Based in the southern 15^th district of Paris, in the heart of the “Swiss Village,” the Maëlle Galerie is a space devoted to contemporary art, especially drawing, which aims to promote Caribbean artists and support the young artistic scene, with a deliberately international view. Art Media Agency met with Olivia Breleur, the founder of the gallery, in order to find out more about this exhibition space.

Could you please introduce your young gallery?

We opened in October 2012 and inaugurated our space with a solo show by graffiti artist Shuck One, titled “Trash Color.” The Maëlle Galerie is a hybrid space, in the sense that it offers the opportunity to purchase works both online and at the gallery, in an actual space. In fact, it is possible to purchase the works of our artists on the internet platform as well as in the showroom where we organise previews every 45 days for our clients. This exhibition space overcomes the terrible dematerialisation of artworks, which can truly be a setback during the acquisition of a work.

How do you select your artists?

We are most welcoming to Caribbean artists; I am from that region and my first meeting with art happened precisely in the workshops of artists from Martinique, my birth place. Nevertheless, it is not a criterion in itself. It is mostly a question of works, of relevancy, rather that mere geographical origin. The strength of the Maëlle Galerie lies in its ability to promote a body of works by emerging artists open to the world.

What is their common feature?

We aim to present different artists side by side, in a fashion I would call “an assertive, heterogeneous coherence.” These artists have opposite speeches and interrogations, but their approach is altogether sensitive. It is rather fun to see how certain works by different artists can converse with others, some ask and others answer. As for the selection, I trust my eyes.

Graffiti artist Shuck offers to produce in situ works for your clients. Do you think that it is necessary today to offer new, innovative services?

We listen to our clients’ wishes and they regularly ask us for such displays. Graffiti artists mainly work in situ, with motifs and in urban spaces on a daily basis. We do not implement such services simply to diversify our offer, but rather to fulfill our clients’ expectations.

The practice of graffiti raises the question of place and context. Can graffiti leave the urban space? Can it be rightly exhibited in galleries? Can it really be transferred on canvas? Though some graffiti artists move easily from street to town, certain collectors really appreciate finding real elements and wall pieces. Demand arouses from collectors as well as institutions and towns with monumental outdoor projects.

From 11 May to 15 June, you are exhibiting drawings by Audry Liseron-Monfils. Can you introduce his work?

The exhibition titled “Just Erase” features nine large-sized works on paper by the artist. Audry Liseron-Monfils is the laureate of the Villa Medici “Hors les Murs” (Outdoors Programme) for a residence in New Orleans and New York. He was namely invited to participate in the 9^th New Delhi Triennial. For his exhibition at the Maëlle Galerie, the artist is presenting drawings referring to his recent stay in Rome. With his sketchbook, he walked through the streets of Rome while drawing frescoes, characters and low reliefs encountered on his way. These sketches later helped him to create his series. By using a multitude of erasers, the artist proposes very graphical interventions on each drawing. The eraser dust is subsequently fixed on the paper.

The very gesture of erasing has already been studied throughout art history by artists such as De Kooning and Raushenberg, to mention only a few. But for Audry Liseron-Monfils, erasing provokes a kind of alteration and erosion of images. This work is interesting in terms of questioning its very surface. By erasing, the artist plays with the successive layers of the images. In this subtraction effort, Audry Liseron-Monfils as an archaeologist wishes to foster the advent of a new type of image.

Why did you specialise in drawings?

I love drawing because it is sincere and true. The very fragility of that medium creates a proximity with the artist’s line, and this is what makes it fascinating. Additionally, this medium is really affordable in terms of cost, which leads young collectors to get interested in it. It is my ambition to be able to help these young collectors. I am very sensitive to this issue because I started my own collection with drawings. One’s first acquisition is always unforgettable. The current context increases the interest raised by that medium since it is possible to buy fine works for most affordable prices. Drawing arouses real enthusiasm these days, as seen in numerous specialised fairs. We took part in DDessin 13, for instance. It proved to be an incredible opportunity to introduce ourselves as a gallery specialised in drawing, and this first encounter with the public was a great success.

Can you explain the peculiarities of your exhibition space?

We settled in the “Swiss Village” in the 15^th district of Paris. As this place is historically known for housing galleries devoted to modern art and antiques, our presence has a highly provocative meaning, both aesthetically and historically. There are only five or six contemporary art galleries around here. It was my wish to stress our difference, to arouse the curiosity of art objects collectors, by contrast. People often come to us saying they want to start with contemporary art, and we are here to help them. During our first exhibition devoted to graffiti, there were some very surprising reactions.

