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Roger Ballen – Outland

The New York born, South Africa-based photographer Roger Ballen’s breakthrough came when he published “Outland” in 2001. The book made a splash, sold out quickly, and is now being republished by Phaidon. Ballen was already an established photographer when he produced a video I Fink U Freeky for Die Antwoord in 2012. Most recently, his work has been painted onto the backs of leather jackets for the latest Comme des Garcons Homme Plus collection.

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THE SALT OF THE EARTH: WIM WENDERS & SEBASTIAO SALGADO

One day, back in the 80s, the German filmmaker Wim Wenders saw pictures of the Brazilian-born photographer Sebastiao Salgado at a gallery in Los Angeles. He was so impressed that he bought two prints on the spot. Since, Salgado has quickly become his favorite photographer. Wenders continued to follow his work, and one day, being who he is, Wenders decided to simply knock on Salgado’s door.

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Bjork at MoMa

This Sunday a new exhibit devoted to the work of the Icelandic singer Bjork will open at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Since Bjork’s first solo album Debut (1993) she has occupied that portion of cultural space that is hard to define except as an oxymoron – pop avant-garde.

The exhibit comes on the heels of the one devoted to another pop avant-gardist, David Bowie. This crowd-pleaser was first shown at the V&A museum in London, went on to Chicago, and opened in Paris this Tuesday.

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New Alexander McQueen Images at V&A

In the 1990s, Alexander McQueen formed a close relationship with the photographer Ann Ray (Anne Deniau), allowing her to photograph his studio and shows forming what he called, ‘my life in pictures’. Thirteen of these pictures will be on display at V&A in preparation for the upcoming exhibit Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty.

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Ken Schles: Invisible City/Night Walk 1983-1989

“Limelight, 1983,” is the title of one of the prints that opens Ken Schles’ show at Howard Greenberg Gallery of gritty, grainy, high-contrast prints of downtown New York.  ‘Entering The Palladium, 1985” is the title of another.  “Chair 619 East 5th Street, 1984” is another.  (That’s pretty damn east by the way, 619, even by today’s standards). “View From 224 Avenue B, 1983.”  “Boy on East 5th Street, 1984.”

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Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg

If you find yourself in Munich, Germany, you might visit the Nymphenburg Palace, which was built in 1679. But you could easily miss one of its hidden treasures, Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg, which has been producing porcelain wares since 1747.

The manufactory still belongs to the Bavarian crown. Although calling it a manufactory is misleading, because today the word implies mechanized production on industrial scale.

On Kawara

On Kawara — Silence

On making the first turn of the spiral up the Guggenheim ramp you too might question whether there is going to be enough to keep this exhibition of On Kawara going.  It is one thing to walk the thirty-six Date Paintings permanently on view at Dia:Beacon, where the mind has been primed for the experience, and a whole other matter to walk in fresh off Fifth Avenue and immediately hit the ramp with three months of consecutive Day Paintings (“Everyday Meditation” 1971).