Two art shows not to be missed at the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum. From China, Wang Qingsong’s ADinfinitum, and from Argentina Global Exchange: Geometric Abstraction Since 1950 (from the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Buenos Aires, MACBA). Both exhibitions opened Saturday, November 8.
Wang Qingsong: ADinfinitum (November 8 – January 18)
Recognized worldwide as one of China’s most innovative artists, Wang Qingsong is based in Beijing and was born in 1966 at the start of the Cultural Revolution. ADinfinitum features giant photographic masterpieces the artist stages in huge spaces such as movie studios and warehouses. These works depict the drastic changes occurring in China, and the challenges brought about by this accelerated transition. They chronicle the difficulties that such rapid societal change has presented to the Chinese people. The artwork can require months of logistical preparation and staging, and recruitment of dozens and sometimes hundreds of models for epic photo-shoots (many are done in one day and with no digital manipulation).
The exhibition is site-specific, featuring 12 of Wang’s large-scale works (some from the Miami collections of Ella Cisneros, Anthony Japour and Craig Robins). Spanning all three galleries of the Frost’s third floor (a rarity for the museum), the show encompasses 2,500 square feet. A first for Wang’s solo shows, each gallery is dedicated to a particular theme of his work.
A Global Exchange: Geometric Abstraction Since 1950 (November 8 – January 4)
Part of the Frost’s longstanding collaborative partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art in Buenos Aires (MACBA), this exhibition features 30 works spanning 1950-2014. The commanding roster of artists showcases MACBA’s emphasis on crosscurrents of influence in geometric abstraction between artists worldwide. The scope of A Global Exchange sets it apart as one of the only group shows to present the interchange among geometric artists on such a global scale and comprehensive timeline.
The intercontinental cast includes: Tony Costa (Italy), Carlos Cruz-Diez (Venezuela), Gabriele Evertz (Germany), Cristina Ghetti (Argentina), Frederick Hammersley (U.S.), Tadasuke Kuwayama (Japan), Walter Leblanc (Belgium), Almir Mavignier (Brazil), Olivier Mosset (Switzerland), Francois Morellet (France), Sarah Morris (U.K.), Matilde Perez (Chile), Francisco Sobrino (Spain), Julian Stanckzak (Poland) and Victor Vasarelly (Hungary). “The exhibition chronicles an international dialogue between artists that was integral to the development of geometric art,” said Curator Joe Houston. He is the author of Optic Nerve: Perceptual Art of the 1960s and was hand-picked by MACBA’s Executive Director Aldo Rubino for the institution’s inaugural exhibition that launched the focus on geometric art. Houston is curator of the Hallmark Art Collection in Kansas City.
Admission to The Frost Art Museum is free.
The museum is located at 10975 SW 17th St., across from the Blue Garage and adjacent to the Wertheim Performing Arts Center on the Modesto A. Maidique Campus of Florida International University.
Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday noon-5 p.m.
Closed on Mondays and most legal holidays. 305-348-2890.