Our showroom’s glass appearance is also a surprise: three of the four walls are transparent, which gives us the opportunity to produce “hide and seek” scenographies. These glass surfaces also force viewers to move their gaze from the inside to the outside, in order to better see the works.

The links I create with my collectors are very important to me. Today, the whole system of galleries is being questioned because of welcome failures. The Maëlle Galerie is a 9-sqm space; this provokes dialogue with our visitors. I like to have the time to chat and to make appointments. We are art enthusiasts and lovers before being gallery owners and collectors: this dialogue is crucial in my opinion.

What would be your first assessment?

After only three months of existence, we were invited to our first fair, the DDessin in Paris. This first participation confirms the relevancy of our artistic choices and gives legitimacy to our young gallery.

The artists we showcase all have excellent backgrounds and references, which brings ever increasing credibility. This is our fourth exhibition to date, and our previous events all received a most positive welcome.

Our small size and renewal enable us to offer new events every 45 days, in order to be dynamic and always in the excitement of creation. As for our other projects, I am eager to attend other fairs in France, and why not abroad.

From 9 May to 9 June 2013, the Nicelle Beauchene Gallery is presenting a group exhibition titled “Valori Plastici”.

The exhibition examines the tradition of metaphysical painting in a contemporary context, featuring works by artists such as Jesse Chapman, Jennifer Cohen, Kristen Jensen, Jill Mason and Adam Putnam. The works are composed of a variety of mediums, comprising painting, sculpture, installations and photography.

Metaphysical painting was a short-lasting movement that preceded Surrealism. Its leading figures included Giorgio de Chirico and Carlo Carrà, whose practice was influenced by Nietzsche’s theory of the Eternal Return.

From 25 May to 6 July 2013, the Rotwand Gallery in Zürich will exhibit works by artist and film director Klaus Lutz (1940-2009).

Following the retrospective organised in 2012 at the Museum Haus Konstruktiv Zürich, the gallery presents a solo show of the artist’s work. Starting with the idea that the written language will soon be replaced by an entirely visual communication, Klaus Lutz has created a complex system of signs  which he has applied to different mediums, including 16mm films, photography, drawings, engravings and performances.

The exhibition held at the Rotwand Gallery is focused on the work titled Titan, the last film directed by Lutz in 2008. Presented through a device known as ‘The Balloon Projection’, invented by Luz himself, the film presents a story illustrating the themes of space exploration and delusions of grandeur.

Tate Britain has acquired an important work by British painter John Constable for the sum of £23.1m

The purchase of The Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows (1831) could be carried out thanks to the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund of £15.8m, the biggest sum ever given by the fund in order to buy a painting. Another £1m was paid by the Art Fund.

Since 1938, the work had been loaned by the National Gallery of Art in London but the owner’s family recently decided to sell it. The canvas depicts an impressive cathedral under the sky with a rainbow.

19^th-century landscapist John Constable explored throughout his career the themes of history, religion and portrait.

From 8 June to 6 October 2013, Tate Liverpool will organise an exhibition devoted to New York artist Moyra Davey. Titled “Moyra Davey: Hangmen of England,” the event will allow visitors to discover the works created with photographs taken during the artist’s trip to Liverpool and Manchester. These photographs are marked with personal stories as well as literary narrative threads. According to her usual artistic practice, Moyra Davey subsequently sends her works to the towns where they were created, the presence of the stamps on these works indicating where she travelled.

Moyra Davey is a photographer, writer and film director. Her work is based on the exploration of complex films, thanks to her use of modest artistic means. Her photographs portray ordinary objects such as vinyl and empty bottles, the beauty of which is revealed to offer a peaceful vision of the world. She thus revisits daily life objects in a new and surprising way.

The Musée d’Art Contemporain in Montreal is offering an exhibition dedicated to abstraction until 20 October 2013.

Titled “On Abstraction II, Remarks on colour,” the event presents 16 works produced between 1967 and 2010 by Canadian and international artists. Several movements and techniques are represented, such as geometrical abstraction, minimal art, conceptual art, painting, sculpture, photography and installation. For this second presentation on the series “On Abstraction,” emphasis is placed on the role played by colours in each work. It is thus possible to discover the works of Daniel Buren, Kenneth Noland, Sol LeWitt as well as Pieter Laurens Mol.

“On Abstraction II” follows the exhibition “On Abstraction” presented at the museum from April 2012 to March 2013.

