Artists Favourites (Act 2)

For Artists Favourites Act II, the ICA has invited 20 international contemporary artists to present their favourite works of art created by other artists, post 1947, the year in which the ICA opened, up to the present day. The work chosen by the artists is extraordinary: it ranges from Turner Prize winner Martin Creed’s choice of a canonical work by Andy Warhol to Olafur Eliasson’s choice of an artist known predominantly to artworld insiders. Luc Tuyman’s chooses his ‘master’, the young British artist Ceal Floyer chooses a work by Charles Ray that in 1994 she invigilated at the ICA and Gillian Wearing selects Chantal Akerman’s great film D’Est, as a reminder of the extraordinary changes that Russia has undergone in the past two decades. Overall what the exhibition reveals is how complex, personal and passionate are artists’ judgements of their favourites artworks.

For this show, the ICA has handed over the curatorial reins to 20 artists, and asked them what they would like to see displayed in the exhibition, based on a criteria on which artworks they consider most important and influential on their own work. The exhibition emerges out of the artists’ active confrontation with art’s history, setting up a multifarious frame of reference between past and present. In order to open up a discussion on the matter of how we - artists, curators, specialised critics and the general public - judge art and which criteria we use to do so. Each artist has been asked to elaborate on the reasons for their choice in form of a written statement. These statements are presented alongside the artworks and form another level of the exhibition that uncovers the web of relationships, references and affinities between the artists and their selections.

The exhibition includes works such as Blown Away Under Certain Circumstances (1977) by Lawrence Weiner, selected by Liam Gillick. Gillick describes himself as a mediator between two artists: “Lawrence Weiner and Philippe Parreno have met but the third wheel, me, remains the link that de-stabilizes the cart.” Cornelia Parker, on first seeing Piero Manzoni’s Fiato d'Artista (Artist's Breath) (1960), says it “made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up”. The favourite work of Eija-Liisa Ahtila is Gary Hill’s video of the artist throwing himself against a wall in Wall Piece (2000). Martin Creed is impressed by Andy Warhol’s Vesuvius (1985), which he enjoys because it “feels unburdened, fun, free… beautiful, like an ice cream.” Tino Sehgal selected Jeff Koons’ Hippo (1999). He chose Koons because he “transforms the museum into a place where a person of so-called ‘lower culture’ feels good, understood, seduced and above all, is not alienated”.

Edward Rusha’s Oily (1967), selected by Vik Muniz, is picked out for its chocolate qualities! Vik Muniz says “the more I worked with chocolate the more I realised how much I was referencing another commentator on abstract expressionism: Edward Ruscha.” Untitled (Corner Construction) (1970/2004), by Fred Sandback, selected by Olafur Eliasson, says his “work is simply one of the best!…” and has “inspired me enormously.” Carl Andre’s Lead Square (1969) is chosen by Daniel Buren because he considers the artist “to be the most interesting and controversial sculptor since Constantin Brancusi”. In addition Artists' Favourites will present two films in the ICA Cinema: La Jetée and D’Est. Janet Cardiff’s selection of La Jetée (1962), the stills photography film directed and narrated by Chris Marker, evokes the artist’s own use of audio as a medium to evoke atmosphere and reflection. Chantal Akerman’s D’Est (1993), selected by Gillian Wearing, was chosen by the artist because “what struck me was how she articulated the experience I felt when I visited Russian in the mid-1980s. Though the film was shot in 1993, the country was still in transition. There was a sense of stasis. Something remained of the past, a time when there was a great shortage of goods and supplies. She captured the mood… I don’t know entirely whether I am remembering the film or remembering an earlier impression of Moscow.” Ceal Floyer, whose choice of 81x83x85=86x83x85 (1989), a metal cube by Charles Ray, is inspired by a closer to home experience, she first came upon this work whilst she ushered an ICA exhibition of Ray. Susan Hiller came to love Kurt Schwitters work through her boyfriend. In 1963, in Café Wa (a Greenwich Village coffee house), Hiller’s says her boyfriend “recited his own version of Schwitters Ursonata to me. Fabulous nonsense, extraordinary signifiers without signified, growls and tweets and honks, language falling apart and renewing itself, body language, something for future ears or at least my future.” Also featured in Artists Favourites are works by artists: Lygia Clark, Peter Fischli & David Weiss, Manfred Pernice, Narcisse Tordoir, and Rosemarie Trockel. The selecting artists for Act II are: Art & Language (UK), Eija-Liisa Ahtila (Finland), Ghada Amer (Egypt), Daniel Buren (France), Janet Cardiff (Canada), Martin Creed (UK), Olafur Eliasson (Denmark), Ceal Floyer (UK), Liam Gillick (UK), Eberhard Havekost (Germany), Susan Hiller (USA), Koo Jeong-A (Korea), Cildo Meireles (Brazil), Vik Muniz (Brazil), Rivane Neuenschwander (Brazil), Cornelia Parker (UK), Tino Sehgal (Germany), Luc Tuymans (Belgium) and Gillian Wearing (UK). Pressetext

Artists Favourites (Act 2)
Das ICA hat i20 internationale zeitgenössische KünstlerInnen eingeladen, ihre Lieblingsarbeiten von anderen KünstlerInnen zu präsentieren

ARTISTS’ SELECTIONS
Art & Language > Charles Harrison, Fairest of All, 2004
Eija-Liisa Ahtila > Gary Hill, Wall Piece, 2000
Ghada Amer > Rosemarie Trockel, Untitled, 1988
Daniel Buren > Carl Andre, Lead Square, 1969
Janet Cardiff > Chris Marker, La Jetée, 1962
Martin Creed > Andy Warhol, Vesuvius, 1985
Olafur Eliasson > Fred Sandback, Untitled (Corner Construction), 1970/2004
Ceal Floyer > Charles Ray, 81x83x85=86x83x85, 1989
Liam Gillick > Lawrence Weiner, Blown Away Under Certain Circumstances, 1977
Eberhard Havekost > Manfred Pernice, Platz (Square), 1998
Susan Hiller > Kurt Schwitters, Untitled (WA), 1947
Koo Jeong-a > Fischli / Weiss, Wurstserie (Sausage Series), 1979
Cildo Meireles > Lygia Clark, Máscaras Sensoriais (Sensorial Masks), 1967
Vik Muniz > Ed Ruscha, Oily, 1967
Rivane Neuenschwander > Amadeu Luciano Lorenzato, Untitled (Cacao), Date unknown; Untitled (Kindergarten’s Gate), 1987; Untitled (Snail’s Way), 1994
Cornelia Parker > Piero Manzoni, Fiato d’Artista (Artist’s Breath), 1960
Tino Sehgal > Jeff Koons, Hippo, 1999
Luc Tuymans > Narcisse Tordoir, Untitled, 1976
Gillian Wearing > Chantal Akerman, D’Est, 1993