HANNE'S ART AND CULTURE BLOG

I know, I know... I'm deep down in Twilight (i.e. Robert Pattinson) craziness, just like the rest of the world's 13 year olds. But the interview might be a little bit interesting? Go here to see a slideshow of the pictures accompanying the interview, including one of Rob eating corn.

Come join us at Art Since the Summer of '69 on Saturday, and at Performance Space at University Settlement on Sunday! Lina Viste Gronli and Nils Bech are the best! Be there or be square.

Lina Viste Grønli: Effigies
&
Nils Bech, Bendik Giske, Lina Viste Grønli: Look Back

November 7 – 27, 2009

Art Since the Summer of ‘69
195 Chrystie Street, 3rd floor
(between Stanton and Rivington)
New York

Opening of Effigies: Saturday, November 7, 6 – 9 p.m.
at Art Since the Summer of ‘69

Look Back 1: Saturday, November 7, 7 p.m.
at Art Since the Summer of ‘69

Art Since the Summer of ’69 and Performa 09 presents: Look Back 2:
Sunday, November 8, 7:15 p.m.
Performance Project @ University Settlement
184 Eldridge Street
New York

Lina Viste Grønli is interested in semiotic sculpture and collage
techniques that deconstruct language as a narrative form. With wicked
wit, her sculptures grapple with the algebra of verbal codes,
linguistic terms, and the construction of meaning. In her work, she is
exploring art as an alternative strategy, and as a tool within
alienation.

Effigies brings together works channeling the likes of Isadora Duncan
and Joan Armatrading. In the sculpture Armatrading, history is
repeated twice, when a mock-up of Gerrit Rietvelds famous zig-zag
chair act not only as a reference to him, but also to Joan
Armatrading’s iconic 1980 album cover Me, Myself I, where it is
depicted. Viste Grønli similarly tackled Grace Jones, from memory, in
a repetitive series of triangular forms of abstract representation,
entitled The Grace Jones Sculpture Project.

The sculptures included in Effigies have been meticulously picked to
coincide with Nils Bech and Bendik Giske’s performance Look Back, as
part of the Performa 09 Lust Weekend.

Look Back is a performance in two parts, co-presented by Art Since the
Summer of ’69 and Performa 09. Performing alongside Viste Grønli’s
sculptures, including an oversize pea and a Helvetica slash, Nils Bech
will combine sparse acapella versions of contemporary and classical
music and well-crafted electronica in a conceptual stage show laced
with cabaret and contemporary dance, in collaboration with saxofonist
Bendik Giske.

Look Back 1 will be an intimate event at the opening of Viste Grønli’s
exhibition at Art Since the Summer of ’69. Look Back 2 will take place
at Performance Project at University Settlement as part of a lineup of
performances presented by Performa 09 as part of the Lust weekend.
Both events are free.

Lina Viste Grønli (b. 1976) lives and works in Oslo, Norway. She has
exhibited at Gaudel de Stampa in Paris, Gallery Micky Schubert in
Berlin, Jones Gallery in Cologne, Karma International in Zurich,
Astrup Fearnley Museum in Oslo, UKS in Oslo, Johan Berggren Gallery in
Malmo,, among many others. Effigies is Lina Viste Grønli ‘s first solo
show in New York. http://www.linavistegroenli.com/

Nils Bech (b. Oslo, Norway, 1981) is a classically trained singer with
a focus on performance. An integral part of the Norwegian art and
music scenes, he has taken part in exhibitions in New York, Zürich,
Basel, Berlin, London, Vienna, and Oslo, as well as performing with
his own band, Nils Bech. http://www.myspace.com/nilsbech

Bendik Giske (b. Oslo, Norway 1982) holds higher education in
performing jazz-saxophone from Trondheim, Copenhagen and Oslo. He has
worked as a producer and co-composer alongside Nils Bech, and his list
of performances includes playing alongside musicians such as Arve
Henriksen, Pat Metheny and Kleerup. He has performed worldwide with
the award-winning trio Listen, on stages such as the Guggenheim museum
in Bilbao. His jazz quintet BG-5 (Bendik Giske Quintet) recently
toured all of the Nordic countries. http://bendikgiske.com/

Performa 09, the third edition of the internationally acclaimed
biennial of new visual art performance, will be held in New York City
from November 1–22, 2009. The three-week festival will showcase new
work by more than 80 of the most exciting artists working today, in
an innovative program breaking down the boundaries between visual art,
music, dance, poetry, fashion, architecture, graphic design, and the
culinary arts. Presented in collaboration with a consortium of more
than 60 arts institutions and 25 curators, as well as a network of
public spaces and private venues across the city, Performa 09 will
ignite New York City with energy and ideas, acting as a vital “think
tank” linking minds across the five boroughs and bringing audiences
together for brilliant new performances in all disciplines.

For more information and image requests, please visit
www.artsince69.com or contact the gallery by email at
info@artsince69.com or by phone 347.208.5437.

These events were made possible by the generous support of Office for
Contemporary Art Norway (OCA) and the Royal Norwegian Consulate
General in New York.

Sue Drummond and her dog BiBi were walking on a pier in Victoria, Australia, yesterday, when strong winds took BiBi up in the air and threw her into the sea. Luckily, Raden Soemawinata, a part-time model, was there, and jumped after BiBi and saved her life! Apparently Raden's comment was: "It was pretty cold and windy, but it wasn't such a hard decision to jump in, it wasn't such a great feat. I'm a part-time model, so getting into my jocks isn't so different to what I do for work."

For more on this, with images of Raden jumping to save BiBi, go to Dlisted.