2021 was the second pandemic year. Even though several artistic events took place in real live, others were only virtually visitable. At the same time, other activities arose. In consequence, our review mainly shows the artworks of the month. However, there are some exceptions like an online art fair, a postal exhibition and a video-performance. There was the Bolognese Art City with numerous exhibitions, a catalogue review of a postponed exhibition and the second edition of an artist solidarity project.
January
With her photo “F’OOT N’OTES (A Rehearsal) #5” Ode de Kort prepared a new performance. The principal protagonists are black wellingtons and a red stockinged leg. Moreover, there are accessories recalling punctuation marks or musical notations. Thereby occurs a rhythm.
February
Valentina D’Accardi took pictures from a multi-storey building of her neighbourhood. The title “Düsseldorf” refers to the renowned photographic school, but in an interesting sense.
The traditional Bolognese art fair ARTEFIERA was this year only online.
And the Museo d’Arte Moderna di Bologna (MAMbo) conceived an analogue exhibition in a special way.
March
Inspired by a 17th century decoration in the chateau of Carros, Véronique Champollion made the collagraphy “Satyr (No. 3)”
To remind the triple catastrophe of Fukushima, Thomas Neumann initiated the video-performance Märztage (March days) with readings of his diary from 2011. The 14 videos are still available online.
April
For her ephemeral installation, one of Monique Thibaudin’s Anti-Bust’s travelled in the South. However, limited by the curfew, the journey was limited to 1 km.
May
Virginia Zanetti’s photo “The Pillars of the Earth” documents a performance where the participants are carrying the terrain with their hands.
The image was part of the exhibition “Be a Poem”, one of numerous shows during the Bolognese ART CITY 2021. Postponed from January, visitors finally could appreciate a wide range of art shows in reality. We visited 18 of the venues throughout the city.
June
During the lockdown, Greta Schödl revived an idea from 1978 and created a huge series of inscribed stones. Every “O” of the word “MARMO” is filled with gold leaf so that a certain kind of vibration occurs.
July / August
Summer break
September
Once again, we were reminded of the Greek mythology. Angela Hampel reinterpreted the legend of the “Rape of Europe” in a new way. In the painting “Europe and the Bull” the role of the kidnapped princess differs from the traditional narration.
October
Elyse Galiano’s sculptural installation “Conversation” depicts an establishment of contact of a special sort. Herewith the artist refers to various forms of verbal exchange in a female world.
Postponed for nearly a year, the exhibition “Cause & Effect – Graphic Prints in the GDR from the Collection Nowoisky” was inaugurated in the Municipal Museums of Zittau, Germany. The catalogue by Claudia Jansen provides the reader with information about the history of the collection and the significance of art prints in the GDR. Moreover, there are insights about the development of the different art schools and a huge number of illustrations.
November
Suitable for Halloween, we presented Amandine Urruty’s “Egg Triptych” with numerous strange figures. They are sometimes amusing but sometimes also scary.
Encouraging rather than frightening is the project “Benefit for Artists”, which went in its second edition. Once again, artists united to sell their artworks for the profit of all participants.
December
With “Pickle Factory” Tamara Stoffers reflects on Socialist Realism. Is it possible to translate the principle of art in the former USSR into a contemporary painting?
Thank you for following us in 2021. We hope you’ll be our guest again in 2022!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!