Ina Contemporary Art

Now, more than ever, art speaks to us through a medium that challenges without raising a fist or drawing blood; no one is more adept at saying what needs to be said than Amoako Boafo. Looking through Boafo’s portfolio I’m immediately drawn to the Diaspora Series (2018 ongoing) with its bold colours and patterns. The series of paintings is a celebration of black life. It aims at challenging the notions of blackness that embodies and dehumanises, by assimilating it with negativity. Portraying individuals from the Diaspora and the continent by highlighting self-perception and beauty. It invites for a reflection on blackness and asks for an understanding of its diversity and complexity.

Art is not a job

Born in Accra, Ghana, brought up by his mother and grandmother along with two siblings who made their feelings clear about his career choice. But Boafo knew from an early age he wanted to paint, to be an artist. Starting his journey at Ghanatta College of Arts and Design in Ghana, Boafo credits his peers for teaching him his art. A very generous statement from someone who is so clearly naturally talented and unusually modest.

Amoako Boafo Straight from art school, Boafo studied at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna. Immediately finding the Austrian capital unreceptive to black people and subsequently the art scene is, in his words, “just as challenging”. He tempers this atmosphere in his first exhibition at the Roberts Project in Los Angeles, in February 2019 with a portrait series which is a celebration of his identity and blackness; an attempt at self-preservation, he says.

Just Like Egon Schiele

Talking to the Los Angeles Times, Boafo recalls his first impression of Vienna. “When I arrived in Vienna, I didn’t think of changing the way I paint or anything, but I heard certain names over and over—Klimt, Schiele, Lassnig—and I wanted to see why they were so famous. I actually love their paintings, and every now and then I would test myself to see if I could paint the way they were painting. I could, of course. But with Schiele, I was most interested in seeing how he got his results. You could really see all the brushstrokes and colours he mixed to make a painting, unlike Klimt, whose work is very well mixed, realistic and decorated, which is also good. I just want my paintings to be as free as possible, and Schiele gave me that vibe—the strokes, characters, and composition”.

It’s all in the brushstrokes

Looking at the painting, you are drawn to the immaculate texturing and the all expressions on the sitters face made more poignant by the brushstrokes; drawing the viewer into the quality of statement while allowing you to make up your own mind. The work is excellent and has a broad range, which many might consider un-appealing. This work is so far from bland. To be challenging you need to be seen and you really get the feeling that Boafo sees. The portrait that resonates with me is “Bel”, a 2018 portrayal of a long-suffering woman, possibly his wife, giving that well-known expression of humouring a loved one and acknowledging a back seat position that is both powerful and comforting.

"Bel", 2018. Photo: fashionweekdaily

Every Artist needs a break

Things moved quickly for Boafo once Kehinde Wiley, a prominent gallery owner, bought one of the paintings and then introduced Boafo to his gallery. This may not seem unusual to most but African art was not being bought in Austria; especially contemporary art, and certainly nothing that hadn’t been painted for at least two hundred years earlier. Exhibitions follow soon after with his first exhibition at Roberts Projects in Los Angeles, titled “I see me” and, more recently, “wish you were here” also at the Roberts Projects—a phrase that resonates with all of us at this moment in time.

We Dey, a nonprofit arts organization in Vienna

In an attempt to face the problem of the male-dominated art world, Nordic Chart Art Fair's organizers plan to only show women artists at this year edition. Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada, the Cuban-American artist, has nearly completed his 20,000-foot mural of the pediatrician Dr. Ydelfonso Decoo in Queens. Kovet.Art is a new online platform that will showcase the work of recent graduates from UK universities. Christo, the artist who wrapped the Reichstag and installed The Gates in Central Park, has died at the age of 84. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture launched last week a new online portal to expand the nation’s conversation on race.

