Ocula Report ART X Lagos: Nigeria’s Art Renaissance 17 Nov 2018 : Jareh Das for Ocula Nigeria's art scene has flourished over the last decade, leading to a renewed interest in cultivating and supporting modern and contemporary art in the country. Ranked Africa's largest economy in 2017, making up 0.8 percent of the world's GDP, a surge in wealth amongst some individuals has led to a developing collector base (not to mention rising...
Ocula Conversation Cao Fei Artist Cao Fei's first large-scale institutional exhibition in Asia, A hollow in a world too full (8 September 2018–4 January 2019), is taking place at Tai Kwun Contemporary in Hong Kong, the city's new non-profit art centre housed in a former colonial police and prison complex in Central. Organised in collaboration with Ullens Center for Contemporary Art...
Ocula Report Shanghai's West Bund and Art021 fairs overlap in 2018 17 Nov 2018 : Diana d’Arenberg for Ocula The last time I visited West Bund Art & Design was four years ago, when the fair was in its first year of operation: a small, boutique offering held in a cavernous hangar that seemed too big for it. Much has changed since then. Mirroring the rapid development of the city itself, West Bund has grown from 25 galleries in 2014 to a fair that...
Since its establishment in 1992, Galerie Urs Meile has contributed to the presentation and dissemination of contemporary art, from painting and sculpture to photography, installation and video. The gallery is working from two locations: Lucerne (Switzerland) and Beijing (China). While its center of operations is based in Switzerland, the Beijing gallery has established itself as an international meeting place for collectors, curators, artists and aficionados of the arts.
Galerie Urs Meile was one of the first international galleries to focus on the Chinese art scene and has been working on an international level with Chinese artists since 1995. The gallery represents established artists such as Wang Xingwei, Xie Nanxing, Qiu Shihua, Not Vital, Tobias Rehberger (in Asia), as well as emerging artists such as Cao Yu, Chen Fei, Cheng Ran, Li Gang, Zhou Siwei, Hu Qingyan and Julia Steiner.
The opening of Galerie Urs Meile’s new space in the 798 Art District in Beijing in May 2017 marks a further stage in the expansion of the gallery’s activities. The new space is located in one of 798’s historical buildings that once made up the Dashanzi factory complex. The former warehouse has been completely renovated under the guidance of the Japanese architect Mitsunori Sano. On 520 square meters, it contains generous exhibition and reception areas, offices, and storage rooms. Offering perfect conditions for exhibitions and events featuring its diverse roster of contemporary artists, the new venue represents Galerie Urs Meile’s commitment to the city’s vibrant art scene.
The artist-in-residence program supported and run by Galerie Urs Meile in Beijing offers Western artists the opportunity to work in China for several months and establish a network within the Chinese art scene. In the frame of this cooperation, emerging and established artists present projects that have been specifically made for the Beijing gallery space.
Rebekka SteigerRiders on the Storm, 2017 oil and tempera on canvas
Shao FanRabbit Portrait - Dingyou 1, 2017 Ink on rice paper
Anatoly ShuravlevNew Old Big Japan, 2013 C-print, hand engraved acrylic glass
Ocula Photolog West Bund Art & Design 2018 9 November 2018 'With a strong selection of returning exhibitors, the 2018 edition welcomes 87 galleries in the Galleries section, among which 39 are participating for the first time.'– West Bund Art & Design (8–11 November 2018).
Ocula Photolog Art Basel 2018 15 June 2018 'The anchor of Art Basel's show is its Galleries sector. Art Basel 2018 edition welcomes 16 galleries that join the fair for the first time, further rejuvenating the show and giving younger galleries the opportunity to present their program alongside today's leading established galleries.' –Art Basel (14–17 June 2018).
Ocula Photolog Art Basel in Hong Kong 2018 29 March 2018 'The sixth edition of Art Basel in Hong Kong brought together a uniquely global mix of galleries spanning six continents, outstanding artworks by established and new artists from across theworld and a singular gathering of international collectors and institutions.' –Art Basel in Hong Kong (29–31 March 2018).
Ocula Photolog Art Basel in Miami Beach 2017 14 December 2017 'Drawn from 32 countries across North and South America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, the exhibitors will present artworks ranging from Modern masterpieces and historical projects to new works by both established and emerging artists. –Art Basel in Miami Beach (7–10 December 2017).
Related Press Strange Days review – fishy kisses, naked prancing and ribald revenge The Guardian : 3 October 2018 Strange Days: Memories of the Future is overwhelming: complex, at times annoying and confusing, repetitive, uplifting and baffling. Like life, really. Films and videos by 21 artists are spread over three floors of the Store X on London's Strand.
Related Press Sydney Biennale modestly comes of age with moments of curatorial brilliance The Conversation : 16 March 2018 If a 21st birthday "coming of age" observance can be applied to cultural events, 2018 marks the launch into adulthood of the Biennale of Sydney. In some ways Sydney's biennale was a precocious child, turning its back during infancy on mainstream Eurocentric art in favour of exploring its local geographic region, early on including...
Related Press Picturing Ai Weiwei in Istanbul Hyperallergic : 5 January 2018 In an era where superstar Chinese artist Ai Weiwei feels ubiquitous, this past summer I experienced the full extent of that reality over the course of two months. After attending a New York preview for his new film about migrants, Human Flow (2017), I traveled to Israel to visit a major exhibition of his work at the Israel Museum in West Jerusalem,...
Related Press Critic’s Guide: Beijing Frieze : 14 November 2017 From explorations into the varied meanings of 'Asia' to an uncomfortably personal solo show, highlights of the best shows across the cityDiscordant Harmony: Observations of Artistic Practices in East Asia at the Transition between the 1980s and 1990s, Beijing Inside-Out Art Museum, 4 November – 4 February 2018.Beijing is the final stop in a...
