@ Regent's Canal

Relaxing by the water.

Bookshop on water.

London

I am visiting my sister in England and enjoying the British countryside at the moment. For a mini trip I went to London to see some of my friends and to see arts of course.

Years ago on a conference for museum professionals I saw a presentation on the new site of the Tate Modern. It was sill under construction and I was really excited about visiting it now.

The most interesting part of the building are the Tanks where one can see video works but it is also a place for performances. The Tanks were previously used to store oil when the gallery was a power station. What I love the most is the raw, industrial feel, the curves of the staircase and the metal details.

The exhibitions in the new building are super interactive. You can walk into installations, sit on some of the works, at some point you even have to use flash on your camera to be able to see the something.

You can use a lift or walk to the tenth floor where the view of the city is breathtaking.

The Tanks - industrial feel.

The Tanks - the staircase.

The Tanks - metal wall.

The Clock is coming to London again (I love this work)



Exhibition space - where you can sit on the art works.

The view from the top floor.

Martin Creed - Work No. 203: Evwerything is going to be alright. Just above the lifts.

Picasso is on at the moment: The EY Exhibition PICASSO 1932.

Bronze at the Royal Academy of Arts in London



Bronze at the Royal Academy of Arts in London



It was only the Impressionist (From Paris: A Taste for Imressionism -Paintings from the Clark ) exhibition I wanted to visit but my former colleague at Louis Vuitton convinced me to visit their new exhibition, too. Big thank you to him!

 

I had no idea what to expect as I did not check their website for this exhibition.

Bronze brings together about 150 fine pieces from all over the world from the past 5000 years. It was amazing to see works next to each other from different areas of the world and from different times. The exhibiton space is huge and cold but very much needed for the giant size masterpieces.

Antique works next to Kapoor, Koons and Bourgeois - must visit!

 





Kusama for Vuitton in London

Yayoi Kusama took over London (and the world) this year - just head to any
Louis Vuitton store to see her wax figure in the window and the dotted
collection she made for the prestigious fashion brand.
This is the window of my beloved former workplace, the
Louis Vuitton New Bond street Maison. .

...another Kusama - on the top of the Selfridges deparment store
in Oxford street. Huge!



... and in the window of Selfridges.



...mini Kusama dolls in another window of the Selfridges.



The Louis Vuitton Kusama concept store in Selfridges. Selling only
Kusama designs.

Entering the world of Yayoi Kusama

Just found these images on my phone - I took them last month at the Tate Modern
in London. Here you can see her recent paintings. (since 2009)

Fluorescent sticker spots in a darkened room. (I am Here, but Nothing)

This room was absolutely fantastic with mirrors and small lights changing colours
constantly- or going dark completely.
(Infinity Mirrored Room - Filled with the Brilliance of Life)

Her signature flower on the balcony of the Tate Modern.

I want one of these!

London, Hirst, fish and chips...

Damien Hirst, Tate Modern, London (04.04.12 - 09.09.12)

Last month I was in London for a business trip and decided to stay there for the weekend, too. Finally I could cath up with my former colleagues from Louis Vuitton, had an amazing talk with my former boss and visited a few exhibitions, too. Damien Hirst wasn't on my list as the show is on until September all I wanted to see is the shop after the Kusama show (Kusama was about to end).  But then we realised that the shop is only for the exhibition crowd....weird concept indeed. A lovely lady saved us and let us in from the other end...she even closed her eyes, how sweet...  We didn't pay to get in... So we had a quick run (at least to see that famous shark...) and headed to the shop... The reason I wanted to go that I read a lot of comments about Mr Hirst's greed on Facebook and I wanted to see it myself. Indeed the shop is full of the Other Criteria merchandise... No comments...

To finish off the Tate visit before heading to the Royal Court we had a quick bite in the restaurant. I wanted to have a fish and chips and my friend ordered the same... The fish was so huge - we looked at the plates and looked at each other and started to laugh....oh...the shark!

Portrait of the late Isabella Blow by Tim Noble and Sue Webster at the
National Portrait Gallery in London.

The Lucian Freud Exhibition is so popular that I had to wait an hour to get in.
Apparently they give away 500 tickets per day only because the rest is booked.
The exhibition space was crowded but it was worth going and seeing the
artist's last (unfinished) work and his other famous paintings. 

The National Portrait Gallery in London.
Lucian Freud Portraits is on until 27.05.12.