Facing the problem of the male-dominated art world

[Nina Beier's Empire (2019) Photo: Kunst-dokumentation.com. Courtesy of Croy Nielsen, Vienna In an attempt to face the problem of the male-dominated art world, Nordic Chart Art Fair's organizers plan to only show women artists at this year’s eighth edition (28-30 August). The proposal will have the purpose to “highlight one of the biggest structural barriers in the art scene and art market: gender imbalance”. This year the fair will embrace a new “de-centered format” taking place across five Nordic cities in the face of the coronavirus crisis. Nanna Hjortenberg, the fair's director, said "We are already planning to present women artists exclusively at Chart 2020 with a strong collective statement from the participating galleries, we want to start the debate around gender inequality and engage the entire arts sector in developing solutions for a better-balanced art scene.” There will be 28 participating galleries with works by artists like Andrea Büttner, Anastasia Ax, Ane Graff, Emma Helle, and Chantal Joffe. Only 36% of the artists represented by galleries in 2018 were female, accounting for an average of 32% of sales, and from a survey of 82 events, just 24% of the 27,000 artists shown at art fairs are women. This was highlighted by Last year’s Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market's report on how gender inequality underpins the male-dominated art market.

Dr. Ydelfonso Decoo honored with a 20,000-foot mural in Queens

Somos La Luz, a mural by Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada depicting the Queens doctor Ydelfonso Decoo, who died on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada, the Cuban-American artist, has nearly completed his 20,000-foot mural in Queens, New York City. This great street painting titled "Somos La Luz" (we are the light) is meant to increase awareness of the pandemic’s disproportionate toll on communities of color. The massive artwork represents pediatrician Dr. Ydelfonso Decoo, one of the first minority doctors to die during the pandemic. He was part of SOMOS Community Care who treat patients from marginalized communities like those in Queens hardest hit by the coronavirus. SOMOS Community Care is a physician-led network of mainly Latino and Chinese doctors. The mural painting was organized thanks to the help of the immigrant's rights organization "Make the Road New York and El Museo Del Barrio", and it is being painted on a city-owned parking lot between the Queens Museum and the New York State Pavilion.

Kovet.Art, a platform for recent graduates

The Kovet.Art team: Saras Rachupalli, Camilla Grimaldi and Averil Curci Courtesy of Kovet.Art Kovet.Art is a new online platform that will showcase the work of recent graduates from UK universities. This new online platform intends to help emerging artists sell work during the pandemic. Saras Rachupalli, the company founder, says that this platform will also provide guidance in areas such as market support, publishing, and pricing as part of a mentoring plan. "Delineating Dreams" is the title of the Kovet.Art’s launch show and went live on 3rd June 2020. It will include works by some artists like Candice Jewell from Plymouth College of Art; Max Gimson, a graduate of London’s Royal College of Art; and Kristy M. Chan from the Slade School of Fine Art. This new action enables “a closed number of top-class art degree students to develop their practice and profile in credible and authentic ways”. The price of available works is usually less than £10,000 (excluding tax) and the company will take a percentage of the sales. "It's more than an e-commerce platform. There will be conversations about knowledge for the curious about art" says Rachupalli. The Kovet.Art team includes Saras Rachupalli, Camilla Grimaldi and Averil Curci.

Christo has died at the age of 84

Bulgarian artist Christo Vladimirov poses with photographers next to his work 'La Mastaba' on London's Serpentine Lake in 2018 (NIKLAS HALLE'N / AFP) Christo, the artist who wrapped the Reichstag and installed The Gates in Central Park, has died at the age of 84. He created monumental interventions on architecture and landscape with his late wife and partner Jeanne-Claude. Christo Vladimirov Javacheff was born on 13 June 1935 in Bulgaria—the same day Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon was born in Morocco. Christo studied at the Sofia Academy from 1953 to 1956 and then at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts, before moving to Paris in 1958, where he painted portraits to earn money. He met Jeanne-Claude when he was commissioned to paint her mother’s portrait. The two collaborated on their first project together, covering barrels at the port of Cologne, in 1960. They created their first intervention in Paris, Rideau de Fer (Iron Curtain) in 1962. Blocking off the Rue Visconti near the River Seine with oil barrels as a statement against the Berlin Wall. His following major project "To wrap L'Arc de Triomphe is Paris", was still on track to take place in September 2021. It had been delayed by a year due to the coronavirus.

