Pakistani Islamic Art: Infusing the Old With the New

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE

These artists have international recognition, but they should be shown at home as well, says Exhibit curator.

PAKISTAN---“The artists here have invented a new language,” says Quddus Mirza, curator of the ‘Here and Now’ art exhibit. Their focus on the ideas and concerns of modern times was one of his reasons for putting together the exhibit, he says. The exhibition by artists Mohammad Ali Talpur, Hasnat Mehmood, Nausheen Saeed, Adeela Suleman, and Mohammad Zeeshan, opened at the Lahore Art Gallery on Monday and will continue till June 22.  [link]

Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Etc: How Religions Change Their Mind

THE BBC | RELIGION
By William Kremer

UNITED KINGDOM---Once upon a time, animal sacrifice was an important part of Hindu life, Catholic priests weren't celibate and visual depictions of the Prophet Muhammad were part of Islamic art. And soon some churches in the UK may be marrying gay couples. How do religions manage to change their mind? If that sounds like a problem easily solved, it wasn't - according to Kathleen Flake, a professor in American religious history at Vanderbilt University, and a Mormon herself.History shows that any religion that refuses to change dies out, Flake adds. But what about those religions that don't have living prophets - how do they change? [link]

8th-century Buddhist Images Back on Exhibit After Major Face-lift

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

Reporters check out the 10 Buddhist statues from the eighth century at Todaiji temple's Hokkedo Hall

JAPAN---After intermittent closures since 2010 for restoration work, Hokkedo Hall at the eighth-century Todaiji temple is set to reopen to the public on May 18 to show off its 1,000-year-old national treasures. On a restored raised platform, visitors will be able to check out 10 Buddhist statues from the Nara Period (710-784) at the temple in Nara, Nara Prefecture. Called "Shumidan," the restored platform is less crowded than before and offers modern LED lighting, the better to view the Buddhas, which have also been restored. Shumidan used to house 16 statues, including the principal image of Fukukensaku Kannon, as well as Bonten. Hokkedo Hall is a national treasure and the oldest structure in the temple. [link]

Spanish Colonial Art Goes on Display at Miami’s Frost-FIU Museum

THE MIAMI HERALD
By John Coppola

St. Joseph and the Christ Child Cuzco, Peru, 18th century
Oil on canvas Frost Art Museum, MMAC Collection Alex Garcia

FLORIDA---In art as in religion, the colonial period of Latin America took its greatest influence from Spain. But it wasn’t simply a thin imitation of the motherland, but a complex confluence tinged with politics, racial issues and religions both indigenous and European. That point lies at the heart of a new exhibition at the Frost Art Museum, "Spanish Colonial Art: The Beauty of Two Traditions," curated by museum director Carol Damian. “The idea,’’ says Damian, “is to show that the colonial art of Latin America is not derivative and a poor copy of Spanish art, but so much more.” [link]

Statue of Pope Francis Unveiled in Italian Potato Field

ARTDAILY

Giuseppe Imperatore artist and sculptor (L) Barbato De Stefano (C) and Antonio
De Stefano adjust the vestments of a statue depicting Pope Francis in a small field of potatoes

ITALY---The first-ever statue of Pope Francis has been unveiled in a potato field near Naples -- an unorthodox homage to the fact that the Argentine pope's ancestors were farmers in northern Italy. The statue will be presented to the pope next month by Italian actor Barbato De Stefano, who comes from the village of Cicciano where it was presented and has financed the project. The primitive-style statue was shown on Sunday, with a painted background of the balcony of St Peter's Basilica on which the pope stood after his election at a conclave of cardinals in March. [link]

Two Very Different Exhibits Of Religious Artistic Expression in Connecticut

HARTFORD COURANT
By SUSAN DUNNE

Robin Rice of Enfield created this angel painting. It is part of the "Angels in the Casa" art exhibit at ArtSpace.

CONNECTICUT---Ever since mankind began creating art, spirituality oriented themes have been eternally the most popular. Two shows in Connecticut, a contemporary show open for just a few weeks and a show of ancient art open until next April, show different facets, and different eras, of celestial artistic inspiration. In today's secular world, any subject matter is open to artists. Spiritual art is increasingly in the minority. Yet the artists gathering beginning this weekend at ArtSpace in Hartford have one thing on their minds: angels. [link]

Heavenly Bodies: Michael Landy's Artistic Marriage Made in Heaven...and Hell

THE INDEPENDENT
By Adrian Hamilton

‘Multi-Saint’ (2013)

UNITED KINGDOM---YBA Michael Landy’s show Saints Alive at the National Gallery draws on details of the torture of the martyrs represented in masterpieces of the Renaissance. It was always going to be a marriage made in Heaven or Hell, depending on your theological view or artistic expectation. Certainly the National Gallery took a chance when it invited Michael Landy, a founding face of the YBAs (Young British Artists), to become an associate artist and to mount a show of the resulting works at the end of his two-year stint. Michael Landy: Saints Alive, National Gallery, London WC2 (020 7747 2885) 23 May to 24 November  [link]