Danish-born, Barcelona-based artist Rasmus Nilausen is presenting, until November 22, 2024, a version of his installation “The Theatre of Doubts” (2021) in the group show “Especies de espacios. Una reflexión colectiva sobre qué pensar de este mundo” at Galería Pelaires in Palma, Mallorca.
Rasmus Nilausen’s installation of paintings is a homage to philosopher Giulio Camillo’s sublime and ridiculous attempt to explain the entire universe and allow all its relations and meanings to be beheld at once. Camillo built his “Theatre of Memory” in Venice in around 1530. Inverting the perspective of classical theatre, a single spectator could stand on a central “stage” to look out at an auditorium of seven rows of seven pictures. An occult matrix of divine, celestial, and terrestrial knowledge, this mystical rhetorical device enabled the entirety of existence and its workings to be called to mind and read off. Evidently flawed and over-ambitious, Nilausen’s liberal revival of the memory theatre format draws on 49 works from his own painterly and allegorical universe. Visitors are invited to wander among images which themselves seem to be going for a walk, to adopt multiple viewpoints, see unfamiliar connections, and summon new memories. The first row takes on the seven planetary deities of Camillo’s Renaissance design: Diana (the Moon), Mercury, Venus, the Sun (represented by a banquet), Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.
Produced by MACBA Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona with the support of the Danish Arts Foundation.
More about the work, here (pdf).
Giulio Camillo was a sixteenth-century Italian philosopher, most notable for his idea of the “Theatre of Memory”.
Nilausen is also exhibiting “Fixed Ideas”, a solo show at EtHall Gallery in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, presenting new and recent works. On view until November 7, 2024.
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Throughout her career, Holt presented four iterations of “Ventilation System”: at Temple Gallery, Philadelphia; and Palladium, New York (both in 1985); at the Tampere Art Museum, Finland; and at the Guild Hall Museum in East Hampton, New York (both in 1992). Posthumously, the installation has been presented on three occasions: at Bildmuseet, Umeå, Sweden; Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia (both in 2022); and most recently at MACBA Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, Spain (2023).
The Scholarly Text Program regularly commissions thinkers from various disciplines to write 1,200 words on single artworks by Nancy Holt and/or Robert Smithson. The authors explore how Holt and Smithson’s ideas resonate through artistic and cultural production in the present, exploring topics ranging from geology to ecology, poetry, architecture, science fiction, public art, sculpture, drawing, film, exhibition histories or philosophy. The Scholarly Text Program will publish two essays on each work, presenting differing opinions and approaches. Each new essay includes images selected by the author, a short bibliography, citation references, endnotes pointing to the author’s references and an ISBN.
Stay tuned for Max Andrews’ upcoming contribution on Smithson’s article “Aerial Art” (1969) next month.
Thank you to Lisa Le Feuvre, Executive Director of the Holt/Smithson Foundation, for the kind invitation to contribute to the foundation’s growing Scholarly Texts Program archive, and to William T. Carson, Program Manager and Assistant Curator, for the research assistance. Extended gratitude to Chicago-based artist Nick Raffel for the insightful online studio visit, and to Maxwell Graham Gallery, New York.
Max Andrews from Latitudes (a frieze Contributing Writer) and Angel Lambo (Associate Editor of frieze) shared six highlights of Manifesta 15 for frieze.com
The 2024 edition of the roving biennial spans 12 cities in and around the Barcelona Metropolitan area, making it one of the most ambitious in scale and reach. However, while its extensive geographical footprint is impressive, questions remain about whether the quality of the exhibitions lives up to its ambitious scope. A hotly debated topic during the opening days was whether the venues’ varying sizes complemented or engulfed the works on display, as is the example of the Tres Xemeneies (Three Chimneys), the colossal former thermal power station by the Besòs river. With over 90 participants and a wide array of interventions, events, and talks, an additional challenge lies in ensuring a cohesive experience across all locations.
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In 2020, as the world grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of dedicated arts professionals in London formed Gallery Climate Coalition. The coalition’s primary targets were to facilitate a reduction of the visual art sector’s greenhouse gas emissions by a minimum of 50% by 2030. The first of GCC’s affiliated volunteer groups was formed soon after in Berlin. Following London and Berlin, groups were established in Italy, Taiwan, Los Angeles, Spain (in late 2022), and New York.
These seven groups became known as the International Volunteer Chapter (IVC) programme, and each advocated for an environmentally responsible arts sector on their local level, either nationally or by being focused on specific cities. Each was composed of professionals from the arts sector volunteering their time to work collectively to develop localised content and resources in line with GCC’s guidelines. Each hosted events and engaged with their immediate networks on environmental issues within the arts sector. Their teams were self-organised and self-motivated whilst remaining closely aligned with GCC’s core targets and commitments.
Four years later, and despite the intensive work carried out by the IVCs, the increasing funding needs of this ever-widening network, and the challenging funding landscape facing GCC and arts/non-profit organisations more generally, have led to the difficult decision to bring the IVCs programme to a close as of September 2024.
