Carriageworks’ new artist-led nights program in Sydney

Updated: 21/05/2023

Carriageworks, one of Australia’s leading contemporary multi-arts organizations, has just announced its latest program, Carriageworks Nights. The new program features a diverse line-up of talented artists, performers, musicians, and producers who are pushing the boundaries of their respective art forms. Across 10 events, Carriageworks Nights invites audiences to gather after dark for a series of artist-led evenings, spanning performance, music, film and food. When does the Carriageworks Nights program kick off? The program kicks off on Thursday 11 May with Jazz Money and Jason Phu’s “Silly Silly Party.” Taking place in the Blacksmith’s Workshop, the evening promises to be an interactive experience featuring big bubbles, bad face painting by Jason Phu, mystic readings, magicians, and giant games. The night will also include hands-on activities such as a superhero cape making workshop with artist Dennis Golding, and weaving with writer and artist Anne-Marie Te Whiu. A free event for all ages, Silly Silly Party invites everyone to let loose and have a silly time. On Thursday 25 May, artist Frances Barrett presents “Mouth,” a night focused on the voice presented at the Clothing Store Artist Studios. Through poetry, improvised performance, and song, audiences are invited to explore the slipperiness, multiplicity, and power of the voice with artists Sage Pbbbt, Jo Fabro, Tina Stefanou, Sonya Holowell, BLECK, and Tarik Ahlip performing under simulated moonlight. Carriageworks Nights events continue over three months, including video artist and curator EO Gill, who presents “Softcore,” a drive-in cinema featuring rare and classic experimental films. Artists Sidney McMahon, Mistress Tokyo, Demon Derriere,… Read More

Category: LIFESTYLE, ART, ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, SYDNEY

Tags: carriageworks, Carriageworks Sydney, Sydney arts, what to do in sydney

Melbourne Design Fair 2023 launches at Melbourne

by James Banham

Posted: 20/05/2023

Design enthusiasts in Melbourne are in for a treat, as the annual Melbourne Design Fair has launched at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) and will run until May 21. This year’s event is set to be bigger and better than ever before, featuring the work of more than 150 designers across 60+ presentations from all Australian states and territories. Visitors will have the chance to view and purchase one-of-a-kind, limited edition, and small batch design production, including furniture, lighting, and contemporary jewelry. The fair showcases some of the most cutting-edge designs from established and emerging designers, providing an impressive range of designs that appeal to both collectors and the general public alike. The Melbourne Design Fair features several feature group presentations, including Agency, ALM, Australian Tapestry Workshop, Craft Victoria, C. Gallery, Leonard Joel, MARS Gallery, Modern Times, OIGALL PROJECTS, Origine, Sophie Gannon Gallery, Stanley Street Gallery, Broached Commissions, and Sullivan+Strumpf, among others. Visitors can expect to see a wide range of exciting and innovative designs from these groups. One of the highlights of this year’s Melbourne Design Fair is the new section dedicated to contemporary jewelry presentations. The fair also includes an NGV-curated exhibition, FOCUS, which brings attention to the work of five accomplished Australian female designers and makers. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about their creative processes and inspirations. In addition to the exhibitions, the TALKS series, presented by Major Partner Mercedes-Benz, offers visitors the opportunity to gain a deeper appreciation of the culture of collectible design while learning how… Read More

Category: LIFESTYLE, ART, ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, MELBOURNE

Tags: melbourne art, melbourne design, Melbourne Design Fair, national gallery of victoria, ngv

