Bologna Arte Fiera welcomes the return of figurative painting

I went to Bologna yesterday to see the big Art Fair there. There was a great mix of European galleries and their best artists. I'm happy about the strong return to painting, and figurative work seemed to be the direction for a lot of contemporaries. Now, figurative work, and the artistic nude does not offend me in the least, and I love contemporary work that comments on the human condition, but there was a disturbing tilt toward the fetishization of young girls and sexual brutality this year. In some cases it was clear that the work was a simulacra of societies perversions (which is fine by me), but in most work it wasn't so clear and so the pieces simply became another medium through which to perpetuate these ideologies. Artists need to be more conscious of work they produce and take responsibility for their images.
Apart from the above trend, the fair was wonderful. The direction art is going now is exciting.

Shown: my favourite piece by Guitamacci, and a painting by figurative artist Manuele Cerutti.

Berlin

Berlin is a big city, and the buildings are monumental. The architecture there is very 'modern' (as opposed to post-modern); buildings are boxy and brightly coloured. It is a very cosmopolitan city, and I can see why so many artists are moving there.

I visited the Gemaldegalerie that had a wonderful collection of Renaissance and Baroque paintings including some impressive works by Giotto, Piero della Francesca, Fra. Angelico, Holbein, Van Dyck, Rubens, Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Caravaggio, Baglioni, de la Tour, Boticelli...
Next door, at the MoMA, there was a Joerg Immendorf show that transformed the gallery space into a little red village filled with Immendorffs large paintings and sculptures. Downstairs there was a Picasso exhibition of his favourite works. I don't really like Picasso, but I love that he had a pet goat named Esmerelda.

At the Martin-Gropius-Bau there was a moving Bernhard Heisig exhibition. He was a he was a state artist of the GDR. His paintings are large scale impastoed images of war. By looking at his paintings it would seem that he was working with a historical narrative, but he acutally painted many of his pieces before events they depicted happened (such as the fall of the Berlin wall).

The Berlinische Gallery also had a great show on while I was there featuring artists such as Hannah Hoch, Otto Dix, Naum Gabo, Rebecca Horn, and Kurschner.

I also visited the Museum of Travel and Technology there and the Bauhaus Archive.

Of course I saw the rest of Berlin.. Checkpoint Charlie, the Berlin wall, Brandenberg gate, Potsdamer and Alexanderplatz. The history is moving and there is still very much a divide between the east and west. It is a city that everyone should see at least once. It was different to anywhere I have ever been in ways that words fail me in describing the experience.

Shown: works by Hannah Hoch, Bernhard Heisig, Caravaggio, the Berlin wall, and one of the five remaining watch towers in the city.

London

A last minute e-mail art update was temptation enough to have me find myself in London last Thursday before my trip to Berlin.
The London Art Fair was inspiring. It was great seeing the new work and such a revival in painting.

Roman Forum

Shannon and I in the Roman Forum just before heading back to Florence.

Rome

More pictures from our trip to Rome. It's a bit reminiscent to VISC 1B03 art history slide lectures. It was so amazing seeing these in real life after studying them in a lecture hall in Toronto, and of course knowing so much about these pieces before we encountered them made the experience that much more surreal.
Interesting to know -- the copyright to the Sistine Chapel was sold by the Vatican to businessmen in China, which is why the ceiling was being cleaned for the last few years.

Marathon Art History Lecture

Marathon art history lecture in Rome. The three days here went by quickly. We always see so so much with Peter. I love this man. Shown here: short lecture before entering the Pantheon, the Temple of Saturn, inside the Colosseum, and the Temple of Antoninus.

Monster

A great friend of mine in Toronto sent me the cutest pictures of my little monster, aka Sky. Thanks Missy.

Getting Older..

Thank you all so much for the Birthday wishes from home and elsewhere in the world. I love and miss all of you, and think about you guys more than you know. For those that were here in Florence, and came by to have some cake with me, thank you so much for making my Birthday this year a special one.

Epiphany

There was a parade today from Piazza Piti to the Duomo, Santa maria del Fiore, in celebration of Epiphany. All of the children in the crowd were given small goodie bags from some of the magi, and the Bishop made a short speech wishing them happiness in the new year. Many were dressed in Renaissance costumes, there were bands, jesters and flag bearers representing different parts of Florence.

New Years Celebration

Happy New Year! Emily and Ashley had a party at their place. It was good fun. Fire works went off all over the city for the whole day. Difference from being home- they let them off in the squares --on the ground. Understandably the closer to the fireworks you get the more drunk the crowd. The Florentines poured into the streets, bottles were flying and lots of friendly smiles and warm hugs brought in the new year. Auguri !

Snow !

Florence saw 25cm of snow on the 28th-29th. The first time it has snowed in the city since 1985. Tuscany is protected by the Alpinnes and rarely gets storms like this from the northeast. It was beautiful, very Christmas-y.

Christmas Holidays - Venice

Venice was just as surreal the second time as it was the first. The Christmas lights strung along the 3-4 foot 'streets' illuminated the cluster of islands at night and reflected the buildings in the waterways. We went through the markets near the Rialto, visited St. Marks, and took a cruise down the grand canal. We also saw a few singing Santas in a gondola on Christmas eve.

Christmas Holidays - Rome

Rome is huge; it is extravagant, majestic, imposing, and a world away from Florence. Everything here, from the 13th century converted hotels and cafes, to the monumental palaces, fountains, and ruins that fill the city. Two days was not nearly enough to take it all it. But I know that my history professor will have us back here in January for classes.
Shown: me outside the Colosseum, altar by Bernini in St. Peter's Bascilica in the Vatican, Michelangelo's Pieta, my mother and Allan in Piazza della Republica, and the Trevi fountain.

Christmas In Florence

Christmas here is so beautiful. Lights are strung along all of the streets, people are happy, there is live music in the squares, and there is none of the aggressive shopping madness as there is at home. Christmas here is still fairly new. Italians celebrate Epiphany on January 6th instead, or rather, as well. On Epiphany, La Befana, a witch that lost her way when bringing gifts to baby Jesus, brings presents to all the good children.
Shown is the German market in Santa Croce, and Brunelleschi's Duomo from the Bell tower of Santa Maria del Fiore.