In this year of 2011 . . .

Happy New Year! Here is a list of things that I am looking forward to this year of 2011.

1. Shirin Neshat's Women Without Men 

Shirin Neshat, Rapture, 1999, video still

Oh yes! I saw Shirin Neshat's fim Rapture for first time during my graduate school (Thanks, S.K.) and was completely captivated by its poetic insertion of 'bodies' in the midst of landscape. Narratives are somewhat disorienting, isolated, and chaotic. No words, yet I felt so drawn to the film's non-verbal languages and psychological tensions. I hope I get to see that film again.

Here is an excerpt from an interview with Shirin Neshat from Bomb site: http://bombsite.com/issues/73/articles/2332.

"In all my work, I am dealing with issues that address historical, cultural, sociopolitical ideas; but in the end, I want my work to transcend that and function on the most primal and emotional level. I think the music intensifies the emotional quality. Music becomes the soul, the personal, the intuitive and neutralizes the sociopolitical aspects of the work. This combination of image and music is meant to create an experience that moves the audience. It is an expectation that I have as an artist and I want that intensity from any work of art; I want to be deeply affected, almost like asking to have a religious experience. Beauty is important in relation to my work. It is a concept that is most universal, it goes beyond our cultural differences."

Shirin Neshat's most recent film Women Without Men will be viewed at Rich Theater (Woodruff Center, Atlanta) on January 22nd as a part of its Iranian Film Series. I am thrilled to watch this film. For more information, go to http://www.high.org/main.taf?p=4,3,2&eventId=742&eventTypeId=8.

Iranian Film Today

Women Without Men

January 22, 2011, 8 p.m.

Rich Theater

http://www.high.org/main.taf?p=4,3,2&eventId=742&eventTypeId=8

2. Marina Abramovic in Atlanta and deFINE 2011 at SCAD

Artist is Present, Marina Abramovic

Another huge woman artist is coming to Atlanta - Marina Abramovic. After her legendary retrospective at MoMA Artist is Present, she indeed has established herself as 'a grandmother of performance art.' Savannah College of Art and Design is honoring Abramovic's works with featuring lecture and exhibition series. During Feb. 22 - 26, SCAD will be hosting lectures by prominent figures in the art world, special exhibitions, commissions, panel discussions, student showcases, performances and many other events. And of course, Marina Abramovic will be speaking as well. My calendar is marked! For more information, go to http://www.scad.edu/news/2010/define-art-2011.cfm.

Yoko Ono

I am also looking forward to an opportunity to see "Spirituality of Place", a group exhibition featuring works by Yoko Ono, Andy Goldsworthy, Mona Hatoum, Do Ho Suh, Kimsooja, and others in Savannah. My art heroes all together!!!

3. Lenox Project

I have been cutting, cutting... flowers in the basement until late at night. That will continue until February in order for us to launch my Lenox Project with Flux Projects in March. This will be my largest floor installation so far. This is all so very exciting. I will be posting details of progress on this blog! Flux Projects is also looking for project proposals. Deadline is February 28, 2011. To apply, go to http://www.fluxprojects.org/.

4. Stay Here in Atlanta Project

So Idea Capital gave me a grant of $500 for my project Stay Here in Atlanta. For one year, I will write letters, visit studios, and buy lunches for young artists in Atlanta like myself. And I will write about young artists I meet on my blog. Not only will I get to introduce these young artists to the public via blogging, I also get to then create a sense of community of young artists here in Atlanta. Being an artist itself is hard enough. I think having free lunches with good conversations would be something artists would enjoy - I know I will! So thank you, Idea Capital!!

Michael David Murphy quotes on his blog Whileseated, (another artist bloggger!!!)

"It's been awhile since I've seen a project (or proposed project) that has the potential of Gyun's to impact the community in such a surprising, significant, affordable and understated way. Four years since I arrived in Atlanta, I know there's a big struggle to develop and retain artists here, and it's refreshing to see a local artist (and granting intiative) putting their time & money toward this in such a simple and potentially effective way."

I have been compiling a list of artists I would like to have lunches with. If you have any recommendations, please let me know!

To apply for Idea Capital grant, go to http://www.ideacapitalatlanta.org/apply_temp.php.

5. Solo Shows at mosnart and Hudgens

Incredibly thrilled to have two solo shows this year.
One in Chicago (!!!) at mosnart and one at The Hudgens Center for the Arts. More details to come later.

  6. Art.sy - "the Pandora of the fine art world"

 

So Forbes Magazine named this new website as one of "Names You Need to Know in 2011." This new website project "will link art galleries all over the world with enthusiasts and potential buyers." In this increasingly connected world based on social media, we will have to see how this website "the Pandora of the fine art world" will function in the midst of art world as well as general public. Forbes blog quotes:

"Third, it’s the first attempt to really bring the high-end art market online to really disrupt the art world, bringing it not only online but actively opening up to a wider audience through social networking and innovative te. The Internet has disrupted the music and fashion industries, how has the art world managed to elude it for so long? (Sure, you can find some really cool photography and beautiful illustrations on Etsy, but you won’t find any Koons or de Kooning.) Art.sy will change all that. It has the potential to really shake up and transform the art industry–and to open it up to a greater number of people, to democratize it in a way (the way Project Runway and Sex and the City and blogs and H&M designer collaboration democratized fashion). That is really exciting."

7. Polishing up gyunhur.blogspot.com

So here is one of my new year resolutions - to polish up my blog. As I have mentioned, I am not an eloquent writer, yet I have been enjoying 'art blogging' this past year. Thank you so much, readers. I have gained more readers now, and feel more encouraged to continue to commit myself to blogging. As Jason Parker from artRelish advised, I would like to be Committed, Consistent, and Credible with this blog.  I plan to continue to share my stories in art making, my artist friends, art happenings - in ways that de-mystify artists (we're just normal people with special drives and passions) and introduce contemporary art in a non-hierarchical way.

I would like to encourage more artists to blog and develop critical and influential voices to a wider artistic audience. Initiating artist-driven conversations and participating in critical dialogues will energize art communities and possibly have general audience to be more familiar with art making and artists.

Thank you, everyone, and let's have a great year 2011!!!


- G.