NEWSFLASH: NEW WORLD RECORD MAGNIFICENT MOSQUE LAMP MAKES £5.1 MILLION AT BONHAMS – HIGHEST PRICE ACHIEVED FOR A GLASS OBJECT AT AUCTION
A Mamluk enamelled glass mosque lamp made for Chief of Corps Saif ad-din Sarghitmish (d.1358) Egypt or Syria, 1351-1358 AD. Sold for £5,130,400 (estimate: £600,000-1,000,000)
London - The 14th-century Sarghitmish lamp from Egypt, one of the rarest and most important examples of Islamic glass ever offered at auction, sold for £5,130,400 at Bonhams Islamic and Indian Art Sale on Tuesday 12 November 2024 amid competitive bidding in the room and on the phones. The Sarghitmish lamp is now the highest priced glass object ever sold at auction. It had an estimate of £600,000-1,000,000. The lamp was consigned by a descendant of Egypt’s first Prime Minister, Nubar Pasha, having been in the family for more than a century. It had been regarded by the family as a decorative piece – it had been used as a vase for dried flowers.
Nima Sagharchi, Bonhams’ Group Head of Middle Eastern, Islamic and South Asian Art comments, “We are absolutely delighted with this result. The Sarghitmish lamp is a magnificent work of art and craftsmanship. Not only is this lamp extremely rare, it has an impressive and extensive exhibition history, having been showcased in some of Paris’ most important museums.”
Oliver White, Bonhams’ Head of Islamic and Indian Art adds, “From the mid-1800s, the lamp belonged to the prominent French collector Charles Schefer, and in 1906 it became part of the collection of Armenian aristocrat Boghos Nubar Pasha, the son of Egypt's first Prime Minister. It has been passed down in his family ever since. The rarity of the object, together with this impressive provenance, make it one of the most important pieces of Islamic glassware ever to come to market.”
A shining example of medieval glassware
Mosque lamps are considered some of the most technically accomplished examples of medieval glassware anywhere in the world. The technique of simultaneously gilding and enamelling glass was almost unique to the Mamluk court, where they were produced in the 13th and 14th centuries for decoration and provision of light in Mosques. Illuminating a Mosque was considered an act of religious patronage, so Mosque lamps were usually dedicated by Sultans and Dignitaries. This particular lamp was commissioned by the Mamluk Emir Sarghitmish, a powerful chief during the reign of al Nasir-Hasan. The lamp carries both his name and the Sultan’s name, as well as the blazon of Sarghitmish. It was most likely hung in the Madrasa of Sarghitmish, a very prominent Mosque, that still stands today in Cairo’s Medieval quarter. In 1907, the scholar Yacoub Artin Pasha celebrated the lamp’s beauty observing, “In its entirety, this lamp is on a par with the most beautiful enamelled glass lamps I have seen and studied.”
Professor Robert Hillenbrand, writing in Bonhams Magazine, explains: “Each lamp was hung by chains from the roof or tie-beams, in a place of worship, no matter what building type it adorned. Its function was practical, religious and political… In the dim penumbra of such buildings, these lamps were a practical necessity; they enclosed wicks suspended in glass oil containers and created pools of mobile yellow light amid the darkness. The light was both emitted and reflected, and as the viewer moved, so the separate colours of the lamp – blue, gold, black – came into focus one after another as they caught the light.” Read the full article here.
A powerful display of piety and politics
The lamp is inscribed with a verse from surah al-Nur (light) from the Qur’an, a reminder that Mosque lamps served as a physical manifestation of the light of Allah, and that their production was considered an important act of religious patronage by wealthy and powerful figures. It was standard practice in medieval enamelled lamps that their upper inscription was Qur’anic. Various texts were popular, none more so than the verse, “God is the Light of the heavens and the earth, the likeness of His Light is as a niche wherein is a lamp.” In the Sarghitmish Lamp more of the verse is given, with the letters closely packed together in three tiers. Patrons like Sarghitmish also squeezed every last ounce of publicity out of the objects that they ordered. Set in rows, these lamps proclaimed over and over again the name and rank of the Emir Sarghitmish, a message amplified by the emblem of his rank and his official titles ending with the name of the ruling Sultan: “His Honourable and High Excellency our Lord, the Royal, the Well-Served, the Swordsman, Sarghitmish, Chief of a Corps of Mamluks of al-Malik al-Nasir”. His titles are located nearer the viewer and are larger in scale than the upper Qur’anic inscription. The lower inscription includes Sarghitmish’s repeated emblem in the form of a shield – a red napkin(buqja) which stands out against a white field and identifies him as Master of the Robes (jamdar). Thus, his madrasa became a stage for self-display in a powerful blend of piety and politics.
