Video Art At Its Best: Johanna Billing at Modern Art Oxford

Swedish artist, Johanna Billing’s videos reflect routine, rehearsal and ritual with an emphasis on the fragility of individual performance and the power of collective experience. Billing was born in 1973 in Jönkoping, Sweden. She attended Konstfack in Stockholm where she has lived and worked since graduating in 1999. She became known for video works set in Stockholm such as Project for a Revolution (2000), Missing Out (2001) and You Don’t Love Me Yet performance events (2002 – 2010), which launched her international career.



In this, the second of a series of three new commissions organised by Modern Art Oxford, Camden Arts Centre, London and Arnolfini, Bristol, Johanna Billing presents a new film: I’m Lost Without Your Rhythm (2009). The film, which forms the centrepiece of the exhibition at Modern Art Oxford, is based around the recording of a live choreography event involving amateur Romanian dancers and acting students in Iasi, Romania during the Periferic 8 Biennial of Contemporary Art in October 2008. Led by Swedish choreographer Anna Vnuk with whom Billing last worked over a decade ago on one of her first films, there is no final performance as such. The resulting video weaves several days’ activity into a continuous process of live improvisation between choreographer, dancers and local musicians.



For Billing, the project was an attempt to explore, along with the participating individuals and the audience, what contemporary dance can be, or means today, especially in relation to a developing country and economy such as Romania. Consequently the work becomes about movement in general, choreography closer to everyday life than might first be imagined. She comments: “Often I think I am after a way of communicating – sometimes perhaps with oneself – that we have lost contact with.”

I’m Lost Without Your Rhythm will be shown at Modern Art Oxford alongside earlier video and installation works from over the last nine years including Missing Out (2001), Where she is at, (2001), Magical World, (2005), and Another Album, (2006). Recent major solo exhibitions include Taking Turns, Kemper Museum, Kansas City; This is How We Walk On The Moon, Malmö Konsthall, Malmö (both 2008); Forever Changes, Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Basel and Keep on Doing, Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee (both 2007). She has participated in survey shows such as Documenta 12, Kassel (2007); Singapore Biennale (2006), 9th Istanbul Biennial; 1st Moscow Biennale (both 2005) and 50th Venice Biennale (2003). Johanna also runs the record label Make it Happen with her brother Anders, publishing music and arranging live performances.



The exhibition marks the reopening of Modern Art Oxford following a substantial redesign of the Gallery’s entrance and public spaces. Showing concurrently with Johanna Billing’s exhibition is Maria Pask: Déjà vu 17 April – 6 June. Déjà vu was filmed on location in Rose Hill, a housing estate in East Oxford, Déjà vu is inspired by Rose Hill Roundabout, a community newsletter produced in Rose Hill from the 1950s to the 1960s. The film presents a series of mini-dramas, recalling past community events described in archived issues of Roundabout, and provides an insight into issues prevalent at the time, such as continuity of local life, community and togetherness.



There are a series of related events including: Johanna Billing and Maria Pask will be in conversation on Thursday 27 May, 7pm. £4/£3 and on Friday 28 May, 7pm-10pm local bands will perform their own renditions of the song You Don't Love Me Yet as part of Billing's ongoing project You Don't Love Me Yet, (2002-2010). F

Free admission, booking essential. For further information visit www.modernartoxford.org.uk

All images (c) Johanna Billing

Sony World Photography Awards 2010 Winners Announced

Last night, the winners were announced for the Sony World Photography Awards 2010 for the professional category, Italian photographer, Tommaso Ausili wins L’Iris d’Or and Vitali Seitz wins the award for Amateur Photographer of the Year. This prize provides a unique view into what's being created today in the world of photography - from art and advertising to documentary and fine art, poignantly reminding us that images surround us and have become entwined in the everyday.



Tommaso Ausili's evocative series of photographs in the Contemporary Issues category, entitled “The Hidden Death”, is an insightful depiction of an assembly line at an abattoir. Ausili was awarded a $25,000 cash prize plus Sony digital SLR camera equipment and he joins previous L’Iris d’Or winners David Zimmerman and Vanessa Winship as a member of the World Photographic Academy. Tommaso Ausili said at the ceremony: “I’m very glad to receive this award. Since I started this series on the death of animals, I have felt an enormous sense of guilt, and this prize goes some way to repay that debt. Thanks to the Sony World Photography Awards for honouring my work with this prize.”



Photographer Vitali Seitz was announced as the 2010 Sony World Amateur Photographer of the Year at the ceremony. Based in Munich, but originally from Siberia, Vitali’s image entitled “Hauskonzert: Home concert” was taken at an informal concert as part of a family birthday and also won the amateur Music category. In addition to his title Vitali picked up a $5,000 cash prize and Sony digital SLR camera equipment.



All the winning and shortlisted images of the 2010 awards are on display until 27 April as part of the World Photography Festival in Cannes. The images will then be showcased in the Sony World Photography Awards Global Tour exhibition which will tour around the world throughout 2010 and 2011.

The final presentation of the evening went to celebrated American photojournalist Eve Arnold. Presented the day after her 98th birthday, the Lifetime Achievement Award was collected by her grandson Michael Arnold. Eve’s 50 year career has captured some of history’s most memorable figures from Malcolm X to Marilyn Monroe and was the first female photographer to be taken on by Magnum. A retrospective of Eve’s work, curated by Zelda Cheatle, is currently on display in Cannes as part of the World Photography Festival.

Astrid Merget, Creative Director of the World Photography Organisation, said: “The quality of work submitted by this year’s professional photographers was remarkable. Narrowing down so many impressive selections to just 36 finalists was a feat worthy of a very distinguished jury like ours to undertake. We are all thrilled with the results and honoured to have such talented photographers participate in our awards programme.”

