What's On at Europe's Museums
March 22, 2004
Rolling with the Stones
NRW Forum, Düsseldorf, Germany
Mick Jagger hired Christopher Simon Sykes to make a book about the Rolling Stones' 1975 "Tour of the Americas," which was supposed to have the feeling of a family album. The photographer -- previously known for his pictures of country houses, gardens and Formula One car races -- thus became part of a 50-person entourage, accompanying the band for 45 concerts and three months on the road. The exhibition "An Unseen Diary" exhibits 60 of Sykes' photos, which show the band in an unusually intimate and candid light. Sykes was allowed to photograph what he wanted, he has said, insisting that nothing was staged. The tour was like a "family outing," according to the photographer, a family that slept days and lived during the night.
"An Unseen Diary" is on show until April 18 in the North Rhine Westphalia Forum for Culture and Industry. The exhibition is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and until midnight on Fridays.
More to the Mad King
The Queen's Gallery, London
Although overshadowed by the loss of the colonies and his mental facilities, King George III's 60-year rule was considered the height of the Georgian era. The monarch and his wife, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, amassed a vast collection of furniture, clocks, paintings, porcelain, silver and jewelry, which will be on show in Buckingham Palace from Friday. The exhibition showcases 500 objects, including what organizers call "the finest group of Canalettos in existence" as well as works by the German painter Johan Zoffany, who the king and queen commissioned to document their family life with their nine sons and six daughters.
"George III and Queen Charlotte: Patronage, Collecting and Court Taste" opens on March 26 and runs until January 9, 2005. The exhibition is on show in The Queen's Gallery in Buckingham Palace daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Camera Obscura
Kunsthaus Graz, Graz, Austria
German-American photographer Vera Lutter uses the camera obscura to make images that confuse perception with their black skies and white shadows. But instead of a pinhole camera, Lutter uses entire darkened rooms with one small hole as a camera obscura to take her large format photos of hangars, wharfs, empty factory halls. The current exhibition at Kunsthaus Graz shows works ranging from early photos of urban spaces in New York in the mid-1990s to studies of industrial areas and building interiors. Also on show is a work Lutter made especially for the exhibition from the Kunsthaus building itself.
"Vera Lutter. Inside In" shows until May 2. The exhibition is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Thursday until 8 p.m.
Contemporary Iranian Art
House of World Cultures, Berlin
Veiled women's figures whose faces are replaced by a teapot, an iron, a broom and other household appliances are portrayed in Shadi Ghadirian's series of photos entitled "Domestic Life," one of numerous artworks on show in the exhibition "Far Near Distance." The Iranian revolution, religious doctrine, political repression and modern lifestyles are all themes in this Berlin show of contemporary Iranian art. Compiled by London-based curator Rose Issa, a specialist in Middle Eastern art, the exhibition presents works from well-known artists such as Shirin Neshat, Parastou Forouhar and Magnum photographer Abbas, as well as from lesser known Iranians, living both in their home country and abroad.
"Far Near Distance" is on show until May 9. The exhibition is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Thursday through Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. The show is accompanied by a series of films, concerts, plays and readings.
Opposites Illuminate
Art Museum Liechtenstein, Vaduz
Three years after opening, the Art Museum Liechtenstein highlights the principality's art collection. The exhibition showcases work in "a dialogue between opposites and proximities" ranging from Flemish master Peter Paul Rubens to 19th century French painters Gustave Courbet and Jean-Francois Millet and contemporary artists like Liam Gillick and Bill Viola.
"Durchleuchtet. Dialogue with the Collection" runs until May 30. The museum is open Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Thursday until 8 p.m.