Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art
Encyclopedia
Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art is a privately funded educational charity based in London and a not-for-profit contemporary art gallery established in 2005. The Foundation is housed in a converted warehouse over two floors. The building was renovated to a design concept by the Italian architect, Claudio Silvestrin
. The gallery comprises roughly 5,000 sq ft (460 m2) of exhibition space.
Parasol unit was established by its Director/Curator, Ziba Ardalan. A graduate in the History of Art from Columbia University
New York, Ardalan worked as Guest Curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art
. She guest curated the exhibition 'Winslow Homer
and the New England Coast' at the Whitney's Stamford, Ct. Branch (1984). Ardalan became the first Director/Curator of New York City’s Swiss Institute in 1987, before moving to Zurich, Switzerland, and then relocating to UK and founding Parasol unit. She has curated numerous exhibitions and has also lectured and written about art. Prior to her career in art, Ardalan obtained a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry
.
for the benefit of the public. The exhibition programme comprises work by emerging and contemporary artists in a variety of media: sculpture, painting, installation, video and photography. The institution was developed on the model of a Kunsthalle
, with no permanent collection.
The exhibitions are accompanied by a publication, an artist’s monograph or catalogue, which is distributed worldwide by Koenig Books, Germany.
, Pro Helvetia
, Japan Foundation
, The French Institute (London), The Goethe Institute (London), The Austrian Cultural Forum
(London), Henry Moore Foundation
, Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation, The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, Portuguese Embassy and Australian Embassy. Additional funding has been provided by private companies including Gallagher Limited and Dataton.
The gallery space is privately owned and has been put at the disposal of the foundation at no charge.
In 2009, the foundation launched its EXPOSURE Award, an annual programme which gives recent graduates the opportunity to exhibit their work alongside a major exhibition at the gallery.
Claudio Silvestrin
Claudio Silvestrin is an Italian architect and designer, and a British citizen.He was educated in Milan, under the guidance of A. G. Fronzoni, before moving to the Architectural Association in London....
. The gallery comprises roughly 5,000 sq ft (460 m2) of exhibition space.
Parasol unit was established by its Director/Curator, Ziba Ardalan. A graduate in the History of Art from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
New York, Ardalan worked as Guest Curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art
Whitney Museum of American Art
The Whitney Museum of American Art, often referred to simply as "the Whitney", is an art museum with a focus on 20th- and 21st-century American art. Located at 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street in New York City, the Whitney's permanent collection contains more than 18,000 works in a wide variety of...
. She guest curated the exhibition 'Winslow Homer
Winslow Homer
Winslow Homer was an American landscape painter and printmaker, best known for his marine subjects. He is considered one of the foremost painters in 19th century America and a preeminent figure in American art....
and the New England Coast' at the Whitney's Stamford, Ct. Branch (1984). Ardalan became the first Director/Curator of New York City’s Swiss Institute in 1987, before moving to Zurich, Switzerland, and then relocating to UK and founding Parasol unit. She has curated numerous exhibitions and has also lectured and written about art. Prior to her career in art, Ardalan obtained a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry
Physical chemistry
Physical chemistry is the study of macroscopic, atomic, subatomic, and particulate phenomena in chemical systems in terms of physical laws and concepts...
.
Aims
Parasol unit is devoted to promoting Contemporary artContemporary art
Contemporary art can be defined variously as art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II. The definition of the word contemporary would support the first view, but museums of contemporary art commonly define their collections as consisting of art produced...
for the benefit of the public. The exhibition programme comprises work by emerging and contemporary artists in a variety of media: sculpture, painting, installation, video and photography. The institution was developed on the model of a Kunsthalle
Kunsthalle
Kunsthalle is, generally, in German speaking regions a term for a facility mounting temporary art exhibitions. Some are run or supported by a local Kunstverein, an art association of local collectors and artists...
, with no permanent collection.
The exhibitions are accompanied by a publication, an artist’s monograph or catalogue, which is distributed worldwide by Koenig Books, Germany.
Funding
Parasol unit’s activities are primarily funded by private donation. Since 2008, Parasol unit has aimed to raise 10-20% of the overall costs of each exhibition from official funding bodies. These have included Arts Council EnglandArts Council England
Arts Council England was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three separate bodies for England, Scotland and Wales. It is a non-departmental public body of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport...
