Phyllida Barlow
dal 12/5/2012 al 25/8/2012
Segnalato da
12/5/2012
Phyllida Barlow
Ludwig Forum, Aachen
Brink. Aachen Art Prize 2012. Exhibition and award ceremony. Seven new sculptures haven been specially created for the occasion. Barlow's works open a mental field that show new ways to sculptural art and, at the same time, recall associations with events from everyday life and recent political events.
The Aachen Art Prize for 2012 has been awarded to the English artist Phyllida Barlow
On Sunday, May 13, 2012 at 12.00 the Ludwig Forum Aachen will open the exhibition "BRINK" by British artist Phyllida Barlow who will receive the Aachen Art Prize 2012 for her innovative impulses in sculptural art. The laudation is held by Prof. Kasper König, Museum Ludwig Köln. The British Ambassador in Germany, S.E. Simon McDonald, will be present.
Since the 1960s, Phyllida Barlow, born 1944, has developed large-scaled sculptures that define a special relationship with painting and everyday life. As professor at the Slade School of Fine Arts in London, she has been an influential art teacher. Among her students are Rachel Whiteread, Douglas Gordon, Bill Woodrow, Angela de la Cruz and Eva Rothschild.
BRINK is the first time for Phyllida Barlow to have a solo show in an art museum in continental Europe. Seven new sculptures haven been specially created for the Ludwig Forum Aachen. The former umbrella factory with its Bauhaus architecture from 1928 has been turned into a museum in 1991 and houses around 3,000 works of the Peter and Irene Ludwig’s collection, among them many key works of art from the 20th and 21st century. The building’s central exhibition hall with its shed roof construction turns a visit into an impressive experience of art and space.
Phyllida Barlow’s works open a mental field that show new ways to sculptural art and, at the same time, recall associations with events from everyday life and recent political events. Two of the works are placed on the outside above the central hall. They can only be seen through the glass roof from the inside. The titles of all seven works allude to social phenomena like mass protests and demonstrations but also to art history.
The "sad monument" with a respectable height of 8 meters references the two vertical scrolling text bands by Jenny Holzer. Four more works are installed in the centre of the exhibition hall, a stepped atrium of about 300 square meters. "Piano" references Joseph Beuys’ "Plight" from 1985, his last project in Great Britain before his death. The exhibition BRINK gathers the sculptures in situations of change "on the brink". In the same way as the museum space is used as a total theatre for staging her works, she reverences the outside space. Shreds of images from the recent history appear in our minds. The fences and the tower are rather alarming: Camp or amusement park? A cabin-like pavilion is in line with these associations: a shelter? In this sense, Barlow’s works show commitment while staying autonomous. From the artist’s perspective, they question the role of sculpture in contemporary art just as much as they reflect the events of our times.
The exhibition is part of the Parallel Programs of manifesta 9: www.manifesta9.org
Image: untitled; blocks, 2011Installation view, 'RIG' Hauser & Wirth, London 2011 Courtesy the artist and Hauser & WirthPhoto: Peter Mallet
Press contact:
Julia Zeh Tel.: +49 (0) 241 / 1807-107 Fax: +49 (0) 241 / 1807-101 presse@ludwigforum.de
Opening and award ceremony: Sunday, 13 May 2012, 12pm
Ludwig Forum für Internationale Kunst Aachen
Jülicher Straße 97-109 - 52070 Aache
Opening hours: Tue–Fri 12–6pm, Thu 12–10pm, Sat–Sun 11am–6pm