Exhibition Archive - Akim Monet Curatorial 2011-2021

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  • A Saudi Arabian TricksterPlease click here for the English translation.Please click here for the original German text.ART Abdulnasser Gharem is a leading figure in the nascent Saudi art scene. He is preoccupied with the idea of commitment -he introduces his newest project at the Side by Side Gallery Akim Monet.BY BRIGITTE WERNEBURG
  • Continued innovation, devotion to craft, and a growing market are a few of the factors that helped ART+AUCTION identify this crop of artists coming into their own.Abdulnasser GharemGharem is not only a central figure in the isolated, rapidly changing, contemporary Saudi art community but also the highest-selling living Persian Gulf artist. He has held this position since 2011, when his copper-and-wood Message/ Messenger, 2010, sold for more than $800,000 at Christie’s Dubai. His day job as a lieutenant colonel in the Saudi army might provide fodder for the bureaucratic nature of his performances, site-specific installations, and paintings, which are largely done as calligraphic rubber stamps. As a cultural activist, Gharem is helping grow the Gulf’s art world infrastructure through his contributions to the nonprofit Edge of Arabia exhibitions. His work is held by the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Museum, the François Pinault Collection, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and in October he will have his first outing at Edge of Arabia in London, in cooperation with Ayyam Gallery, and Side by Side Gallery Akim Monet—Sehba Mohammad
  • Saudi Arabia's Soldier ArtistPlease click here to see the program
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  • “Kirchner Meets de Kooning - Summit Meeting at Akim Monet’s, Berlin”By Tim AckermannOne of the big annoyances of an art critic is that you are constantly missing exhibitions, or seeing them only at the very last moment. This is nearly the case with Akim Monet’s exhibition {quote}The Aggressive Line{quote} at his Side by Side Gallery – but fortunately, not quite. Anyone who is in Berlin this Saturday should take the opportunity to see the show on Potsdamer Straße on its last day.In this exhibition, small works of art have a big effect. With just six drawings by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and four drawings by Willem de Kooning, an arc of almost 50 years is spanned from 1915 to 1964. The omnipresent theme of portraying women is merely a pretext for both artists to work with variations of form. Through this juxtaposition, one might sense how Kirchner's art could have influenced that of the younger de Kooning, the Dutch-born New Yorker. A “Woman washing” (1930) by Kirchner displays the same mix of lines to delineate emotional intimacy than those used by de Kooning 15 years later in his arresting “Study for Seated Woman.” There is a lot of German Expressionism in Abstract Expressionism, New York style. You realize this watching Kirchner's line become more and more aggressive until, in “Bauer und Mädchen auf einem Waldpfad,” the forest is nothing more than a plane of black ink strokes – something radical that instantly seems to be mirrored in De Kooning's “Man's head” hanging beside it.