, Pro Helvetia
Pro Helvetia
The foundation Pro Helvetia is a public foundation of Switzerland, held by Confédération Suisse.-Presidents:*From 1939 to 1943, Heinrich Häberlin.*From 1944 to 1952, Paul Lachenal.*From 1952 to 1964, Jean-Rodolphe de Salis....
, Japan Foundation
Japan Foundation
The was established in 1972 by an Act of the Japanese Diet as a special legal entity to undertake international dissemination of Japanese culture, and became an independent administrative institution under the jurisdiction of the Foreign Ministry of Japan on 1 October 2003 under the "Independent...
, The French Institute (London), The Goethe Institute (London), The Austrian Cultural Forum
Austrian Cultural Forum
An Austrian Cultural Forum is an agency of the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, whose task consists of the cultural and scientific dialogue with artists and scientists of each particular host country....
(London), Henry Moore Foundation
Henry Moore Foundation
The Henry Moore Foundation is a registered charity in England, established for education and promotion of the fine arts — in particular, to advance understanding of the works of Henry Moore. The charity was set up with a gift from the artist in 1977...
, Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation, The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, Portuguese Embassy and Australian Embassy. Additional funding has been provided by private companies including Gallagher Limited and Dataton.
The gallery space is privately owned and has been put at the disposal of the foundation at no charge.
Exhibitions
Numerous exhibitions have appeared at Parasol over the years, including several that have gone on to tour across the UK and other sites in Europe.In 2009, the foundation launched its EXPOSURE Award, an annual programme which gives recent graduates the opportunity to exhibit their work alongside a major exhibition at the gallery.
| Date | Exhibition | Artists |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | The Performance | Michaël Borremans Michaël Borremans Michaël Borremans is a Belgian painter and filmmaker who lives and works in Ghent. His painting technique draws on 18th century art as well as the works of Édouard Manet and Degas. The artist also cites the Spanish court painter Diego Velázquez as an important influence... |
| 2005 | Built in London | Mario Sala |
| 2006 | No Snow on the Broken Bridge | Yang Fudong Yang Fudong Yang Fudong is a Chinese video artist and photographer. He began shooting his first film "Estranged Paradise" which was completed and premiered at Documenta XI in 2002. That year he also started shooting what was to become five-part cycle film "Seven Intellectuals in a Bamboo Forest", which was... |
| 2006 | Streifzuege | David Schnell |
| 2006 | Goin’ Down, Down, Down | Matthew Ronay |
| 2006 | Lonely long meaningless way home | Johannes Kahrs Johannes Kahrs Johannes Kahrs may refer to:* Johannes Kahrs , in Bremen, Germany* Johannes Kahrs... |
| 2007 | Momentary Momentum: Animated Drawings | Some artists included: Francis Alÿs Francis Alÿs Francis Alÿs is a Belgian artist. His work emerges in the interdisciplinary space of art, architecture, and social practice. After leaving behind his formal training as an architect and relocated to Mexico City, he has created a diverse body of artwork that explores urbanity, spatial justice, and... , William Kentridge William Kentridge William Kentridge is a South African artist best known for his prints, drawings, and animated films. These are constructed by filming a drawing, making erasures and changes, and filming it again. He continues this process meticulously, giving each change to the drawing a quarter of a second to two... , David Shrigley David Shrigley -Life and career:Shrigley was born in Macclesfield on 17 September 1968, the younger of two children born to Rita and Joseph Shrigley. Shrigley grew up in Oadby, Leicestershire, England... , Naoyuki Tsuji, Tabaimo and Kara Walker |
| 2007 | Two Feet in One Shoe | Armen Eloyan |
| 2007 | Secret for Snow Leopard | Yutaka Sone Yutaka Sone Yutaka Sone is a contemporary artist who lives and works in Los Angeles. He is represented by David Zwirner, New York.-Work :... |
| 2008 | Fire Under Snow | Darren Almond Darren Almond Darren James Almond is an artist based in London. He graduated from Winchester School of Arts in 1993, with a BA degree in Fine Arts.-Life and career:... |
| 2008 | Front of House | Ângela Ferreira, Narelle Jubelin and Marcos Corrales |
