As we've mentioned many times already on this site, chess and art go together wonderfully. This is shown once more in the exhibition The Art of Chess, which opens today at the ProjectB contemporary art spaces in Milan.

In the exhibition catalogue The Art of Chess - A Mechanical Ballet published by Gilbert Collection Trust, London, Ernest Strouhal writes:

“...if suddenly and mysteriously all the art works on XX century disappear and only a collection of chess pieces survives... art historians would be able to reconstruct all the various tendencies, styles and movement simply from a study of this collection...”

ProjectB brings to Italy for the first time, in occasion of the 49th edition of I Saloni 2010, The Art of Chess in collaboration with RS&A, London, that has been so far commissioned chess sets to some of the world’s leading contemporary artists.

The art of chess has represented a continuing artistic interest by the master Avant-garde of last century; starting from Marcel Duchamp to Man Ray, Max Ernst, Alexander Calder, André Breton, Isamu Noguchi and Raymond Roussel - all chess lovers and players. The first time artists of such calibre joined together in a celebration of the game of chess was for the exhibition The Imagery of Chess in New York in 1944 at the Julien Levy Gallery.

Art featured in the exhibition in Milan include seven chess sets in real dimension by designed by Jake and Dinos Chapman, Tracy Emin, Tom Friedman, Damien Hirst, Barbara Kruger, Alastair Mackie, Rachel Whiteread.

Tracey Emin’s set, which is suitably travel-sized, is contained in a simple cloth bag; Alistair Mackie encapsulates insects; Rachel Whiteread reinterprets the chess-set with a more ‘domestic’ approach, utilizing miniature furnishings from her own doll-house; Jack and Dinos Chapman dreamed up a post-apocalyptic battle between adolescent black and white aliens; Damien Hirst was inspired by his own Pharmacy; Barbara Kruger has invented an audio system that poses questions to the player after every move; whilst Tom Friedman has created a sort of mini-retrospective of some of his works.

The exhibition will be held at the ProjectB contemporary art spaces in Milan (Via Borgonuovo 3), that for the occasion will be the venue where contemporary art meets design and play. The event is part of Fuori Salone events calendar. From April the 14th to the 19th, the gallery is open every day from 11 AM to 7.30 PM.

Links

• Exhibition website
• Where exactly is it