Loris Gréaud, "Does the angle between two walls have a happy ending?", 2013. Loris Gréaud, GREAUDSTUDIO / Courtesy Yvon Lambert (Paris), The Pace Gallery (New York). Installation view at Punta della Dogana. Photo: © Palazzo Grassi, ORCH orsenigo_chemollo.

Punta della Dogana

Prima Materia

PUNTA DELLA DOGANA
Dorsoduro 2
30123 Venice
From 30/05/2013 to 31/12/2014

Ubiquitous and graphic media images of war, protest, and social upheaval provided the backdrop for artistic breakthroughs of late 1960s, much of which was expressed in abstraction— sometimes emptiness. That era also opened new vistas on social equality and shared concerns, such as the condition and future of our environment. Today, science and technology offer social connectivity on a global scale, constantly available images of every kind, and the promise of technological solutions for longevity, and renewable energy. At the same time, we still live in an atmosphere of anxiety, often faced with invisible and abstract adversaries— among them, global warming and technological terrorism. We are immersed in a cacophony of media image and sound.

If the goal of most of nineteenth century art was truth through beauty and balance, the art of the late twentieth and our own century tends toward a coexistence of extremes—of abstraction and surrealism, emptiness and chaos, negation and spectacle, high and low. Artistically, we live in an age of global pluralism. Four basic elements of painting, sculpture, installation, and performance are all alchemized by the prima materia of media, not only the substance of film or video or the Internet, but the means by which it is disseminated and discussed globally.

Medieval texts on alchemy suggest hundreds of diverse descriptions and definitions of the prima materia, the prime matter—separate from, or encompassing, earth, air, fire, and water; or the formless base of all matter; containing the soul and the body, the sun and the moon; love and light, imagination and consciousness; or urine, blood, or dirt. It was searched for in the darkest soil of the forest, and inside the body. It is the primal chaos that exists before time and all possibilities of the future. Western and Eastern, it is the Tao of Lao Tzu’s Tao te Ching; or, in science, perhaps the dark matter that makes up most of our universe. The definitions of this medium that carries all of the elements are diverse by cultural perspective or personal identity. Sometimes circularly represented as a serpent eating its tail, the prima materia—essence, everything and nothing, everywhere and nowhere—takes many forms.

Curators of the exhibition: Caroline Bourgeois and Michael Govan

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List of Artists

Adel Abdessemed
Born in 1971 in Constantine, algeria.
He currently lives and works in Paris, France and New york, united States.
Arakawa
Born in 1936 in Nagoya, Japan. he died in 2010.

Robert Barry
Born in 1936 in New york, united States.
He currently lives and works in New Jersey, united States.

Alighiero Boetti
Born in 1940 in Turin, italy. he died in 1994.

James Lee Byars
Born in 1932 in detroit, united States. he died in 1997.

Marlene Dumas
Born in 1953 in Cape Town, South africa.
She currently lives and works in amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Koji Enokura
Born in 1942 in Tokyo, Japan. he died in 1995.

Lizzie Fitch & Ryan Trecartin
Born in 1981 in Bloomington, united States.
She currently lives and works in Los angeles, united States.
Born in 1981 in webster, united States.
He currently lives and works in Los angeles, united States.

Llyn Foulkes
Born in 1934 in yakima, united States.
He currently lives and works in Los angeles.

Theaster Gates
Born in 1973 in Chicago, united States, where he currently lives and works.

Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster
Born in 1965 in Strasburg, France.
She currently lives and works in Paris, France, and rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Loris Gréaud
Born in 1979 in Eaubonne, France.
He currently lives and works in Paris, France.

Mark Grotjahn
Born in 1968 in Pasadena, united States.
He currently lives and works in Los angeles, united States.

David Hammons
Born in 1943 in Springfield, united States.
He currently lives and works in New york, united States.

Roni Horn
Born in 1955 in New york, united States,
where she currently lives and works.

Susumu Koshimizu
Born in 1944 in Japan.

Lee Ufan
Born in 1936 in haman-gun, South korea.
He currently lives and works in kamakura, Japan, and Paris, France.

