Blog — Page 88 of 278

Anselm Kiefer – Schirmer / Mosel

Given my art related emissions, it should not come as a surprise that I harbour a bit more than a weak spot for Anselm Kiefer and his oeuvre. Having lived in different countries across three continents, I have yet to not seize the opportunity to see one his incarnations in the flesh.

Fairly early on I realized that studying Anselm Kiefer’s body of work was a bit different from other artists I harbour an interest in, in that he more I get the chance to acquaint myself with him and the background of his artworks, the deeper I feel drawn into his idiosyncratic matrix, which at every turn offers another myriad of labyrinthine of dimensions that enhance the experience.

With Kiefer’s ever expanding new endeavours and exhibitions, every now and then it is great to take a step back to take in the facets of the philosophic, literary and theological mosaic that has matured over more than three decades.
It is then that art historians  like Daniel Arasse help one to grind a new lens and detect new approaches to deciphering the ever-winding evolution of an intricately complex artists.

Schirmer / Mosel’s opulently illustrated monography on Anselm Kiefer sees Arasse take you by the hand to guide you down the rabbit hole of not only an artist, but traces of Germany’s and humanity’s history by shedding light on the sources and myths Kiefer refers to – be it ancient Nordic culture, the kabala, astronomy, alchemical practices, modern technology and everything in between.
While I own quite a book books that claim to encompass a “comprehensive” approach to capturing the essence of Kiefer, I find reading Arasse’s tome to be one of the more gratifying experiences. It certainly takes a bit of further research and initiative to work through the art historical references and scientific discourses that are weaved in, but it make the outcomes all the more rewarding.

Both for the uninitiated as well as the aficionado, I would recommend Schirmer / Mosel’s monography on Anselmo Kiefer as a must-have for anyone remotely interested in contemporary art as the way Arasse weaves a red thread through the book via illustrating the different media Kiefer works with and his faible for atavisms, serves as a metaphor for his artistic raison d’etre, existentialism and idiosyncratic school of thought. What Arasse’s elaborations culminate in is the conclusion that Kiefer’s DNA can be simmered down to his longing to fuse the individual with the cosmos through osmosis.

The fact that Arasse knows how to counterpoint seemingly dry topics with a refreshing wit and subtle humour paired with expertly documented details of Kiefer’s artworks, only adds to the experience.

One of the more recent Anselm Kiefer exhibitions, which is currently on display at the Franz Marc Museum, is Opus Magnum. The exhibitions is centred around German history with a focus on national socialism and the holocaust, comprised of installations that were inspired by poems of two of the heavyweights of German lyricisms, i.e. Ingeborg Bachmann and Paul Celan.

Again exquisitely illustrated, the accompanying catalogue not only showcases the exhibits but further elaborates on the mythical and historical contexts that inspired how Kiefer channelled his alchemy thematically.

What is particularly interested about Opus Magnum is that fifteen contemporary writers were invited to bring to paper what the still lives invoked in them along with ensuing dialogue.

Balancing literature and the arts, Opus Magnum is another inspiring tome with Schirmer / Mosel’s trademark to detail, which helps to revisit the exhibits as it opens new angles and horizons.

Water of Life – Spirit Thief

Now this one has been a while in the making…

There have been quite a few independent bottlers we have covered as part of this series, some of which with an exquisitely and  idiosyncratic approach to curation and sourcing of their drops instead of merely banking on big name distillery and slapping their label on the bottle.

Then there are ones whose distinct maturation processes and curated barrel collection take things to the next level and beyond.

Enter Spirit Thief.

Based in Tasmania, the Spirit Thief collective set out to channel their alchemy in the careful calibration of tannins, oak, char and flavour profiles to create elegant and complex limited editions of single malt whiskies matured in varietal specific red wine casks.

Given that the expertise and craftmanship of the collective’s endeavours is informed by the artisanship of both the source distilleries as well as winemakers, the name Spirit Thief is an appropriate and telling one.

Re-coopering individually profiled red wine barrels to then toast and char them to specifications for each expression, adds depth, layers and brings out unique nuances through their highly-integrated collaborations.

Classifying themselves as “gypsy distillers, it should not come as a surprise that their portfolio of collaborators include Peter Bignell from Belgrove Distillery – a match made in heaven as Spirit Thief as it resulted in the creation of an exquisite heavy coastal-peated single malt, based on grain that was peat-smoke after it had been gristed, to then age in refill ex-whisky casks. The result is a truly unique drop with an unrivalled flavour profile and complexity.

Same goes for the outcome of their collaboration with Shene Estate and Distillery, which saw Spirit Thief maturing some of the first double-distilled Shene spirit into their own French Oak Grenache casks. 

I have yet to come across an emission from the vault of Spirit Thief that did not make me smack my lips to then do more research in what factors might have contributed to the creation of the respective unique drop.

Word around the campfire has that Spirit Thief is looking at building their own distillery, in which case that might be a good reason to relocate to Tasmania.

Spirit Thief entertains their own club, i.e. the Vanguard, which allows members free of charge to be posted on new releases and dibs on new releases.

