Lehmann Maupin (L9) is pleased to announce its participation in Art Basel, Switzerland from June 16-19, 2016, with a presentation of artworks by Kader Attia, Hernan Bas, Roberto Cuoghi, Tracey Emin, Teresita Fernández, Gilbert & George, Nicholas Hlobo, Angel Otero, Tony Oursler, Tim Rollins and K.O.S., Mickalene Thomas, and Nari Ward.
Lehmann Maupin artists Kader Attia (U5), Tracey Emin (U50), and Tim Rollins and K.O.S. (U19) will also be participating in the Unlimited section, curated by Gianni Jetzer and opening Monday, June 13.
The booming newspaper industry of the 19th century provided the platform for an intense questioning of the relationship between the West and non-Western cultures. Visual representations were dominated by a depiction of the ‘wild man,’ a dark and brutal alter ego of the modern Western male. This visual propaganda, distributed by the Western press, served to shape nationalist and Eurocentric worldviews that still perpetuate today. Kader Attia’s installation, The Culture of Fear: An Invention of Evil, 2013, consists of a sequence of shelves filled with newspapers and books from the late 19th and early 20th-centuries as well as from today. They depict scenes from colonial history: non-white men (Africans, Arabs, Berbers, or Native Americans) committing despicable crimes or acts of violence, whose victims are primarily white women. The work is shown at Unlimited in collaboration with Galerie Nagel Draxler, Berlin. Unlimited booth U5
The more of you the more I love you, 2016, shown in collaboration with Xavier Hufkens, Brussels and White Cube, London, is a large-scale neon installation by British artist Tracey Emin. Since 1995, Emin has produced neon artworks based on her own handwriting to express her inner thoughts, in a confessional tone. Emin’s use of neon is inspired by her childhood memories of the neon illuminations in the English seaside town of Margate where she grew up. In her work, Emin harnesses the poignancy of emotionally wrought yet ambiguous sentences to reveal the universality of their message. She views these neon phrases as missives—snippets of moments, which could be read as thoughts of someone, or for someone. In 2013, a retrospective of Emin’s neon work went on view at MOCA in North Miami, demonstrating the central importance neon holds in her practice. Unlimited booth U50
Modeled on their pedagogy of responding to literary texts through art making, Darkwater VI (after W.E.B. Du Bois), 2016, by artists Tim Rollins and K.O.S., reacts to Du Bois' philosophy about otherness. Although "Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil", published in 1920, specifically addresses the continued plight of African Americans following Emancipation, the artist collective suggests a renewed urgency in examining these issues of race in today's society, which is marked by massive migration and ethnic strife. Created in partnership with the Bronx Museum’s education initiative, the artwork demonstrates the collective’s dedication to collaboration, social engagement, and education. The artists focused on teaching Du Bois’s iconic text to South Bronx public school students between the fifth and eighth grades. Each of the students created one painting, dipping each page in black watercolor, obscuring the text—essays and short fiction about race, class, and gender issues—and leaving only a small area of legibility, resulting in a 72-panel work. Since its inception, Rollins and K.O.S. have challenged the notion of individual authorship in artwork, in favor of a collaborative structure. A ground- breaking premise in the 1980s, each member lends their own unique perspective and skills, resulting in artwork that centers around social action. Unlimited booth U19
Rollins, along with Angel Abreu and Rick Savinon of K.O.S. will participate in a panel discussion as part of the Art Basel Salon & Conversations program. Moderated by Gianni Jetzer, it will also include other artists who are participating in Unlimited this year. The discussion will take place on Friday, June 17 from 2-3PM at Messe Basel, Hall 1 auditorium. Entry is free with an Art Basel VIP card or purchased ticket.
On view regionally and coinciding with the fair is Shirazeh Houshiary’s museum exhibition, Grains Swirl and Ripples Shift, at Espace Muraille, Geneva, through September 17. In Austria, Erwin Wurm’s Ende is on view through July 31 at the Landesmuseum Niederösterreich in St. Pölten. In Germany, Juergen Teller’s show ENJOY YOUR LIFE! opens on June 10 at the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn; Billy Childish has an exhibition at Opelvillen Russelsheim on view through June 26; Kader Attia’s Sacrifice and Harmony at Museum Für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt can be seen through August 14; Erwin Wurm’s Bei Mutti is on view through September 11 at the Berlinische Galerie, Berlin; and Patrick Van Caeckenbergh’s work will be included in the Fellbach Triennial, titled FOOD—Ecologies of the Everyday, which opens June 11.