Widely published and exhibited
The Mamluk enamelled glass mosque lamp is one of the largest, most extensively published and widely exhibited examples of its kind. Its exhibition history includes displays in three of Paris' major museums in the 19th century: The Musée Guimet in 1869, The Musée des Arts Décoratifs at the Louvre in 1903, and the Palais du Trocadéro in 1878. The lamp also featured in at least ten major publications dating back to 1869 including being illustrated as early as 1907 in the Bulletin de L'institut Egyptien, where it is the subject of extensive commentary by the prominent Egyptian Armenian scholar, Yacoub Artin Pasha.
About The Bonhams Network
Bonhams is a global network of auction houses, with the largest number of international salerooms, offering the widest range of collecting categories and selling at all price points. Bonhams is recognised for its bespoke service, and a dedication to local market relationships, enhanced by a global platform. With 14 salerooms, Bonhams presents over 1,000 sales annually, across more than 60 specialist categories, including fine art, collectables, luxury, wine & spirits, and collector cars.
Founded in 1793, Bonhams has representatives in more than 30 countries and operates flagship salerooms in London, New York, Paris, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong. In 2022, Bonhams added four international auction houses to its network: Bukowskis, Stockholm; Bruun Rasmussen, Copenhagen; Cornette de Saint Cyr, Paris and Brussels; and Skinner, Massachusetts. The success of Bonhams’ global strategy is a result of recognising the shift in growing intercontinental buying and increased digital engagement. More information HERE
In 2023, Bonhams achieved 14% growth with $1.14 billion in turnover. Recent important auctions and landmark single-owner collections, include the white glove sales of Sir Michael Caine: The Personal Collection, Alain Delon: Sixty Years of Passion; Sir Roger Moore: The Personal Collection; Personal Property of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and The Robert & Jean-Pierre Rousset Collection of Asian Art: A Century of Collecting. Other notable single-owner sales included The Estate of Barbara Walters: American Icon; The Alan and Simone Hartman Collection; The Crown Auction: Props and Costumes and The Claude de Marteau Collection.
Top lots for 2023 include 1967 Ferrari 412P Berlinetta, Sold at Quail Lodge, US for US$30,255,000. Tipu Sultan’s Bedchamber Sword (sold in London for £14m – a world record for both an Islamic and an Indian object); Paul Signac (1863-1935), Sisteron, 1902. Sold for US$8,580,000 (estimate US$4-6 million), and Claude Monet (1840-1926), La Seine près de Giverny, 1888. Sold for US$6,352,500 (estimate US$4-6m), both from the Alan and Simone Hartman Collection; A Gilt Copper Alloy figure of Virupaksha, Central Tibet, Densatil Monastery, Early 15th century. Sold for HK$37.9m (£4,060,326) in Hong Kong. Yoshitomo Nara (born 1959) Three Stars. Sold for HK$36,754,000 (£3,930,914, also in Hong Kong
For more information about this auction and others featured By Bonhams, please visit their site. Bonhams can also be found on Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, and Pinterest.
David Geffen Galleries Construction Enters Final Phase Full Form of Building Revealed as Scaffolding Is Removed April 2026 Opening Planned
Image caption: The David Geffen Galleries at LACMA, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA by Gary Leonard
(Los Angeles, CA—October 25, 2024) The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) announced today that, after four years of construction, the last of the scaffolding will be removed from the David Geffen Galleries, revealing for the first time the full form of LACMA’s new building for its permanent collection, designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Peter Zumthor. With the full shape of the 900-foot- long, horizontal building at last visible as it spans Wilshire Boulevard, construction will move into its final phase. With nearly 90% of construction finished to date, major construction completion will be reached by the end of 2024, and in early 2025
LACMA will start to move key operational functions into the building. After the building systems are commissioned, LACMA will install artworks from the museum’s global collections in 110,000 square feet of galleries on the exhibition level, with April 2026 set as the opening of the David Geffen Galleries. LACMA will offer select groups, including members, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to preview the dramatic spaces inside the building in its raw state starting in spring 2025 before artworks are installed.
