This month, Art in America’s David Ebony interviewed German artist Katharina Grosse. She currently has a show, “Katharina Grosse: One Floor Up More Highly” at MASS MoCA, up through October 31st. Ebony describes this project in terms of a European perception of American landscapes.  “Many Europeans think of America in terms of vast landscapes and infinite sky, and urban centers packed with towering buildings and teeming masses, all in a rather precarious state of flux.” Grosse’s work “could be seen as an homage to an idealized if not wholly fiction place, such as the American frontier.” “This project, like most of Grosse’s large-scale installations, incorporates massive sculptural features that allude simultaneously to empirical space an an imaginative vista. Yet the artist’s primary means of expression is painting, and the thrust of the work is rigorously abstract. She employs painting’s illusionistic devices of light and shadow, and, with a subtle manipulation of other elements, suggest complex narratives.” Read the entire interview here: http://www.artinamericamagazine.com/news-opinion/conversations/2011-09-02/katharina-grosse/
The infinitely interesting and inspiring German neo-expressionist, Anselm Kiefer, is the subject of a new film.  From the New York Times: The idea for a film arose when Mr. Kiefer, eager for someone to document the mysterious universe he had created, invited Ms. Fiennes to visit Barjac. “It was a completely kind of mad and disorientating labyrinth,” Ms. Fiennes, 44, said over tea in the living room of a friend’s apartment here. She wandered the grounds, navigating tunnels illuminated with skylights or single bulbs, discovering a crypt and an amphitheater and a patch of land scattered with concrete towers inspired by the biblical story of Lilith that resemble modern ruins. “I was amazed,” she said. “There is an inherent theatricality or cinematic quality to what he’s made there that leant itself to filmmaking.” Follow Kiefer through his labyrinth: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/07/movies/sophie-fienness-over-your-cities-grass-will-grow.html?ref=arts 
From the Berlin Art Link: Nadja Sayej makes Art Criticism Controversial Nadja Sayej has a mission that suits Berlin’s fancy. She first studied visual arts in Toronto, Canada, but quit painting in order to dedicate herself to undercutting the art scene using gonzo journalism. Together with Ryan Edwards and Jeremy Bailey, Nadja Sayej founded ArtStars* in May 2009 in Toronto. By the end of 2010 Sayej brought Artstars* to Berlin to focus on openings at art galleries, institutions and art fairs in Europe. Already, the Berlin art scene is split into lovers and haters of this travel show on contemporary art. No wonder. Nadja Sayej challenges art criticism with her ballsy personality, which paves her way to glory and contempt at the same time. Some call her the Borat of the art scene because of her virtuosic attire, the blatant rhetoric and unexpected appearances at art openings. She scrutinizes Carsten Höller’s reindeers at Hamburger Bahnhof, she gets a spontaneous statement from a tipsy Cyprien Galliard sitting on top of his sculptural work made of Turkish beer cases at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, she chases down Gilbert and George on Potsdamerstrasse and gets a short albeit rare interview with John Waters at the Venice Biennial. One way or the other “Artstars* always gets the interview, don’t you forget it!” Intrigued as ArtUga was with this introduction? Read the entire article here: http://www.berlinartlink.com/2011/07/26/snap-bring-it-on-bitches/
Congratulations to Lamar Dodd faculty member Ron Arnholm for his nomination for the Federal Republic of Germany Design Award 2011! From the Lamar Dodd School of Art website (http://art.uga.edu/): The German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology has nominated LDSOA Professor of Art Ron Arnholm’s ITC Legacy Square Serif Pro font for the Federal Republic of Germany Design Award 2011, the highest offical recognition for design excellence in Germany. The Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany offers the business community a platform for communicating the long-term success of designs and brands. Participation is conditional on being nominated by one of the Ministers of the Federal States or by the above ministry. All products must already have won a national or international award. The Design Award 2011 is given for a maximum of 25 products and services in the field of communication design, and a maximum of 25 examples of outstanding product design. The jury session will be August 25–26 2010Notification of jury’s decision: September 2010 http://www.german-design-council.de/index.php The site features a pdf of the 40 page Brochure of The German Design Council, “the Beauty of Added Value,” all set in Arnholm’s font.
From ArtInfo.com: The Good, the Bad, and the Incredibly Odd Facial Hair at Berlin Fashion Week BERLIN— This season’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlinwrapped up a few days ago, and ARTINFO just couldn’t let the event pass by without weighing in on the good, the bad, and the bearded. Yes, the bearded, and we’re talking about ladies. This is certainly noParis Couture Week. Read the article, look through pictures and runway videos at http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/35207/the-good-the-bad-and-the-bearded-at-berlin-fashion-week/