The exhibition of the year? Giacometti / Bacon at Fondation Beyeler
Installation view of Bacon – Giacometti at Fondation Beyeler, L Homme qui marche by Alberto Giacometti among other works, 2018
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The Fondation Beyeler sheds light on the exciting relationship between Alberto Giacometti and Francis Bacon. Both artists have created impressive works, which are now among the most expensive artworks.
The age difference between the older Giacometti and Bacon is eight years. Even before meeting him in person, the younger artist worshipped Bergell as “the greatest draughtsman of all time”. Later he was to say that Giacometti was the man who influenced him more than anyone else. Giacometti, on the other hand, was fascinated by the irrepressible energy in the art of Bacon. In addition to Bacon’s portraits, his own portraits would appear more prudish, says Giacometti.
The exhibition includes key works and is supplemented by rarely shown works by both artists, some of which have never before been shown to the public before. A multimedia room offers spectacular insight into the studios of both artists.
Installation view of Bacon – Giacometti at Fondation Beyeler
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Francis Bacon – Triptych Inspired by the Oresteia of Aeschylus, 1981, Oil on canvas, Triptych, Each panel 78 x 58 in. (198 x 147.5 cm), installation view at Fondation Beyeler, Basel, Switzerland
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Francis Bacon – Triptych Inspired by the Oresteia of Aeschylus, 1981, Oil on canvas, Triptych, Each panel 78 x 58 in. (198 x 147.5 cm)
Francis Bacon – Triptych, 1967, Oil on canvas, Triptych, Each panel 78 x 58 in. (198 x 147.5 cm), installation view at Fondation Beyeler, Basel, Switzerland
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Francis Bacon – Triptych, 1967, Oil on canvas, Triptych, Each panel 78 x 58 in. (198 x 147.5 cm)
Francis Bacon – In Memory of George Dyer, 1971, Oil and dry transfer lettering on canvas, Triptych, Each panel 78 x 58 in. (198 x 147.5 cm), installation view at Fondation Beyeler, Basel, Switzerland
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Francis Bacon – In Memory of George Dyer, 1971, Oil and dry transfer lettering on canvas, Triptych, Each panel 78 x 58 in. (198 x 147.5 cm)
Francis Bacon – Portrait of George Dyer Riding a Bicycle, 1966, Oil and sand on canvas, 78 x 58 in. (198 x 147.5 cm), installation view at Fondation Beyeler, Basel, Switzerland
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Francis Bacon – Portrait of George Dyer Riding a Bicycle, 1966, Oil and sand on canvas, 78 x 58 in. (198 x 147.5 cm)
Francis Bacon – Lying Figure, 1969, Oil on canvas, 78 x 58 in. (198 x 147.5 cm), installation view at Fondation Beyeler, Basel, Switzerland
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Francis Bacon – Lying Figure, 1969, Oil on canvas, 78 x 58 in. (198 x 147.5 cm)
Francis Bacon – Two Studies from the Human Body, 1974-1975, Oil and dry transfer lettering on canvas, 78 x 58 in. (198.1 x 147.3 cm), installation view at Fondation Beyeler, Basel, Switzerland
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Francis Bacon – Two Studies from the Human Body, 1974-1975, Oil and dry transfer lettering on canvas, 78 x 58 in. (198.1 x 147.3 cm)
Francis Bacon – Lying Figure, 1961, oil on canvas, 198.0 × 142.0 Size (cm), 78.0 × 55.9 Size (in), installation view at Fondation Beyeler, Basel, Switzerland
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Francis Bacon – Lying Figure, 1961, oil on canvas, 198.0 × 142.0 Size (cm), 78.0 × 55.9 Size (in).jpg
Francis Bacon – Lying Figure, 1961, oil on canvas, 198.0 × 142.0 Size (cm), 78.0 × 55.9 Size (in), installation view at Fondation Beyeler, Basel, Switzerland
Installation view of paintings by Francis Bacon at Fondation Beyeler, Basel, Switzerland
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Francis Bacon – Head VI, 1949 and Alberto Giacometti – Le nez, 1947-49
Photo: Fondation Beyeler
Alberto Giacometti – Le nez, 1947-49, 43,6 × 9 × 61,6 cm, installation view at Fondation Beyeler, Basel, Switzerland
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Alberto Giacometti – Grande Tête Mince, 1954, 65.6 x 39.1 x 24.9 cm, installation view at Fondation Beyeler, Basel, Switzerland
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Alberto Giacometti – Grande Tête Mince, 1954, 65.6 x 39.1 x 24.9 cm
Photo: Succession Alberto Giacometti/2018, ProLitteris, Zurich
Alberto Giacometti and Bacon, 1965, original photo by Graham Keen
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A first look at the new, intimate Giacometti museum in Paris
Reconstructed studio of Alberto Giacometti on 23m2 including more than 70 original artworks at Institut Giacometti, Paris
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Swiss sculptor and painter Alberto Giacometti has a new exhibition space in Paris. Hosted in an Art Nouveau villa, this museum shows a reconstruction of his legendary studio, including furniture and walls on which he left numerous sketches. The new space is located in the former artists’ district of Montparnasse, just a few blocks from the original Parisian studio, where Giacometti worked from 1926 until his death in 1966.