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  • p. 70 - HAPPINESS BY AKIM MONET - GermanyWhats your name? Akim Monet Where do you live? Berlin What do you do? I run an art gallery in Berlin and an high level international art advisory business Does your work make you happy? Installing a new exhibition fills me with joy; in the short moment in between the time I unpack the works and the moment right before the exhibition opens to the public, the works are mine to play with. Because my exhibitions are quite challenging juxtapositions between past and present -between the modern and the contemporary, when all the works are laid-out on the floor, I always think: how on earth am I going to manage installing them (creating a cohesive and balanced hanging). Then, as if by magic, an underlying rhythm makes itself heard, and the works {quote}place themselves{quote}. Then they are hung and lit: wow... But one must learn how to listen to the underlying music in art, Kandinsky in reverse... If not what would your dream job be? Perhaps that my dream job would be doing exactly what I do, but without the financial constraint. Nevertheless, coming-up with the money to finance my exhibitions and in fact managing to support my family through hard work does give me a non-negligible sense of pride. If you are in the creative world, how does happiness affect you, do you create better when happy? It is know that laughter provokes the creation of endorphins, which in turn fosters creativity. So yes, happiness is important. But the reverse is also true: concentrated hard work can bring results which then translate into happiness. It's like with luck: if one sits on the wayside hoping luck will come, maybe that it will never come -however, if one positions oneself, through hard work, to be in the right place at the right moment, then when luck comes, one is ready to recognize it -or be taken by luck, as the case may be! What is hapiness? Happiness is fulfillment, a sense that the result is bigger that the sum of all parts -a state of grace {quote}lo stato di grazia{quote} where all parts are in equilibrium . Is there a physical expression for happiness? The physical manifestation for happiness is the result of a positive surprise: an overwhelming sense of surprise which comes without warning and engulfs us - an overflow of goodness that defies logic. What is the différence between happiness & sadness? Happiness is sadness resolved. When was the last time you said ‘i am happy’ & why? I am happy every morning when I see my children, and every night when I put them to bed! They greet the day without any apprehension, and say good night with a sense of having milked the day for all it has to give. They are great teachers! Someone said ‘sadness is the key to happiness’ whats your take? Sadness is the key to happiness? Sure, for the obvious reasons having to do with the comparison of states. But there can be great happiness in sadness -this is more related to getting to the bottom of ones emotions, feeling alive, but also letting go. It's the whole meaning of {quote}bitter-sweet{quote}... When people say ‘ i want to be happy ‘ do you know what they mean? People who say 'I want to be happy' really mean 'I want to be fulfilled'. Why are sad songs so popular? A sad song allows us to tap feelings that are deeply buried, unresolved sentiments that we may otherwise not allow ourselves to address. In this way sad songs can give us a sense of catharsis, that's why they are so popular. Is there any question you would have liked me to ask you? I don't like written interviews because I like people too much, and I therefore cherish the moment of the exchange. Nevertheless, I have to admit that this moment spent with myself on this Sunday morning flight from Berlin to Nice, answering your questions on my iPad, has forced me to think, {quote}think from me to me{quote} about your questions... So there probably is a merit to a written interview. But no, I won't grace you with the good question you should have asked, that I will answer for you! Why did you Watch the olympics? I didn't really watch the Olympics -but the little I watched made me realize again how much I appreciate excellence in any discipline... Bullfights at not my thing! But I did attend a bullfight -only once, and even though I basically hated the whole exercise, I couldn't help being seduced by the beauty of the movements and the costumes and ceremony (it was the absolute high point of the yearly international Corrida season at Ronda -the city of Goya). Did you know half of the countries & their flags at the opening ceremony? I knew most of the countries at the opening ceremony, but not their flag. But what was important to me was not the individual flags but their diversity: unity in diversity!
