Category: ART

Explore China’s past at the National Gallery Victoria in Melbourne

China art

Exploring the largest neighbour of Australia is now a lost easier with the latest exhibition at the NGV in Melbourne. The new exhibit named China – The past is present highlights the influence of traditional cultural and artistic practices in contemporary Chinese culture and is open this October from the 15th to 20 February 2023. The exhibition features more than 120 works drawn primarily from the NGV’s historical and contemporary collection of Chinese art and design, which, combined, span over three millennia and an array of art forms – including painting, calligraphy, ceramics, metal works, lacquer ware, textiles, furniture, video, posters, photography and mixed media.   Offering a new interpretation of the NGV’s expansive collection of Chinese art and design, the exhibition features never-before-displayed and recent acquisitions, including a photographic sequence by Sydney-based Xiao Lu, who is widely considered to be China’s first feminist performance artist and one of the best-known artists from China’s Avant Garde art movement of the late 1980s. In the photographs, the artist references traditional Chinese spontaneous calligraphic expression by tipping calligraphy ink over her body.  Tickets are free. For more head to the NGV website

National Gallery London: see Lucian Freud ‘New Perspectives’

Lucien Freud Reflection

Get your tickets into the world of Lucian Freud (same name; not the psychologist you’re thinking of), the artist celebrity has often overshadowed approaches to the artist’s work and the historical contexts in which it was made. This exhibition at London’s National Gallery at Trafalgar Square seeks to present new perspectives on Freud’s art, focusing on his tireless and ever-searching commitment to the medium of painting. Sponsored by Credit Suisse, the exhibition will give visitors the opportunity to see the astonishing range of work and the remarkable artistic development of one of Britain’s finest figurative painters. Think renowned pieces like HM Queen Elizabeth II  (2001, lent by Her Majesty The Queen from the Royal Collection), Girl with Roses (British Council Collection) from the 1940s; to Reflection with Two Children (Self-Portrait) (Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid) in the 1960s and right through to his famous late works, such as The Brigadier, 2003-04 (Private Collection.) As ever at the National Gallery in London, will be an exhibition to journey for and a deep dive into the mind and technical skill of one of surreal expressionists of history. Dr Gabriele Finaldi, Director of the National Gallery, said: ’The Freud centenary exhibition at the National Gallery offers the opportunity to reconsider the artist’s achievement in the broader context of the tradition of European painting. He was a frequent visitor to the Gallery whose paintings challenged and inspired him.’ For more and to book tickets, head to the National Gallery website

Time to see QUEER stories from the NGV Collection in Melbourne running out

Queer drag queen

The National Gallery of Victoria is exploring Queerness in its full space exhibition Queer: stories from the NGV collection, which ends this month, 21 August. As they say, QUEER shines a light on the NGV Collection to examine and reveal the queer stories works of art can tell. This exhibition of works from the NGV Collection spans historical eras and diverse media including painting, drawing, photography, decorative arts, fashion, video, sculpture, and design and explores queerness as an expression of sexuality and gender, a political movement, a sensibility, and as an attitude that defies fixed definition. And this month through closing weekend of the exhibition, the Gallery will host a schedule of free programs, talks, entertainment, and late-night access to the exhibition in case you missed it or need another visit. And if you fancy a party, well the NGV has that, too. The NGV Queer Climax: Closing Weekend Party is a free event hosted by Queer performer and Drag Queen, Aysha Buffet filled with an impressive line-up of iconic queer performers, bars courtesy of Yering Station (drinks available for purchase), and late-night access to QUEER: Stories from the NGV Collection. The line-up of performers has been curated by Ruby Slippers and is an epic showcase of talent for all to enjoy.  Make a free booking here 