Sydney Contemporary art fair returns to Carriageworks Sydney

by James Banham

Updated: 13/05/2023

Sydney Contemporary is back, and it’s bigger than ever! This art fair, established in 2013, regularly attracts over 25,000 visitors and has recorded more than AU$100 million in art sales since its launch. This year, the fair will feature 96 emerging and established galleries from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Indonesia, and Singapore, making it the pre-eminent meeting place for the art world in Australasia. It will run from September 7th-10th, 2023, at Carriageworks, Australia’s largest multi-arts center. Presented in partnership with MA Financial Group, Sydney Contemporary is proud to promote contemporary art, provide a platform for over 500 emerging and established artists, and offer visitors the chance to experience the best of Australian, Indigenous, and international art. The Galleries will showcase artists from over 35 countries, including Australia, China, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. The fair highlights not to be missed include presentations from Alcaston Gallery, Chalk Horse, Gow Langsford Gallery, and Yavuz Gallery, as well as solo presentations by acclaimed British artist Antony Gormley, Yol?u artist Dhambit Munu?gurr, and Australian photographer Murray Fredericks. The fair will feature an expanded footprint of galleries, programming, and supporting events, including installations, performances, and talks. For collectors and the art-loving public alike, Sydney Contemporary promises an incredible week of art, not to be missed. Tickets are available for purchase online at https://sydneycontemporary.com.au/.

Category: LIFESTYLE, ART, ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, SYDNEY

Tags: Best Sydney art, Buy art Sydney, sydney art, sydney art fair, Sydney Contemporary Art Fair

Lindy Lee’s Latest Exhibition: A Deep Dive into Humanity, Nature and the Cosmos

by James Banham

Updated: 11/05/2023

Sullivan+Strumpf is proud to announce their forthcoming exhibition featuring new works by acclaimed Chinese-Australian artist, Lindy Lee. “Lindy Lee: A tree more ancient than the forest it stands in” will be on display at their Zetland, Sydney premises from Thursday, May 4, until Saturday, May 27, 2023. Known for her contribution to contemporary art in Australia, Lee has gained international recognition over the years with her works increasingly moving into the public domain. She has undertaken numerous large-scale public commissions throughout Australia and internationally that focus on creating spaces of belonging and community. The upcoming exhibition presents an exciting opportunity to experience Lee’s latest creations in a more intimate gallery setting. Lee’s multi-disciplinary practice delves into the connections between humanity, nature, and the cosmos, and her process is one of co-creation with the universe. The artist interprets elemental materials of fire, water, metal, and wood, crafting her works accordingly. Informed by her evolving sense of self, as well as Daoism and Ch’an (Zen) Buddhism philosophies, Lee’s diverse works have garnered international recognition for translating and transmuting deeply personal experiences into the universal. Her works evoke a sense of wonder and intimate connection to existence. “In a career spanning more than 40 years, Lee has exhibited in over 150 exhibitions around Australia and internationally. She has created more than 40 public artworks, including large-scale sculptural commissions,” said a Sullivan+Strumpf spokesperson. The exhibition will showcase Lee’s latest body, including new sculptural forms in steel, bronze, and wood, in addition to works on paper. It’s the perfect opportunity… Read More

Category: CITIES, ART, ARTS & CULTURE, LIFESTYLE, RETAIL, SYDNEY

Tags: Buy art Sydney, Sullivan Strumpf, sydney art, sydney artists, Where to live Sydney, Zetland Sydney

ALERT: The Other Art Fair is coming to Sydney

by Danielle Kirk

Updated: 13/05/2023

Whether you’re at the age where you know your tastes well enough to dip the toe into buying real art, or you just like to discover cool people doing cool things first, The Other Art Fair is the one showcase you can’t miss. Coming to Sydney from 11-14 May at The Cutaway at Barangaroo Reserve, you’ll have the chance to find art that is for everyone. We promise, at The Other Art Fair, there’s no haughty ‘who you know’ vibes. With over 130 artists, unforgettable art experiences and a few surprises, The Other Art Fair continues its mission to reframe art and how it’s enjoyed: offering a fair that’s inclusive, evocative and inspiring, with a vibrant program filled with features, workshops, immersive installations, DJs – and of course a fully stocked bar. “With a program that is diverse and jam-packed, there is truly something for everyone,” says LukePotkin, Fair Director. Highlights Sydney-based Illustrator and graphic artist Aley Wild and her Illicit Illustrations, and thought-provoking works such as ‘Just Curious’ by young performance artists with disabilities. Things not to miss: Illicit Illustrations with Aley Wild: Come visit Aley during the fair and strike a pose with your object of choice and Aley will create for you your very own slightly-naughty nude to take away with you. ‘Just Curious’ – featured performance artwork: The Other Art Fair debuts ‘Just Curious’, a brand new performance and installation work created by young artists with disabilities, in partnership with Together2 Youth Theatre. The work will give visitors the opportunity to… Read More

