Visual Arts, Columbia University, New York

This course examines ways of looking and ways of seeing, both personally & professionally as artists and in a larger cultural context. Through field trips to contemporary art and other cultural sites, conversations with visiting critical thinkers and practicioners, readings, discussions, and visual & written responses, we will examine how we look, think, act, create and respond--critically questioning our own artistic practices and ways of looking at the world.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Francis Alÿs

In addition to Eye and Idea, I am also taking Sculpture 1 with Sanford Biggers this term. On the first day of class, we took a field trip to Chelsea. One of the galleries we visited was David Zwirner, which has been a favorite of mine since moving to NYC in 2010. While there, Sanford kind of threw me to the wolves by asking me to speed-read the artist information on Francis Alÿs and summarize the main points about his show at Zwirner, REEL-UNREEL. It was only a slightly terrifying way to introduce myself to my new stranger-peers, but it worth it when I spied something in the corner of the video screening room: free posters. Yes, free POSTERS! I just moved into my new apartment and I was super excited to hang something on my wall, like a free Francis Alÿs poster. Here it is, hanging on my wall:


This story is all to say why I am chose to post about Francis Alÿs: because his poster is hanging on my wall—so far, the only decorative item in my nondescript university apartment (furniture circa 1984).

Francis Alÿs was born in Belgium in 1959, but has been living and working in Mexico City since 1986. He was originally trained as an architect and he took up visual art only after moving to Mexico City where he was inspired by the urbanization and social dissonance of Mexico. (Also, when he moved to Mexico City, he started dating another artist, Melanie Smith, and hanging out with all her artist friends.) His architectural background often permeates his work and he utilizes a broad range of medium: animation, drawing, painting, photography, video, and writing.

Francis Alys
Francis Alÿs photographed by Anton Corbijn

I thought his 2009 Fabiola installation at the National Portrait Gallery in London is a really dramatic juxtaposition to his work we will see at David Zwirner tomorrow:

Fabiola 6

Additionally, just in case we do not have time to watch the full 20-minute video at David Zwirner, here is a link to the video portion of REEL-UNREEL:
http://www.francisalys.com/public/reel-unreel.html

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