Hasta La Ideas

Actor-turned-artist James Franco is back to being artsy again, but this time it isn’t for an oddball interview, a soap opera, or an exhibition at the Clocktower Gallery. Instead, he’s channeling his inner Bruce Nauman by appearing in artist/filmmaker Alison Chernick‘s James Franco as Bruce Nauman, wherein the actor recreates Nauman’s 1967 piece, “Art Make-Up.” Per usual with all things “L’Art de James,” we’ll let you make our minds up for us on what it all means and if it’s art or not, or whatever (frankly, after the past six months, our brains are a little tired of thinking about Franco’s work). Here’s the remake:

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A nice, heartwarming new chapter in a story we reported on last week. As you might recall, an angered woman smashed artist Enrique Chagoya‘s controversial piece “The Misadventures of the Romantic Cannibals” at Colorado’s Loveland Museum Gallery, which depicted, depending on the opinion of your sources, Jesus engaged in a sex act. Since then, a pastor from Loveland has reached out to Chagoya, requesting that he create a painting of Jesus for their church. The artist agreed, saying he would even create the piece for free. Although some minor dissent swept across the congregation, by and large the reception has reportedly been positive. Here’s video of the pastor, Jonathan Wiggins, speaking to his church about why he decided to request a commission from Chagoya. And here’s a bit from his talking to the Denver Post:

“I think the novelty of an evangelical Christian calling him and wanting a dialogue pleasantly surprised him,” Wiggins said.

…”I read some things Chagoya had said, and it sounded more logical and reasonable than anything that was said about his work,” Wiggins said. “I think a good friendship has been formed through this. It’s been a profound experience for me.”

The paper reports that the piece is set to be finished by next year.

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At left, a rendering of Konstantin Grcic’s “Netscape” installation, which will be presented in the courtyard of Design Miami’s temporary structure (at right) designed by Moorhead & Moorhead.

It’s been a very good year for Konstantin Grcic. Having begun 2010 by clinching the “Furniture Designer of the Year” honor from Wallpaper* (and a panel of judges that ranged from Steven Holl and Kelly Wearstler to John Galliano and Carsten Höller), the Munich-based industrial design star has seen his 360° chair and 360° stool welcomed into the permanent collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Now comes word that Grcic will be feted in December as Design Miami‘s Designer of the Year, awarded annually to an internationally renowned designer or studio “whose body of work demonstrates unmatched quality, innovation, and influence, while expanding the boundaries of design.” Grcic was the unanimous selection of the Design Miami jury, according to Wava Carpenter, acting director of the fair. “Konstantin’s work in the last year has demonstrated his incredible range and prolific talent,” she says. “His ability to work in multiple contexts simultaneously is the hallmark of today’s most successful and enduring designers.” Past Designer of the Year winners include Maarten Baas, Fernando and Humberto Campana, Zaha Hadid, and Marc Newson.

Design Miami commissioned new work by Grcic that will presented at the fair (which this December will take place right in Art Basel’s backyard at the Miami Beach Convention Center), and Grcic came up with “Netscape,” an installation that will be presented in the courtyard of Design Miami’s temporary structure designed by Moorhead & Moorhead. The interactive work will consist of a six-point star-shaped structure from which seats made of netting will be suspended. The 24-seat web of hanging chairs will create a space for guests to engage with one another before entering or leaving the fair. “When I first looked at the design for this year’s temporary structure, there was this beautiful part of the tent, just before the entrance,” says Grcic. “I knew that I wanted to create something special for the fair—something functional,but also something that incorporated my ideas of what a place like Miami is like in December….It’s a space for people to enjoy.” Fairgoers will also be treated to a selection of Grcic’s greatest hits (three cheers for Chair One!) with an exhibition of career highlights curated by Grcic himself.

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Former Getty antiquities curator Marion True is now officially two for two in fighting off illegal buying/collecting/removing charges. Back in 2007, she won her freedom in Athens after authorities there had accused her of “knowingly purchasing looted antiquities,” something she continues to deny. Her escape route there? The judge threw the case out, saying the statute of limitations concerning the possible crimes had expired. Now the exact same thing has happened in Italy, where she was facing similar charges. The LA Times reports that “a three-judge panel halted the proceedings,” again stating that the limitations had expired and their hands were tied. Fortunate on both counts, yes, but the paper reminds that she once again had a Getty-funded legal team battling it out on her behalf. And while the five year-long True saga has finally come to an end, in its wake there’s been massive change within the American museum industry, with not just the Getty deciding that they might be in for a fight if they a) continued to purchase looted items or b) didn’t give back what had long ago been looted, something that now seems to happen so regularly that it’s almost an afterthought when you read about just a small handful of pieces getting sent back to from wherever it came. So in the end, maybe True’s alleged criminality actually wound up doing some good.

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On a more positive note about an architect, just days after Zaha Hadid finally won herself a Stirling Prize, the Royal Institute of British Architects, along with the Queen of England, handed out an award that gets much less fanfare but is equally as respected, the Royal Gold Medal. This year’s winner is David Chipperfield, who won the Stirling last year and had met with the Queen back in January when he was knighted. The Guardian‘s Jonathan Glancey brings up the fact that this latest award comes packaged in some irony, given that the architect has had a somewhat contentious relationship over the years with building on his native soil, seemingly preferring to work elsewhere in Europe or the States (he also doesn’t like people taking photos of his buildings, but we already talked about that last year). Here’s a bit from Glancey:

“The big difference between working in Britain and Europe,” he once told me, “is that here you are not really expected to debate ideas. Money and marketing are what matter most. We live in an events culture in the UK. Architecture, arts and media are all increasingly driven by events agendas. Ideas are only valid if they fit into media schedules. Original debate has been overwhelmed.”

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