Melbourne’s Affordable Art Fair is back this September

View from up top 2 inc Art to Art and Fenton and Fenton

Returning to Melbourne this September 2022, Uniting trusted galleries with avid aesthetes, the famed Affordable Art Fair aims to help people discover new artists and galleries and demystify the conventional art buying experience with highly visible and relatively affordable pricing. For a few days this September (1-4), the Fair will collate myriad art forms including painting, sculpture, photography and limited-edition prints. With something to suit all budgets, prices will start from $100 and cap at $10,000. Similar to the Affordable Art Fair of 2021, buyer’s will walk away with select pieces or arrange for delivery of larger or bulkier buys for their homes, places of work and collections. Exhibiting galleries include the coveted Martinich&Carran on Victoria’s Surf Coast, Prahran’s Fenton & Fenton, Studio Gallery founded by Melbourne artist Kerry Armstrong, and all-female collective, Tits & Co. Leading Australian online gallery Bluethumb will return for its second year with M Artist Collective making its Fair debut alongside JUMBLED and BlackCat Gallery. London’s Rebecca Hossack Gallery (RHG) headlines the list of international galleries with The Gallery Eumundi travelling from Queensland. The full list of exhibiting galleries can be viewed on the Affordable Art Fair website.

National Gallery London’s Summer on the Square

The National Gallery London from the front with umbrellas and tables spread out in Trafalgar Square

This summer from 11 29 August in the heart of London, the National Gallery will host a free festival of immersive art, creativity and community. Summer on the Square (Trafalgar, that is), is a festival that’s a re-working of the Gallery’s art collection – creating an entirely new participatory set of experiences and activities that play with scale, spectacle and sound. Come along to immerse yourself in a purpose-built arts studio; participate in practical and walk-in art and sound installations; as well as sketching, making, moving, and exploring The National Gallery’s collection.  The sessions will be free, drop-in and open to all ages and abilities. During an unprecedented cost of living crisis, the National Gallery hopes the festival will be an opportunity for local and London-wide communities to enjoy art and celebrate their own creativity with friends and family – creating a space for wellbeing and joy in tough times. For the full program and timings, head to the Summer on the Square website

The Other Art Fair is not your ordinary art fair

The Other Art Fair

Sydney, it’s almost time for The Other Art Fair! Held from 21 to 24 July, The Other Art Fair Sydney showcases more than 120 independent artists against the spectacular sandstone backdrop of Barangaroo’s The Cutaway. Presented by Saatchi Art, The Other Art Fair combines boundary-pushing yet always affordable works with installations, performances, live DJ sets and live tattooing for good measure. The Other Art Fair is a global gathering of creative thinkers, game changers and pleasure seekers sharing emerging talent and unforgettable experiences. Set against the backdrop of the world’s biggest cities, each of their fairs is different. The fair combines boundary-pushing yet always affordable artworks with immersive installations, performances and a few curious encounters. The result is an inspiring, evocative, inclusive and fun art fair experience that reframes art and creates the unexpected. Meet and buy art directly from some of Australia’s most exciting up-and-coming artists while enjoying a mulled wine from The Other Art Fair bar. “Sydneysiders have well and truly embraced The Other Art Fair’s egalitarian and light-hearted approach to all things art. We can’t wait to introduce them to new artists and experiences once again,” said Fair Director Luke Potkin. The Other Art Fair makes buying art easy, acting as a one-stop shop for everything you need to get your new piece home and on the wall ASAP. Purchase artwork at the fair using Art Money, enabling you to pay over time and interest-free. Grace Fine Art will provide complimentary wrapping so your new artwork can safely join you on the… Read More

London’s Royal Academy of Arts announces Charles Wollaston Award winner 2022

Royal Academy Arts art

Good news for independent and emerging artists as this year’s Royal Academy’s 254th Summer Exhibition and Charles Wollaston Award has a new winner! Uta Kögelsberger took out the position for her video work, Cull, a 5-channel video installation that follows the gigantic task of the clear-up process after the devastating impact of bushfires. It charts the efforts of the teams responsible for cutting down the dead trees left standing, that are now endangering the remaining structures and roads. In a metaphor for the suspended sense of emergency we find ourselves in, each tree is documented as it comes crashing to the ground, seemingly out of nowhere, like dead carcasses, sometimes falling with such force that the earth beneath them shake. Uta won the £25,000 prize for the Charles Wollaston Award, recognising ‘most distinguished work’ in the exhibition and is one of the most significant art prizes awarded in the UK. For more and to pay it a visit, head to the Royal Academy of Arts website