“Being so close to opening our new galleries and to having so much more art on view is incredibly exciting, so many people have contributed to making this vision for LACMA and Los Angeles a reality, and we are grateful to each and every one. When the scaffolding comes down, L.A. will finally see 360 degrees of Peter Zumthor’s amazing architectural achievement and begin to sense how wonderful this building is going to be inside. We can’t wait to open to the public in April 2026.”
Marrying architectural design and program, non-hierarchical presentations of art from all cultures and eras will be brought together on the single, elevated exhibition level in the David Geffen Galleries, redefining the museum experience for visitors and offering a more inclusive perspective on art and history. On the exhibition level, floor- to-ceiling glass panels along the soaring perimeter will open some of the galleries to natural light while providing panoramic views out to the city, making every visit feel new depending on the time of day, season, and weather. The exhibition spaces vary from these light-filled terrace galleries to sheltered interior galleries suitable for installation of light-sensitive works. The subtlety of the changing light is framed by the solidity of architectural concrete, chosen for its structural and aesthetic properties. The design of the David Geffen Galleries seamlessly integrates the building with Hancock Park and opens 3.5 acres of new outdoor space, which will be activated with public art installations, educational programming, and events. At street level, below the exhibition floor, a series of pavilions will house three restaurants/cafes, the LACMA Store, a 300-seat theater, and the W.M. Keck Education Center.
The opening of the David Geffen Galleries in April 2026 will bring to a culmination a two-decade campus transformation to increase gallery space at LACMA and enhance the visitor experience. Previous phases included the opening of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM) in 2008 and the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Exhibition Pavilion in 2010, which together added 100,000 square feet of gallery space and, critically, enabled LACMA to continue presenting exhibitions and programming while construction of the David Geffen Galleries proceeded on the east side of the campus. With the 110,000 square feet of exhibition space in the David Geffen Galleries, LACMA will have 220,000 square feet of galleries, a significant increase from its 130,000 square feet in 2007.
Development and construction of the David Geffen Galleries is funded by the Building LACMA campaign, which has raised $793 million to date, exceeding its initial $750 million fundraising goal, inclusive of the building cost of $715 million (including contingency added for tar and fossil impacts). In addition to the $125 million contribution from the County of Los Angeles and the $150 million gift from David Geffen, major donors to the historic public-private partnership include LACMA board of trustees co-chair Elaine Wynn, the W.M. Keck Foundation, LACMA’s board of trustees, and many other philanthropic leaders from a wide range of industries and creative communities. The building will be owned by the County of Los Angeles, more than 80% paid for by private donations.
LACMA COO Diana Vesga has been responsible for the building project since its inception in 2014 and has overseen Clark Construction Group, LACMA’s general contractor, and Aurora Development, LACMA’s owner’s representative and project manager, in addition to all engineering and consulting firms that have been instrumental for the realization of this monumental project. The project went through an Environmental Impact Review (EIR) process with extensive community outreach over five years before its EIR was certified and the project was unanimously approved in 2019 to move forward by L.A. County Board of Supervisors, with L.A. County as lead agency and L.A. City as responsible agency. L.A. City Council also unanimously approved the air space vacation over Wilshire Boulevard for the horizontal design of the building to be a reality. Since the beginning of the project, approximately 4,500 workers across disciplines and trades including architecture, structural engineering, geotechnical, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering, civil engineering, lighting, acoustics, landscape design, and sustainability consulting helped realize this project. It was estimated by Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation in 2021 that the David Geffen Galleries project would generate more than $1.2 billion in economic benefits for Los Angeles.
About LACMA
Located on the Pacific Rim, LACMA is the largest art museum in the western United States, with a collection of more than 150,000 objects that illuminate 6,000 years of artistic expression across the globe. Committed to showcasing a multitude of art histories, LACMA exhibits and interprets works of art from new and unexpected points of view that are informed by the region’s rich cultural heritage and diverse population. LACMA’s spirit of experimentation is reflected in its work with artists, technologists, and thought leaders as well as in its regional, national, and global partnerships to share collections and programs, create pioneering initiatives, and engage new audiences.
Location: 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036.
For more updates on the progress and stages of this development at LACMA please visit their site. The museum can also be found on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube.