Some of the artworks are very fragile and have never been shown in public. This project is initiated by the Fondation Giacometti, which owns the largest Giacometti collection worldwide.
Address Giacometti Institute, 5 Rue Victor Schoelcher, 75014 Paris
Hours The Institute is open by an online reservation system
Visit Métro ligne 4 et 6 : Raspail ou Denfert-Rochereau; RER B : Denfert-Rochereau; Bus ligne : 38, 68, 88, ou 91
Exterior of the Art Nouveau villa which hosts the Institut Giacometti, Paris
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Alberto Giacometti – Femmes de Venise, 1956, Institut Giacometti, Paris
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Alberto Giacometti – Portrait of Jean Genet, 1954-1955, Oil on canvas, 73 x 60 cm, Institut Giacometti, Paris
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Interior of Institut Giacometti, Paris
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Interior of Institut Giacometti, Paris
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Alberto Giacometti, Institut Giacometti, Paris
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Interior of Institut Giacometti, Paris
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Installation view, Institut Giacometti, Paris
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Alberto Giacometti drawing, Institut Giacometti, Paris
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Alberto Giacometti drawing, Institut Giacometti, Paris
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Alberto Giacometti letter, Institut Giacometti, Paris
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Alberto Giacometti sculpture, Institut Giacometti, Paris
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Higher than trees: A seemingly impossible installation
Tomás Saraceno – In Orbit, 2013, permanent installation at Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, K21 Ständehaus, Düsseldorf
A massive installation by Tomás Saraceno titled In Orbit has to be one of the artist’s most notable and successful installations. At a height of more than 20 meters, Saraceno suspended a mesh construction within which audiences could move weightlessly on the net. The net construction, which was accessible on 3 levels, was designed to resemble a cloud setting or landscape.
Korean vases: Imperfection gives way to stunning results
Translated Vase Thousand, 2012. Ceramic shards, epoxy, 24K gold leaf. Dimensions variable, Korea Artist Prize, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea
Yeesookyung is a South Korean artist living in Seoul. She is known for her complex and enchanting ceramic designs and sculptures. The Translated series series, like many of her works, is made up of shards and fragments of broken ceramic pieces that are carefully pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle. Yeesookyung created her Translated Vase back in 2002 after she observed discarded trash from the ceramic master Lim Hang Taek glimmering in the sunlight. The reflection of light from the shards and the organic forms of the cracks inspired her craft.
To create the Translated Vase, Yeesookyung uses epoxy resin to glue together the different fragments of the broken pots. To make the fissures and the cracks more prominent, Yeesookyung uses 24-carat gold leaf for glazing. The gold acts as the perfect addition to complement the beautifully misshapen fractures of the re-constructed vase.
The biomorphic form of the vessel helps to capture the eye immediately as the repurposed pottery created manages to surpass the original beauty of the vase. The Translated Vase combines the delicate fragility of ceramic pottery with the fortified strength of the glue and the gold, the end result of which is something truly magnificent. Yeesookyung covers the cracks in gold because the Korean word for crack and gold is similar. The use of products that share the same name also helps to add an element of humor to the work.
Yeesookyung’s technique in pottery, as stunning as it may be is not new. For years, artists in Korea have been reconstructing and rebuilding discarded ceramic pieces that would typically be considered trash in other parts of the world. The waste is sometimes restored to create new Korean ceramics while others like Yeesookyung’s are used as art. This art form, known as Kinstukuroi also uses metals such as platinum and silver for the repairing process.
