Tuesday, March 11, 2008

In tents



No sooner did we get news of Starkwhite’s invitation to show et al. at Art Unlimited at the Basel Art Fair than Michael Stevenson’s book Celebration at Persepolis turned up in the mail. The small book that is jamb packed with incredibly interesting information about the Last Hurrah of the Iranian Shah, has been published jointly by the Aldofini in the UK who took the exhibition after Basel and Keller Editions. Aucklanders might remember the exhibition of books and magazines compiled by Christoph Keller shown in Artspace this time last year. It was also shown at the Physics Room in Christchurch. The publication includes an interview with Stevenson, a detailed account of the party including important details (Nixon didn’t attend, sending Spiro Agnew in his place, Tito was there, so too was Prince Philip and Anne. And you couldn’t keep Ceausescu away, not with roast partridge stuffed with foie gras on the menu). Finally there is a suite of great pics of Stevenson’s own version of the desert folly as shown in Basel.