On the occasion of the 300^th anniversary of the death of Ferdinand de Medici, the Uffizi Gallery will dedicate an exhibition to the grand-duke from 25 June to 3 November 2013. The purpose of this event is to highlight the collection and confirmed patronage of this member of the Medici family.

The exhibition will be split into seven sections, which will allow viewers to travel through the different periods of the collection and patronage activities of the prince. Thus, the beginning will be devoted to his first years at the Pratolino Villa, which will be followed by the renovation of the Palazzo Pitti and of the cathedral in Florence. The third section will highlight Ferdinand de Medici’s increasing interest in figurative art. Finally, the last section will spotlight the impact of his patronage and collection activities.

Artists have been interested in the possibilities presented by video since the first half of the 20^th century, yet the medium’s rise to prominence has occurred slowly. Long ignored, or eschewed in favour of other media, today video works have become established as a central component of the contemporary art world. Far from the realm of multi-million pound auctions, video works are nevertheless now feature in some of the world’s most renowned art institutions, and at art fairs worldwide. They are gradually becoming more prominent in auction houses, crossing a boundary which had formerly seemed to restrict their inclusion.

From the 1950s onwards, artists in the US began to veer from the traditional paths in contemporary art to explore a world of new media. At the end of the decade, American pop artist Tom Wesselman began to incorporate televisions into his works, whilst Clement Greenberg stated that the act of creating a work of art had become increasingly about the convergence of art and technology. Television had become an increasingly prominent factor in the daily lives of America’s citizens, with Bill Viola going so far as to state that he had a ‘seven channel childhood’.

An exhibition at The Parnasse Gallery in Wuppertal, Germany, saw the art group Fluxus – composed of German Wolf Vostell and Korean Nam June Paik – alter the cathode ray tube from a television set, changing the machine’s electronic circuitry. Nam June Paik’s work continued to involve the modification of television sets, with the artist’s practice increasingly seeing her make alterations to their electronic circuitry, resulting in the manipulation of televised images. It is widely considered that these early videos, and the works of Paik, marked the birth of video art as a genre.

Video art is presented in two different forms, appearing either in ‘single channel’ form, as a single video presented on a screen, or as a component of a larger installation. In ‘single channel’ works, the difference between the video as artwork and the video as classic television programme is less clearly refined. Video installations, however, form part of an environment which is more obviously constructed: several videos might be presented separately, a group of screens might join to form a single video,or a film might become part of a sculpture and so on. In ‘single channel’ form, it can be harder to recognise the video as an artistic work, notably when the Producer of the work is yet to be identified as an artist.

On the difference between video and video art

The broader public might sometimes struggle to acknowledge video art’s standing as a fully-fledged genre with a valid place in the visual art world. It is important, therefore, to clarify the difference between a video created as an art work, and a video whose function is to entertain or present narrative.

One of the principal differences between video art and cinema, is that the former is not defined or directed by a series of conventions. Video art isn’t necessarily obliged to have actors, dialogue, plot or narration. This distinction is important, because it differentiates video art, not only from cinema, but also from sub-categories where the difference may become unclear (as in the case of avant-garde cinema or short films).

Video works and the art market

There is no large auction house which has a department dedicated solely to the sale of video works: though video is now well-established as a medium, it has not yet become permanent feature on the art market, an absence which might be attributed to the failure of video art to be recognised as an artistic, or fully developed medium, the small volume of video works in existence, or problems of ownership – a pertinent factor when considering a medium which might very easily be replicated. The great pioneer of video art Nam June Paik, who has been creating her manipulated-television images since 1959, has recently seen her work recognised – and perhaps made more legitimate – by high auction prices. In May 2007, Paik’s work reached a record price when it was sold at auction, four days before Wolf Vostell achieved a similar record. Christie’s Hong Kong released video works by Nam Juin Paik entitled Wright Brothers, which sold at $540,000 (€364,000). The artist’s works have not achieved similar sale prices since this time, suffering from a market affected by a steadily increasing rate of unsold works. The art market has instead turned its attention towards younger artists such as Bill Viola, whose work ‘Eternal Return’ achieved the world record for the sale of a video work, fetching $613,000 when it was sold by Phillips of London on 20 October.

Other notable sales include that of William Kentridge’s installation piece Preparing the Flute, which sold for $500,000 (€348,400) when it was auctioned at Sotheby’s New York in May 2011. Modelled on an Italian theatre, the work shows animations which move in time to an extract from Mozart’s famous Magic Flute. At the time of writing, the minimum price for a work by the artist is around $20,000. Bruce Nauman was listed amongst the top ten most important artists at auction in a list compiled by Artprice between May 2010 and May 2012; his work Good Boy, Bad Boy reached $320,000 (€384,400) when it was sold at Christie’s New York on 8 November.