| 2008 | Present Tense | Mona Hatoum Mona Hatoum Mona Hatoum is a video artist and installation artist of Palestinian origin, who lives in London.- Lebanon :... |
| 2008 | The Islanders: An Introduction | Charles Avery |
| 2008 | Endless Prayers | Y.Z.Kami |
| 2009 | X, Plus and Frame Paintings | Robert Mangold Robert Mangold Robert Mangold is an American minimalist artist.- Works :“Robert Mangold’s paintings,” wrote Michael Kimmelman in the New York Times in 1997, “are more complicated to describe than they seem, which is partly what’s good about them: the way they invite intense scrutiny, which, in the nature of good... |
| 2009 | Parades and Processions: Here comes everybody | Francis Alÿs Francis Alÿs Francis Alÿs is a Belgian artist. His work emerges in the interdisciplinary space of art, architecture, and social practice. After leaving behind his formal training as an architect and relocated to Mexico City, he has created a diverse body of artwork that explores urbanity, spatial justice, and... , Fiona Banner Fiona Banner Fiona Banner is an English artist, who was short-listed for the Turner Prize in 2002. In 2010, she produced new work for a Duveen Hall commission at Tate Britain. She is one of the Young British Artists.-Life and work:... , Jeremy Deller Jeremy Deller Jeremy Deller is an English conceptual, video and installation artist. He is a Turner Prize winner.Deller is best-known for his Battle of Orgreave , a reenactment of the actual Battle of Orgreave which occurred during the UK miners' strike in 1984.-Life and work:Jeremy Deller was born in London,... , Thomas Hirschhorn Thomas Hirschhorn -Life and works:In the 1980s, Hirschhorn worked in Paris as a graphic artist. He was part of the group of Communist graphic designers called Grapus. These artists were concerned with politics and culture, displaying impromptu creations and posters on the street mostly using the language of... , Rachel Hovnanian, Teresa Hubbard / Alexander Birchler, William Kentridge William Kentridge William Kentridge is a South African artist best known for his prints, drawings, and animated films. These are constructed by filming a drawing, making erasures and changes, and filming it again. He continues this process meticulously, giving each change to the drawing a quarter of a second to two... , Michèle Magema, Annette Messager Annette Messager Annette Messager is a French artist who was born in 1943. She is known mainly for her installation work which often incorporates photographs, prints and drawings, and various materials. Messager has exhibited and published her work extensively... , Amy O’Neill and Hiraki Sawa. |
| 2009 | Cloud Choreography and Other Emergent Systems | Keith Tyson Keith Tyson Keith Tyson is a British artist. In 2002, he was the winner of the Turner Prize. His work is concerned with an interest in generative systems, and an embrace of the complexity and interconnectedness of existence... |
| 2009 | Visible Invisible: Against the Security of the Real | Cecily Brown Cecily Brown Cecily Brown, born 1969 in London, is a British painter. She has a great respect for art history and her works reveal her reverence and high regard for artists such as Francisco de Goya, Nicolas Poussin, Willem de Kooning, and Joan Mitchell while incorporating into her works her distinct female... , Hans Josephsohn Hans Josephsohn Hans Josephsohn is a Swiss sculptor. He lives and works in Zurich.Josephsohn was born in Königsberg , East Prussia. Here he attended elementary school and completed high school in 1937. That same year, he left his homeland and moved to Florence with a small scholarship, in order to study art... , Shaun McDowell, Katy Moran and Maaike Schoorel Maaike Schoorel Maaike Schoorel is an artist based in London.Schoorel was born in Santpoort, The Netherlands. She makes paintings based on photographs, using traditional genres such as landscape, portrait and still-life... . |
| 2010 | Eija-Liisa Ahtila | Eija-Liisa Ahtila Eija-Liisa Ahtila Eija-Liisa Ahtila is a video artist and photographer. She lives and works in Helsinki.In 1998 Eija-Liisa Ahtila participated in the second edition of Manifesta. She was the winner of the inaugural Vincent Award in 2000. In 2002 she had a solo show at Tate Modern, and in 2006 her multi-screen video... |
| 2010 | Boundary Layer | Tabaimo |
| 2010 | Silent Warriors | Adel Abdessemed Adel Abdessemed Adel Abdessemed is a conceptual artist who lives and works in Paris, France. He is represented by David Zwirner, New York and Dvir Gallery, Tel Aviv.... |
| 2010 | Burlesque in which we've thrown it on its head | Nathan Cash Davidson |