Marian Goodman Gallery’s Your Patience Is Appreciated: An Inaugural Show
Pierre Huyghe Timekeeper Drill Core (MGG 57th St), 2024 Paint, plasterboard 2 1/2 x 23 3/8 in.(6.3 x 59.4 cm) Courtesy of the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery Photo credit: Alex Yudzon
New York, NY Marian Goodman Gallery opens its new headquarters in Tribeca on 26 October 2024 with Your Patience Is Appreciated: An Inaugural Show. Featuring some 75 works across media, including both new and recent installations, sound and video work, sculpture, and painting, the group exhibition highlights the intellectual and artistic affinities that coalesce the 50 multi-generational and diverse artists and estates within the Gallery’s program today. On view through 21 December 2024, Your Patience is Appreciated is presented across three floors, with works activating both galleries and transitional spaces throughout the newly renovated and restored Grosvenor Building at 385 Broadway.
“The title of the exhibition addresses notions of expectations that come with moments of change and underlines the conceptual and temporal complexities of our artists’ practices, implicitly requiring patience and purpose,” stated Philipp Kaiser, President and Partner, who oversaw the exhibition’s curation. “The exhibition’s title, and indeed the exhibition itself, also reflects the Gallery’s unwavering dedication to its program that has traced distinct threads of contemporary art across several decades and continents, privileging critical thought, poetic sensibility, and artistic integrity.”
Gabriel Orozco Four Bicycles (There Is Always One Direction), 1994 Bicycles, in four parts 78 x 88 x 88 in. (198.1 x 223.5 x 223.5 cm.) Courtesy of the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery
Added Rose Lord, Managing Partner, “The opening of our Tribeca space marks the first time in nearly a decade that the full spectrum of our artists is being presented at one time and provides an unusual opportunity to explore the points of personal, aesthetic, and creative connection that have flourished among them.” Noted Managing Partner Emily-Jane Kirwan, “Our artists are at the heart of all that we do. Our new flagship building in New York, together with our galleries in Paris and Los Angeles, provide critical platforms for their international practices.”
Your Patience Is Appreciated showcases the unique cosmos of artists represented by the Gallery and reflects the rigorous program that has defined the Gallery for nearly 50 years. Conceived as a dialogue of tectonic layers that enables a meaningful conversation between artists from disparate contexts, generations, geographic locations, and sensibilities, the exhibition pays tribute to the Gallery’s programmatic focus and history—the Gallery’s inaugural show in 1977 was dedicated to Marcel Broodthaers—as well as its many longstanding artist relationships. In addition, a range of film, video, sound, and installation works, as well as an activation, emphasize the unique breadth of the Gallery’s enduring dedication to time-based, ephemeral, and radical works of art. Throughout the run of the exhibition, a film program will run continuously in one of the galleries, spotlighting five different works rotating on a daily basis.
Giuseppe Penone Unghia e foglie di alloro, 1989 Glass, Laurel leaves 76 x 49 x 22 in.(193 x 124.5 x 55.9 cm) Courtesy of the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery Photo credit: Cathy Carver
The exhibition will include work by: Eija-Liisa Ahtila, Chantal Akerman, Giovanni Anselmo, Leonor Antunes, Nairy Baghramian, Lothar Baumgarten, Dara Birnbaum, Christian Boltanski, Daniel Boyd, Marcel Broodthaers, Maurizio Cattelan, James Coleman, Tony Cragg, Richard Deacon, Tacita Dean, Rineke Dijkstra, Cerith Wyn Evans, Andrea Fraser, Bernard Frize, Gerard & Kelly, Dan Graham, Pierre Huyghe, Cristina Iglesias, Amar Kanwar, Louise Lawler, An-My Lê, Steve McQueen, Julie Mehretu, Annette Messager, Delcy Morelos, Sabine Moritz, Maria Nordman, Gabriel Orozco, Giulio Paolini, Giuseppe Penone, Edi Rama, Anri Sala, Matt Saunders, Tino Sehgal, Paul Sietsema, Robert Smithson, Ettore Spalletti, Tavares Strachan, Thomas Struth, Niele Toroni, Adrián Villar Rojas, Danh Vo, James Welling, and Yang Fudong.
