283 FLORENCE BIENNALE ART TODAY

MICHEL MAJERUS MOVING PARTS: IT IS ONLY PROPAGANDA AND ART DISILLUSION. NOTHING VERY SPECIAL!

Kunsthaus Graz presents Michel Majerus - Moving Parts - Forms of the Kinetic, through May 16, 2005. Majerus had a short life (1967-2002) but he had "left behind a remarkable body of works. In doing so he rushed through a database of both popular culture and art history. He not only followed the spirit of the 1990s, which was characterised by the digitalisation of culture, by techno and ecstasy but helped define it." claims a noted art critic. Another critic stated "What evolved from this was a mix of visual codes of high and low art, where Majerus made use of the medium of painting in a pronounced way. Ultimately, his spacious installations illustrated the productivity of a medium—painting." The curator of the show claims that the Kunsthaus Graz with its advanced architectural structure is an ideal setting for presenting Michel Majerus’ central space-oriented works. Michel Majerus never competed against painting. He rather added it to his palette of creative forms of expression in order to redefine the phenomenon of space with its help. His development as an artist ranged from the canvas as “arena” in Jackson Pollock’s works, via Barnett Newman’s color spaces to the transference of painting into the domain of object art in Pop Art; and eventually it led him into the virtuality of the gaming culture. And I have a problem with all these glowing jargoned accolades. Majerus' work is a colorful idea, a chronicle of pop culture BUT not a "mageure" and meaningful artwork . Propaganda and well-crafted publicity campaign are distorting and exaggerating the significance and esthetic importance of Majerus' Moving parts. It is more of an art disillusion carnival than esthetic depth and substance. Rating: 1 star out of five.

FLORENCE BIENNALE

Every two years the Fortezza da Basso hosts the International Arts Biennale in Florence. A world art event gathering la crème de la crème and the best artists in the business. It started in 1997 by Pasquale and Piero Celona, two visionaries with passion for art who de facto, enriched the world of contemporary art and added international multidimensional levels to human creativity and cultural understanding among nations.

Dr. John T Spike, an illustrious art historian and noted author joined the team of the Celonas, and in doing so, he adhered prestige and additional recognition to the Florence Biennale. The standards and art quality of the participants rival those of Le Salon D'Automne et Le Salon des Peintres. Although, those artists who take part in the Florence Biennale are not THE pioneers or founders of new art movements, the abundance of esthetic wealth, astonishing varieties of their styles and expressions have transformed the Biennale into a captivating world stage for innovative, traditional, unorthodox and creative art platforms. In addition, the rich experience and documented knowledge of world art of Piero Celona, Pasquale Celona, Barbara Rose and John T Spike gave credibility, depth and substance to the selection process of artists and their work. Rating: 5 stars out of five.

THE XIth TRIENNALE OF INDIA: AN INTERNATIONAL ART TREASURE

Photo: Professor R B Bhaskaran, Indias' godfather of arts .

Professor R B Bhaskaran, Chairman, Lalit Kala Academy and the driving force of Triennale of India, said: "It does not limit oneself to a creative expression of olden day painting and sculpture and painting alone. It has gone on to do much more that whatever creative expression of a country to present. The triennale is the right platform." From its very beginning in 1968, the Indian Triennale in New Delhi has been one of the art world's most significant global visual art events. The Triennale is hosted by the Lalit Kala Akademi (LKA), India's finest arts institution. Dr. John T Spike, a world renown art critic and art historian told me "The XIth Triennale of India is Asia's most important contemporary art show and I participated on the Jury last month. Because of our shared ideals -- again which you stated so well -- the Triennale of India, which is administered by their national academy of fine arts through the ministry of culture, has joined the FB (Florence Biennale) in a cooperative relationship."

If Dr. Spike says so, then the Triennale of India MUST be so! The XI Triennale is a multi-mega international art show that constitutes a major part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Lalit Kala Akademi (LKA). Talented artists from nearly 40 countries have participated in the show. It is being held in Delhi in January-February 2005. Soon, the Triennale will set sail to the major cities of India including Kolkata, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Cochin and Guwahati . In addition to displaying artworks by international artists, the Triennale offers various seminars, forums, workshops and camps. The highlight of the show was Callum Morton's creation of a theme park inspired by Le Corbusier's iconic architectural designs, originally intended for India's Punjabi capital Chandigarh. The Triennale of India's international jury consists of experts from India and various countries. One of the most visible and illustrious jury members is of course, Dr. John T. Spike. The Triennale selects every three years, the ten best works by Indian and international artists.. Each award consists of a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh together with a certificate. The India Triennale is a remarkable and an extremely significant art event. It promotes culture, civilization, history and mutual international understanding. It is an amazingly rich mosaic and fresco of international comparative arts in various discipline encompassing paintings, sculptures and graphics. In that context, the India Triennale has become an international landscape for culture, beauty, truth and passion for world art. Rating: 5 stars out of five.