December 2003 - Nr. 12
Art Toronto
Toronto
is working hard to raise its profile. The third annual International Art
Show was hailed to be another Mecca for art collectors in North America. In
the shadow of the CN Tower some very fine and innovative art from around the
world was shown.
As an artist I find it amazingly inspirational to see some of the worlds best current art displayed. I never stop to marvel at the creativity of my fellow artists and take note of the trends, if any, which are developing. Actually it is not about trends at all, but certainly fascinating what is apparently popular and considered of lasting value in different countries. Some cultures are evolving towards simplicity, where in centuries before all ornamental styles have found their rich expressions. Representatives of other countries have a still traditional feel for art in their repertoire of creativity, like for instance Cuba.
What is most startling in such a huge exhibit is the discovery of some genuinely famous art, like a Chagal adorning the walls of a booth. I had to do a double take to believe it and examine the signature on the piece. Other great pieces included lithos of Picasso and Rembrandts.
But originally we went to visit a friend who lives in Düsseldorf and who came to exhibit. We ended up speaking to several gallerists from Germany and other countries.
First
we went to seek out Galerie Lausberg, run by Bernd Lausberg and Brian Torner,
whom many of you might remember as one of the world’s best and most
wonderful ballroom dancers and choreographers. Some years ago, when I
performed at the German Gala Ball and MCed he danced for us with his
partner, a young German lady, who now lives in Canada, while Brian lives in
Germany.
The art exhibited at the Lausberg booth could be described as colourful monochrome-minimalism. Installations of squares divided or as one piece with layers upon layers of colour create an unusual intensity. This fascination with colour and the different effects one can create with it was demonstrated by the work of two artists: Juergen Pass and Thomas Doyle. An almost austere beauty is only tempered by the sheer to opaque quality the light produces as it is absorbed or bounces off the surface.
Simple? Hardly! And very effective!
To view some of the gallery’s art visit www.galerie-lausberg.de
Galerie Krinzinger hailed from Vienna, Austria and brought Frank Thiel’s and Erwin Wurms’s photo-art. One being of an architectural nature, looking for and presenting textures of our modern society, the other exploring satirical ways to illustrate political incorrectness. The gallery also has a website at www.galerie-krinzinger.at
The
most extensive exhibit came from Galerie Giani, Frankfurt, Germany. The
fascinating work of Arnulf Rainer and Joerg Ahrnt , as well as Trevor Gould,
Art Professor in Montréal. His humorous presentations and scurrile point of
the world were most unique. The art of the two other German artists shown
was impressive and asked for a degree of intelligence and knowledge, not
simply a feeling of wellbeing in their presence.
We spoke to gallery owner Dr. Claudia Giani-Leber, who was happy to be in Toronto, but felt that the market here is mostly still raw and needs developing. She saw the art show mainly as a venue to educate. This viewpoint was shared by other gallerists too, especially if they were from countries with a particularly rich art culture of long duration.
It became clear that Canada is a promising emerging market and needs further development to create larger amounts of sophisticated collectors. To view this gallery’s website go to www.artegiani.com
We stopped by several other displays and you can find further reports on our website www.echoworld.com.
Comments to: sfr@echoworld.com
