Reviews done before 6 february 2001.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Gallery Hilger, 5, Dorotheergasse, Wien 1, a new exhibitin: " EIN GARTEN FÜR VIELE TRÄUME -Teil 1 Pflanzen ", " A garden for a lot of dreams, part 1 ".

Museum fur Modern Kunst, Frankfurt, Germany, 21 October 2000.

Boston, October 2000.

We visited three beautiful Museums in Boston, Fogg Museum in Harvard, Museum of Fine Arts and the ICA Gallery.

In the Museum of Fine Arts there in a wonderful collection from Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Europe, Modern Art, also few changing exhibitions including a exhibition of Christian Boltanski:

An exhibition of Charlotte Salomon: " Life or Theatere ", Charlotte Salomon is a young artist who painted her life story under the Nazi regime with small gauche paintings, she was on the run from the Nazis till they caught her in the south of France, where she left two suitcases of these paintings and was taken to a concentration camp and was executed there, all that was left are these paintings:

The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston. 955 Boylston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, July 19 through October 8, 2000.

A beautiful museum at an old fire station, the present exhibition: " From a Distance: Approaching Landscape ".

" This exhibition features work by 14 artists investigating new approaches to questions of landscape and topography more generally. Characteristic of all the work is a certain distance - both conceptual and visual from the particular places presented". ( This text was taken from the leaflet on the ICA Gallery ).

The exhibition is beautifully placed in this clean contemporary space.

New Exhibition at Galerie Ernst Hilger, Picasso, Keramik, Linolschnitte, Radierungen und Zeichnungen, 5 Dorotheergasse, Wien 1, Till 20 September 2000. E-mail.

-In the Grafic Cabinet, Oscar Bottoli, Steine, Bronzen, Radierungen und Zeichnungen.

Changing scenes no. 7, Museum fur Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt, Germany. Curator Jean-Christophe Ammann.

Another exhibition from the museum's cellars:

Man Ray, Paintings, Photographs and Objects at Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt Germany, till July 30, 2000.

A beautiful extensive retrospective of this prolific artist who wanted to be remembered for his paintings but he'll be remembered for his photos and Surealistic objects.

Rainer Wölzl, at Espace Ernst Hilger, 25 May - 28 June, Paris, France, 2000.

Espace Ernst Hilger is a new and a beautiful gallery in Paris, Mr. Hilger has an established gallery in Vienna, Austria.

The exhibition of Rainer Holzl, a very famous Austrian Artist consists of large charcoals and two sculptures all on the theme of anatomy of desire.

Jeff Koons's PUPPY, Rockefeller Center, in association with Public Art Fund, June 6 - September 5, 2000.

Jeff Koons Puppy is a staggering achievement of sculptural imagination and engineering skill. First created in Germany in 1992 at the same time of the Documenta in Kassel for a temporary exhibition of the city of Arolson, according to Koons it's a symbol of love, warmth and happiness, it's really is, it brings happiness to this area.

We met the artist in the morning as he was photographed and interviewed near the sculpture.

Michal Rovner, " Overhang ", A Video Projection on 17 windows at 410 Park Avenue, March 23 - May 29, 2000.

" A monumental work which represents a breakthrough in the language of video art. It extend beyond the conventional space of video projection to take on an architectural scale. The imagery moves freely from window to window, giving the work a fluidity beyond anything seen before in video, it takes video art out of the museum and into the street ". ( From the gallery's press release ).

Robert Mapplethorpe Auto portrait Polaroids, 1972 - 1974. Cheim & Read Gallery, 521w 23 st. NY NY, May 2000.

Edgar De Souza, Jack Shainman Gallery, 513w 20th st. NY NY, May 2000, This is a very famous Brazilian artist first show in NY, sleek erotic sculptures and photographs of the artist in a fighting / dancing positions with himself.

Zhang Huan, Deitch Projects, 76 Grand st. NY, NY, April 15 - May 27, 2000.

