Christine Macel – författare

With a few notable exceptions, the fundamental role that women played in the development of abstract art has long been underestimated, and their work has not received the same critical attention as that of their male counterparts. Now, at last, the tide is turning. The latest historiographical advances illustrated by numerous recent publications, monographs and thematic exhibitions make it possible to reassess the importance of the contribution of women artists to the different currents of abstraction, while at the same time questioning the patterns of the past. Edited by Christine Macel, this catalogue and the exhibition it accompanies highlights the contributions of a hundred or so women artists to abstraction up to the 1980s, with a few unprecedented forays into the 19th century. By focusing on the careers of artists so often unjustly eclipsed, the book questions the established canons and offers an alternative history of abstraction, from the symbolist abstraction of Hilma Af Klint, to the sensual abstraction of Huguette Caland, to the purist non-objective approach of Verena Von Loewensberg. Essays by noted scholars explore the techniques, concerns and legacies of these women, shedding light on their unique experiences and offering keen new reflections on their work and the movement as a whole.With 350 illustrations

Philippe Parreno (born 1964) undermines the notion of the discrete, ownable, copyrighted artwork through collaborations with artists such as Douglas Gordon and Pierre Huyghe, performances, dialogue and the cultivation of exhibitions as real-time encounters. This superbly produced monograph, designed by M/M, offers the first substantial inventory of Parreno's work since the late 1980s, covering his multifarious production from film (such as the famous Zidane, a 21st Century Portrait, made with Douglas Gordon, 2006) to spectacle (Il Tempo del Postino, with Hans Ulrich Obrist, 2007). It also includes critical and fictional texts by Maria Lind, Charles Arsène-Henry, Enrique Juncosa and Simon Critchley, as well as an interview by Hans Ulrich Obrist.

For more than 30 years, Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner have devoted themselves to contemporary art, and through their passion and acumen have assembled an extraordinary collection. This handsomely illustrated volume is the first to document the collection of Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner, more than 850 artworks in all media that have been promised to the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, and the Centre Pompidou, Paris. Artists represented include Lee Friedlander, Robert Gober, Jeff Koons, Christopher Wool, Ryan Gander, and Bernadette Corporation, among others, and the works span from the 1950s to 2014.  Over 300 highlights illustrate the collectors’ commitment to acquiring works that challenge, excite, confound, and amuse. Essays offer context for understanding the importance of the works as a group and illuminate the art world milieus in which the collectors immersed themselves. The book also includes an engaging interview with the collectors, providing a personal perspective on contemporary art acquisition. Distributed for the Whitney Museum of American ArtExhibition Schedule:Whitney Museum of American Art(11/20/15–03/06/16)Centre Pompidou, Paris06/16/16–01/2017