Art and Culture in the Media #14

BRIEF ARTIST'S LIFE - at the age of 21, the youngest documenta participant to date as well as the first solo exhibition in Modena, Italy, followed by an exclusive gallery contract two years later with worldwide exhibitions that helped him achieve his breakthrough - the African-American New Yorker Jean-Michel Basquiat, who died at the young age of 28, created colour-intensive, expressive art. In a unique exhibition (until 27.8.), the Fondation Beyeler is showing some of the then 21-year-old's most famous paintings, which were created in Modena.

RED ROPES, interlaced and spun into a space-consuming construction, interwoven with spectacles collected over the years - this is just one of more installations by the internationally active Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota (*1972) that cause confusion and bewilderment. In her first solo show at Museum Haus Konstruktiv in Zurich, she invites us visitors to let our personal associations and stories unfold in front of her artworks (until 10.9.).

AMBASSADOR FOR PEACE, fighter for freedom, equality and universal human rights, mother of 12 adopted children of different origins and pioneer of the American civil rights movement - Josephine Baker (1906-1975) is still an icon today. As a singer and dancer, she captured hearts worldwide and was the first non-white woman to be inducted into the Pantheon in Paris for her achievements. What Josephine Baker's success is based on is illuminated by the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn in a powerful exhibition (until 24.9.).

PLAYING TO THE GALLERY: HELPING CONTEMPORARY ART IN ITS STRUGGLE TO BE UNDERSTOOD is a book by author, artist and Turner Prize winner Sir Grayson Perry. As an insider, he leads us readers into the confusing world of contemporary art with texts and eye-winking drawings and answers questions such as "Is this supposed to be art?" or "Who decides what art is?”. A read that will round off our next gallery or exhibition visit with contemporary art in an entertaining way. Perplexity farewell!

SOMETHING ON THE EAR: With her art podcast "Wie tickt die Kunst-Szene?" ("How does the art scene work?"), art connoisseur Petra Lossen gives us something to listen to. In her self-produced and moderated audio stories, Petra Lossen exchanges views with artists, art critics and curators, always has her finger on the pulse of the times and investigates everything that has to do with art. In doing so, she doesn't just ask convenient questions...