  • ARTMATTERSThose who would like to see works by well-known artists such as Auguste Rodin or Damien Hirst must definitely visit the Side by Side Gallery. Art Dealer Akim Monet has made a niche for himself with meticulously curated thematic exhibitions. His current show -“The Sacred Heart“ - asks the Faustian question: *How do you feel about religion? Andres Serrano's photographs of a bishop's crook and of an uncomfortable church chair expose the undercurrents of power within the hierarchy, as perpetuated by the Church. In contrast, a Venetian gold ground Pietà from the 14th century evokes thoughtful meditation, whilst a sculpture of a heart by Damien Hirst, pricked with razors and needles, underlines the baroque side of the Church. And then there is Auguste Rodin's small bronze of a female faun, who laughs in the face of all this folly. It would not be possible to put more tales into one exhibition. *“How do you feel about religion? Tell me, pray. You are a dear, good-hearted man, But I believe you've little good of it to say.”„Nun sag, wie hast du’s mit der Religion? Du bist ein herzlich guter Mann, allein ich glaub, du hältst nicht viel davon.“GRETCHEN to FAUSTGoethe, Johann Wolfgang von, Faust, IV.19 Marthens Garten (Martha’s garden)
  • ARTMATTERSThis week I focused on a single gallery site, the former {quote}Tagesspiegel{quote} complex. Three excellent exhibitions just opened there. After Thomas Fischer, I visited Side by Side Gallery. In his second group show {quote}The Concrete and The Mystical{quote}, art dealer Akim Monet put together a thunderstorm of cross-references, similar to his inaugural exhibition in the autumn. On the {quote}concrete{quote} side, Yevgeny Khaldei’s photograph of Red Army soldiers hoisting their flag on the Reichstag in 1945 communicates with a black and white shot by Sebastiao Salgado, which shows Afghanistan in 1996, left completely destroyed by Russian soldiers. Painters mostly carry the “mystical”, and far more colorful part of the exhibition. I was especially taken by the gouache by Brit artist Neal Tait, which depicts a surgeon wearing pink underwear underneath his smock. (Until 31 March, Tagesspiegel, complex Potsdamer Strasse 81b, Tiergarten)
  • PLEASE CLICK TO READ ON WELT ONLINE:Bringing together what belongs together (EN)Zusammenbringen was zusammengehört (DE)
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  • CULTURE Read Hear SeeAkim Monet also knows the extent to which one can derive strength from time taken away from business. The Swiss gallery owner lived in Italy for a few years, where he dedicated himself exclusively to his own art: photography. Since then, he moved to Berlin where he is returning to his career as an art dealer. His new “Side by Side Gallery” is situated in a period building on the former site of the “Tagesspiegel”. His first exhibition “Fertility” proves that his old networks are still perfectly operational. The opening is set for next Friday, although the gallery will be open unofficially from Wednesday. Not only is the choice of works of great quality, but also quite surprising: who actually knew what an excellent draughtsman Tracey Emin was. Here the Brit is represented by three tender monotypes -in fact quite “hard-core” self-portraits of the artist masturbating. They correspond to an exquisite drawing by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner representing a couple laying in bed in post-coital harmony, even though Emin’s feminist self-portraits rub against Kirchner’s macho and kitsch vision. There are other powerful artists in this exhibition, such as Louise Bourgeois who at the age of 97 still painted pregnant women. (Until October 29, Postdamerstrasse 81b, Schöneberg)
  • More galleries opening on the Potsdamer StraßeTwo galleries open up new spaces in the coming week on the old {quote}Tagesspiegel{quote} site on the Potsdamer Strasse in Berlin. Beginning on Friday, Nolan Judin will present paintings by British artist Dexter Dalwood in the former paper warehouse. And across the yard, starting on Wednesday, Side by Side Gallery will show artists such as Auguste Rodin, Louise Bourgeois and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner under the theme {quote}Fertility{quote}.
  • Where art thou?Some gallery owners are unperturbed by the disbandment of the Art Forum. « Things come and go » says Akim Monet. The international art dealer has just opened up the Side by Side Gallery in Potsdamer Strasse – a loud thoroughfare which is beginning to compete with Auguststrasse as Berlin’s most important art gallery area. Monet makes a comparison which has been made fairly often of late – that of Berlin with the New York of the 80’s. A cosmopolitan city where rent was low. « It was a time when New York was a magnet for artists. Now Berlin has become the same. » Now, one of China’s most important artists is about to come to Berlin in the form of Ai Wei Wei. In July, he announced his intention to accept the post of visiting professor at Berlin’s University of the Arts – on the proviso that he is able to leave his homeland.
