“El Beso” ("The Kiss") is the name of the bigger-than-life sculpture shown in the May 2015 mystery photo.
Overlooking the Pacific Ocean, it is located in the Parque del Amor in the Miraflores district of Lima, Peru. The figures in the statue are said to be of the artist, native Peruvian Victor Delfín, and his wife.
Erected in 1994 in the village of Tahiche on Lanzarote (one of Spain's Canary Islands, off the northwest coast of Africa), the cast-iron wind sculpture pictured in the April issue's mystery photo is one of several created by native-born artist and architect César Manrique. All of the sculptures are located on roundabouts; this particular one is called "Fobos."
Celebrating 500 years of printing in the city, the “Leipzig imPRESSES” exhibit, March 28-Oct. 4, 2015, includes 15th-century plates from the first printer in Leipzig, prints from Martin Luther and sheet music plus working printing presses.
The Venice Biennale (www.labiennale.org/en) is an international art exhibition held every two years in Venice, Italy. The 56th will run May 9-Nov. 22, 2015, its theme, “All the World’s Futures.”
View paintings, mixed media, sculptures, tapestries, etc., at the Arsenale on the sestieri of Castello and at the Giardini, near St. Mark’s Square, with pavilions from 29 countries. Ticket, €23.50 (near $27) at www.tickets.labiennale.org.
Until Sept. 20, 2015, a 3,500-square-meter, 1:1 ratio, 360-degree panorama of the Battle of the Nations in Leipzig is open. The panorama is painted on the interior walls of the Leipzig Panometer, a 161-foot-tall, 187-feet-in-diameter gasometer (gas storage building) built in 1909. Visitors can view it from the ground or on levels of a 50-foot-tall platform.
In October 1813, 550,000 soldiers fought in the battle, with Russia, Prussia, Austria and Sweden against French forces led by Napoleon.
The Baraccia fountain, at the foot of the Spanish Steps in Rome, was damaged on Feb. 19 by Dutch soccer fans rioting before a Europa League match.
The fountain — which was built in 1627, depicts a sinking boat and had recently been restored — had pieces chipped off, some as large as 8x3cm, and garbage was thrown into the pool.
Police arrested 23 people. The Embassy of the Netherlands blamed the incident on a subset of particularly disorderly fans.
Open until Aug. 20, 2015, in Buenos Aires, the exhibit “Latin American Art of the 20th Century” is showing works of some of the most important Latin American artists from the early 20th century through 1999, including pieces by Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Antonio Dias.
The Museum of Latin America (Av. Figueroa Alcorta 3415, C1425CLA, Buenos Aires, Argentina; phone +54 11 4808 6500, www.malba.org.ar/en [mostly in Spanish]) is open 12-8 p.m. Thurs.-Mon. and 12-9 Wed. Closed Tues. ARS60 (near $7) adult or ARS30 student.
In Amsterdam, the life of Vincent van Gogh, his development as an artist and his influence on art are examined in a new, building-wide, permanent exhibit at the Van Gogh Museum (Paulus Potterstraat 7, 1071 CX Amsterdam, Netherlands; phone +31 20 570 5200, www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en).
Along with his paintings, the museum now includes drawings and letters from the artist. Subjects such as his mental illness and suicide are addressed in the museum for the first time.
Morocco has opened its first major museum since becoming independent from France in 1956. Featuring modern and contemporary Moroccan art, the Muhammed VI Museum (Angle Avenue Moulay El Hassan et Avenue Allal Ben Abdellah, 10,000, Rabat, Morocco; phone +212 [0] 5 37 76 90 47, www.museemohammed6.ma [in French only]) opened in Rabat on Oct. 7, 2014, after 10 years of construction.
Its first exhibit, “1914-2014: 100 years of Creation,” includes pieces created within the last 100 years from more than 150 Moroccan artists. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wed.-Mon. Entry, MAD20 (near $2.30).
