Artes Mundi Exhibition and Prize
15 March - 8 June 2008
National Museum Cardiff, Cathays Park, Cardiff, Wales
Artes Mundi presents Artes Mundi 3, the third major biennial exhibition of international contemporary art exploring different perspectives on life, art and humanity. Featuring large-scale video, photography, textiles and paintings the exhibition presents new and recent work by the nine artists shortlisted for the third Artes Mundi Prize (worth £40,000).
"The nine artists were selected following a global search in 2007 and represent some of the most outstanding artistic talents emerging from around the world" says Tessa Jackson, Artistic Director of Artes Mundi 3. The artists are Lida Abdul (Afghanistan), Vasco Araújo (Portugal), Mircea Cantor (Romania), Dalziel + Scullion (Scotland), N.S. Harsha (India), Abdoulaye Konaté (Mali), Susan Norrie (Australia) and Rosângela Rennó (Brazil).
In this exhibition each artist tells a different story, heightening our senses and prompting us to question how we see ourselves. Works featured include:
Come give us a speech (2007/8), a new large 6-panelled painting, specially created for Artes Mundi 3 by Indian artist N.S. Harsha. Harsha paints in the Indian miniature tradition but on a very large scale. His works are full of wit and playfulness but the closer you look, the more disoriented you become at what he presents.
A major film installation by Susan Norrie from Australia, first seen at the 52nd Venice Biennale in 2007. Called HAVOC (2007) it observes the devastation an unstoppable flow of boiling mud caused to a community in East Java, leaving thousands homeless.
More than Us (2007), a photographic installation by Scottish artists Dalziel + Scullion that explores the landscape from a perspective other than human, in this case, the slender Scotch burnet moth. It is a story of warning, warmth and colour.
Brick Sellers of Kabul (2006), a film depicting a line of boys waiting to redeem bricks collected from the rubble of ruined buildings destroyed by the Taliban. The work, by Afghan artist Lida Abdul, speaks of violence and devastation but also survival and rebuilding.
The exhibition also includes new works by Vasco Araújo and Abdoulaye Konaté.
The Artes Mundi 3 prize will be awarded on 24 April 2008. A fully illustrated publication with essays by international authors accompanies the exhibition.
