david medalla

David Medalla, FF alumnus, will show a new version of his celebrated bubble machine, "Cloud Canyons", in the historical exhibition "Filipiniana". curated by Juan Guardiola and organised by Casa Asia, in the magnificent El Cuartel de Conde Duque cultural center in Madrid, Spain. The "Filipiniana" exhibition is the most comprehensive survey of Philippine art of the 20th century. It opens on May 11, 2006 and will run until September 24, 2006. David Medalla made his first bubble-machine in 1963. It was the first work of auto-creative art. Marcel Duchamp created a multiple sculpture in the shape of a medal (a pun on Medalla's surname), incorporating metallic "bubbles", in homage to the Filipino artist.

Various versions of "Cloud Canyons" have been shown in London (at SIGNALS London), at Documenta 5 organised by Harald Szeeman in 1972 in Kassel, Germany, at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, at the City Art Gallery in Auckland, New Zealand, at Tate Britain in London, at the Clocktower Gallery in New York, at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, in the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, at the Haus der Kulturen die Welt in Berlin, at the Hayward Gallery in London, at Gallery House in London, at Galerie Kai Hilgemann in Berlin, at Indios Bravos in Manila, at the Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, at the Museum of Modern Art in Oxford, England, at the National Art Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh and the Kelvingrove Art Museum in Glasgow.

The Tate Gallery of London, England, recently acquired for its permanet collection a version of David Medalla's "Cloud Canyons", which was previously shown in the exhibition "Art of the Sixties"by Chris Stephens.
The first time David Medalla's bubble-machine was shown in America was in the exhibition "Air Art" organised by Willoughby Sharp at the Art Gallery of the University of California in Berkeley, California. That work was illustrated in the book "Minimal Art" edited by Gregory Battcock. A wonderful ievent of serendipity: David Medalla is sharing an exhibition with Willoughby Sharp and German artist Reinhart Beuttner at Kunstpunkt Galerie fur Aktuelle Kunst, Schlegelstrasse 6, in Berlin, which opens on May 19, 2006 and will continue until June 10, 2006.

David Medalla's part of the exhibition at Kunstpunkt is entitled "Einstein in Berlin". It will feature a large photo artwork on linen of a photocollage of Medalla's "Einstein Rap" which he performed at the foot of the Felix Mendelsohnn Observatory in Potsdam in celebration of Albert Einstein's birthday. Medalla's photo artwork was originally shown at the ICA Insitute of Contemporary Art in London during the "Cosmic Wrestling Match" between Adam Nankervis and David Medalla, in the show curated by Guy Brett.

Prior to the show at Kunstpunkt, David Medalla will perform with American soprano Dorothea Fayne, Australian artist Adam Nankervis, and several musicians at Zero Gallery in Kreuzberg. A video of their performance, together with another video of another beautiful performance by David Medalla entitled "The Ghost of Albert Einstein at Pfauen Insel on the Wansee" wiill subsequently be shown at the Kunstpunkt Berlin.

For photos and news of some of David Medalla's recent performances and exhibitions please log in the internet into the websites: www.londonbiennale.org and www.museumman.org