PABLO VALBUENA TRANSFORMS EMPTY PARIS RAILWAY STATION INTO A HYPNOTIC LIGHT INSTALLATION

With Kinematope, Pablo Valbuena invests lanes still closed to the public of the new Gare d'Austerlitz. For his first visual and sound installation in Paris, designed specifically to enhance the qualities and the internal structure of this unusual location, he invites the viewer on a journey; giving life to this vacuous underground space of almost 500 meters long.  As a spectator this instillation makes for  a mesmeric almost hypnotic experience; Light games are appearing and disappearing forms , redefining and inventing new limits by a fleeting game of full and empty, abolishing the perception of space-time ... A cinematic experience directly related to the function of the station : movement , transit and transportation.

Created by Spanish artist Pablo Valbuena, "Kinematope"is a site-specific installation developed for Nuit Blanche at the Gare d’Austerlitz in Paris. It takes place at a railway station that is currently being refurbished,transforming the large empty space into a massive light canvas.                                     Via the website, "Kinematope uses ephemeral and intangible materials, projected light and sound, to setthe space in motion. It makes use of elements from the cinema apparatus to generate a spatial film. It is a direct filmic experience that omits the mediation of the camera, transporting the observer into a virtual space-time and maintaining at the same time the real,physical bonds of the body with its environment." 

JEFF KOONS LA RÉTROSPECTIVE @ CENTRE POMPIDOU, PARIS

During a recent trip to Paris in December, I attended this year's blockbuster exhibition- Jeff Koons: A Retrospective, at the Centre Georges-Pompidou (Musée National d'Art Moderne).

 The Pompidou presents the first major retrospective in Europe devoted to the work of the iconic American artist Jeff Koons: the gallery is the first to show the full extent of the artist’s oeuvre from 1979 to the present day.

But is it art? Is it Pompidou Centre worthy? Always good for a controversy, the American has divided the art world ever since he rose to prominence in the 1980s. Derided by many as frivolous, crass and banal, he’s nonetheless one of the most iconic artists of his generation. 

All of his most iconic pieces were on show. There’s the Michael Jackson porcelain statue. There’s the balloon dogs. And there’s Cicciolina, in all of her – very graphic – splendour. It’s kitsch, it’s controversial and it all makes for a great Instagram selfie backdrop. Once you've got all those Likes coming, who cares whether it’s art.

The retrospective curated by Scott Rothkopf is comprised of almost 150 sculptures and paintings arranged in a loosely chronological circuit  that highlights the various cycles in the artist's work, from early pieces conceived in a vein inherited from Pop Art to present-day works. Together with a preview presentation of new works by the artist, the exhibition also features his best known works – now some of the most celebrated "icons" of modern art, including Rabbit (1986),Michael Jackson and Bubbles (1988), Balloon Dog (1994-2000)and the series of aquariums in Equilibrium (1985). For 35 years, Koons has been exploring new approaches to the "readymade", with his distinctly kitsch and colourful sculptures, his work explores themes of mass culture, our reliance on the ready-made, and the cult of celebrity .By reconstituting all of his most iconic works and significant series, the exhibition allows visitors to appreciate Koons’s remarkably diverse and 'multifaceted oeuvre' in its entirety.

As with all shows at the Pompidou, the Koons retrospective is essentially open-plan. A few party walls have been erected to impose a basic chronology to the room, but most of the display is visible all at once on entering the exhibition. The result of which, makes for a rather chaotic atmosphere, more evocative of a circus ring than a contemporary art space. The exhibition design certainly sets the tone for this retrospective. Visitors are immediately bombarded by paintings of Play-Doh and Popeye, porn sculptures in purple glass, a polychrome wooden “Poodle” and a porcelain Pietà, “Michael Jackson and Bubbles”.

Before I was fortunate enough to experience Koons’ work first hand, I was curious as to what made his the most recognisable and expensive art  in the world today. However, after having attended the pompidou’s retrospective, I felt my curiosity somewhat satiated- Koons’s defiantly vacuous works of monumental mirrored artifice from the past two decades scream out questions to the viewer about consumerism, class roles, and distinctions between popular taste and high art, in this judiciously curated exhibition by Scott Rothkopf.

Dutch still life painter: Arnout van Albada

I recently encountereed the work of the Dutch still life painter, Arnout Van Albada. His  mesmerising artworks in egg tempera and oil paint, are reminiscent of the sumptuous, beautifully arranged still lifes, of the 17th century Dutch masters, who  reign supreme; their delicately rendered offerings defined by intricate texturing, breathtaking details and a naturalistic use of light.

Taart voor mokum, Arnout van Albada

Parmigiano, Arnout van Albada

                Regout pudding mould,  Arnout van Albada

 Beurre salé , Arnout van Albada

His paintings are simultaneously stark in their monumentality and warm in palette and tone, while their attention to detail rivals that of van Albada's revered predecessors. “My paintings need not to be interpreted too much,” the artist explains. “I see the simplicity and monumental nature of my compositions as their main quality.” His subjects range from distinctly modern fare, such as plastic wrapped bagels and chocolate coins, to timeless delicacies like Parma ham, artichokes and delicately hued rhubarb stalks; while personally I was  particularly partial to his depictions of pastel-coloured jellies, so realistic you can almost see them wobble. “The choice of my subjects is entirely determined by what I find beautiful and attractive – I look for subtle contrasts in textures, colours or shapes,” van Albada says. And what does he hope to achieve in his work? “In the end, I try to catch the elusiveness of an object when isolated from its context to create a timeless and magical image,”                                                    

 Gerookt spek , Arnout van Albada

Pandoro , Arnout van Albada

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