" The body is the only direct way through which I come to know society and society comes to know me ", Zhang Huan.

A very famous Chinese artist, perhaps the most famous Chinese artist known to the west, I've seen his works in Ny last year at the Max Protech gallery in Chelsea and at the last Biennale in Venice Italy.

The exhibition consists of performance video's and startling photographs from the video peaces, the video " Hard to Acclimatize ", performed at the Seattle Asian Art Museum, an astonishing performance with fifty-six naked volunteers.

Guggenheim Museum, The Worlds of Nam June Paik, February 11 - April 26, 2000.

Nam June Paik has the greatest influence in imagining and realizing the artistic potential of video and television.

The Guggenheim Museum celebrates the appreciation to this great Korean-born artist and shows his impact on the art of the late twentieth century.

The artist filled this huge museum with his works, installations, videotapes, global television productions, films and performances.

Nir Hod, at Liebmann Magnan Gallery, 24 West 24th Street, March 2 - April 8, 2000.

This is the second time Mr.. Hod exhibits in this gallery, his photographs are provocative, gender - bending and narcissistic images of himself. Hod dramatic androgynous images of himself are used to underscore today's loss of romantic ideals and death of childhood dreams.

Anselm Kiefer, Gagosian Gallery, 555 West 24th Street, March 18 - April 15, 2000.

I think Anselm Kiefer is the best known artist these days, it's a pleasure to visit this exhibition in this huge gallery in the Chelsea area.

There are two sculptures, large steel bookcases crammed with enormous books made of sheets of lead, with dried sunflower flowers,

The others are large scale canvases, like " The obscure clarity that falls from the stars ", encrusted surfaces dotted with among other things sequences letters, numbers and sunflower seeds, black and white surfaces that function as both Earth and Skies seen from afar and from close.

Whitney Museum of American Art, 2000 Biennial Exhibition, March 23 - June 4, 2000.

This year the exhibition was curated by a group of outside experts working across the country, under the direction of Maxwell l. Anderson.

There are a lot of foreign artists residing in the US, the exhibition is not so interesting to my taste, the reason to visit the Museum is a small, beautiful exhibition on the fifth floor: Art in America from Hopper to Pollock, opened on February 26, 2000. The exhibition is from the Museum's permanent collection.

On the third floor is on display " The Circus ", by Calder and accompanies a magnificent video of Calder him self making all the models work, it's beautiful and terrible funny, it shows the child in this famous artist, I couldn't resist and bought the video in the Museum's store.

Velasques in NY Museums and the Vermeers at The Frick Collection, 1 East 70th street NY NY 10021.

" The American Century, Art and Culture, part II 1950 - 2000 ", September 1999 - February 2000, Whitney Museum of American Art.

Saatchi Gallery, London England, " Neurotic Realism : Part Two ", 16 September - 5 December, 1999.

Neurotic Realism : Part Two include paintings, sculpture and photography by five emerging young British artists.

Tom Hunter's photograph clearly references Vermeer, enourmous and beautiful.

Brooklyn Museum , NY, The new controvertial exhibition of young British artists from the famous Saatchi collection, London, England, or how an artist is going to get an all over the world fame.

This is new art, controvertial, makes you wonder about it for a long time after.

One of the participating artists, Chris Ofili exhibits large paintings with "The Virgin Mary and elephant dung", the show caused a lot of critisizm from the Catholic church and the Mayor of NY, demanding the show to stop or the Museum wont get funds from the city and the government, it reminds the last uproar regarding the photographer Robert Maplethorp and Andres Serrano, this act brought these artists a wide world fame.

Chris Ofili's art can also be seen in Chelsea at Gavin Enterprise Gallery, 436w 15th st. This black British artist's work which bears no resemblance to NY's mayor lurid imagination, won England's most prestigious art prize. On show are five big georgeous ornamental paintings supported by resin coated balls of elephant dung, brilliantly interfacing two differant cultural and artistic traditions. ( From Levin, Village Voice, November 2, 1999).

