Reasons to be Cheerful!

Armando Andrade Tudela, artist, Berlin, Germany
I’m looking forward to ‘Are You Ready for TV?’, curated by Chus Martínez, at MACBA – an examination of the role of television in the production and dissemination of the arts – and shows at Supportico Lopez in Berlin, a space that has been running quite a pertinent programme. Of course, I’m also looking forward to following the football World Cup in the sun.

Negar Azimi, Senior Editor, Bidoun, Cairo, Egypt and New York, USA
Beirut’s Galerie Sfeir-Semler brings together two formidable women of different generations: Yto Barrada is presenting her latest series of sculpture and installation chronicling the evolution of her native city of Tangiers; poet and playwright Etel Adnan, meanwhile, perhaps better known for her poetry and writing, here shows an intimate series of rarely seen paintings and works on paper that evoke another place, another time.

Lars Bang Larsen, writer and curator, Barcelona, Spain and Copenhagen, Denmark
I’m looking forward to the 29th São Paulo Biennial in Brazil and, in Argentina, Marta Minujín’s retrospective at Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA); ‘Signal:noise’ at The Showroom in London, an event about cybernetics and feedback; in Sweden, Henrik Olesen at Malmö Konsthall and, in Spain, Ibon Aranberri’s (as yet untitled) intervention in the rural architecture of the Galician village of Viladona de Pedregal.

Richard Birkett, Curator, ICA, London
I’m eagerly awaiting the publication of Will Holder and Alex Waterman’s book on Robert Ashley, Yes, But is It Edible?, due out later this year after an extended period of research and development. There is also a show at Objectif in Antwerp as an adjunct to the publication that opens in late May. A trip to MACBA in November is in order for the Chus Martínez-curated show ‘Are You Ready for TV?’.

Martin Clark, Artistic Director, Tate St Ives, UK
I’m looking forward to R.H. Quaytman’s show at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in October. In July, Neue Alte Brücke, an interesting young gallery based in Frankfurt, will present ‘Something Blue – Curiosa of Contemporary Erotica’, in Norway, at Landings Gallery, Oslo. The show takes the form of an erotic magazine published in an edition of just one. Over 25 artists have been invited to contribute including Thomas Bayrle, Simon Fujiwara and Lucie Stahl. Finally, I’m looking forward to Paul Sietsema at Cubitt in July and Steven Claydon at Hotel in London in October, whose work will also be included in British Art Show 7.

Charlotte Day, Associate Curator, ACCA, Melbourne, Australia
In Melbourne, I’m looking forward to Carol Jerrems’ exhibition and publication at Heide Museum of Modern Art, and the survey of work by Hany Armanious that will open Monash University Museum of Art’s new gallery. In Sydney, highlights include Christian Capurro’s decade-long ‘erasure project’ at Artspace in Sydney and new work by Ahmet Ögüt.

Florence Derieux, Director of the Frac Champagne-Ardenne in Reims, France
Facts and fictions in 2010: the inauguration of the new Centre Pompidou–Metz, ‘Masterpieces?’; Kathrin Rhomberg’s 6th Berlin Biennial, ‘Do You Believe in Reality?’; the much-awaited English publication of Koen Brams’ Encyclopedia of Fictional Artists, From 1605 to Today; and Peter Saville’s secret worldwide project.

Elena Filipovic, curator, Brussels, Belgium
With a title like ‘Autoerotic Asphyxia’, I’m curious to see the first solo show in the US (at Artists Space in New York) of Vietnamese artist Danh Vo – he’s made so much work about America that the welcome is sure to be bittersweet. Curator Pierre Bal-Blanc’s ongoing project ‘La Monnaie Vivante’ (The Living Currency) at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw makes me want to catch it in every permutation. I’m also looking forward to just about anything curator Martin Clark at Tate, St Ives, does – after ‘Pale Carnage’ and ‘The Dark Monarch’, I’m an unconditional fan. And, in Paris, I want to see more from Kadist Art Foundation and castillo/corrales. For a city burdened by its former glory as an art world capital, little places like these are providing fodder for the future of contemporary art in the city.

Katerina Gregos, curator and writer, Brussels, Belgium
Francis Alÿs’ forthcoming solo show at Wiels Centre for Contemporary Art in Brussels is a much-anticipated homecoming for the Belgian-born artist. This survey will include the complete version of ‘Le Temps du Sommeil’ (The Time of Sleep, 1996–present), a suite of more than 100 paintings accompanied by cards featuring instructions, which can be seen as a conceptual blueprint for Alÿs’ practice.

