Reviews in Brief | AMSTERDAM

Maria Barnas | Annet Gelink Gallery // June 07–July 12

I tweeted “Great Little Show #MariaBarnas” when I left the gallery, and that pretty much says it all. In the small project space of this renowned Amsterdam gallery, the Dutch writer, poet, and artist presented her new black-and-white film THEN, THEN, 2014. The narrative is omnipresent; this work tells a story about creating our own past and reality. Barnas does this by continuously rearranging a room where Johann Wolfgang von Goethe used to write in Frankfurt while she questions representation and originality.

George Korsmit | Ellen de Bruijne Projects // June 28–August 02

The numbers on a dice determine the outcome of Korsmit’s vibrant geometric works, as he tries to reduce his decisions of authorship. “Sending Out The Gods” brought him to Seoul, where he asked female South Korean shamans—in whose rituals colors and flags play an important role—to roll the dice. The beautiful and almost meditative works result from a kinship between Korsmit and the shamans, as they both see themselves as mediators between colors and rules. 

“Past, Favorite, Recent” | Boetzelaer|Nispen // June 25–July 26

The two biggest questions many art collectors ask themselves are: What to do with the art and where to show it? The gallery tackles these issues by inviting seven prominent Dutch buyers of contemporary art to show a past, favorite and recent work, thereby exhibiting the collector instead of the artist. The diversity of artists, like Thomas Koolhaas, Jasper de Beijer, Tony Cragg, and Adham Farramay speaks to the variety of collecting practices, and the importance of collecting for the art world.

Published in Modern Painters #October 2014