A Conversation About Race at the Smithsonian's African American Museum

In an attempt to face the problem of the male-dominated art world, Nordic Chart Art Fair's organizers plan to only show women artists at this year edition. Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada, the Cuban-American artist, has nearly completed his 20,000-foot mural of the pediatrician Dr. Ydelfonso Decoo in Queens. Kovet.Art is a new online platform that will showcase the work of recent graduates from UK universities. Christo, the artist who wrapped the Reichstag and installed The Gates in Central Park, has died at the age of 84. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture launched last week a new online portal to expand the nation’s conversation on race.

Facing the problem of the male-dominated art world

[Nina Beier's Empire (2019) Photo: Kunst-dokumentation.com. Courtesy of Croy Nielsen, Vienna In an attempt to face the problem of the male-dominated art world, Nordic Chart Art Fair's organizers plan to only show women artists at this year’s eighth edition (28-30 August). The proposal will have the purpose to “highlight one of the biggest structural barriers in the art scene and art market: gender imbalance”. This year the fair will embrace a new “de-centered format” taking place across five Nordic cities in the face of the coronavirus crisis. Nanna Hjortenberg, the fair's director, said "We are already planning to present women artists exclusively at Chart 2020 with a strong collective statement from the participating galleries, we want to start the debate around gender inequality and engage the entire arts sector in developing solutions for a better-balanced art scene.” There will be 28 participating galleries with works by artists like Andrea Büttner, Anastasia Ax, Ane Graff, Emma Helle, and Chantal Joffe. Only 36% of the artists represented by galleries in 2018 were female, accounting for an average of 32% of sales, and from a survey of 82 events, just 24% of the 27,000 artists shown at art fairs are women. This was highlighted by Last year’s Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market's report on how gender inequality underpins the male-dominated art market.

Dr. Ydelfonso Decoo honored with a 20,000-foot mural in Queens

Somos La Luz, a mural by Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada depicting the Queens doctor Ydelfonso Decoo, who died on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada, the Cuban-American artist, has nearly completed his 20,000-foot mural in Queens, New York City. This great street painting titled "Somos La Luz" (we are the light) is meant to increase awareness of the pandemic’s disproportionate toll on communities of color. The massive artwork represents pediatrician Dr. Ydelfonso Decoo, one of the first minority doctors to die during the pandemic. He was part of SOMOS Community Care who treat patients from marginalized communities like those in Queens hardest hit by the coronavirus. SOMOS Community Care is a physician-led network of mainly Latino and Chinese doctors. The mural painting was organized thanks to the help of the immigrant's rights organization "Make the Road New York and El Museo Del Barrio", and it is being painted on a city-owned parking lot between the Queens Museum and the New York State Pavilion.

Kovet.Art, a platform for recent graduates

The Kovet.Art team: Saras Rachupalli, Camilla Grimaldi and Averil Curci Courtesy of Kovet.Art Kovet.Art is a new online platform that will showcase the work of recent graduates from UK universities. This new online platform intends to help emerging artists sell work during the pandemic. Saras Rachupalli, the company founder, says that this platform will also provide guidance in areas such as market support, publishing, and pricing as part of a mentoring plan. "Delineating Dreams" is the title of the Kovet.Art’s launch show and went live on 3rd June 2020. It will include works by some artists like Candice Jewell from Plymouth College of Art; Max Gimson, a graduate of London’s Royal College of Art; and Kristy M. Chan from the Slade School of Fine Art. This new action enables “a closed number of top-class art degree students to develop their practice and profile in credible and authentic ways”. The price of available works is usually less than £10,000 (excluding tax) and the company will take a percentage of the sales. "It's more than an e-commerce platform. There will be conversations about knowledge for the curious about art" says Rachupalli. The Kovet.Art team includes Saras Rachupalli, Camilla Grimaldi and Averil Curci.