  • Dallas (2022)
    • Aktivismus (Summer 2022)
    • Assisted Readymade (Winter 2022)
  • Los Angeles (2019-2021)
    • Wings of Desire (Winter 2021)
    • Of Mice and Men (Fall 2020)
    • Covid-19 project (Summer 2020)
    • Disruptive Selection (Fall 2019 & Spring 2020)
  • Berlin (2011-2018)
    • Mythology & Science (Fall 2017 & Spring 2018)
    • Curses, Blasphemies, Lamentations: Goya & Rodin (Spring 2017)
    • Homage to Auguste Rodin (Winter 2017)
    • Der Kandidat (Fall 2016)
    • Bridge over chaos (Spring 2016)
    • "1932" Rare Photographs by George Grosz (Winter 2016)
    • Musee Rodin Artgeneve (Winter 2016)
    • Rodin Rilke Beuys (Fall 2015)
    • Auguste Rodin: an expressionist eye (Spring 2015)
    • The Animals' Conference (Fall 2014 & Winter 2015)
    • The Hand of God (Spring 2014)
    • Women (winter 2014)
    • Dance of the seven veils (Fall 2013)
    • Abdulnasser Gharem (Spring 2013)
    • Kirchner - De Kooning (Winter 2013)
    • Sex is kicking death (Fall 2012)
    • The Sacred Heart (Spring 2012)
    • The Concrete & the Mystical (Winter 2012)
    • Fertility (Fall 2011)
  • Installations views
    • Mythology & Science
    • Curses, Blasphemies, Lamentations: Goya & Rodin
    • Homage to Auguste Rodin
    • Der Kandidat
    • Bridge over chaos
    • "1932" Rare Photographs by George Grosz
    • Rodin Rilke Beuys
    • Auguste Rodin: an expressionist eye
    • The Animals' Conference
    • The Hand of God
    • Women
    • Dance of the seven veils
    • Abdulnasser Gharem
    • Kirchner - De Kooning
    • Sex is kicking death
    • The Sacred Heart
    • The Concrete & the Mystical
    • Fertility
  • Berlin exhibition program
  • Musée Rodin Partnership (external)
  • Akim Monet Fine Arts (external)
  • Videos
    • 2020 Auguste Rodin & Joseph Beuys | an elision
    • 2020 new acquisition: first view of “Southern Comfort”
    • 2019 walkthrough of "Selective Selection from the collection of Akim & Anne-Marie Monet"
    • 2017 walkthrough of "Mythology & Science"
    • 2013 Abdulnasser Gharem in Berlin
    • 2011 interview Akim Monet
  • Press
  • Publications - Texts - Press releases
    • Publications
      • OF MICE & MEN
      • MYTHOLOGY & SCIENCE
      • ANNIVERSARY CATALOGUE
      • HOMAGE TO AUGUSTE RODIN
      • WORKS FROM THE MUSEE RODIN
      • RODIN: AN EXPRESSIONIST EYE
      • THE HAND OF GOD
      • THE AGGRESSIVE LINE
      • SEX IS KICKING DEATH
      • FERTILITY
      • Akim MONET - RODIN
      • Akim MONET - AL-TAWHID
      • Halim AL KARIM
      • Hussein AL MOHASEN
      • Dhafer AL SHEHRI
      • Shadi GHADIRIAN
    • Texts & Press releases
      • Wings of Desire (Press release)
      • Of Mice & Men (Press release)
      • Open letter to Donald Trump (Letter)
      • Disruptive selection (Press release)
      • Goodbye Berlin, hello Los Angeles (Letter)
      • Mythology & Science (Press release)
      • Curses, Blasphemies, Lamentations: Goya & Rodin (Press release)
      • Homage à Auguste Rodin (Press release)
      • Der Kandidat (Press release)
      • Bridge over chaos (Press release)
      • Bridge over chaos (Exhibition notes)
      • Bridge over chaos (Listof works)
      • "1932" Rare Photographs by George Grosz (Press release)
      • Musée Rodin at Artgeneve2016 (Press release)
      • Rodin Rilke Beuys (Press release)
      • Auguste Rodin: an expressionist eye (Press release)
      • The Animals' Conference (Press release)
      • Hand of God (Press release)
      • Dance of the seven veils (Press release)
      • Gharem in London: Fall 2013 (Press release)
      • Gharem in Venice: Summer 2013 (Interview)
      • Gharem in Berlin: Spring 2013 (Press release)
      • Sacred Heart Interview
      • Fertility essay
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