Tag: contemporary art

Postcard from Queretaro, Mexico: Pondering contemporary art scene

postcardsfromsanantonioLeave a comment
A postage stamp featuring a portrait of a female figure, depicting a nun with a religious emblem, surrounded by books, with the text 'ARTE Y CIENCIA DE MEXICO' and 'AEREO' printed on it.

Above: “Ensenan Mas las Obras…,” Miguel Angel Hernandez Vences, lost-wax bronze, 2025; and “Dibujos en la Piel,” Enrique Hernandez Rivera, oil on canvas, 2025. Among pieces selected for the “MAQRO’s First Biennial of the Human Figure.”

Baroque architecture of the former convent of San Agustin, featuring arched colonnades, intricate stone carvings, and a central fountain, under a blue sky.

Never would we visit Queretaro without ducking in to admire the exquisite Baroque courtyard for the former convent of San Agustin. But there’s more than early 18th-century colonial architecture to experience there.

The rooms surrounding the courtyard are refurbished as galleries of Museo de Arte de Queretaro. This summer those galleries were overflowing with exhibitions showing the vitality of the creative community of the city.

Continue reading “Postcard from Queretaro, Mexico: Pondering contemporary art scene” →

Postcard from London, England: When Gonzo beckons, enter

postcardsfromsanantonioLeave a comment
A colorful stamp featuring a group of superheroes, including Spider-Man, Thor, Iron Man, and others, in an action-packed scene, with the word 'TOGETHER!' prominently displayed.

Above: Display at Japan House pulled from elements of “Gonzo’s Underground Mix Vol.7,” Yumura Teruhiko, 2021

Heta-uma literally translates as ‘bad-good,’ though the English ‘bad-nice’ was sometimes preferred in period Japanese publications. ‘Awful but amazing’ may give a better idea of what it’s about. It refers generally to things that look like they were dashed off or slapped together, but actually took sensibility and perhaps even real skill and care to produce.”

“‘So Bad that It’s Good:’ The Japanese Graphic Art of Heta-uma,” Ryan Holmberg, Japan House

Ambling down High Kensington Street, gazing into shop windows, the interior of Japan House appeared strikingly bright and sleek, completely uncluttered. Tasteful displays of contemporary Japanese porcelain, pottery and sensuous teapots arranged with the precise placement of objects according to feng shui principles, promoting harmony and balance in individuals.

Then, Gonzo and friends, almost life-size, disrupting the surrounding calm. A chaotic scene so in contrast with the serene elegance, one felt forced to enter and accept Gonzo’s invitation to go underground, which was where we found the temporary exhibition: “WAVE: Currents in Japanese Graphic Arts.”

Continue reading “Postcard from London, England: When Gonzo beckons, enter” →

Postcard from Istanbul, Turkey: Women approach art from different directions

postcardsfromsanantonioLeave a comment
A Turkish postage stamp featuring an illustration of women, the Turkish flag, and a historical building, representing themes of women's rights and society.

Above: “Femen/Kabatas,” Esra Carus, cardboard cutout, 2016

During a trip in Kabataş, a woman claimed that she and her baby were attacked by about ten half-naked men…. She held a demonstration on the balcony of a hotel in Paris…. It was impossible not to relate with the half-naked show of Femen girls….”

Esra Carus (1968-), Instagram (AI translation)

Two women posing together in front of a cardboard cutout artwork, one wearing a hijab and the other with long dark hair, both smiling amidst a gallery setting.
Above: Translator (left) and Esra Carus during “Grief. Law. Prohibition,” Depo Gallery

We wandered around the streets of the Tophane to Depo Istanbul without much of a clue about what art we’d encounter inside the former tobacco warehouse, renovated in 2008. We were met with “Yas. Yasa. Yasak,” or “Grief. Law. Prohibition,” and immediately were struck by strong, strident imagery.

Continue reading “Postcard from Istanbul, Turkey: Women approach art from different directions” →