Christo has died at the age of 84

Bulgarian artist Christo Vladimirov poses with photographers next to his work 'La Mastaba' on London's Serpentine Lake in 2018 (NIKLAS HALLE'N / AFP) Christo, the artist who wrapped the Reichstag and installed The Gates in Central Park, has died at the age of 84. He created monumental interventions on architecture and landscape with his late wife and partner Jeanne-Claude. Christo Vladimirov Javacheff was born on 13 June 1935 in Bulgaria—the same day Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon was born in Morocco. Christo studied at the Sofia Academy from 1953 to 1956 and then at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts, before moving to Paris in 1958, where he painted portraits to earn money. He met Jeanne-Claude when he was commissioned to paint her mother’s portrait. The two collaborated on their first project together, covering barrels at the port of Cologne, in 1960. They created their first intervention in Paris, Rideau de Fer (Iron Curtain) in 1962. Blocking off the Rue Visconti near the River Seine with oil barrels as a statement against the Berlin Wall. His following major project "To wrap L'Arc de Triomphe is Paris", was still on track to take place in September 2021. It had been delayed by a year due to the coronavirus.

A Conversation About Race at the Smithsonian's African American Museum

Mary Sibande is a multi-talented artist from Johannesburg. Born in 1982, the South African artist’s art consists of sculptures, photography, paintings, and design. With her creations, she depicts black South Africans in a postcolonial context. Her work often focuses on her own personal experiences and black women during apartheid. About Mary Sibande The artist was raised in apartheid South Africa by her grandmother. Her mother, grandmother and great grandmother were all domestic workers and inspired many of her works. Sibande initially wanted to be a fashion designer. Something that is very much present in all of her sculptures. She uses both fashion and design to tell a sad part of history beautifully.

Mary Sibande Sophie and her inspirations Sophie is Mary Sibande’s alter ego who tells the story of post-apartheid South Africa. A Reversed Retrogress, a tableau she created in 2013 are two mirror-image manikins with one dressed in blue and the other covered in with purple tassels. Both women look suspended in time. With this representation, she pays homage to the women in her family who were all maids from her great grandmother to her own mother. Black women were discriminated against and didn’t have a choice.  Sophie was given this name for some specific reason as mentioned by the artist. During apartheid, it was a must for black children to have Christian names. Sophie was inspired by her great grandmother. She explains how her masters didn’t learn her African name and decided to call her “Elsie”. With Sophie, Sibande wants this part of history to stay alive, so future generations would know. Changing colors To not be referred to as the artist who “makes Sophie stories about domestic workers in her family”, Sibande has to change her color scheme every four years. Living Memory (2011), female figures in teal combat trousers are inspired by her father who was a soldier but the manikin has a female body. This is because everything she knew of her father during her childhood was through her mother. She was only three when her parents separated. The young artist used to be angry with her father but later understood that he had no choice to join the army. Black men in Africa were taken away to work as miners or soldiers.

Clara Cheung is searching for balance in an unbalanced world: more so in the context of violent social and political unrest and, given the Chinese communist party’s authoritarian stranglehold, the people of Hong Kong, who had been hoping for a gradual liberalisation of the regime, are constantly teetering on the edge of losing their fundamental freedoms.  The only way to demonstrate support for democracy was through the local elections, which happened last year in November 2019. Although the newly elected pro-democracy counsellors have limited powers and their reach is very limited, such an appointment within the community represents important leverage if there is any hope for change.  Given the current climate, it is surprising that the artists who were elected for the first time to the head of the three major Hong Kong Districts are independent of all political parties, and all have chosen to express their artistic work through an intense interest in the community. Namely, Susi Law Wai-shan, Wong Tin Yan, and Clara Cheung won the election with a resounding majority. Their work collectively is indicative of this era.