Even disregarding the record sale price achieved by his work Eternal Return, Bill Viola is undeniably the artist most favoured by the current market. In 2002, he sold the video work Incrementation for $61,000, and his work is featured in international collections world-wide. Each of these factor contributes to his ongoing popularity with art institutions internationally.

Another form of video art is its use as a means of filming performance works. Serbian artist Marina Abramovic is uncontestably the specialist in this field: at last year’s Art Basel, her video performance Imponderabilia (1977) was sold to Sean Kelly Gallery for a price of $180,000.

The exhibition of video works

Despite these important sales, video artists remain restricted by the spaces in which they are able to show their works, predominantly exhibiting in galleries or museums. In France, the Centre Pompidou has shown an active interest in the medium since 2000, organising a monthly event entitled Vidéos et Après (Videos and Beyond) which shows works from the Musée National d’Art Moderne. Exploring the works of video artists from 1960 to the present day, the initiative allows visitors to encounter a variety of artists and contemporary art historians through video showings, conventions, and debates. Other international museums are similarly engaging with the medium: Tate London has established a ‘Film and Special Acquisitions Fund’, allowing the institution to acquire Christian Marclay’s Video Quartet (2002).

Marclay first came to international attention through his work The Clock, a 24 hour-long video which gives indications of time – such as clocks, watches or voice announcements – through scenes taken from cinema and television. The work was exhibited at MoMA, where it was seen by over 40,000 visitors, having already attracted 11,500 people when it was displayed at the Paula Cooper Gallery in 2011, and 18,000 when it was exhibited at the Lincoln Centre the year before. The video was awarded the Golden Lion at the 2011 Venice Biennale, demonstrating the critical acclaim which video works are now capable of commanding. The Clock has since been jointly acquired by the Centre Pompidou, the Musée National d’Art Moderne, Paris, the Israel Museum of Jerusalem and the Tate London.

Elsewhere, the Stelijk Museum, Amsterdam, held an exhibition devoted to the works of Mike Kelley – a show which moves to Paris’s Centre Pompidou Centre between 2 May and 5 August 2013. Kelley will present works comprising painting, video, sculpture, audio and video. Another mark of the genre’s success was its prominence at the 58^th Contemporary Art Fair in Montrouge, where a prize was awarded to video works by French artist Justine Pluvinage, who trained at the École Nationale Supérieure de la Photographie in Arles.

Created in 2003, Barcelona’s Loop Fair is the first art fair dedicated entirely to video, and demonstrates the increased interest in video art works. Now in its eleventh edition, this year’s fair takes place between 23 and 25 May, and allows video artists to firmly establish themselves in the world of art fairs, giving them a presence which has not always been evident. This annual fair also permits both professionals and enthusiastic amateurs from the field to meet and share their interests, in a forum dedicated entirely to the video works.

The increasing visibility of video works has resulted in a pique in public interest in the medium, boding well for its future development. The unique ability for video to be shared via the internet and social media means that it is highly accessible form of art, which might gain a wide audience. Whether there is a viable economic platform for video art, however, remains to be seen; formal sales are rarely evident beyond the realm of very renowned video artists. Yet this challenge, along with the new possibilities opened up by video art, might bring about a revolution to the contemporary art market as it stands today.

On 23 May, the Metropolitan Museum in New York reopened its department devoted to European paintings from 1250 to 1800.

After some renovation works that allowed it to expand its surface by almost 30%, the space now offers more than 700 works in 45 galleries. The new space is organised according to chronology and geography, in order to enable visitors to appreciate Italian, French, Spanish, Dutch, Belgian, German and British paintings.

Sculptures, medallions and ceramics have been added alongside the paintings. Some important works were borrowed and added to the permanent collections of the museum on the occasion of this reinstallation.

“As we mark the completion of the new European Paintings Galleries, we celebrate this collection’s remarkable legacy and significance to the Met,” Thomas P. Campbell, the general manager of the Metropolitan Museum explained. “By substantially increasing the space devoted to these works of art and integrating new scholarship in the galleries and online, Keith Christiansen and his team of curators now present the first comprehensive rethinking of these holdings in over four decades. The result is an extraordinary experience for our more than six million annual visitors from around the world.”