Yayoi Kusama’s art has landed not only in Tate Modern but on New Bond Street as well. I just had to check my Facebook account to find pictures of her (yes, she visited the store) and her artworks made by my former colleagues at Louis Vuitton. As LV is sponsoring the show there is a small exhibition at the New Bond Street Maison, too. Worth visiting! Hope I can spare some time in March before leaving for Bangkok via London.  

True love: New Bond Street, London. photo by me.

Happy New Year from London, I shall be back soon with more adventures!

 Artwork by Chris Ofili (detail).
Random picture from the Frieze Art Fair, London, 2011.
photo by Török Viktória

A sculpture by Antony Gormley at the Frieze Art Fair this year in London.
Can I have it for Christmas, please?

The courtyard of the Royal Academy of Arts in London and the recreation of Tatlin's Tower.
photo by Török Viktória

Building the Revolution: Soviet Art and Architecture 1915-1935. The exhibition
is on until January next year. Royal Academy of Arts, London.
photo by Török Viktória

More pictures about the Frieze Art Fair in London.
 photo by Török Viktória 

Playing with Iphones and Blackberries. Frieze Art Fair in London.
photo by Török Viktória

Bold and colourful. Frieze Art Fair in London.
photo by Török Viktória

And the Book Shop of course. Love, love, love. Frieze Art Fair in London.
photo by Török Viktória

The Museum of Everything took over the Selfridges this autumn in London.
photo by Török Viktória

You could reach the Ultralounge exhibition space from the street and also from
inside. From the street was more misterious I guess as from inside I had to deal with
the shopping crowd as well. London, Selfridges, The Museum of Everyhting,
photo by Török Viktória

All the windows were dedicated to the exhibition, too. Artworks everywhere.
The pop up space in the Wonder Room became the Shop of Everything where
one could purchase limited edition prints and books. The show ended today...
London, Selfridges, The Museum of Everything, photo by Török Viktória

Grayson Perry: Map of Truth and Beliefs (wool and cotton tapestry) at the Victoria
Miro booth. Frieze Art Fair, London, photo by Török Viktória



Michael Landy's Credit Card Destorying Machine was exhibited last year at
the Louis Vuitton New Bond Street Maison to celebrate the grand opening.
It made real show at Frieze this year. London, photo by Török Viktória

As is says if you don't need your card, or don't want to spend more you can give
it to the young lady and the machine will destroy it. Actually last year at Vuitton
we had a couple and the husband before buying anything destroyed the card with it.
He said he did not want to spend money in the store. Wise decision - however I am not
sure about the lady. London, Frieze Art Fair, photo by Török Viktória

The machine also makes a little drawing that is signed by the artist. This time
they gave them away to the brave ones who let their cards to be destoyed.
Last year at Vuitton all customers was given one - some even framed it.
Mine is still rolled up somehwere in the apartment.
London, Frieze Art Fair, photo by Török Viktória

Before heading to the Frieze I went to Hoxton to see the Locked Room Scenario by
Ryan Gander. Artangel always makes interesting projects and invites you to hidden places
 in London. This time the show was questioning who are real artists and what is art.
Viewers also had to play a little Sherlock Holmes to put the information together.
photo by Török Viktória

As I read about the show I sort of knew what to expect but still there were
surprises all around the place. So this guy sat on the top of the staircase and
did not want to move. I had to squeeze myself in to enter the door behind him.
The door was locked all I could do is to have a look through the window.

Then I entered the exhibition space: the exhibition seems closed but they still had
 the texts on the walls, and in the room on the left there were boxes with postcards
of the works.

On the other end there were the press releases of the show that was organised
by the Kimberling Gallery - they even made a website of the gallery however
in does not work properly...

There were a couple of dark corridors. It was a little scarry as not all the doors
opened at the other end. Sometimes I had to use my Blackberry to get some
extra light.

Another locked room. Behing the door an Iphone was on the floor with a couple
of magazines and it started to ring. The caller was Spencer Anthony...

In the morning I had a weird text message on my phone: It's in the pocket of
Aston's yellow Macintosh, Spencer A. Well, we found the Macintosh behind
this door...

Next to the building there was a lot of rubbish - they already started to clear the
space after the show...

Some of the rubbish had the address on, and the blue fake fur actually belongs
to one of the sculptures....

Graffiti message on the wall to one of the artists from the show...