Clara Chung and her partner Gum Cheng

Clara Chung and her partner Gum Cheng created their first exhibition to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of Hong Kong’s retrocession to China and of the famous Basic Law back in 2007. The "one country, two systems" principle is enshrined in a document called the Basic Law - Hong Kong's mini-constitution. This came into effect on 1 July 1997, the day British rule ended and the territory was returned to China. Although this law allows very little in the way of democracy it is an agreement that is only valid for 47 years. The eponymously named C&G Artpartment, a space Clara and Gum founded in 2007, is one of the first independent art spaces in the territory, hurriedly opened to offer artists a place where they could freely tackle local socio-political issues; frequently stemming from topics ironically borrowed from current events. Bringing into focus the now famous ‘Umbrella Movement’ - Chung invited artists to express their thoughts on this and other issues that have divided neighbours and the wider society. Currently exhibiting “Plan B” an exhibition of work by 26 local artists and the second part of a year-long concept called “Plan A”, the gallery says, “These works by ‘THE’ 26 artists involve a large spectrum of artistic concepts, art media and styles. All of them are very spectacular, very much readable, collectable and full of potential for all sorts of things”. Viewing is possible with restrictions in place as a response to COVID-19.  

Susi Law Wai-shan

Susi Law Wai-shan is behind the conversion of the Foo Tak Building, a fourteen-story building in downtown Hong Kong; now almost entirely dedicated to art and artistic organizations. Elected by a personal landslide victory to her post as councillor, her election promises were to “enhance community participation and communal engagement, utilise and open up existing and new public spaces, promote green living”.  Going on to promise to “safeguard the freedom and rights of Hongkongers and monitor the District Council and the government”. These promises are much harder to deliver but one thing for sure: Susi is a cultural professional first, as well as a champion of the cause. 

Wong Tin Yan

In this article, we'll look at some of the most important news from the art market in the past week. We'll comment on how Italian museums began to reopen, International Museum Day, how the Venice Art Biennale will be delayed, the rejection of artists by the British government's self-employment support scheme, UK galleries putting on virtual shows during the lock-in, US art dealers struggling to survive and how the Met is not expected to reopen before next August. 

Italian museums began reopening

Mole Antonelliana in Turin, Italy. Photo by Ralf Steinberger On May 18 after a 55 billion euro government lifeline. The national spending package includes emergency support for state museums, arts organizations, and cultural enterprises. Italian museums have suffered a financial blow in the last 70 days of closure, but the government has thrown them a lifeline with measures included in a 55 billion euro national spending package called the "Decreto Rilancio" (relaunch decree) announced last Wednesday. There was more good news over the weekend. It had been said that the museums could reopen from 18 May, and on Saturday night, Minister of Culture Dario Franceschini gave the green light. 

International Museum Day

Musée du Louvre, Paris This year's International Museum Day has as its theme "Museums for Equality": Diversity and Inclusion. International Museum Day was celebrated on May 18, an initiative coordinated by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) every May 18 since 1977. Suay Aksoy, president of Icom, says that the museums closed by the Covid-19 closures "need to defend themselves because their survival may depend on it. With thousands of cultural institutions closed due to the Covid-19 closures around the world and isolated from their physical audiences, many have migrated online, launching virtual tours, webinars, and social media campaigns in recognition of the day under hashtags #IMD2020 and #Museums4Equality. 

The Venice Biennale will take place from 23 April to 27 November 2022.

Venice The 59th Venice Biennale will be held in 2022 following the decision of the Biennale's officials to postpone the Architecture Biennale until May 2021 due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. The most prestigious biennial in the world was initially planned for next year. The move means that the art calendar is in flux again with the art biennial, overseen by Italian curator Cecilia Alemani, now scheduled to take place from 23 April to 27 November 2022. Other important events planned for the summer of 2022 are Documenta 15 in Kassel, Germany (18 June to 25 September), and the Lyon Biennial (September).

