Complex, August 6, 2014
Yung Jake: New
Location: Steve Turner Contemporary, 6026 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90036
Dates: July 12 – Aug. 23, 2014
People spend a majority of their time online, so much that websites and virtual tools feel more like household goods than digital entities. For his latest solo exhibition, “New,” Yung Jake merged the Internet and the real world. The Los Angeles-based artist took websites and web pages, such as YouTube, VEVO, and pop-up ads, and turned them into tangible sculptures made from scrap metal. The show is a commentary on how the public aspect of the web has crossed over into our private lives.
In a Certain State of Uncertainty
Location: Kunst Halle Sankt Gallen , 9000 St. Gallen, Switzerland
Dates: July 26 – Oct. 5, 2014
We have all visited enough art museums to know not to touch the art on display or mess around inside the museum in general, but Maria Anwander disregards all the rules. The artist from Vorarlberg is known for kissing the walls of highly established museums, staging intense scenes of passion as unauthorized performance pieces. Her current solo exhibition at Kunst Halle Sankt Gallen includes video documentations of Anwander being a badass throughout the years. In the past, she’s left a kiss on a wall at the MoMA and affixed a description of her “performance piece” to the spot. She’s also added her name to LACMA’s list of museum donors. Not all of the works on view are videos, however. The collection also includes Anwander’s appropriation art. For instance, her Foundation After SherrieLevine references Levine’s cast-bronze interpretation of a Marcel Duchamp’s famous urinal.
The Moving Museum: Istanbul
Location: The Moving Museum, Istanbul
Dates: Aug. 1 – Oct. 31, 2014
It may be time for you to book a ticket to Istanbul. After two successful projects in Dubai and London last year, The Moving Museum has established a three-month residency program for artists around the world. Istanbul will play home to 38 artists who have been commissioned to work on projects throughout the city. Each of their pieces is meant to “make a lasting impact on the city” and demonstrate their artistic practices. Although we don’t have a roster of the 38 artists, it’s sure to be an exciting period and well worth the trip.
Labor
Location: Steve Turner Contemporary, 6026 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90036
Dates: July 12 – Aug. 23, 2014
All of the pieces featured in Jason Gringler’s “Labor” exhibition at Steve Turner Contemporary were made from labor-intensive processes, hence the name of the show. From far away, the nontraditional “paintings” look pretty minimal. Upon closer examination, however, viewers will be able to see the craftsmanship and energy that Gringler put into these canvases. Smashed glass, welded steel, and spray paint have never looked so beautiful.
