Until May 2010, the Public Art Fund presents the first major outdoor exhibition in New York of artist Peter Coffin. The outdoor show Peter Coffin: Untitled (Sculpture Silhouettes) at New York’s City Hall Park takes the viewer on a journey through the history of scupture by displaying 13 monumental silhouettes of iconic sculptures. There’s Louise Bourgeois’ Untitled (With Hand) (1989); Michelangelo’s David (1504); Auguste Rodin’s The Thinker (1880); Umberto Boccioni’s Unique Forms of Continuity in Space (1913); Wladimir Tatlin’s Monument to the third International (1919-20); Pablo Picasso’s She Goat (1950); Barnett Newman’s Broken Obelisk (1963); Lygia Clark’s Raw Cubismo (1969); Robert Smithson’s Gyrostasis (1968); Sol LeWitt’s Incomplete Open Cube (1974); Niki de St. Phalle’s Snake Tree (1984-1987); Nam June Paik’s L’Olympe de Gouges in La fée électronique (1989); and a Moai Easter Island Head (circa 1250-1500).

Peter Coffin’s Untitled (Sculpture Silhouettes) is the Public Art Fund’s 21st exhibition at City Hall Park, following shows such as Richard Woods’ wall and door and roof (2009)M; Robert Melee (2008-0); Alexander Calder in New york (2006-7); Julian Opie’s Animals, Buildings, Cars, and People (2004-6); and Roy Lichtenstein at City Hall Park (2003-4). By calling 311, New Yorkers and visitors are able to learn more about the exhibition.

Peter Coffin’s Untitled (Sculpture Silhouettes) is presented by the non-profit art organization Public Art Fund. The Public Art Fund is New York’s leading presenter of artists’ projects, new commissions, installations, and exhibitions in public spaces. Since 1977, the Public Art Fund has worked with over 500 emerging and established artists to produce temporary exhibitions of contemporary art throughout New York City.

Peter Coffin: Untitled (Sculpture Silhouettes), City Hall Park, New York. March 7, 2010.

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Utopics is the title of the 11th Swiss Sculpture Exhibition (Schweizerische Plastikausstellung, SPA), taking place in the Swiss town of Biel/Bienne from August until October 2009. The first edition of this event goes back to 1954. Since 1980, sculpture isn’t the exclusive medium anymore, and with this years edition, the notion of art in the public space comprises all disciplines and forms of expressions. The organizers refer to the Sculpture Projects Münster (Skulptur Projekte Münster) as exhibition project with a similar concept.

Utopics presents 50 installations and interventions throughout the city. The participants are mainly artists, but also creators of micronations, representatives of atypical communities or associations. The title of the exhibition, Utopics, comes from a free contraction of the words utopia, you, topic, topos, and pics. The artistic director of Utopics is Simon Lamunière. Since 2000 he is the curator of Art Basel’s Art Unlimited, the art fair’s section for monumental artworks.

In this video, Gerhard Mack, correspondent of the German art magazine Art – Das Kunstmagazin, reviews the show (in German language). He especially takes a look at the works of Nedko Solakov, Andreas Golinski and Gerda Steiner & Jörg Lenzlinger.

Utopics, 11th Swiss Sculpture Exhibition (Schweizerische Plastikausstellung, SPA), Biel/Bienne, Switzerland. Professional Days, August 28/29, 2009.

PS: Review by Gerhard Mack at Art – Das Kunstmagazin (in German).

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