2010 Fine Art Collection Exhibited at Decorex Jo'burg

2010 Fine Art Collection Exhibited at Decorex Jo'burg
by John Gardner

Fine art on this scale has never before been licensed for a FIFA World Cup™.

Decorex Joburg will host the 2010 Fine Art Collection as part of the décor and interior design event's 16th annual exhibition. The works in this collection have been recognized as official licensed products of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ and will be part of one of the largest and most ambitious international fine art collaborations ever.

Artists from all over the globe have been inspired to create artworks motivated by the tournament and the fact that Africa will host it for the first time.

Show visitors are treated to the first works from the studios of several talented South African-based artists which will form part of the 2010 African Fine Art Collection. These include: Clint Strydom's photographic series entitled "The Real Heroes of 2010", the whimsical cows created by Taju entitled "Cows Love Football Too", Keith Calder's series of exceptional bronzes entitled "Footballers", Hildegard's delicate etchings and the visual trickery of Gavin Rain's modern abstract paintings amongst others.

160 acclaimed artists from the 32 qualifying countries will also be producing artworks that will be included in the 2010 International Fine Art Collection. The artworks in the 2010 International Fine Art Collection will, however, only be released in early 2010 through a series of simultaneous global exhibitions in all 32 qualifying countries.

The 2010 Fine Art team is present at Decorex Joburg to publicise the 2010 Fine Art project and its various collections, exhibitions, and plans for showcasing fine art in South Africa and abroad in the run up to and during the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

This presents a valuable opportunity for visitors to Decorex Joburg to meet some of the participating artists, to be amongst the first to view the 2010 Fine Art works, and to have the opportunity to acquire one of these fine pieces that are sure to become sought-after collectibles by enthusiastic football followers and serious art collectors alike.

OPEN 12. International Exhibition of Sculptures and Installations

OPEN 12. International Exhibition of Sculptures and Installations
by Arte Communications



PRESS RELEASE Press conference 2 September 2009 at 2.00 p.m. / Hotel Des Bains Light cocktail 2 September 2009 at 4.00 p.m. / Blue Moon Inauguration cocktail (by invitation only) 2 September 2009 at 7.00 p.m. / Island of San Servolo Open to the public 3 September - 4 October 2009, every day, entry free of charge

OPEN, the International Exhibition of Sculptures and Installations, reaches its twelfth edition with a new developing course, an open-air art workshop, where the works themselves are paths that may be followed with the eye or by interaction. Nearly all created specially for the exhibition, the sculptures, installations, photographs and canvases that make up this ideal stream of consciousness are spaces for reflection in which art renews its tension towards the indefinite, eluding form and finiteness, to offer the visitor the possibility of thinking of art free from schemes or thematic set-ups. The event will be held from 2 September to 4 October, in parallel to the 66th Venice International Film Festival, at Venice Lido, and for the second time on the Island of San Servolo. The tree-lined avenues, the sunny promenade, the terraces and the historic hotels that have hosted Lido's busy cultural life over the years, and the splendid gardens of the Island of San Servolo, filled with memories of their past history, form the background for the works of art and are at the same time spectators of artistic and intercultural movements in which they too are protagonists to a certain extent: the location of the works modifies the observer's perception, filtering the way the spectator interprets them and making OPEN a unique and unrepeatable event. Conceived and curated by Paolo De Grandis, jointly organised by Carlotta Scarpa and Arte Communications, in collaboration with the Department of Culture of the Venice City Council, the exhibition has been awarded the Silver Shield of the President of the Republic and is held under the patronage of the Italian Ministry of the Cultural Heritage, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Veneto Region, the Province of Venice and Venice City Council.