From left to right: Annette Messager Malicieuse (Mischievous), 2020-2021 Fabric, various materials 61 3/8 x 44 1/8 x 8 5/8 in. (156 x 112 x 22 cm) Courtesy of the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery Photo credit: Rebecca Fanuele ,Rineke Dijkstra The Buzz Club, Liverpool, 6 March 1995 (Detail) Four Inkjet prints 16 1/2 x 13 in. (42 x 33 cm) each Courtesy of the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery , Thomas Struth Muon System Test Station, ATLAS, CERN, Meyrin, 2023 Inkjet print 59 x 81 in. (150 x 205.5 cm) Courtesy of the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery An-My Lê Total Solar Eclipse, Luna Island, Niagara Falls, April 8, 2024 Pigment print 40 x 71 in. (101.6 x 180.3 cm) Courtesy of the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery , Anri Sala Surface to Air XXVI (Breccia Oniciata/34°48'4"N, 133°56'34"E), 2024 Fresco painting, intonaco on aerolam, Tartaruga marble 47 1/4 x 38 3/4 x 2 1/8 in. (120 x 98.5 x 5.5 cm) Courtesy of the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery Photo credit: Francesco Squeglia ,Annette Messager Malicieuse (Mischievous), 2020-2021 Fabric, various materials 61 3/8 x 44 1/8 x 8 5/8 in. (156 x 112 x 22 cm) Courtesy of the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery Photo credit: Rebecca Fanuele , James Coleman Retake with Evidence, 2007 Projected film, performed by Harvey Keitel; 35 min. Courtesy of the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery.
Gallery History and Trajectory
Established in 1977 by Goodman, who had earlier co-founded the art publishing company, Multiples, Inc., Marian Goodman Gallery gained prominence early in its trajectory for introducing the work of seminal European artists to American audiences. Through the 1990s, the gallery deliberately enlarged its radius of attention offering a broader global perspective of the art defining our times. Synchronous with the mission at hand, the Gallery was inevitably drawn closer to Europe, and in 1995, Marian Goodman Gallery expanded, opening a gallery in Paris, now located at 79 rue du Temple, and an adjacent space for books and editions in 2017. In 1998 the Gallery inaugurated its first major renovation in New York on 57th Street, which served as its headquarters until the current relocation to Tribeca.
Following the inauguration of Marian Goodman Gallery Los Angeles last year, with two major spaces now anchoring each coast and a well-established program for almost three decades in Paris, the opening of the new Tribeca flagship reflects the Gallery’s development under the leadership of its Partners. In the past five years, the program has grown and expanded, representing a group of new artists including Daniel Boyd, Andrea Fraser, Bernard Frize, An-My Lê, Delcy Morelos, and Tavares Strachan, as well as the Holt/Smithson Foundation.
About Marian Goodman Gallery’s New Home in Tribeca
Marian Goodman Gallery’s global flagship and headquarters transforms the historic Grosvenor Building. Designed by studioMDA, the renovated and restored building retains the character and feel of the original five-story structure, including the cast-iron façade, interior archways, and exposed brick walls. With a dynamic street-level presence, the 35,000-square-foot building features two floors of light-filled exhibition space as well as viewing rooms on its first, second, and third floors, a library and archive, art storage, and administrative offices.
Originally constructed in 1875, the historic building served as an industrial warehouse for more than a century, before performing arts organizations adopted the building as a venue. Vacant for years, the renovated and restored building is being rewoven back into the cultural and civic fabric of the neighborhood with the Gallery's opening.
About studioMDA
studioMDA is a multidisciplinary design firm based in New York and founded in 2002 by Markus Dochantschi with the mission of challenging the boundaries of design. Working across typologies and with projects throughout the United States and internationally, studioMDA has emerged as an authority on cultural buildings and is highly respected for its specific and historic knowledge of the Tribeca neighborhood. www.studiomda.com
About Marian Goodman Gallery
Marian Goodman Gallery champions the work of artists who stand among the most influential of our time and represents over five generations of diverse thought and practice. The Gallery’s exhibition program, characterized by its caliber and rigor, provides international platforms for its artists to showcase their work, foster vital dialogues with new audiences, and advance their practices within nonprofit and institutional realms.
The Gallery is led by a team of partners, with Philipp Kaiser as President and Partner, Emily-Jane Kirwan and Rose Lord as Managing Partners, and Leslie Nolen and Junette Teng as Partners. Marian Goodman is Founder. For more information, please visit mariangoodman.com.
Opening reception will be held on Saturday, 26 October, 10 am – 4 pm, and the exhibition will be on view until 21 December 2024. For more information about the Inaugural Show and the new opening of the Gallery, please visit the Marian Goodman Gallery’s site. The gallery can be found on Instagram and Artsy, too.
