Anna Moszynska discusses the teaching of contemporary art and its transformation since the late 1980s, plus the latest must-see exhibitions.
At Sotheby’s Institute of Art, students not only learn about art world discourse but contribute to it through student-led projects like MADE IN BED, an art magazine and website independently run by Sotheby’s Institute of Art students whose research, perspective, and creative endeavors provide distinctive global insight into the art world.
In an interview with Anna Moszynska, contemporary art historian, lecturer, author, curator, and pioneer of the study of contemporary art at Sotheby's Institute of Art, Rhiannon Roberts explores the teaching of contemporary art and its transformation since the late 1980s as well as some of Moszynska’s recent favorite exhibitions.
Anna Moszynska on stand-out exhibitions:
"There are two that immediately come to mind. The first is William Kentridge at the Royal Academy of Arts, which I think was an incredible exhibition. We've seen many Kentridge shows before, but I think what came across here was the sheer range of his content. What he is addressing is important but how he brings it across is significant in terms of the lightness of touch. The fact that he can entertain that some of the work is very funny, and, at the same time, that he tells his narrative from many different angles shows how thoughtful his approach is. His solo exhibition, Oh To Believe in Another World, at the Goodman Gallery on Cork Street was also hugely rewarding, again, because it touched most inventively on game-changing historical issues, here the Russian Revolution. This showed a further dimension to what Kentridge has been addressing in terms of South Africa and revealed the legacy of 20th-century European history playing out within a wonderfully enhanced sense of the theatrical. This was also a feature of his Black Box/Chambre Noire at the RA–a work dealing with the German occupation of Africa and colonialism. Especially remarkable was the way in which projection was used because although the technology is advanced, many of the base materials are handmade. I love this bringing together of craft with a highly sophisticated use of movement and sound. The other exhibition to mention is Marlene Dumas’ open-end at Palazzo Grassi in Venice–another beautifully curated show that also covered so much ground. It showed Dumas’ major significance in terms of contemporary painting and in her choice of subject matter–provocative and timely! Also a South African (by birth), like Kentridge."
Read the full interview, here.
About MADE IN BED
MADE IN BED is produced by students from Sotheby’s Institute of Art-London. The magazine aims to provide valuable insight and criticism into the global art world through explorations and projects initiated by the Institute’s MA students. It takes its name from London’s iconic Bedford Square, referencing the home of the Institute’s London campus, where most students can be found furthering their knowledge, writing our articles, engaging in international discourse, and exploring new frontiers.