Yoshiyuki Nogami, Vice President of Digital Imaging at Sony Europe, said: “We are once again honoured to support this unique competition which celebrates the power of photography. This year’s contest has produced an inspired showcase of phenomenal photographic talent and we congratulate all these deserving winners.”

Chosen by the 2010 Honorary Judging Committee, comprising 12 World Photographic Academy members, the professional category winners are:

Photojournalism and Documentary
·Walter Astrada (Argentina) for Current Affairs
·Barbour (New Zealand) for Sport
·Tommaso Ausili (Italy) for Contemporary Issues
·Paolo Pellegrin (Italy) for Arts and Entertainment

Commercial
·Martin Brent (United Kingdom) for Advertising
·David Handley (United Kingdom) for Fashion
·Mohammad Golchin (Iran) for Music

Fine Art
·Philipp Lohöefener (Germany)for Architecture
·Tommaso Bonaventura (Italy) for Portraiture
·Renhui Zhao (Singapore) for Conceptual and Constructed
·Pere Pascual (Spain) for Natural History
·Peter Franck (Germany) for Landscape

On behalf of the Honorary Judging Committee Aidan Sullivan commented, “It has been an honour to be part of the judging of this years awards. Being able to view the remarkable work and spend time with such eminent colleagues was a real delight. The judging process was one of both pleasure, in seeing such a high calibre of work, and of pain in that the standard made reaching our decisions difficult and I would like to congratulate all of the winners across all of the categories.”

All the winning professional and amateur images can be viewed at www.worldphotographyawards.org

To read more about the World Photography Awards in 2007, CLICK HERE.

Images
1. Contemporary Issues Tommaso Ausili, Italy ©Tommaso Ausili courtesy of Sony World Photography Awards 2010
2. Landscape winner Peter Franck, Germany 13361-51922 © Peter Franck courtesy of Sony World Photography Awards 2010
3. Amateur Music Winner Name: Vitali Seitz © Vitali Seitz courtesy of the Sony World Photography Awards 2010

A Review of Emerging Painters this spring at Jerwood Space

Yesterday, the fourth and final Jerwood Contemporary Painters exhibition opened at the Jerwood Space in London with great acclaim. This innovative and varied exhibition provides a unique opportunity for emerging artists at a particular stage in their career, somewhere in between student and recognised artist to exhibit alongside their contemporaries. It also provides audiences a rare chance to get a glimpse of future greats, so to speak. The exhibition supports imaginative and vibrant practice in contemporary painting by encouraging young artists during what can be, at times, considered their most creative period. Each of the participating artists, who must have graduated after 2000, receives an equal share of £30,000 to support them at this critical point in their careers. This fee is unusual to other prizes as it rewards every artist in the show. Paul Huxley, Vanessa Jackson and Callum Innes selected the 24 artists (scroll down for biographies).



Lately, several great painters have been brought to my attention, for example, the incredibly poignant Mitch Griffiths whose new show The Promised Land opens later this month at the Halcyon Gallery, London) and Jonathan Wateridge, who is relatively unknown, but a strong newcomer, has a show the will be opening in July. What I love about painting is the ability to negotiate the form, taking a traditional medium and turning it on its head through modern day interpretation. Painting has a long a varied history; it doesn’t have the same relationship with contemporary image-making, as say, the photograph. However, because of the nature of a painting, it’s presence resonates, there’s a certain sort of permanence, which is a quality that is increasingly becoming rare in the early part of the 21st century.



The twenty-four artists are:

Neil Clements, Stewart Cliff, Natasha Conway, Kevin Cosgrove, James Ferris, Lotte Gertz, Nick Goss, Tommy Grace, Charlie Hammond, Iain Hetherington, Thomas Hylander, Ellen Macdonald, Jill Mason, Lucy Kumara Moore, Jack Newling, J.A. Nicholls, Ben Pritchard, James Ryan, Daniel Sinsel, David Small Lucy Stein, Shaan Syed, Mimei Thompson, and Hanneline Visnes

Exhibition Events
A series of Monday evening events will accompany the exhibition at Jerwood Space. The events will explore contemporary painting, offering a platform for debate around the topic. Events are free but must be booked in advance. For further information and to book, please email jva@parkerharris.co.uk or check the Jerwood Visual Arts website.

Selectors
Paul Huxley RA was elected a Royal Academician in 1987 and has been Treasurer of the Royal Academy since 2000. Previous to this he was a member of the advisory panels for the Arts Council of Great Britain and the Serpentine Gallery. He was also a Trustee of the Tate Gallery from 1975 to 1982, acting for a period as chairman of its Exhibitions Committee. Recent projects have included large-scale wall drawings in Chichester and London, and an ongoing series of paintings on a Chinese theme. In 2009 his work was exhibited in solo shows in Beijing, China, and Seoul, South Korea.

Vanessa Jackson is an abstract painter concerned with optical and illusionistic process. She was Head of Painting at Winchester School of Art until 1997, and later MA and Research Tutor at the Royal College of Art until 2008. Currently she tutors at the Royal Academy Schools. She has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in London and internationally. Her most recent show was a 10metre wall painting, 'Vertigo in Three Parts,' at Sadler's Wells.

Callum Innes has had numerous solo exhibitions, most recently at Frith Street Gallery, London; Fruitmarket, Edinburgh; and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney. In 1992 he had two major exhibitions at the ICA, London and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, and in 1995 he was short-listed for the Turner Prize. He was awarded the Jerwood Painting Prize in 2002.

The exhibition runs until 30 May, at the Jerwood Space, 171 Union St, SE1 0LN
It’s free admission, and definitely worth the visit.
www.jerwoodvisualarts.org

Images (c) the artists
1. (c) James Ferris
2. (c) Hanneline Visnes,Stain