Chris Ofilis's paintings are colorful, pointilist, reminds the aboriginal paintings, it's delicate, almost kitch, it couldn't make this fuss if it was shown in another country and not in the conservative USA.

Matthew Barney's film at the Film Forum, NY, till November 4, 1999.

The NY Film Forum presents the premiere of CREMASTER 2, the fourth installment in Matthew Barney "Cremaster" film series. A controversial multimedia artist who eschews traditional paint on canvass, 32 year old Barney is known for an eclectic mix of gender bending sexuality and athleticism, obscure historical references, high fashion, remote locations, lush musical scores, and a range of category defying imagery. The film is produced by Barbara Gladstone ( The gallery in which he did his most performances ), and the artist.

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, NY,U.S.A. " Francesco Clemente - Retospective ", open at October 9, 1999.

This important exhibition marks a spectacular beginning of the season. A comprehensive retrospective of the internationally renowned artist, including paintings, watercolors and sculptures.

Toronto, Canada, Art Gallery of Ontario, " The Old Masters ", till September 26, 1999.

Great Renaissance and Baroque paintings from The Capitoline Museum, Rome, Italy. an exhibition of 25 remarkable European paintings. The highlight of the exhibition is Caravaggio's ( the most influential artist of the period ) " St. John the Baptist ", never seen outside of Italy, a dramatic and provocative work depicting the saint as a boyish/girlish youth. Other artists are : Dosso Dossi, Guerchino, Guido Reni, Veronese, Domenichino, Simon Vouet, Velasques, Lotto and Savalo.

" Cindy Sherman - Retrospective ", from October 1, 1999 till January 2000.

The American photographer riveting photographs of the body of her unique manipulation of the photographic medium make her one the generation most influential artists. This mid-career retrospective of approximately 150 works includes examples from all her major series, from early " B movie " female characters and magazine centerfolds, to later works that depict a fascination with humor, pornography, surrealism and humor.

The exhibition is organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art , Los Angeles, USA, and The Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, USA.

The Power Plant, Toronto, Canada, 24 September till 29 November 1999.

Stan Douglas

Vancouver artist Stan Douglas is recognized for a series of installations that he has exhibited over the years to international
acclaim. The Power Plant's presentation of this exhibition, organized by Vancouver Art Gallery Chief Curator Daina Augaitis,
includes his three most recent works: Win, Place or Show (1998), Nu·tka· (1996) and Der Sandman (1995).

In The International Center of Photography, mid town, Ave of The Americas and 43rd st, " Bill Brandt - a retrospective ". A survey of the wide-ranging vision of renowned British photographer Bill Brant (1904-1983), the artist was born in Hamburg, Germany to an Anglo German family, This exhibition features over 150 photographs, many previously unseen, from Brandt's expressive photogornalistic and documentary work of the 1930s to his atmospheric landscapes, experimental nudes studies, and portraits of the 1940, 1950 and 1960.

Biennale d'arte of moderna, Dubrovnik, Croatia, 15 July - 15 October, 1999.

This is the third " Mediterranean Encounters ", taking place in Dubrovnik. Mr. Meir Ahronson, The Israeli curator and manager of the Israeli Museum for Israeli Art was invited to be the Israeli commissioner for the Israeli pavilion, the artist that was picked was Orit Raff, a young artist and photographer.

Here is an exert from the catalogue: " A room. An ostensibly simple room containing an entire life story. Perhaps that of a loving couple, perhaps that of a lonely man, or a whole family. There is no sign of users, save remnants of life - furniture marks on the carpet or a stain left on the wall. Stain and trace which at the time of their creation were anti aesthetic become aesthetic by virtue of being a sole memory we have, and by virtue of other values ascribed to them when the causes of the trace or stain have vanished... ". The text by Meir Ahronson.

Orit Ruff won the first prize of this biennale. The participating countries: Bosnia i Hercegovina, Croatia, Egypt. France, Greece, Turkey, Italy, Israel, Portugal and Slovenia.