Alexander Gray Associates announces their representation of Kang Seung Lee
Photo Credit : Dustin Aksland
Alexander Gray Associates is thrilled to announce their representation of Kang Seung Lee, whose profound work is currently on view at the 60th Venice Biennale. The announcement will go live later today.
Kang Seung Lee, born in Seoul and based in Los Angeles, is known for his deep exploration of identity, collective memory, and transnational queer histories. His meticulously crafted drawings, embroidered works, and installations often incorporate archival materials and organic elements, creating powerful narratives that resonate across generations and cultures. His work at the Venice Biennale, in particular, weaves together histories of queer figures, forging connections that challenge and inspire viewers.
““We are honored to represent Kang Seung Lee and his remarkable body of work,” Alexander Gray, the gallery’s owner, said in a statement. “Kang Seung Lee brings a compelling voice to contemporary art with his reflections on history, identity, and the archive. His work connects personal stories with broader narratives. As an artist represented by Commonwealth and Council and Gallery Hyundai, we’re excited to feature his work in upcoming exhibitions, including his show at Alexander Gray Associates in Spring 2025, and showcasing his impactful contributions to contemporary.” ”
Grimanesa Amoros presenting at the Light in Art and Architecture Symposium at Brown University
Photo credit: Grimanesa Amorós Studio
At the Light in Art and Architecture Symposium at Brown University, Grimanesa will explain the source of her artist journey with light. First, she will delve into her origins being from Lima, Peru. Then, she will share how she was inspired at a young age by the bohemian lives of figures like Hemingway, Peggy Guggenheim, and Dalí. At the age of 21, she took the bold step of leaving everything behind in Peru to pursue her artistic dreams in New York City. Grimanesa Amoros will then present her work and engage in discussion with a Brown faculty member and the audience. A roundtable discussion at the end will explore the future of art and technology. On the second day of this two-day symposium with contemporary light artists and architectural lighting designers, four of today’s most prominent light artists and lighting designers will present examples of their practice as it enhances, modifies, and interprets architecture or creates ephemeral and transitory spaces in their own right.
AMPLEXUS Year: 2022 Media: LEDs, diffusive and reflective material, custom light sequence, and electrical hardware Dimensions: (L x W x H): 85ft ft x 85 ft x 32 ft (26 m x 26 m x 10 m) Location: Cultural Palace Diplomatic Quarters, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Photo credit: Grimanesa Amorós Studio
Grimanesa’s artistic practice revolves around two central themes: nature and light, heavily influenced by her childhood experiences along the Pacific Ocean. The ever-changing colors of the ocean foam sparked her fascination with light, which she views as ephemeral—something that can be harnessed but never truly owned. One of her most significant projects, Uros House, commissioned for Times Square, draws inspiration from the Uros people of Peru and aims to raise awareness about their diminishing way of life. Another notable work, Golden Waters, pays homage to ancient water channels and was installed under the intense heat of Arizona.
THE MIRROR CONNECTION Year: 2013 Media: LEDs, diffusion and reflective material, custom lighting sequence, electrical hardware
Dimensions: 90 ft x 70 ft x 40 ft (27.4 m x 21.3 m x 12.2 m) Location: Central Academy of Fine Arts CAFA Art Museum, Beijing, China Photo credit: Grimanesa Amorós Studio
Throughout her career, whether facing last-minute challenges with installations like Mirror Connection in Beijing or exploring themes of mental health in SCIENTIA in Bilbao, Grimanesa consistently seeks to create connections and provoke thought. Her journey has been guided by the core principles of.
SCIENTIA Year: 2022 Media: LEDs, diffusion and reflective material, custom lighting sequence, electrical hardware
Dimensions: 60 ft x 35 ft x 25 ft (18.3 m x 10.7 m x 6 m) Location: Azkuna Zentroa Alhóndiga, Bilbao, Spain Photo credit: Grimanesa Amorós Studio
““I live with a constant Romance with the Unknown, always open to new.” “I live by three letters, LPP—Love, Passion, and Perseverance.”
”
Video credit: Grimanesa Amorós Studio
The symposium will take place on Saturday, September 28th at 11 AM , at the Granoff Center for the Creative Arts, Martinos Auditorium located at 154 Angell St, Providence, RI 02906.
For more information about Grimanesa’s art and latest projects, please visit her site. You can also follow her for updates on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. For more information about this event and others at Brown University, please visit the University’s site here.