The Translated Vase represents the struggle that all individuals face in life. The cracks on the vase represent the wounds that are formed from the struggle while the gold represents the beauty and maturity that people experience when they overcome suffering. Aside from denoting the suffering, Yeesookyung’s attention to detail helped to break the ceramic tradition that insists on perfection.
Rather than discard a perfect piece, like a master potter would, Yeesookyung chose to create new forms from the useless pieces to emphasize that imperfection can also give way to stunning beauty. It is safe to say that the Translated Vase succeeded in channeling the imperfections and irregularities that exist in nature.
Translated Vase, 2009, Ceramic shards, epoxy, 24K gold leaf. Dimensions variable”
Translated Vase (Detail), 2009, Ceramic shards, epoxy, 24K gold leaf. Dimensions variable
Translated Vase, 2011, Ceramic shards, epoxy, 24k gold leaf, 33 × 32 × 32 cm”
Translated Vase, 2010, Ceramic trash, epoxy, 24 k gold leaf, 34 cm diameter
Translated Vase, 2014, Ceramic shards, epoxy, 24-carat gold leaf 44 x 44 x 44 cm
Translated Vase, 2010, Ceramic trash, epoxy, 24 k gold leaf, 61 x 47 x 52 cm
Translated Vase, 2010, Ceramic trash, epoxy, 24 k gold leaf, 44 x 50 x 44 cm
Translated Vase, 2010, Ceramic trash, epoxy, 24 k gold leaf, 37 x 31 x 34 cm
Translated Vase, 2007, Ceramic trash, aluminum bar, epoxy, 24K gold leaf, 43 x 45 x 49cm
Translated Vase, 2008, Ceramic shards, epoxy, 24k gold leaf, 89 × 52 × 49 cm
Translated Vase, 2009, Ceramic Shards, Epoxy, 24k Gold Leaf, 160 x 92 x 95 cm
Translated Vase, 2010, ceramic trash, epoxy, 24 karat gold leaf, 135 x 85 x 85 cm”
Translated Vase, 2010, ceramic trash, epoxy, 24 karat gold leaf, 158 x 90 x 90 cm
Translated Vase, 2016, Ceramic shards, epoxy, 24K gold leaf, 174 x 128 x 120cm
Translated Vase, 2011, Ceramic trash, epoxy, 24K gold leaf, 66 x 64 x 97cm
Translated Vase, 2009, Ceramic shards, aluminum bars, epoxy resin, 24K gold leaf, 122 x 84 x 81 cm
Translated Vase, 2014, Ceramic shards, epoxy, 24K gold leaf, 220 x 110 x 100 cm”
Translated Vase, 2007, Ceramic shards, epoxy, 24K gold leaf, 120 x 210 x 95cm, Collection of National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea
Installation View of Translated Vase, 2009, Ceramic trash, aluminum bar, epoxy, 24K gold leaf, 85 x 170 x 80cm
Installation View of Translated Vase, 2009, Ceramic trash, aluminum bar, epoxy, 24K gold leaf, 85 x 170 x 80cm
Hyperrealistic sculpture tells the story of love
Couple Under An Umbrella, 2013, mixed media, 300 x 400 x 500 cm (approx.)
At first glance, especially from a picture, it is easy to assume that the Couple under an Umbrella sculpture is a real life image frozen in time. In a world marred by conflict and competition, everybody appreciates the display of affection by people. The couple in question is quite elderly and the artist must have chosen to use this age because of its ability to influence multiple generations. The sculpture tells the story of love at the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain in Paris, France where it rests on a pavilion designed by Jean Nouvel.
46 years in the making: Artist creates visual feel of infinity
Doug Wheeler – PSAD Synthetic Desert III, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York
Photo: David Heald
Over 40 years ago, a leading Light and Space artist called Doug Wheeler imagined an art project that resembled the tranquility you would experience if you travelled to an expansive desert such as the one in Arizona. For a long time, the idea only existed on paper due to the amount of resources it required to get going.
Luckily, a while back, the Guggenheim Museum in New York decided to take up the project and realize the Doug’s dream.
The birth of brutalism – Rick Owen’s weird furniture
Installation view of Rick Owens: Furniture at The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, 2016-2017
Photo: Brian Forrest
When asked to speak about his art, Rick Owens appreciates designers who make hand beads or ball gowns but he loves his style more. By making use of rare materials and working with highly skilled artisans, he is able to create unique items. With an emphasis on art as opposed to lifestyle, Owens creates massive monuments with little assembly work compared to the carving involved.
