#1 Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst
20 – An Exhibition in Three Acts
Until 05.02.2017
Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst
Limmatstrasse 270
8005 Zurich
Switzerland
20 years is an important milestone. Especially when the institution in question is dedicated to the art of “the present” (in German (die) Gegenwart). With the show “20 – An Exhibition in Three Acts” the Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst takes a look back at its recent past, its collection, and curatorial practices. The section of the exhibition on view in the downstairs galleries Museum Revisited — 1996–2016 sheds light on the everyday operations of the museum and presents unusual glimpses of what is going on behind the scenes, with particular emphasis on the art education activities. Publications, posters, photographic and video documentation, and archival materials trace the outlines of the museum’s work over the past two decades. This exhibition is curated by Heike Munder, Raphael Gygax, and Nadia Schneider Willen.
If you have never been, this is one of the most vibrant and unconventional art spaces in Zurich. The series of events that accompanies this exhibition is very interesting and diverse: from workshops to family afternoons, the Migros Museum has something for everyone. Interested? You can find the full list of related events here!
#2 Kunsthalle Zürich
Phyllida Barlow : Demo
Until 19.02.2017
Kunsthalle Zürich
Limmatstrasse 270
CH-8005 Zürich
British sculptor Phyllida Barlow’s four-decade career has been centered on experimenting with, and recontextualising inexpensive, everyday materials such as cardboard, fabric, timber, polystyrene, plaster, scrim, and cement from which she creates large-scale, sculptural installations that she describes as “anti monumental.” The word demo has been used here in its manifold implication in relation to her practice: demo as demo-lition, demo-cracy, or demo-nstration. The two massive sculptural interventions, installed under the guidance of the artist, both break and celebrate our ideas of sculpture, its contentious relationship to space and architecture, and the way we experience an exhibition as viewer.
Since her first exhibition back in 1965 at ICA in London, Barlow has created an extensive oeuvre, which has – with few exceptions – not survived, and will largely remain inaccessible forever. Many of Barlow’s sculptures could not be kept due to their size and material nature, due to lack of storage space and money, and the absence of collectors. Today Barlow’s art is widely recognised, collected and appreciated – a recognition which, however, only started about ten years ago (The Guardian has written a great piece about her late recognition).
This year, Barlow has been selected to represent Britain at the 57th Venice International Art Biennale from 13 May to 26 November 2017.
The 72-year-old sculptor from Newcastle lives and works in London. Today, her work is included in the collections of the Henry Moore Institute, Leeds; the New Museum, New York; and the Des Moines Art Centre.
A series of guided tours, workshops, and an artist talk will accompany the exhibition. The absolute highlight is the following:
“It mustn’t be sculpture”
Artist talk with Phyllida Barlow & Daniel Baumann (Curator/Director)
Friday, February 3, 2017, 6:30pm
For further dates please visit the Kunsthalle Zürich website.
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