish audiences to experience Ourahmane’s impactful and thought-provoking work.
Lydia Ourahmane: ‘108 days’ // Courtesy of MACBA
Power Station of Art (PSA)
14th Shanghai Biennale: ‘Cosmos Cinema’
Exhibition: Nov. 9, 2023—Mar. 31, 2024
powerstationofart.com
200 Hua Yuan Gang Lu, 周家渡 Huangpu Qu, Shanghai, China, click here for map
The 14th Shanghai Biennale, aptly titled ‘Cosmos Cinema,’ offers a captivating journey into the mysteries of the universe and our place within it. Drawing from the rich connotations of the Greek word “cosmos” denoting beauty and harmony, and the Chinese term “yuzhou,” signifying infinite time and space, the exhibition contemplates the profound impact of the cosmos on our lives. It explores the cosmic principles inherent in cinema, considering it not only as a storytelling medium but a cosmic phenomenon capable of reshaping our understanding of the universe. Through diverse works, the exhibition invites viewers to wonder about their place in the cosmic order and how it might transform our terrestrial interactions. ‘Cosmos Cinema’ promises to transcend our historical alienation, fostering complex ways of addressing the interconnected challenges facing our world today, while celebrating the unique interpretations and affiliations that diverse cultures find in the night sky.
12th Shanghai Biennale: ‘Yubu,’ 2018, installation view // Courtesy of Shanghai Biennale
National Art Centre Tokyo
Shinji Ohmaki: ‘Interface of Being’
Exhibition: Nov. 1—Dec. 25 2023
nact.jp
Japan, 〒106-8558 Tokyo, Minato City, Roppongi, 7 Chome−22−2 国立新美術館, click here for map
Shinji Ohmaki, renowned for his transformative large-scale installations, invites viewers to explore their place in the world while engaging their somatic senses. His acclaimed works have graced not only Japan but also numerous Asian and European countries, transcending various artistic mediums and revitalizing local communities. By immersing ourselves in Ohmaki’s spaces, we confront our own presence, leaving tangible traces of our physicality. These installations, illuminated by celestial rhythms and adorned with intricate decorative imagery, reflect both primeval life and humanity’s timeless connection with the natural world. Housed in The National Art Center, Tokyo’s expansive gallery, this exhibition resonates on a profound physical level, offering a sense of organic integration often lost in our fragmented world. A fusion of video, sound and poetry, enhanced by live performances, beckons visitors to immerse themselves in Ohmaki’s contemporary composite art.
Shinji Ohmaki: ‘Gravity and Grace,’ 2023 // Courtesy of A4 Art Museum
