A project by Sebastian Utzni
All over the world people are painting. And paintings are exhibited, discussed and – of course – sold, everywhere. One broad definition describes painting as “a depiction of the visible and imaginable world, which is applied to a flat surface with the means of colour” or more generally as “an act where a surface is covered with paint.” The aspect of the exterior as described in these sentences is the way in which painting is most commonly viewed, exhibited and discussed: at face value.
About painting looks at painting from the inside and considers the forces shaping it and controversy surrounding the medium. The project considers the wider contexts in which painting is exhibited and made. For example how paintings in some way represent their owners or reflect the ideas and ideals of the organisation exhibiting them. Also, how the physical presentation of a painting and the immediate surroundings, impacts on the way the work is seen and understood.
About painting is an international series of exhibitions, each project evolving in response to local context and where possible, including artists from the local region. The series is launched in Zurich in October 2011 and further shows are planned for the United Kingdom, Germany, Romania and China. Although there are paintings on view, the medium is not the crucial criteria for the selection of work and the intention is to raise questions about painting in the context of contemporary art.
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