Category: LIFESTYLE, ART, ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, SYDNEY

Tags: art fair, buying art, sydney art fair, sydney artists, the other art fair

DIVA: celebrating the power and creativity of iconic performers in London

by James Banham

Updated: 08/05/2023

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London has announced its major new exhibition, DIVA, which will open in June. The exhibition will be the first of its kind to celebrate the extraordinary power and creativity of iconic performers who have made their voices heard from the 19th century to the present day. Let’s not forget Whitney Houston, for example – watch her documentary on Amazon DIVA will honour the powerful and personal stories of creativity, ambition, and resilience of some of the best-known divas, from opera goddesses and silent movie stars to sirens of the big screen and today’s global megastars. The exhibition will also explore how performers have intersected with society and driven change through their platform and profile for social good and political change, including global civil rights and feminism. Over 60 looks will go on display, many rare or on display for the first time, including stage ensembles, iconic costumes by fashion designer for the stars Bob Mackie, and personal objects and accessories owned by divas. DIVA also includes examples of diva branding and key photographic works by renowned photographers. Kate Bailey, curator of DIVA, said that the V&A is the perfect stage to celebrate the multifaceted diva. “At the heart of this exhibition is a story of iconic performers who have challenged the status quo and used their voice and their art to redefine and reclaim the diva,” she said. One of the divas featured in the exhibition is Dame Shirley Bassey, who said: “It is wonderful to see the… Read More

Category: LIFESTYLE, ART, ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, FEATURES, LONDON

Tags: Diva exhibition, London Museum, V&A, VA Diva, Victoria and Albert

National Gallery does Paula Rego’s Crivelli’s Garden

People gathered around front door of National Gallery Trafalgar Square

by James Banham

Posted: 15/04/2023

The National Gallery in London is set to showcase an upcoming exhibition that pays tribute to the works of the late Dame Paula Rego. Titled “Crivelli’s Garden,” the exhibition centers around Rego’s public commission of the same name, which was created for the Sainsbury Wing Dining Room in 1990. The exhibition will unite the massive artwork with the 15th-century altarpiece by Carlo Crivelli that inspired it. Rego’s life studies of National Gallery colleagues that feature in the final painting will also be on display. The monumental 10-metre-long painting reimagines the narratives of powerful women, including female saints and mythological women, surrounded by a maze-like Portuguese garden. Rego was inspired by depictions of women she encountered in the National Gallery Collection, and also used models that included friends, family members, and Gallery staff for her work. The exhibition will delve into the layers and storylines that Rego incorporated into the artwork, exploring both the art historical references and personal touches she included. “Crivelli’s Garden” was an innovative work for Rego, signaling a new direction for her career, and exploring the representation of women in paintings, as well as their role in society and religion. Despite the challenges posed by her residency, Rego approached her work with boundless energy, and much of the work presented in the exhibition is a testament to her determination and spirit. Though she was invited to produce new artworks inspired by the collection during her residency, the murals she created in that period have remained some of her most celebrated works to… Read More

Category: CITIES, ART, ARTS & CULTURE, FEATURES, LIFESTYLE, LONDON

Tags: Arts London, London art, London galleries, national gallery, National Gallery London