Two years and a half after its launching, Alain Seban, the director of the Centre Pompidou, has announced the termination of the Mobile Centre Pompidou. This project, destined to bring art to culturally inaccessible regions, seems to have difficulties finding candidate towns to receive the installation created by architect Patrick Bouchain. In fact, receiving this mobile museum comes with a cost of about €400,000.

However, Alain Seban is not planning on putting a definitive term to the idea of an itinerant museum. This project could later be converted into a “Temporary Centre Pompidou” with an installation in France or abroad “for three or four years.”

Online auction house Paddle8 has secured an option to acquire 3% of Artnet’s company shares. For now, these shares belong to the Redline Capital Management, an investement company based in Luxembourg, which launched a hostile takeover bid for Artnet during last summer.

Redline also participated in a new round of investments throughout the past two months and acquired a participation of about 3% in Paddle8. Redline may soon join the latter’s board.

Paddle8 presents its intention as “a good will gesture” in favour of Artnet, not as a takeover, even though the merger of these two companies should allow it to reach the lead as an online auction house. Artnet stated that it is not against this merger and that it will be possible to establish an agreement in order to work together. However, the conditions of this agreement are not yet set. As a matter of fact, Jacob Pabst, Artnet’s CEO, does not see any short-term interest in such a union.

Contacted by telephone, Hans Obermeier, Redline’s spokesperson, confirmed that Redline is indeed seeking to exit Artnet and cede its remaining participation (6%) avoiding putting the shares on the market: “Paddle8’s option potentially covers half of our participation regarding Artnet.” the 3% remaining shares should be covered by another yet undisclosed entity.

When questioned about the conditions of the option given to Paddle8, he said that “The option can be activated during one year. There is no link between the idea of the option and our investment in Paddle8. Our interest in Paddle8 has developed before this deal was on the table.”

Jacob Pabst was contacted by email but has not yet responded.

“We see complementary strengths in Paddle8 and Artnet’s businesses. Paddle8 will benefit from Artnet’s price database and listings business, contributing to a winning model for leading the online auction space. This is not a takeover, but rather a move towards a potential future collaboration,” Osman Khan, Paddle8’s COO stated by email.

Concerning Redline’s participation regarding his company, he added that “Redline is an experienced art world investor with proven success in the sector. We welcome them into the investor group at Paddle8.”

Artnet, an online auction house and data supplier, was founded in 1989 in Germany and was a major player in its field until recently. Last year, the company experienced some substantial loses, which were accompanied by a decrease in the value of its shares and by the closing of its online art magazine. Pabst presented these negative results as the fruit of an investment policy carried out by its company that should enable it to gain positive results in the year to come.

On 21 March, gallery owners Jérôme and Emmanuelle de Noirmont announced the closing of their Parisian gallery located in the 8^th district for twenty years, scheduled on 23 March. They explained their decision with the fact that current context of the art market in France does not allow galleries without international ambitions to develop.

Since then, Jérôme de Noirmont started to build an outline of a project that he is currently holding. “We want to invent a new form of art display in order to stimulate creation and widen the public’s appreciation” he said. This will can be explained by a dichotomy of actual situation described by the art dealer as follows: on the one hand there are small structures that play the part of “laboratories” and on the other hand “mega-galleries”. For now he did not precise his plans but it is possible that the gallery’s closing was only an excuse for a “future development” that will find its place on the French art market.

From 22 May to 10 August 2013, the Ben Brown Fine Arts Gallery in Hong Kong will present the first Asian solo show of British artist Frank Auerbach.

The event titled “Portraits” gathers paintings and drawings, the only mediums used by the artist since the 1970s. Auerbach’s painting technique is based on the superposition of layers of paint. In fact, the artist puts a layer of acrylic or oil paint that he later scratches. Marks left are covered with paint and in the end after several months or years of repeating this process a thick layer covers the canvas.

Frank Auerbach has been exhibited at the Hayward Gallery in London, at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid.

The Alexander Calder Foundation awarded Darren Bader with the 2013 Calder Prize. This prize rewards the work of “contemporary artists who have completed exemplary work early in their careers and whose work can be interpreted as a continuation of Alexander Calder’s legacy.” The prize comes with $50,000 as well as a residency at the Atelier Calder in Saché, France.

Darren Bader is an American artist whose work, a room filled with “sculptures” – living cats, was exhibited last year at MoMA PS1. The artist is represented by Andrew Kreps in New York, Sadie Coles HQ in London and Franco Noero in Turin. He will participate in the Venice Biennale.

