Kunsthaus Zürich shows a retrospective devoted to the work of Katharina Fritsch

shearyadi — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 06:10:23 +0000

From 3 June to 30 August 2009, the Kunsthaus Zürich will host a retrospective devoted to the work of Katharina Fritsch, one of the most significant artists of our day. The show will also include new pieces by the artist.

Famed for her large-scale sculptures, whose hypnotic effect the viewer experiences in the blink of an eye, Fritsch plays with humanity’s primeval ideas, desires and fears. Her most recent art ventures into fresh artistic territory, including erotica as seen from the female point of view.

With their succinct visual speech, works such as ‘Warengestell mit Madonnen’ (Display Stand with Madonnas), 1989, ‘Tischgesellschaft’ (Company at Table), 1988, and ‘Elefant’ (Elephant), 1987, firmly anchor themselves in the collective memory of the viewing public and are among the some 80 objects comprised by the retrospective at the Kunsthaus Zürich, where the artist has already been seen in the thematic exhibitions ‘Hypermental’ (2000) and ‘Signs and Wonders’ (1995), both of them, like the present show, curated by Bice Curiger.

The exhibition at the Kunsthaus Zürich is half composed of more recent and entirely new works, including large-format ‘Raumbilder’ (spatial images), which it presents as a precise interaction between sculptures and ethereally oversized silk-screens.

Visitors are greeted by a bright yellow cook bearing a bright yellow plate, on which are arrayed a bright yellow cutlet and similarly coloured potatoes and peas. The brilliant figure stands in front of a large image of a sinister-looking inn, the ‘Schwarzwaldhaus’.

A further prominent example is Fritsch’s ‘Frau mit Hund’ (Woman with Dog), 2004, a large ensemble comprising a female figure composed of pink shells, 32 umbrellas floating on the ceiling, and magnified postcard views.

And while an older group of works by Fritsch constitutes a curious modern elegy to the subject of the ‘garden’, one of her most recent pieces invites the viewer into a ‘meta-bedroom’: in her ‘smiling’ double bed strewn with rose petals and adorned with male pinups, Fritsch ventures with subversive levity into a masculine preserve of art history.

About the artist

Katharina Fritsch was born in Essen in 1956. She studied general and art history in Münster before attending Fritz Schwegler’s classes at the Art Academy of Düsseldorf, and showed her first sculptures in 1979. In the 1980s she frequently took her motifs from the world of commodities.

Her international breakthrough came in 1984 at Düsseldorf’s ‘Von hier aus’ (From Here On) exhibition. In 1988 she exhibited at the Kunsthalle Basel and in 1997 at the Museum für Gegenwartskunst. After representing Germany at the 1995 Venice Biennale she was the recipient of such major awards as the Aachen Prize for Art (1996) and the Piepenbrock Prize for Sculpture (2008).

Katharina Fritsch, 2008 Photo: Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin

Fritsch lives and works in Düsseldorf. In 2001 she was made a professor of sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts Münster, a post she holds to this day. That same year she was the subject of a major one-woman show at the Tate Modern in London, held in cooperation with Düsseldorf’s K21.

Kunsthaus Zürich

Heimplatz 1
CH–8001 Zurich
www.kunsthaus.ch

Open Sat, Sun, Tues 10 a.m.–6 p.m
Wed, Thurs, Fri 10 a.m.–8 p.m.
Holidays: 1 August 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

Germain Calgary Condos by Lemay Michaud Architecture Design

shearyadi — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:01:31 +0000

Beyond a unique typology and a revolutionary vision, The Germain Calgary Condos defines a whole new approach to design, lifestyle and comfort.

Proud of its success in the luxurious boutique hotel domain, the Germain Group draws on their experience in high-end service and hospitality to cross-over into the new dimension of luxury condominiums.

Inserting a condominium tower in the heart of downtown Calgary was a great challenge: How to create an environment to nurture an exciting lifestyle, where one can find gardens, open space, inspiring views and the tranquility of the suburbs while maintaining the advantages of city and condo living.

In order to distance the condos from the ground floor to avoid undesirable views and noise pollution, the condos are literally suspended 45 meters in the air above the hotel and office towers. Seen from the street, the condos appear to be floating in space, hovering above 2 immense pillars, creating a giant arch which becomes the signature and entrance to this unique complex.

Inserted just below the condos and bridging the two towers is a state-of-the-art Spa on two levels, surrounded by planted terraces offering unbeatable views of the Calgary skyline.

These two large green terraces, in addition to contributing to the Spa’s natural environment, underline the project’s fundamental direction: Recreating nature in the city!

The team imagined a succession of terraces, each one set back from the next, creating a cascade of immense gardens. The facades of the condos viewing onto these gardens would be completely glazed, resulting in a contemporary living space with perfect harmony between interior and exterior.

The living spaces are large, high, and open. A unique dynamic is created between the living room, dining room and kitchen. Boasting limestone flooring, these spaces offer a majestic impression. By opening the oversized terrace doors, these spaces extend out into the exterior garden, creating a scale of breathtaking dimensions.

The privacy of each resident has been thought out with the utmost care. The bedrooms are distanced from the living spaces with buffer zones in the form of generous en-suite bathrooms and walk-in closets.

For an unprecedented experience in contemporary living, whether it be for the unique interior design features or for their particular relationship to the city, the Germain Residences redefines the quintessence of luxury and comfort in Calgary.

Source: www.v2com.net
Image courtesy of: Lemay Michaud Architecture Design
www.lemaymichaud.com

Montreal
740, William Street
Montreal, Quebec H3C 1P1
Tel.: 514 397-8737
Fax: 514 397-8739
montreal@lemaymichaud.com

Quebec
111, Saint-Pierre Street
Quebec, Quebec G1K 4A6
Tel.: 418 694-1010
Fax: 418 694-1100
quebec@lemaymichaud.com

Shearyadi's World

Kunsthaus Zürich shows a retrospective devoted to the work of Katharina Fritsch

About the artist

Kunsthaus Zürich

Germain Calgary Condos by Lemay Michaud Architecture Design