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image from company website

Dirimart and Hermann Nitsch

I have to admit that Turkey has not necessarily been on my map of art destinations. As a matter of fact, Turkey is one of the few countries in Europe I have yet to visit.

All the more delighted I was when I came across Dirimart, i.e. the entity that was founded almost two decades ago by one Hazer Ozil in 2002 in Istanbul. It did not take long to discover Dirimart’s idiosyncratic approach and the DNA it has carved for itself when it comes to not only showcasing what Istanbul has to offer in the realm of art but that it has hosted a range of high profile exhibitions based on the relationships it was able to establish with critically acclaimed international artists as well as contemporary local ones.

It was through Dirimart that I was first exposed to the oeuvres of Turkish artists like Nasan Tur, Ayse Erkman, Gu?c?lu? O?ztekin, or  Mustafa Kunt, which expanded my horizons significantly and placed Turkey  and Dirimart specifically high on the list of must-visit destinations – especially since its new home, which was designed by architect Markus Dochantschi, with its outdoor sculpture garden looks like a great space to host art.

Having a faible for Hermann Nitsch, one of the founders of Viennese Actionism, I was intrigued to see that Dirimatr hosted him for exhibitions and released a catalogue with photographs of his ritual-like actions, i.e.  Orgien Mysterien Theater – an incarnation of which I have shed light on as part of a feature on MONA’s Dark Mofo festival in Tasmania, where I was lucky enough to meet the man, his all senses engaging art and visual theatre in the flesh – in the truest sense of the word.

Another fantastic publication of Dirimart’s extensive portfolio of high quality catalogues is one dedicated to Hermann Nitsch’s painting action of Hermann Nitsch during the Contemporary Istanbul art fair in 2013, which again makes me wonder how I could have gone on so long without having had Dirimart on my radar.

The Monocle Book of Gentle Living: A Guide to Slowing Down, Enjoying More and Being Happy

Thames & Hudson

For anyone remotely into the cosmos that is Monocle, its style and the lane it has carved for itself along with the immense influence it is having on both people and therefore modern life, it must be difficult to fathom that it took until now for a book to be released on its imprint that explicitly focuses on the central tenets of its DNA.

In essence, the new Monocle Guide is centred around the idea of reconnection, mindfulness, meaningfulness while discovering new places and meeting remarkable people along the way: A handbook much needed in these crazy times we live in, where generosity, hospitality and forgiveness seem to be given no priorities at all and at times seem to have become completely forgotten qualities.

What I find astonishing with books like these is that even if the subject matter is fairly easy to comprehend and the study of it not necessarily resulting in any epiphany, having it channelled through the idiosyncratic Monocle prism adds a delightful quality to the respective elaborations. The result is an inspiring and uplifting experience that could not be further apart from the commonly known and outworn self-help treatises.

Beautifully illustrated in the sophisticated trademark Monocle style, The Monocle Book of Gentle Living offers a welcome dose of respite, encouragement and motivation and is yet another great addition to their well-curated book series.

Sometimes gentle does it indeed.

Water of Life – 5Nines

With its vastly diverse climate and geography, the state of South Australia not only produces about half of all wine on terra australis but also has an unrivalled range of grape varieties on offer.

When it comes whiskies, it has been uncharted territory for me as most of the distilleries we have covered down under are located in other states, with Victoria and Tasmania being the hotbeds for distillers.

All the more delighted I was when I learned about the South Australian 5Nines distillery appearing on the scene and their meteoric rise to the firmament of innovative quality gin produces.

Needless to say, I was intrigued when I learned about the unveiling of their own single cask range.

Founded only five years ago in the Adelaide Hills region and having specifically designed and built their own copper pot still along with a repurposed stainless-steel vat, 5Nines’ small-scale operations allows them to pay meticulous attention to detail in all aspects of their whisky production – be it engineering, design or their distilling alchemy to refine their tasty emissions with 5Nines’ own idiosyncratic DNA.

While their unpeated core expression is an exercise par excellence in the marriage of oak vanilla flavours with apples and blue gum honey, 5Nines’ Peated Variant is easily one of the best drops I have had the fortune to sample this year: Primarily made with locally sourced barley and smoked with local peat. 5Nines’ Lightly Peated variant has been matured and vatted in a carefully calibrated selection of small hundred litre ex-Bourbon and ex-Scotch casks and not being chill-filtered, the result shows in the depths of its beautifully layered flavour profile.

What tickles the nostrils is a melange of the most delicate peat, framed by honeyed vanilla and counterpointed by mossy and earthy highlights.

On the roof of the mouth, things get interesting as there is a nice interplay of sweet- and saltiness resting on a backbone of dark chocolate, with peat reverberating in the background in the most subtle manner.

An elongated finish leaves on lusting for another dram as vanilla notes are punctuated by sweet and salty nuances.

Given that 5Nines has only been operating for half a decade and their commitment to only using the best of local produce, I cannot wait what founders David Pearse and Steven Griguol will channel their passions in with future releases, which will hopefully be released soon.

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image from company website