South Korean artist Terry Ryu Kim won the 2013 edition of the Catlin Art Prize. He was awarded for an installation titled Screening Solution I, II & III. The jury consisted of painter Dexter Dalwood, gallery owner Ceri Hang and collector Valeria Napoleone. The artist was awarded a £5,000-cash prize.

Screening Solution I, II & III is inspired in the way the human body is manipulated by architecture and technology. The piece consists in a series of screens, projections and cameras that give the spectator his way through the exhibition and drive him to become a performer inside the installation.

Ceri Hand, member of the jury, stated that: “We selected Terry Ryu Kim because the work – ideas, materials, execution and installation – felt mature, concise, pertinent and unique. It draws on public spaces and speaks of intimacy, control, collective identity and the fragmentation of the self.”

Juliana Endberg, artistic director of the Biennale of Sydney, revealed some of the artists taking part in the 19^th edition. The event titled “You Imagine What You Desire” will host renowned artists as well as emerging creators. Scheduled from 21 March to 9 June 2014, the topic of this edition wishes to “celebrate artistic imagination that allows to describe and explore the world through metaphor and poetry.”

Among the names recently revealed we might mention Maxime Rossi, Henna-Riikka Halonen, Yingmei Duan and Yael Bartana.

The direction of contemporary art fair Manifesta announced that the 2016 edition will be held in Zurich.

In the press release, the organisers explain their choice: “Zurich has a very long history of artistic and intellectual liberalism. It was historically an incubator for revolutionary political and artistic movements. During periods of historical upheaval in Europe, Zurich offered asylum to intellectuals from around the world. Today’s Zurich is one of the most economically and technologically advanced cities in the world. This rich and rapidly evolving urban setting will give Manifesta 11 the opportunity to explore critical global issues relating to the processes of urbanisation, urban space and society while reassessing the role art can play in these problematics.”

The upcoming 2014 edition of Manifesta will be held at the Ermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

The programming of the Contemporary Art Biennial held in Lyon from 12 September 2013 to 5 January 2014 has been recently announced, though some names had already been revealed in the past months. Thus, for this 12^th edition, renowned artists are awaited, among which we might mention Jeff Koons, Tom Sachs and Yoko Ono, along with the younger generation represented by Trisha Baga and Helen Marten.

According to the organisers, over 80% of the works were created especially for the occasion. In addition, three thematic weekends have been scheduled: from 19 to 20 October performance, from 30 November to 1 December video art, and the last one will be devoted to robotics.

Among the participating artists let us mention Robert Gober, Antoine Catala, Lili Reynaud-Dewar, Zhang Ding and Ed Atkins.

The Leila Heller Gallery announced its upcoming exhibition of Shoja Azari titled “Love Me, Love Me Not” held from 1 June to 24 November 2013 on the occasion of the 55^th Venice Biennale.

This exhibition is an unprecedented event devoted to contemporary art from Azerbaijan and around. It showcases works by 17 artists from Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, Russia and Georgia. The event is produced and supported by YARAT, a non-profit contemporary art institution located in Baku and organised under the curatorship of Dina Nasser-Khadivi.

As the most ambitious project up-to-date, Shoja Azari will direct a commissioned movie titled The King of Black, that depicts a chapter of an epic poem dated from the 12^th century, by Nizami of Ganja. In the recent years, Azari has gained renown by adapting historical and traditional works in a contemporary context. In both The Day of the Last Judgement (2009) and Untitled (2012), Azari uses Persian miniatures and paintings representing coffee shops as a background for contemporary conflict, war or political horror.

The gallery will also present works by Faig Ahmed who is using motives from Azari’s tapestries as a point of departure and reinterprets them in the context of rapid changes faced by Azerbeijan in the process of achieving Modernity.

The Blickachsen Biennial has recently established itself as one of the most important events concerning sculptures in public spaces in Germany. The opening ceremony is scheduled on 26 May 2013 and the exhibition will be running through 6 October 2013.

Every two years, the event presents installations and large-scale works produced by famous sculptors as well as emerging artists that are exhibited in the Bad Homburg Garden and other places in the Rhine-Main region. Reflecting various art trends, each Biennial edition is organised under the curatorship of different international museum.

This year, the founder and curator Christian Scheffel has worked with Olivier Kaeppelin, director of the French Foundation Marguerite et Aimé Maeght. The exhibition showcases 90 works produced by artists issued from 14 countries, notably by Arman (USA), Hans Arp (France), Richard Deacon (Netherlands) and Ricardo Calero (Spain).