By positioning experimental figures from the history of art alongside contemporary photographers, this week’s selection celebrates the past, present and future of creative practice through topical performance, installation and images.
Tom Jacobi: Awakening, Ostlicht, Vienna
Jacobi’s (b. 1956) large-format photographs capture expansive natural landscapes. The Awakening trilogy is the result of four years spent travelling, and depicts desolate environments including mountains, cliffs, deserts and ice plains. Using a muted colour palette, the practitioner creates atmospheric compositions, expanding the boundaries of tradition. From 17 March. Find out more here.
Joan Jonas, Tate Modern, London
Known as a pioneer of performance and moving-image, Jonas (b. 1936) has pushed the limits of art for the last 50 years. Displaying early works from the 1960s alongside recent pieces, this new retrospective explores timely themes such as climate change, animal extinction and gender identity. Until 5 August. Find out more here.
Yoav Horesh: Serene Oasis and Shawn Bush: A Golden State, Gallery Kayafas, Boston
Exploring two diverse locales, this duo of exhibitions investigates contrasting everyday experiences Horesh’s (b. 1975) work records the reality of life in Neve Sha’anan, a neighbourhood in Israel home to thousands of immigrants and refugees, whilst Bush’s (b. 1987) series explores notions of identity in the west, using pop culture and Americana to reconstruct established tropes. Until 6 April. Find out more here.
Marina Abramovic: Early Works, Sean Kelly Gallery, New York
This show draws together a significant collection of Abramović’s (b. 1946) solo performances and films, each pushing the limits of physical and mental thresholds. The selection expands perceptions of ritual, gesture and even pain, creating dialogues between performer and audience to form a new rhetoric of meaning. Until 17 March. Find out more here.
Bruce Nauman: Disappearing Acts, Schaulager, Basel
Schaulager’s survey of Nauman’s (b. 1941) prolific career comprises videos, drawings, photographs, neon pieces and large-scale installations. Using innovative, visually arresting methods, the show investigates communication and materiality, bringing into question power structures and moral values. From 17 March. Find out more here.
Credits:
1. Tom Jacobi, Distraction, 2015. Courtesy Rosier Gallery
2.Joan Jonas, Reanimation 2010/2012/2013, Courtesy of Joan Jonas and Gavin Brown’s enterprise, Photo: Thomas Muller.
3. © Shawn Bush
4. Marina Abramović, Rhythm 10, 1973 published 1994. © Marina AbramovićPhotography: Jason Wyche, New York Courtesy: the Marina Abramović Archives and Sean Kelly, New York
5. Bruce Nauman, Natural Light, Blue Light Room, 1971, Installation View, 2016, © Bruce Nauman 2016, Photo: Peter Mallet.
