Pinakothek der Moderne Presents Canadian Artist Marcel Dzama

Saturday, 15 November 2008 00:19

MUNICH - Canadian artist Marcel Dzama is designing the next Edition 46 of the SZ-Magazin (weekly magazine of Süddeutsche Zeitung). It will appear on Friday, 14th November 2008. Dzama's audience extends well beyond the art world, and he has lately become the illustrator of choice for any number of contemporary writers and musicians.The project will be accompanied by an exhibition of the artist’s work at Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich.

In the 46th week of every year the entire SZ-Magazin is designed by a contemporary artist of international standing. Edition 46 was first launched in 1990. Since then, artists such as Jenny Holzer, Jeff Koons and Matthew Barney have shaped the pages of Edition 46. Last years edition was created by Italian media artist Francesco Vezzoli.

Marcel Dzama, born in Winnipeg/Manitoba, Canada in 1974, has been living in New York since 1996. In his detailed ink drawings, which made him famous, the fairy-tale-like, comical and sometimes cruel depictions of 19th century picture sheets seem to come to life again. Parallel to these works he has created objects, installations and videos. Dzama is also singer with the Albatross Note band, for whom he – as for other musician friends (Beck, The Weakerthans) – designs album covers. The exhibition was curated by Bernhart Schwenk.

Dzama is a Canadian Wunderkind, and his lugubrious fairy-tale sensibility in some way exemplifies the latest drift in contemporary art. Call it cute tragedy or tragic cuteness: either way, it refers to the impulses of a post-Warhol generation that uses the popular art forms of childhood to express a startling array of adult feelings. He has provided drawings for a CD by Beck, a collection of music essays by the novelist Nick Hornby and a gothic history of the American presidency by Sarah Vowell. His democratic instincts have also led him to design household items, including salt and pepper shakers in the form of crying ghosts, blue tears steaming down their porcelain cheeks.

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