Hammer Blog

Past Hammer Projects artist Chen Qiulin’s installation at Telescope has continued to grow as more porcelain ‘zhezhi’ (folded paper objects) have arrived from the Jingdezhen porcelain factory in southern China. The title of the piece, 14,235, is also the number of individual pieces in the work of art. She has divided the work into two installations, one at Telescope in Beijing and the other at her solo exhibition at 1000 Plateaus Gallery in Chengdu, which also includes photos, sculptures, and the 7 channel video installation Empty City. The white wall installation photos are from Telescope and the dark wall installation photos are from 1000 Plateaus.

“I love sculpture,” Jim Hodges says. “Fundamentally, though, I am a ‘drawer.’ But I love spatial relationships and dimensionality. I’m interested in theatrical moments and choreographing experiences in space. I think as a drawer and make as a sculptor.” Over the course of three years, the artist and Walker Executive Director Olga Viso delved into Hodges’ life, artistic practice, and influences, touching on topics prevalent in his work, from love and politics to language, spirituality, and mortality. Excerpted from the exhibition catalogue Jim Hodges: Give More Than You Take, here’s a sampling from their discussions.

The Hammer Museum announces a benefit limited edition of temporary tattoos by artists John Baldessari, Friedrich Kunath, Dave Muller, Laura Owens, and Raymond Pettibon. Created to support the Museum’s annual family fundraiser, K.A.M.P. (Kid’s Art Museum Project), each artist designed a 5 x 7 sheet of temporary tattoos.

The Hammer Museum’s courtyard was transformed this evening for our 12th annual Gala in the Garden, honoring artist Mark Bradford and musician and cultural icon Joni Mitchell. In celebration of these extraordinary individuals, we welcomed cultural luminaries and civic leaders, as well as renowned artists, premier collectors, and devoted patrons of the arts. The evening included a viewing of current exhibitions and cocktails followed by a seated dinner, catered by Suzanne Goin of Lucques. We were thrilled to once again have the generous support of Bottega Veneta. Scroll down for a first look at the faces and fashions of Gala in the Garden 2014.

Ma Qingyun, considered to be one of the most influential designers and architects in the world, presents new sculptures at Telescope of pink neon entitled Lite-urbanism. Ma suggests a new urbanism by reducing form and function to simple calligraphic lines in the fragile light of neon. These works, “whimsical” yet “alien,” are based on Ma’s un-built architectural projects.