Charles LeDray: workworkworkworkwork at ICA Boston

Sculptor Charles LeDray works in fabric, ceramic, and human bone to create a miniature world of kooky characters and metaphorical clothing, while experimenting with aspects of display. His solo exhibition workworkworkworkwork is showing at the ICA Boston until October 17, 2010, so check it out if you're in the area!

Here's my review: Part One. Part Two.

International Sand Sculpture Competition

I visited Berlin recently (amazing) and whilst wandering around the area near the central train station attempting to find the Hamburger Banhof Museum for Contemporary Art (it was oddly difficult for me to locate the entrance), I stumbled across an uncharacteristically sandy area labeled "Sandstation". Entering the space for a small fee of 5 Euro, I found a beachy haven with large umbrellas, beach chairs, beer stands (naturally, this is Germany), and a host of fascinating and incredibly impressive sand sculptures from a collection of international artists.

The first section was devoted to animal subjects, and included a little area for kids to make their own sand creations. I dug the elephant by Johanna Landscheidt and two-headed dragon from Lena Tempich the most.

The main portion was the competition itself, with the theme "City of the Future", so many works involved robotic or computer imagery. I really enjoyed every piece- it was consistently astounding to see the level of detail and the scope of the designs (full view on the photos is recommended). There was a good blend of conceptual and literal interpretations of the challenge. I wish I could have seen the artists' building processes, since I'm pretty baffled by how they achieved certain effects. The following is a selection of my favorites (which is the bulk of entries in the competition, really).

Escape from Virtuality by Ukranian artist Irina Taflevskaya was easily my favorite. It's bold and striking, with a fantastic concept and straightforward, uncluttered execution. Caught my eye instantly, even from beyond the area's surrounding fence.

Indian artist Sudarsan Pattnaik imagines an idealistic future with City of Peace, showing Buddha visiting Berlin during its peaceful time, with elements of Indian architecture incorporated into the composition.

Seven artists from different countries worked together on the monumental Berlin in 2222, a sprawling, mountainous piece combining jagged tiers with various figural elements. It was very hard to get a full photo of it due to its size, but here are some detail shots. The artists are: Lisa Buchholz, Johanna Landscheidt, Edwin Spaan, Lena Tempich, Martin Tulinius, Niels Vegter, and Johannes Weckl.


Shift by Toshihiko Hosaka of Japan is an interesting mix of human features with hard, industrial surfaces, and a little bit of outer space thrown in. I like the overall shape very much (he was inspired by Mt Fuji as well as Berlin's Sony Center ceiling) and really appreciate the detail and texture of the hands and figure.


Berlin-based artist Ulrich Baentsch paid homage to Rodin with The Thinker. As I approached I thought it was just his own sandy version of the classic sculpture, but seen from the other side it is revealed to be partially composed of "bricks" cracking through the smooth facade.

Danish artist Maria Eliot Torp brings us One More Beer, a rendering of the "bar of the future". I love the sci-fi elements here as well as the thoughtful design of the space and its characters. It focused more on expression than most of the other pieces.

Belgian artist Isabelle Decallonne envisions a future headed by women, though still inseparable from the male-dominated past in her large piece Past and Future. I'm not enamored of the execution (the female form looks a little awkward in her positioning, shape, and relation to the buildings below her), but I really like the concept.

Will We Let Us Raise Our Own Children? from Netherlandish artist Joris Kivits was my other favorite. In his version of the Virgin and Child motif, he replaces Mary with an android covered in a shroud, connected to large pumps and wires. She "breastfeeds" a faceless human child through a tube. It's a very blatant and slightly disturbing image, but exceptionally executed and quite memorable. Its large size definitely helps it make a lasting impact.

This really interesting event continues through August 30, so if you happen to be in the Berlin area any time before then, I highly recommend it! It was a wonderfully singular experience for me.

The Whitney: Alexander Calder's Paris Years

To me, Calder's name has always denoted whimsy and innovation. I got to see that and much more in Alexander Calder: The Paris Years, 1926-1933 at the Whitney. Loaded with wire portraits and figures, abstract sculptures and paintings, sketches, illustrations, film footage, and of course Calder's Circus, the exhibit is an exciting and busy experience.

First I was met with a wall full of contour-drawing-like wire faces of his friends and some famous people. Many were hanging, slowly spinning and casting crazy intersecting shadows. The shadows of Calder's wire pieces are a big part of the fun, so I think they should always be highlighted. Unfortunately the lighting didn't make for the boldness I would have liked, but still a cool collection of unique portraits.

Several rooms were dedicated to his abstract sculpture, many of which mechanical in some way or hung to encourage movement. Not too many mobiles, as I believe he began working on those more in the 30's. He seemed fascinated by the interaction of line and sphere, even devoting a series of large paintings to abstract studies of the subject. (I had never really seen his paintings before so I found these particularly interesting.) There were also some paintings and cartoons relating to the circus, which remained a pervasive subject for Calder.


A lot of miscellaneous wire sculptures were on display, including portraits of the singer and dancer Josephine Baker and an cute movable fish bowl. His understanding and use of line is marvelous. Several of them were abstract, complex, and movable, which was cool but I wish I could have seen them in action. There was a video showing one in motion but I was left to imagine how the rest functioned, which was too bad.

The largest room was a showcase for Cirque Calder, with several pieces of the set arranged in a glass case beneath videos of the pieces in motion. There were tight rope walkers, a bucking bronco, a belly dancer, a lion tamer, and various other excitements. Each wonder was mainly composed of wire and bits of fabric.

The walls were lined with even more circus-related sculptures and preliminary sketches. There was a small viewing room with a video of Calder performing his circus in the 1961. It is adorable. He operates his many delights with deftness and joy, controlling them with string and wire to entertain an unseen but laughing audience: a very early example of performance art. His ingenuity seems boundless, engineering scenarios I couldn't have imagined. One of my favourites was a large wire woman to whom small birds sailed down on plastic strings. There was also a little man who could smoke a cigar and blow up a balloon.

All in all it is a lovely exhibition, a testament to an incredibly talented man's gleeful imagination and penchant for entertaining. The sheer amount of pieces is very impressive, ensuring visitors a lengthy stay. I saw several children there and they seemed to be having as much fun as the adults. It's only up until Feb 15, so get yourself there as soon as you can! You can watch the circus video below.