Rejection of artists by the British government's self-employment

Photo by Polina Zimmerman Many British artists and musicians do not qualify for the British government's income support program for the self-employed (SEISS). Many British artists and musicians, whose income has been decimated by Covid-19, are not eligible for the UK government's self-employed income support scheme (SEISS), which was launched online last week and attracted hundreds of thousands of applications. The Musicians' Union estimates that nearly 40% of its members do not meet all the requirements of the scheme, which stipulates that at least 50% of an individual's income must come from self-employment and their earnings must be £50,000 or less. 

UK galleries putting on virtual shows during the lock-in

Galleries in the UK are putting on virtual shows at the Bull Run using a new digital tool. The Art UK's Curations initiative allows "anyone anywhere with Internet access" to create an exhibition using the national image database. A new online tool called Curations allows institutions to put on virtual shows. UK museums and galleries have been given a digital lifeline with the launch of a new online tool called Curations that allows institutions to put on virtual shows during the coronavirus pandemic. Curations, an open-source initiative of the Art UK charity, allows users to create exhibitions from Art UK's online collection which currently includes more than 250,000 works by 46,000 artists from over 3,000 public institutions.

US art dealers struggling to survive

Art dealers in the US are struggling to survive while a new report projects a 73% loss of income. A survey by the Art Dealers Association of America also reveals a 74% reduction in employment for contractors and freelancers due to the coronavirus. As numerous organizations try to measure the financial consequences of the coronavirus (Covid-19) on the art world, the Art Dealers Association of America (ADAA) today released its latest findings, revealing that U.S. art galleries are projecting a 73% loss of revenue for the second fiscal quarter. In addition, there may be few resources for the recovery of these businesses and even some forays into financial relief for their artists and staff in the short term. Of the galleries surveyed, 76% applied for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Payment Check Protection Program (PPP) Loan, launched in March by the Trump administration as a financial relief measure; only 28% of galleries were confirmed for the forgivable loan to help cover staff and operating costs and nearly a quarter of applicants have yet to receive any response. About 40% of survey respondents had also applied for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), of which only 11% were approved.

The Met is not expected to reopen before next August

Shonibare is the embodiment of irony. Forced at 18 to consider why as a black artist he wasn’t making authentic African art, Shonibare, now 57, has spent a lifetime pondering this question. He is an artist who turned the concept of authentic African art on its head; continually questioning the construction of stereotypes and cultural identity while forcing the viewer to consider their own prejudices. Born in South London, England in 1962, to Nigerian parents, Shonibare was raised biculturally. He returned to Lagos with his family when he was 3, but the family kept the house in South London, allowing him to return to Britain at 18 to do his A-levels at Redrice School. Shonibare contracted transverse myelitis, an inflammation of the spinal cord, which resulted in long-term physical disability. One side of his body is paralysed and he uses a wheelchair. Any lesser person would have given up at this point, but Shonibare didn’t allow the disability to hold him back. He went on to study Fine Art first at Byam Shaw School of Art (now Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design), a notoriously competitive and difficult college to gain access to. Thousands apply every year but only the exceptional go on to study there. This experience completely transformed his life and, in turn, his work. While studying at Byam, Shonibare took an interest in Perestroika, a political movement widely associated with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and his glasnost policy. Glasnost is a 1980s communist policy adopted by the Soviet government that stressed openness about the economic problems in the country. This was extremely relatable to Shonibare at the time, but not so to his lecturer who asked him why Russia? Why not Africa? This comment set in motion a narrative that would dominate his life. In an attempt to be ‘more’ African, Shonibare visits an African fabric shop in the Brixton market in South London, discovering, to his amazement, that the most authentic African fabric was actually manufactured in the Netherlands and exported to Africa. Further, the Dutch wax prints, as they are known, were originally inspired by Indonesian batiks; so the fabric which identifies a nation isn’t African at all. The idea of appropriation is born and is the precursor for every piece of art from that moment on.