Sherrie Levine
Born in 1947 in hazleton, united States.
She currently lives and works in New york and Santa Fe, united States.

Piero Manzoni
Born in 1933 in Soncino, italy. He died in 1963.

Mario Merz
Born in 1925 in Milan, italy. He died in 2003.

Bruce Nauman
Born in 1941 in Fort wayne, united States.
He currently lives and works in Galisteo, united States.

Roman Opalka
Born in 1936 in hocquincourt, France.
He died in 2011.

Giulio Paolini
Born in 1940 in Genoa, italy.
He currently lives and works in Turin, italy.
Philippe Parreno
Born in 1964 in Oran, algeria
He currently lives and works in Paris, France.
Giuseppe Penone

Born in 1947 in Garessio, italy
He currently lives and works in Turin, italy, and Paris, France.

Michelangelo Pistoletto
Born in 1933 in Biella, italy
He currently lives and works in Turin and Biella, italy.

Bridget Riley
Born in 1931 in London, united kingdom,
where she currently lives and works.

Thomas Schütte
Born in 1954 in Oldenburg, Germany.
He currently lives and works in düsseldorf, Germany.

Nobuo Sekine
Born in 1942 in Saitama, Japan.
He currently lives and works in Japan.

Kishio Suga
Born in 1944 in Morioka, Japan.
He currently lives and works in Shizuoka, Japan.

Diana Thater
Born in 1962 in San Francisco, united States.
She currently lives and works in Los angeles, united States.

PROJECT FOR THE CUBE

Zeng Fanzhi

Born in 1964 in wuhan, China. he currently
lives and works in Beijing, China.

Special Project

Zeng Fanzhi
Nato nel 1964 a Wuhan, Cina.
vive e lavora a Pechino, Cina.

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The Catalogue

248 pages
120 illustrations
45€
One version in three languages (italian / English / French)
The catalogue of the exhibition Prima materia is published by Electa and was designed by Leonardo Sonnoli of the studio Tassinari/vetta. it includes texts and interviews of artists presented in the exhibition:

texts
adel abdessemed/Philippe-alain Michaud
arakawa/Madeline Gins
Marlene dumas/adrian Searle
Llyn Foulkes/ali Subotnick
dominique Gonzalez-Foerster/Jochen volz
roni horn/Elisabeth Lebovici
Sherrie Levine/Erich Franz
Thomas Schütte/adrian Searle

Interviews
Michael Govan/Caroline Bourgeois
Michael Govan/Germano Celant/Lee ufan
Theaster Gates/Franklin Sirmans
Loris Gréaud/Caroline Bourgeois
Mark Grotjahn/Michael Govan
Philippe Parreno/hans ulrich Obrist
diana Thater/Michael Govan
ryan Trecartin/Michael Govan/Jarrett Gregory

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General information and contacts

Palazzo Grassi
Campo San Samuele 3231
30124 Venice
Vaporetto stops: San Samuele (line 2), Sant’Angelo (line 1)

Punta della Dogana
Dorsoduro, 2
30123 Venice
Vaporetto stop: Salute (line 1)
Tel: +39 041 523 16 80
Fax: +39 041 528 62 18

More information on opening hours, prices and activities of Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana available on the website:
www.palazzograssi.it

Opening Hours

Palazzo Grassi
Rudolf Stingel
April 7, 2013 – December 31, 2013
Open every day from 10am to 7pm
Closed on Tuesdays
Last admission at 6pm

Punta della Dogana
Prima materia
From May 30, 2013
Open every day from 10am to 7pm
Closed on Tuesdays
Last admission at 6pm

Ticket Office
The admission ticket for both exhibitions is valid for three days.

Full rate:
20€ for two museums / 15€ for one museum Discounted rate:
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Free: children under 11, Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana members, 3 adults for every school group of 25 students, 1 guide for every group of 15 adults, the disabled, chartered tour guides by the City of Venice, journalists (upon presentation of press ID valid for the current year), the unemployed.
On Wednesdays, free admission for residents of the city of Venice, on presentation of a valid identity document.

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