INHOTIM- Introducing God's and Other Artists' Creations

God's artistic creations - such as flowers and trees - are of genuine, pure beauty, indeed. But in combination with creations by earthly visual artists, they become just marvelous.

Dan Graham's Bisected Triangle in the backdrop of the lush greeneries. At Inhotim, God's creations and the other artists' works go together just so well.

Bernardo Paz, the founder of Inhotim in the outskirts of Brumadinho, is not the first impresario to recognize that.
I've been to a couple of other fantastic combinations of Godly and artistic creations, brought together by some wealthy impresarios like Henry E. Huntington's Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino/Pasadena and Knud W. Jensen's Louisiana North of Copenhagen. I assure you none of these can compete with Inhotim.

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The Voice of Colors: Rita, Eduardo, and Jorge in Rio

Streetart is becoming more and more not only tolerated, but recognized and promoted. Especially in South America, it has a long tradition - as a medium where colors give the people a voice.

#favelismo - an art movement turning poverty and humiliation into power and pride. That's what great street art stands for.

I'm introducing Rita Wainer, Eduardo Kobra, and Jorge Selarón, three of the greatest urban artists that left ineradicable traces in Rio de Janeiro.

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Coming to America: From Northern Germany to the "New World"

In the 19th and 20th century, millions of people left Europe via the North German ports of Hamburg and Bremen respectively Bremerhaven in search of a better life in the "New World", mostly the USA.

This sculpture called Die Auswanderer, emigrants, is standing on the shore of the river Weser and remembers the seven million passing through the port of Bremerhaven. Actually, this statue by Frank Varga was donated by the German-American Memorial Association.

As a counterpart to the arrival halls in Ellis Island, several museums in German cities remember the adventurous journeys of the emigrants in transit.

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Büdelsdorf Revisited - bye:myself at the NordArt 2018

(Updated August 2018)

The NordArt is a very nice art event - of course, not to be compared to the documenta, let alone the Biennial in Venice. But yes, they show a great variety of international art and has been one of the largest exhibitions of contemporary art in Europe. So I like it.

Apart from the annual changing exhibitions, some of the works - especially the sculptures in the gardens - stay for longer...like this NICHTS-sign - by the way, nichts means nothing and is therefore exactly the opposite of what you actually get to see at the Kunstwerk Carlshütte.

What I actually love about the NordArt is the location: Büdelsdorf! Even for German-speaking people, this name is quirky and fun and sounds like someplace for rednecks in gumboots clomping over the fields checking if the potatoes are good to harvest yet.

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Picture This: 7th Triennial of Photography in Hamburg

For the 7th time, a major exhibition of photography is being shown in Hamburg - and all the significant museums have chipped in with thoroughly conceptualized exhibitions, all wrapped around the central motto [BREAKING POINT. SEARCHING FOR CHANGE]

One of the containers from the section [ENTER] - presenting 15 artists with a strong social, political, and most of all ecological focus.

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Reality in Black and White

I'm very much into art. After having seen trizillions of beautiful, alluring, enchanting works of arts, I enjoy it most when an exhibition - or even an individual artist - surprise me.

Soft strokes become sharp splinters.
Robert Longo Untitled (Bullet Hole in Window, January 7, 2015)
(Courtesy Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac © Robert Longo/ VG Bild-Kunst Bonn, 2018)

Last weekend, I got surprised by Robert Longo - he baffled me with reality in black and white.

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Guide to BELO HORIZONTE | BRUMADINHO | INHOTIM

(Updated February 2019)

While studying Portuguese in Rio de Janeiro, I thought it might be a good idea to take a trip to Belo Horizonte at the weekend; mostly because I wanted to see Inhotim, a botanic garden full of contemporary art.

Young Belo Horizontians drumming with vigor.

Turns out, Inhotim was the only spot worth the travel. But so worth it!

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Class of Brazil - 3rd Lesson: It is a Hellish Path to a Heavenly Place

They say that the way to hell is paved with good intentions. Well, I don't know about that, but I know that a hellish trip can take you to a heavenly place.

View across one of the beautiful lakes at the "Galeria True Rouge" where on of the strongest works by Brazilian artist Tunga is exhibited. Tunga's work was one of the first purchases for Inhotim.

This is what's inside: "True Rouge" looks like an assembly of giant hearts - and not the Valentine-kind of hearts.

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