Nicolás Guagnini, artist, writer, New York, USA
The video Trans Americas, Juan Downey’s 1973 travelogue culminating in his stay with the Yanomami indians in the Amazon, will be exhibited at Tate Modern this year. It was shown at the Whitney Museum in New York when it was made, but the museum has no record of it. Downey’s ethical dimension and complexity is only matched by Hélio Oiticica. Leigh Ledare’s second act after his debut displaying photographs of his mother’s explicit sexuality will be on display at Pilar Corrias, London; Greene Naftali and P.S.1, New York – probably in the museum nearest you for some years to come. Rumour has it that a compilation of John Kelsey’s writing is in the making. He once titled an article on Richard Prince ‘My Other Painting is a Car’ – I look forward to reading the index of that book.

Nicola Harvey, writer, Sydney, Australia
The Biennale of Sydney will demand attention this month, and Brook Andrew’s ‘SNEAK PEEK!’ at Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation in July promises to delight. New York theatre company Young Jean Lee and Japanese experimental band Boris will both perform for Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson’s ‘Vivid Sydney’ festival and the gorgeous work of John Spiteri at Neon Parc is worth a trip to Melbourne in July.

Anthony Huberman, curator, New York, USA
At Dia:Beacon, newly arrived curator Yasmil Raymond will present an installation of Franz Erhard Walther’s brilliant ‘Werksatz’ (Set of Works, 1963–9) which the institution brought into their collection in 1980 but has never shown. These fabric object-sculptures are shown either folded up, unfolded, or on human bodies – I look forward to heading upstate to wear them.

Zehra Jumabhoy, Assistant Editor, ART India, Mumbai, India
Ironically, the most exciting shows of contemporary Indian art in May won’t take place in India. May is a slow month, so Indian collectors, dealers and writers tend to travel; the most inspiring displays we can look forward to are overseas. These will include Rina Banerjee’s heavily ornate installations at Haunch of Venison, or Bharti Kher’s bindi-rich works at Hauser & Wirth, both in London. However, Gieve Patel does promise us a new body of work at Chemould Prescott Road, Mumbai, and in Delhi we have Mrinalini Mukherjee’s golden, strangely organic sculptures forthcoming at Gallery Espace.

Stefan Kalmár, Director, Artists Space, New York, USA
Studying cultural studies in a (very) small town in Germany in the early 1990s, I was always hungry for the things I wasn’t taught – Group Material was crucial for my understanding of art and for ideas about a different outlook on curating. So often in life it’s the people or works of art one never met or encountered in their time or locale that influence one the most. With this in mind, I’m looking forward to Show and Tell: A Chronicle of Group Material edited by Julie Ault and published by Four Corner Books, London.

Janice Kerbel, artist, London, UK
I am anxiously awaiting ‘Journey Through the Afterlife: the Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead’ at the British Museum, an exhibition of illustrated manuscripts employed to guide the deceased safely through the dangers of the underworld. I’m also looking forward to seeing ‘After’, Angela de la Cruz’ solo exhibition at Camden Arts Centre, London.

Mark Leckey, artist, London, UK
Apart from Hair at the Gielgud Theatre in London, I’m really struggling. I’m in my hutch and haven’t got a clue what’s going on in the outside world.

Andrew Maerkle, journalist, Tokyo, Japan
Two new art festivals launch this year in Japan. In July, the Setouchi International Art Festival takes over seven islands and a mainland port area in the Seto Inland Sea. In August, the Aichi Triennale debuts in central Japan, with an emphasis on performance.

Nathaniel Mellors, artist, London, UK
In Amsterdam, I’m looking forward to seeing Erkka Nissinen at Ellen de Bruijne PROJECTS and Tim Braden at Galerie Juliètte Jongma; and, in the UK, ‘Rude Britannia: British Comic Art’ at Tate Britain. In Germany, I look forward to seeing ‘The Future of Tradition – the Tradition of Future
100 Years After the Exhibition “Masterpieces of Muhammadan Art”’ at Haus der Kunst, Munich, and, in Sweden, ‘Tableaux Vivants’ at Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm.

Dave Muller, artist, Los Angeles, USA
Future items of interest:
• Liz Larner, followed by Rachel Harrison, at Regen Projects, Los Angeles.
• The Fall will release their kajillionth album, Your Future Our Clutter (Domino Records).
• Iron Man 2 (with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow).
• Wednesday, 26 May at 12:00am through Friday, 28 May at 11:59pm: Michael Asher’s proposal for the Whitney Biennial was to have the exhibition open 24 hours a day for one week, but due to budgetary and human resources limitations, the work has been shortened to three days.
• Melvins, The Bride Screamed Murder (Ipecac Recordings).
• Nancy Rubins, ‘Skins, Structures, Landmasses’, at Gagosian Gallery, Beverly Hills.
• New M.I.A. album (XL Recordings).
• La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela, ‘Dream House Sound and Light Environment’, extended exhibition at MELA Foundation, New York.
• Blinky Palermo, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, October.
• Panda Bear’s album, Tomboy (FatCat Records).
• William Leavitt, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Also at Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art next year: Jack Goldstein.