National Gallery London begins countdown to 200th birthday with Bicentenary celebration

People gathered around front door of National Gallery Trafalgar Square

2022 it seems, is the year of milestones and celebrations. If Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee wasn’t reason enough to celebrate all that’s wholesome and likeable about the UK, then perhaps the news that the Nation’s favourite Western-style gallery, the National Gallery of Trafalgar Square is turning 200 years old. And they’ve got a lot planned to celebrate it. The countdown’s on to 10 May 2024 when the institution hits the milestone. What will it do with this time? Celebrate its past and look forward to the future with a year-long festival of art, creativity and imagination which sets the tone for its third century, of course! And the best bit is everyone’s invited. The celebrations will extend from in-to-outside the Gallery, encouraging visitors to London and locals to participate, view, engage and learn. “We will make it easier than ever for everyone to share a space with some of the greatest paintings in the world. From seeing a real work in the context of your local museum or gallery to enjoying a dive into the virtual history of the nation’s collection, everyone can find new ways to connect with art,” says the Gallery. Here’s a run-down of what’s on to look forward to. Dates and more info to come from the National Gallery website MORE: See the Raphael exhibition at the National Gallery until 31 July The Gallery across the nation   The National Gallery is going national, taking key elements of its 2000+ strong collection to areas all over the UK.  NG200: National Treasures  12… Read More

Date nights for VIVID Sydney in 2022

Harbour View Sydney food

If you’re not climbing up Sydney Harbour Bridge or getting together at one of the many gin opportunities that lie before you this VIVID Sydney 2022, then perhaps date night’s on the cards. The Harbour View Hotel is putting on the festival of lights and visual art in their own way. And by offering delicious takeaway meals with drinks so there’s no need to worry about dinner before exploring the exhibitions around The Rocks. The Harbour View Hotel will be launching a special pop-up glow bar, serving glow in the dark cocktails outside their historic venue in The Rocks. This limited edition glow bar will be available throughout Vivid (from 27th May until 18th June), making it easy to sip on cocktails while you take in the stunning light installations of Vivid.  The Harbour View Hotel will also be selling takeaway packs so you can wander through The Rocks and find the perfect picnic spot overlooking the harbour and Vivid lights. The Harbour View Hotel Vivid Takeaway pack (for $95) includes: Antipasto for 2 Stir fried noodles with chicken bites and capsicum x 2 Flatbread bread with roasted capsicum dipping sauce  x 2  4 x Smirnoff Seltzers  1 x Blanket For more information, head to the Harbour View website

Meet Alexander McQueen at NGV International: man behind the Mind, Mythos, Muse

NGV Alexander McQueen announcement 1

From 11 December to 16 April, you’ve got the chance to get more familiar with one of the most significant fashion designers of the late twentieth century, who was lauded for his conceptual and technical virtuosity. McQueen’s critically acclaimed collections synthesised his proficiency in tailoring and dressmaking with encyclopaedic and autobiographical visual references that spanned time, geography, media and technology. Organised by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), in partnership with the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse is the first major Australian exhibition to explore the work of this boundary-pushing fashion designer. Showcasing 60 garments and accessories drawn from LACMA’s holdings of important works by McQueen, the Melbourne presentation also features nearly 50 designs by McQueen from the NGV Collection, making this Australian-exclusive presentation especially rich and comprehensive. Offering an unprecedented insight into the mind of this seminal designer, McQueen’s work is presented alongside more than 70 historical artworks including painting, sculpture, photography, decorative arts and works on paper from the collections of LACMA and NGV, that reveal the myriad reference points that influenced his designs. The juxtaposition of garments and artworks highlights McQueen’s creative process and capacity for storytelling, as well as offering audiences an opportunity to gain a deeper appreciation of his artistic legacy and the nature of inspiration. So, now you’re sold, get more info and tickets at the NGV website