«I LIKE MONEY ON THE WALL»

Larry Gagosian to Present Masterpieces from His Private Collection

Rauschenberg, Ruscha, Serra, Twombly, Warhol, and Wool – few other names resonate the influence and pervasiveness of 20th century postwar American art, or symbolise the authority of western cultural production. Each of these epoch‐defining artists has expanded the discursive parameters of contemporary art, for instance, Rauschenberg’s formal bricolage that mixes abstract expressionism and everyday objects such as in the seminal Overdrive (1963); Serra’s redefinition of sculpture with his monumental dynamics in Malmo Roll (1984); and Warhol’s iconic Pop works, such as Brillo Soap Pads Box (1960) and Mao (1972) that form the single most influential deconstruction of mass‐media culture. These masterpieces – painting, sculptures, drawings, and photography – have never before been exhibited together. They arrive at a time when Abu Dhabi is making huge strides in the development of its cultural platform at Saadiyat Island; a unique space for the examination and experimentation of arts and culture. Anne Baldassari, the President of the Fondation Picasso , was invited to interpret Gagosian’s collection, as the exhibition’s curator. Baldassari proposed to present a deliberately partial interpretation through the most emblematic artists’ work. The seemingly arbitrary nature of the alphabetical ordering, offers a new perspective on the notion of a collection. The works selected offer a slice of art history through an arrangement of forms and techniques – a multiplicity of realities that will occupy the Manarat Al Saadiyat space. A tension is created between the subjectivity of the absent collector, the significance of the works selected and the sequence in which they are displayed. This intelligent approach to the exhibition provides the visitors a space where they will be able to construct their own meaning from the works on show.

-Artnet