previews

  • Aleksandr Rodchenko, Novyi Lef, nos. 8–9, 1927, ink on paper, 8 15/16 x 6 1/16".

    Aleksandr Rodchenko, Novyi Lef, nos. 8–9, 1927, ink on paper, 8 15/16 x 6 1/16".

    Aleksandr Rodchenko and Liubov Popova

    Tate Modern
    Bankside
    February 12–May 17, 2009

    Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
    Calle de Santa Isabel, 52
    October 19, 2009–January 31, 2010

    Greek State Museum of Contemporary Art
    21 Kolokotroni Street, Moni Lazariston
    June 18–September 20, 2009

    Curated by Margarita Tupitsyn

    Though the Russian avant-garde’s commitment to interdisciplinarity arguably exceeded contemporary notions of multimedia practice, exhibitions of Constructivist art today tend to examine the period by way of gender, medium, or a single artist’s output. This show cuts across categories by presenting diverse works by two of the movement’s most influential practitioners, revealing the aesthetic currents that shaped their various projects from 1917 to 1929. The approximately 350 objects on view will include Liubov Popova’s textile designs and canvases from her early Painterly Architectonic series, Aleksandr Rodchenko’s iconic cinema posters, the artists’ costume and set designs, and their respective contributions to the landmark 1921 show “5x5=25.”

    — Nicole Rudick

  • Man Ray, Emak Bakia, 1926, still from a black-and-white film, 19 minutes. © 2009 Man Ray Trust/ADAGP, Paris.

    Man Ray, Emak Bakia, 1926, still from a black-and-white film, 19 minutes. © 2009 Man Ray Trust/ADAGP, Paris.

    “The Shadow”

    Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza
    Paseo del Prado 8 Palacio de Villahermosa
    July 19, 2013–May 17, 2009

    Curated by Victor Stoichita

    Who knows what darkness lurks within the heart of art from the Renaissance through the present day? “The Shadow” knows. This exhibition—curated by Romanian-born German art historian Victor Stoichita (who penned an intriguing book on the topic a decade ago)—brings together some 140 works in two venues and explores shifting representations of shadows. The Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza will offer a survey of paintings ranging from Jan van Eyck and Rembrandt to the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, some of which have been culled from the museum’s collection (with its own shadowy history). The second part of the show, housed in the nearby Fundación Caja Madrid, will include a variety of media and focus on twentieth-century artists, such as Man Ray, André Kertész, Max Ernst, and Andy Warhol. The exhibition promises to illuminate art’s darkest corners.

    — Nico Israel