OPEN's success over the years has been marked by the presence of numerous curators who have brought to the exhibition a research focussing on the latest trends in art and culture on both the national and the international scene. Among the innovations, there is the participation of Christos Savvidis, director of Artbox, art director of Art Athina and curator of Poets Machine in the 53th Venice Biennale, who will curate artists from the Mediterranean area with site-specific artworks. A platform for comparison and collaboration, such as that proposed by Anna Caterina Bellati who returns with her dynamic view of Italian art in its many aspects. She has introduced great projects, from works by historic masters to the most recent proposals by promising young artists: the aim is to outline contexts, ways of life and interactive proposals, thus enabling visitors to express their opinions. The successful collaboration with Chang Tsong-Zung, Enrico Pedrini, Nevia Pizzul Capello is continuing, with the new presence of Gertrud Kohler-Aeschlimann, director of Art-St-Urban the prestigious museum of sculpture in Lucerne. The important venture of giving space to new talents in the art world is continuing: this year the Bologna Academy of Fine Arts is participating with a project curated by Massimo Pulini, housed in the striking location of the Island of San Servolo. The intent of the exhibition is not to create a defined scene, enclosed within specific parameters of style, but to establish a dialogue between incompatible elements on the limit between representation and the physical nature of the work. OPEN presents the free soul of contemporary art, midway between new aesthetic themes and eccentric provocations, between irony, theatricality and a playful vocation, to redefine the present day through the eyes of forty-two artists from twelve different countries. Among the protagonists, León Ferrari, who was already awarded with the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale, will present an important work in bronze. Also taking part will be the masters Ercole Pignatelli and Ugo Riva, the Indian artist Nataraj Sharma, Andreas Savva with an important site-specific project, Stefano Bombardieri and the Georgian artist Eteri Chkadua. The young Swiss artists Daniel Glaser and Magdalena Kunz who will present a fascinating installation on the terrace of Excelsior Hotel. The opening day will be enlivened by the performance of B.Zarro with his tribute to Mario Schifani. Among the many possible interpretations at this exhibition there is the continuous alternation of sensitivity in imagining contemporary art; there is a fil rouge of collaboration between artists, curators and promoting bodies that share exciting artistic synergies; and the really entrancing interpretation that traces a path through the great skill of all those who have worked to achieve an excellent result when the curtain rises on this art show. The OPEN Prize also reaches its ninth edition. This special prize, coinciding with the 66th Venice International Film Festival, is awarded to a director taking part whose work shows a strong link between the cinema and the figurative arts. Founded by Arte Communication and realised in collaboration with Bellati Editore, this year's prize is a work by the Master Ugo Riva. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue published by Bellati, containing comments by critics, presentations by the authorities and the list of the works on show. Available from the Arte Communications lnfopoint at Lido in Piazzale Bucintoro and in Venice in Riva San Biagio, Castello 2145. A video of the exhibition will also be produced by Maurizio Cesana.

Venice Lido ARGENTINA / León Ferrari CHINA / Lee Sun-Don, Zhao Guanghui CYPRUS / Andreas Savva FINLAND / Hannu Palosuo, Kiba Lumberg FRANCE / Bernard Pourrière GEORGIA / Eteri Chkadua GERMANY / Gabriele Pöhlmann-Grundig, Bertamaria Reetz and Rainer Bonk GREECE / Venia Bechrakis, Aristotelis Deligiannidis, Under Construction INDIA / Nataraj Sharma ITALY / Cosimo Andrisano, B.Zarro, Enrico Benetta, Cristian Biasci, Stefano Bombardieri, Marilù Cattaneo, Andrea Ciampini, Girolamo Ciulla, Marco Cornini, Margherita Michelazzo, Ercole Pignatelli, Ugo Riva, Federica Silvi SWITZERLAND / Heinz Aeschlimann, Daniel Glaser/Magdalena Kunz, Christian Bolt URUGUAY USA / Jorge Misium USA / Fulvia Zambon Island of San Servolo ACCADEMIA DI BELLE ARTI DI BOLOGNA Angelarosa Benevento, Francesco Cossu, Luca Freschi, Laura Guerinoni, Giacomo Lion, Matteo Lucca, Angelo Massaro, Lara Mezzapelle, Fabio Romano, Lucio Terenzi, Linda Vigiani, Davide Vivaldi, Diego Zuelli

Enter To Win $100 Gift Card In The AbetDisc.com Design Contest!

Enter To Win $100 Gift Card In The AbetDisc.com Design Contest!
by Aeron Nersoya

Calling all recording artists! Want to add the accolade of "Best CD Cover Designer" in addition to all your other titles? Enter the AbetDisc.com design contest today for the chance to win a $100 gift card good towards future CD or DVD duplication design, CD or DVD mass recording, or any services offered by AbetDisc.com.

Before customers can listen to your CD, they have to be tempted to pick it up and buy it. Only the best, most attractive, creative and artistic covers are going to get people to notice your disc. You owe it to yourself, after recording your heart out, to now highlight your disc with eye-grabbing packaging. That is why AbetDisc.com is going to reward you in their best artwork contest for CD or DVD cover design.

You'll have to think creatively to win the abet design contest- but that's ok if you're up to the challenge! It is all to the benefit of boosting your CD's success. The folks at Abet Disc are musicians, too, and they understand the importance of creating an eye-catching CD cover design. Just check out their design that won the 2009 American Packaging Design Award for eco-friendly packaging design- a simple yet nifty envelope that invites customers to buy it just to see what's inside!

So after you've made the disc, put your talents to work on the designing a cover suitable to win this artwork contest. What will be your inspiration? A "popping" holographic image of your logo? A provocative image or set of images highlighting your main song title and lyrics? An enigmatic symbol-only cover with no words? Or will you try for cover packaging with creative cutouts or simply a haunting black and white photo? Whatever works best to market your CD, use it to your advantage! Remember that a picture speaks a thousand words, so don't waste the chance to capitalize on designing a cover that shouts for attention.

Entering the Abet design contest is easy and it's free! You receive one entry with each CD or DVD duplication design, replication and printing order by simply checking off the box saying that you want to submit your artwork when placing an order. At the end each month, Abet Disc will choose a winner out of all the submissions. Win the $100 gift card and use it to purchase more CD duplication designs of your winning cover so everybody can see it! Show the world that you are the all-around accomplished artist! Good luck!

Visit "http://www.abetdisc.com" www.abetdisc.com for more details on the abet design contest.