Sean O’Toole, writer and Editor of Art South Africa, Cape Town, South Africa
In 2004, Johannesburg artist Michael MacGarry exhibited a handmade book cataloguing unrealized actions and film projects. Recipient of the 2010 Standard Bank Young Artist Award, MacGarry says his earlier dialectic of ‘all theory: no practice’ has been superseded by a mode of ‘research and practice’. A sculptor, filmmaker and designer, his exhibition ‘Endgame’ at Monument Galley in Grahamstown will feature the museological display of a central prop from this travelling exhibition’s main film.

Emily Pethick, Director, The Showroom Gallery, London, UK
Show and Tell: A Chronicle of Group Material organized by former members Julie Ault and Doug Ashford, published by Four Corners Books. The Future’s Getting Old Like The Rest Of Us by Beatrice Gibson, a film set in an old people’s home, commissioned by The Serpentine Gallery.

Helena Reckett, Senior Curator of Programs, The Power Plant, Toronto, Canada
‘Handlung: on Producing Possibilities’, the Bucharest Biennale. Its 23-year-old curator Felix Vogel has invited sharp-witted artists such as Goldin+Senneby and Emily Roysdon to animate spaces throughout the city, including the loathed People’s Palace. Also concerning movement, gesture and social change, Luis Jacob’s mid-career survey will comprise three distinct ‘chapters’ for galleries in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

Emily Roysdon, writer and artist, New York, USA and Stockholm, Sweden
Come one come all to the three-day exhibition and festival that Marina Abramovic is hosting at her house upstate. Six artists have each been given a wing of the spectacular star shaped house. Closing celebration is under the stars with audience members invited to straddle a noodle in the river (or sit on the shore if you’re a bore) while Abramovic´ offers candid reflections on the trials and tribulations of producing and performing her historic exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Carpools up from the city.

Anri Sala, artist, Berlin, Germany
I’m looking forward to seeing Mexican filmmaker Eduardo Villanueva’s film, shot in Berlin and Mexico two years ago and currently in postproduction; the new bar in Guadalajara organized by artists José Davila and Edouardo Sarabia; the ongoing series of sound projects organized by Soundfair in Berlin; the painting of façades in Tirana, Albania by Carsten Höller, Douglas Gordon, Koo Jeong-A and Olafur Eliasson and others; Francis Alÿs at London’s Tate Modern; and the Pringle advertisement poses of Douglas Gordon with Tilda Swinton, which should come out this summer.

Amy Sillman, artist, New York, USA
I’m counting the hours until the Charles Burchfield show arrives at the Whitney Museum in New York this summer. I’m also looking forward to some summertime delectation at the MoMA’s Matisse show. And as much as I hate travel, I’ll get on planes and trains to see the Kurt Schwitters show at the Menil Collection in Houston, with its full-scale reconstruction of the Merzbau, and the Yves Klein show in Washington, D.C. and/or Minneapolis.

Alexandre Singh, artist, New York, USA
Nathaniel Mellors’ forthcoming show at Monitor Gallery, Rome. Mellors’ work situates itself in a lineage of bitingly imaginative satirists from Aristophanes to Lucian to Jonathan Swift. This is the kind of work that makes you believe again in the possibilities of raw creativity. Contemporary art doesn’t get any better than this.

Polly Staple, Director, Chisenhale Gallery, London
Emily Wardill makes work like a fierce athlete. In the past five years her output has been prolific and complex. In September, de Appel, Amsterdam, will stage a retrospective of sorts of her work that will include key works such as Ben (2007), Sick Serena and Dregs and Wreck and Wreck (2007) and the recent, brilliantly brutal, Game Keepers Without Game (2009).

Carol Yinghua Lu, writer, Beijing, China
Thought and Action in the Art World is an anthology of 26 critical essays and 11 interviews with artists by the art history professor Huang Zhuan. Published by Peking University Press, it spans more than 20 years of his work in the field as a key writer and thinker since 1989.

Tirdad Zolghadr, writer and curator, Berlin, Germany
Achim Lengerer is a Berlin-based performance artist who is currently preparing a ‘narrative script’ based on François Truffaut’s L’enfant sauvage (The Wild Child, 1970). It will appear in a publication that is going to be called ZOOOM I+II.