LOVED: THE POWER PLANT

We love the Power Plant’s current exhibition (see below) but more importantly we love the Power Plant’s new commissioning program. And even though we haven’t yet been formally introduced, we love the Power Plant’s new director, Gregory Burke.

Following the lines of Artangel’s “Angels” who fund their off-site art projects, the Power Plant’s new Comissioning Program relies on a number of prominent and culturally enlightened Toronto citizens to fund the production of at least one major new work of international significance each year.

The inaugural commission will be by Turner-Prize winning artist Simon Starling, whose commission is now resting at the bottom of Lake Ontario.

Bringing together such seemingly disparate ideas as the sculptor Henry Moore and the Zebra Mussel, the work will - you guessed it - result in a steel replica of a Henry Moore sculpture covered in Zebra Mussels grown at the bottom of our lake.

“But that’s not art!” you say? Watch this space for an explanation….

If you didn’t get your fill of culture during Nuit Blanche, we suggest that you visit the Power Plant for the curated exhibition Make Your Own Life: Artists In and Out of Cologne.

Although the work is disparate and challenging, if you keep in mind that it is intended to reflect a particular city at a particular time, the show does succeed quite well.

Most reflective of the times were Reena Spaulings wine-stained tablecloth flag:

Reena Spaulings

Stephan Dillemuth and Nils Norman’s collaborative sculptural installation which included small works by artists Merlin Carpenter, Uwe Gabriel, Thomas Kalthoff, Kiron Khosla, Hans-Jorg Mayer, Matthias Schaufler, Barbara Schuttpelz, vivian Slee, Josef Strau, Uli Strothjohann, Vincent Tavenne and Iskender Yediler:

Stephan Dillemuth and Nils Norman, Firesenwall 120 Ruined, 2006

Mike Kelly’s funny/sad video involving a catwalk, a mirror and a Helmut Newton-style amazon:

Mike Kelly, Runway for Interactive DJ Event, 2000. Image: Power Plant

And Kim Gordon and Jutta Koether’s rock-and-roll installation:

Kim Gordon and Jutta Koether, Club in the Shadows, 2002. Image: Power Plant

Also Martin Kippenberger’s hotel-bill sketches:

Martin Kippenberger, Input-Output (detail), 1991. Image: Power Plant

A special mention goes to Rosemarie Trockel’s touchingly allegorical video A la Motte (1993) showing a moth attacking one of the knitted fabrics the artist is known for.

Walking a fine line between art and piss-taking is Merlin Carpenter’s installation:

Merlin Carpenter

The gallery caption reads: “Merlin Carpenter asked ICA Philadelphia, the original venue for this show, to provide him with $4,000 cash. After some difficulty this was handed over a few days before the show opened. Neither the ICA nor the curator were told how the money would be spent. Carpenter then went on a wild shopping spree enjoying luxurious goods and services, with only the receipts and empty shopping bags exhibited.”