See Saint Bartholomew by Bernardo Cavallino at National Gallery

by James Banham

Posted: 12/04/2023

Bernardo Cavallino’s Saint Bartholomew is an awe-inspiring Baroque masterpiece that will be on display in The National Gallery this April 2023. This painting, acquired at a Sotheby’s auction in New York and costing $3.9 million, is the only life-size work of the artist to be in a public collection. Cavallino, dubbed ‘the Poussin of Naples’ for his poetic handling of his subjects, was one of the leading Neapolitan artists of the first half of the 17th-century. No doubt influenced by Jusepe de Ribera’s naturalism as well as by Anthony van Dyck and Peter Paul Rubens, Cavallino was renowned for his small, sensitive paintings. His style is characterised by harmonious colours and virtuoso brushwork with stylised compositions. At 178.8 x 127 cm, Saint Bartholomew has been described as one of Cavallino’s best works – indeed it can be said to represent the full glory and emotionality of the Neapolitan Baroque school led by Caravaggio at its height. With its exhibition in Room 32 alongside other masterpieces from Italian Baroque artists such as Artemisia Gentileschi and Orazio Gentileschi, visitors can appreciate how vital a part this painting plays in telling the story of 17th century Italian art. The gallery already has another work by Cavallino – Christ driving Traders from Temple – but it does not have such a grand scale nor show off with quite so much emotional power as Saint Bartholomew does. 30 years after we last saw it go on public display (at Metropolitan Museum in New York), let us rejoice now that we… Read More

Category: CITIES, ART, ARTS & CULTURE, LIFESTYLE, LONDON

Tags: Art London, London art blog, London arts, national gallery, Saint Bart, Saint Bartholomew

Reuben Kaye to host Opera Up Late this Sydney World Pride

Reuben Kaye Sydney Opera House Joan Sutherland Theatre 1

by James Banham

Updated: 08/01/2023

Opera Up Late is back this February! A bespoke arts event from Opera Australia, in association with Sydney WorldPride, on 18 and 23 February, it’ll shine a light on all things artistic and musical in a camp explosion of humour and art, totally befitting the Sydney World Pride events of 2023. And this year, Australian queen of camp comedy, Reuben Kaye will host, bringing his brutally funny and multi-award winning comedy to the stage. Reuben Kaye is an Australian comedian, singer and writer, who has cemented himself as one of the biggest names in comedy and cabaret both locally and internationally, while also accruing a massive following on Tiktok, Youtube and Instagram. What is Opera Up Late about? Opera Up Late shines a light on the extraordinary talent that the queer community brings to the national company, Opera Australia and the iconic Sydney Opera House as Sydney WorldPride takes over the city in 2023. In a rare late night peek beneath the city’s famous sails these performances begin at 11:00pm and feature artists from Opera Australia, including Australian tenors Tomas Dalton and Benjamin Rasheed, mezzo-soprano Angela Hogan, soprano Cathy-Di Zhang and musical theatre’s rising star Annie Aitken, with music direction by Opera Australia’s Chorus Master Paul Fitzsimon. There’s more at the Opera Up Late website

Category: LIFESTYLE, ART, ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, FEATURES, LGBTIQ, MUSIC, OPERA, SYDNEY

Tags: Reuben Kaye, Reuben Kaye Sydney, sydney opera house, Sydney Opera House comedy, Sydney World Pride, the f opera, THE F Reuben Kaye

What do Cezanne, Van Gogh, Rodin, Picasso and Matisse all have in common?

by James Banham

Posted: 20/12/2022

They’re all on display at the National Gallery in London from 25 March to 13 August 2023. And it’ll be an exploratory experience not to be missed to kick off anyone’s year. Along with Klimt, Käthe Kollwitz, Sonia Delaunay, Kandinsky and Mondrian, the exhibition After impressionism: investing modern art will explore and celebrate Paris as the international artistic capital, while focusing on the exciting and often revolutionary artistic developments across other European cities during this period. Starting with the towering achievements of Cezanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin and Rodin, visitors are able to journey through the art of the late 19th and early 20th centuries created in cities such as Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels and Vienna. The exhibition closes with some of the most significant modernist works, ranging from Expressionism to Cubism and Abstraction. For more information and tickets, head to the National Gallery website

Category: LIFESTYLE, ART, ARTS & CULTURE

Tags: London art, London galleries, London Gallery, national gallery, National Gallery London

Category: ART