The IVC programmes have provided invaluable insights over the past years and fostered a formidable international network of dedicated volunteers. Whilst GCC Spain ceases operations as a GCC International Volunteer Chapter (IVC), the committee members remain affiliated to GCC as members, and will continue to contribute to climate action in a more informal capacity.
GCC Spain’s Chronology
Laura Carro and Lucía Mendoza (Galería Lucía Mendoza), Carolina Grau (Independent Curator), Carmen Huerta (TAC7), María Gracia de Pedro (Badr El Jundi Foundation), Mariana Cánepa Luna and Max Andrews (Latitudes) and Nicky Ure (UreCulture) met online for the first time in December 2022 and ended up founding GCC Spain. Further along, the Committee expanded to include Angela Costantino and Simone Sentall (Fundación TBA21), Miriam Torres and Paula Ráez (Estudio Jurídico Gabeiras & Asociados) and volunteers such as Miriam Callejo.
GCC Spain’s first physical meeting was at ARCOmadrid in February 2023, when it convened an open session at the art fair to inform professionals about GCC’s targets and commitments, as well as advise on practical issues about how to enrol on its membership programme and use helpful tools and resources such as the Carbon Calculator.
One of GCC Spain's first achievements was translating GCC’s 11-part Best Practice Actions into Spanish (Acciones Efectivas) and opening its Instagram account.
In June 2023 GCC Spain held its first online Introductory Event (press release here) presenting GCC’s overall aim and officially launching GCC Spain. The launch was featured in revista Bonart.
June 2023: Online Introductory Event (press release here)
In January 2024 GCC Spain had its first online Assembly to inform members and non-members about the past and future plans of the group.
In February 2024, together with GCC London and ARCOmadrid, it called for #ClimateConsciousTravel through several displays at ARCOMadrid, encouraging visitors to get the #TrainToARCOMadrid rather than flying. Also this month, Gallery Climate Coalition was featured in Exibart magazine and one of GCC members and GCC Spain Founding Committee Member, Carolina Grau, was also interviewed in the magazine.
Despite these changes, Latitudes remains steadfast in its commitment to GCC’s core activity and commitments. Latitudes remains committed to working with its international community of 1500+ across 50+ countries in reaching a shared goal of 50% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the visual arts sector by 2030 (compared to a 2019 baseline). This adherence is essential to maintaining our Individual Active Membership.
You can read a statement about the closure of the IVC programme from GCC Managing Director Heath Lowndes here. For all other communications and enquiries regarding GCC, contact info@galleryclimatecoalition.org
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September 2024 cover story on www.lttds.org
The September 2024 monthly Cover Story “THE CREST OF A WAVE” is now up on Latitudes’ homepage: www.lttds.org (after September 2024 this story will be archived here).
“Sixteen years ago, the start of the new art season was given a sugar rush when 300,000 special sugar sachets mysteriously appeared in over 70 of Barcelona’s beloved bars, cafés, and restaurants. Printed on each of these sachets was a bold typographic statement: “A CLOTH OF COTTON WRAPPED AROUND A HORSESHOE OF IRON TOSSED UPON THE CREST OF A WAVE”, along with a diagrammatic emblem of a throw’s trajectory.” → Continue reading
Cover Stories are published monthly on Latitudes’ homepage featuring past, present, or forthcoming projects, research, texts, artworks, exhibitions, films, objects, or field trips related to our curatorial projects and activities.
The July–August 2024 monthly Cover Story “” is now up on our homepage: www.lttds.org (after August 2024 this story will be archived here).
“Summer is here and the Cover Story for July and August features Rosa Tharrats’ “AVOC IVIDRAM” (2024), a work that veiled the exterior of Bombon Projects during the opening of her exhibition “Refugia” earlier this year. This show is the focus of Max Andrews’s first contribution to Artforum magazine, appearing in the summer issue.” → Continue reading
Cover Stories are published monthly on Latitudes’ homepage featuring past, present, or forthcoming projects, research, texts, artworks, exhibitions, films, objects, or field trips related to our curatorial projects and activities.
Max Andrews’s first contribution to Artforum reviews “Refugia”, the first solo exhibition of Rosa Tharrats at Bombon Projects in Barcelona, which opened on March 20, 2024. Andrews’ review coincides with the first issue under the new editorial eye of Tina Rivers Ryan, the magazine’s recently appointed editor-in-chief.
“One could have imagined the exhibition inside as much a sanctum for a spiritual retreat for unwinding the mind/body dualism as an outré couture collection without humans, where inscrutable organic divinities dressed for auspiciousness.”
Continue reading here.
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The June 2024 monthly Cover Story “TERENCE GOWER: DIPLOMACY, URBANISM, URANIUM” is now available on our homepage: www.lttds.org (after June 2024 this story will be archived here).
“Last month, The Power Plant in Toronto opened Terence Gower’s “Embassy”, an exhibition showcasing over a decade of work exploring the diplomatic architecture of American embassy buildings in Baghdad, Havana, and Saigon, as well as an unbuilt project for Ottawa.” → Continue reading
Cover Stories are published monthly on Latitudes’ homepage featuring past, present, or forthcoming projects, research, texts, artworks, exhibitions, films, objects, or field trips related to our curatorial projects and activities.
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