fm3, a most intriguing duet, have produced the most inovative concept to come out of the minuscule Chinese abstract-electronic music scene. The two lap-toppers–Christiaan Virant, an American expat who has lived in China for 17 years, and Zhang Jian, a Sichuan-born man who looks as though a manga artist created him–talk about their music in […]

Shuzo Takiguchi, who was born in 1903 and died in 1979 at the age of seventy-five, was a poet and art critic as well as a visual artist. During this multifaceted career Takiguchi, closely attuned as he was to the latest trends in avant-garde art overseas, left an indelible stamp on the development of modern […]

For their tenth anniversary, the Weston Art Gallery’s "Ideas into Objects," features just under 80 artists who were asked to create a new work based on one of Leonardo da Vinci’s sketches. The results are somewhat mixed, however, there are some stellar standouts. Decoding da Vinci "Ideas into Objects: Reinterpreting the Notebooks of Leonardo da […]

Swedish legends weave haunting tales of H�lsingland, the land of myths and stories. The j�ttar, powerful giants, used their strength to transform the landscape. As a boy, Olle Jonsson was entranced by this folklore. As an adult, Jonsson has called upon the heroes of such legends as inspiration for his paintings, drawings, collages and enormous […]

Raw, the dictionary tells us, is a state of purity; the unblended, undiluted and unprocessed. Raw is also an art festival, where unframed paintings are simply blue-tacked to the Gallery walls. "Many artists, including myself, did not put prices up and did not really care for selling their work," says Piers Midwinter, organizer and founder […]

The 21st Century revival of Manhattan’s time-honored public hanging tradition comes to us from an unlikely source. Born out of the Austrian artist collective, Assocreation, this latest incarnation favors metaphor over morbidity. "A public hanging is literally what we are doing. A Public Hanging for the Faint of Heart Wiley Norvell Scenes from Assocreation’s A […]

I wonder if Japanese contemporary art has an identity in any true sense of the word. Having largely exhausted their ability to present unconventional artistic ideas, most Japanese artists are now waiting for new developments. Koichi Hiraki at Gallery Tubaki, Ginza, Tokyo Hideharu Ogawa Translated by Masato Fujii courtesy of the artist I wonder if […]

The best solo show in New York City this summer (besides my own, of course) was Will Ryman (son of Robert) at Gasser Grunert. September/October Picks By Christopher Chambers Ben Beaudoin, “The Human Cost”, 2004. foamand acrylic, 85 x 40 x 26 inches The best solo show in New York City this summer (besides my […]

"They must be made to ascend until they arrive at the good; but…they must be made to descend again among the prisoners of the den, and partake of their labors and honors…." Platonic Dialogues: In and Out of the Cave By David Markus J.D. Messick’s rope installation (upper left) arches over the paintings and wall […]

Word Up Williamsburg: there’s another artsy neighborhood in Brooklyn that seems to be gaining attention. A Boom Grows in Brooklyn By James Kalm Axelle Fine Art Word Up Williamsburg: there’s another artsy neighborhood in Brooklyn that seems to be gaining attention. A whole section of South Brooklyn (just south of Downtown) has finally achieved the […]