Obama Presidential Center Museum Building Now Features 83-Foot Tall Painted Glass Window by Artist Julie Mehretu
Uprising of the Sun by Julie Mehretu - Campus View, Credit: Lamar Johnson Collaborative and Julie Mehretu Studio
World-Renowned Ethiopian-American Artist and Activist Julie Mehretu’s Vision is Now Part of a Public Art Display at the Center to Inspire Visitors and the Surrounding South Side Community
CHICAGO – Today, the Obama Foundation announced the installation of an 83 ft. x 25 ft. commissioned work of art by world-renowned Ethiopian-American artist Julie Mehretu. The piece, titled “Uprising of the Sun,” is now featured on the north facade of the future Obama Presidential Center’s Museum Building.
Inspired by President Obama’s remarks at the 50th anniversary of the marches from Selma to Montgomery, Mehretu’s “Uprising of the Sun“ is a vibrant series of 35 abstract, painted glass panels. The piece reflects on the historical context of President Obama’s legacy, and will inspire viewers and draw visitors to the Center on the South Side of Chicago.
“Julie learned at a young age how access to public space can help shape and affect people's lives,” said President Obama. “For her to be a part of what we hope will be a transformative institution that will be unique in how it brings so many different people, ideas, and resources together is a wonderful opportunity for us.”
The daughter of an American mother and an Ethiopian father, Mehretu believes that art’s role is to provoke thought and reflection and to express the contemporary condition of the individual and society at large. In her paintings, drawings, and prints she presents a dynamic visual articulation of contemporary experience, an abstracted depiction of social behavior and the psychogeography of space. In developing her recent work, Mehretu has drawn from a process of sourcing and manipulating photographic images from broadcast media as points of departure for the social grounds of her paintings.
Uprising of the Sun by Julie Mehretu - Escalator View, Credit: Lamar Johnson Collaborative and Julie Mehretu Studio
Collaborating with Franz Mayer Studio, Mehretu created a monumental work in glass for the Center using a variety of techniques, including a combination of hand painting, freehand airbrushing, ceramic melting colors, and tape masking. “Uprising of the Sun” is Mehretu’s first work in glass.
“I wanted to honor Chicago’s history and President Obama’s legacy by telling a story about how change happens,” said Julie Mehretu. “This work is layered with history, and I’m eager to see how people will connect with it – whether you’re a grandparent from the South Side of Chicago or a kid from Addis Ababa. I hope it serves as an invitation to every visitor that they are welcome to be a part of the Center’s mission to make an impact and work towards a better future.”
From the White House to the Obama Presidential Center, President and Mrs. Obama have used the arts as a tool to inspire, empower, and connect people from around the world. This is the third commission announced by the Foundation and the first to be installed. The Foundation previously announced the late Chicago artist Richard Hunt’s “Book Bird” sculpture; and a sculptural water feature, entitled “Seeing Through the Universe,” by artist and architect Maya Lin – best known for designing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Uprising of the Sun by Julie Mehretu - Stony Island View, Credit: Lamar Johnson Collaborative and Julie Mehretu Studio
"President and Mrs. Obama believe that art is an essential part of inspiring the next generation of leaders," said Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett. "In line with our mission, the Obama Presidential Center will feature arts education programs and spaces for visual art, theater, and dance, along with talks, performances, and workshops."
When open, the 19.3 acre Obama Presidential Center campus will include over 20 original artworks across the campus’ interior and exterior grounds. A majority of the artwork will be available to the public, free of charge. The Center is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2026.
Artist Julie Mehretu tours the Obama Presidential Center site during the installation of her commissioned artwork, an 83-foot-tall painted glass window titled “Uprising of the Sun,” in Chicago on Sept. 7, 2024 Credit: The Obama Foundation.
About the Artist
Julie Mehretu, (b. 1970, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) lives and works in New York City. Mehretu is the recipient of many awards, including a MacArthur Fellowship (2005) and the Medal of Arts Award from the US Department of State in 2015. In 2020 the artist was included in TIME magazine's 100 most influential people of the year. Mehretu is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences in Ethiopia and the National Academy of Design. She sits on the board of the Whitney Museum of American Art and is a trustee and alumna of the American Academy in Berlin. Mehretu is represented by Marian Goodman Gallery, New York, Paris, and Los Angeles;
White Cube, London, Paris, New York, Seoul, and Hong Kong; and carlier | gebauer in Berlin and Madrid. To learn more about Mehretu, visit: Marian Goodman Gallery, White Cube Gallery and Denniston Hill. For more information about the Obama Foundation, please visit their site, follow them on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube.
Efraín López announces new appointment of Susie Guzman as a Partner
Headshot of Susie Guzman Courtesy of Efraín López
Efraín López is excited to announce the appointment of Susie Guzman as a Partner.
In her new role, Guzman will collaborate closely with the gallery founder to drive the gallery’s exhibitions program and artist roster. Her responsibilities will include overseeing the gallery's participation in international art fairs, cultivating relationships with both emerging and established collectors, and forging connections with global institutions. Additionally, Guzman will focus on nurturing the gallery's artist relationships and expanding its network, ensuring a dynamic and forward-thinking approach to both artist representation and collector engagement.
Guzman has had a successful career spanning over two decades, holding key positions at leading galleries. She joins Efraín López's leadership team to further its mission of celebrating and promoting meaningful and transformative practices in contemporary art.
From 2015 to 2020, Susie served as a senior director at Hauser & Wirth (NY), where she oversaw the commercial strategy, museum engagement, exhibitions, and publications for the estates of three renowned artists: Lygia Pape (1927-2004), Fausto Melotti (1901-1986), and Eduardo Chillida (1924-2002). During her time at Hauser & Wirth, Susie actively participated in major art fairs including Art Basel, ADAA in New York, Frieze, and Frieze Masters in both London and New York. Additionally, from 2017 to 2020, she personally managed the art fair in Spain, ARCOMadrid, and oversaw the reopening of Chillida Leku, the museum founded by Eduardo Chillida in Hernani, near San Sebastian. Before joining Hauser & Wirth, Susie held directorial positions at Peter Freeman Inc. in New York, and Galerie Thomas Schulte in Berlin. She studied Law and International Law at the Universidad Complutense of Madrid and Universitat de Barcelona, respectively.
“We are thrilled to welcome Susie Guzman to our team. “Her expertise and passion for art will be vital in shaping the future of the gallery. I believe that this current moment holds significant potential for exploring new horizons in the art world. Partnering with Susie feels like a natural progression, promising and fortunate. I have always greatly admired Susie’s unwavering dedication to artists and her distinctive enthusiasm, qualities that should be nurtured in all of us. I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with Susie as we embark on this exciting new chapter for the gallery.”
Guzman's partnership at Efraín López will focus on expanding the gallery's roster of artists, enhancing its exhibitions program, and deepening its engagement with the art community. Her role will also include developing new initiatives to broaden the gallery's reach and impact. A native of Spain and based in New York for the last thirteen years, Guzman will oversee the Tribeca space while working closely with European collectors and institutions to expand the gallery's global presence. This appointment highlights Guzman's impressive professional background and extensive knowledge of the art industry. Collaborating with López, Guzman will help steer the gallery towards its next phase of exciting exhibitions and curatorial distinction.
“I am honored to join Efraín López and contribute to his dynamic and forward-thinking vision. I deeply value and admire Efraín’s unique approach to our business and his great sensitivity towards art and artists. I believe we share a similar work ethos and passion for our profession, and wish to contribute to this exciting moment of expansion and growth for the gallery. I look forward to working closely with artists whose careers I deeply admire like Gisela Colón (b. 1966) and Paul Stephen Benjamin (b. 1966), alongside a younger generation who are shaping the contemporary discourse today, such as Braxton Garneau (b. 1994), Monsieur Zohore (b. 1993), and Gabriela Salazar (b. 1981). At this moment in my career, joining Efraín López feels like an unexpected and exciting turn that I am thrilled to take.”
In addition to her focus on the primary market, Susie Guzman will expand Efraín López's boutique secondary market services. Together, they intend to cater to a select group of private clients and public institutions through their network of like-minded art dealers and professionals, enhancing the creation of art collections and addressing the challenges of collecting in the 21st century.
About Efraín López
Efraín López is a Puerto Rican-American art dealer and exhibition maker based in New York City. Between 2012 and 2018, López founded and directed his eponymous gallery in Chicago, where he presented an ambitious and rigorous exhibition program, often giving artists their first solo presentation in the United States. His long-standing commitment to the career development of emerging artists has led to placements in major museum collections worldwide. In June of 2023 López opened Efraín López, a contemporary art gallery in New York's Tribeca neighborhood. The program is conceptual, multidisciplinary, and globally minded, engaging both emerging and established artists.
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