The majestic Houghton Hall & Gardens in Norfolk is one of Britain’s finest Palladian mansions, making it the perfect backdrop for hosting Anish Kapoor's largest outdoor show in the UK. This exhibition showcases his considerable talents with 21 of his large- scale pieces, including his iconic 35-foot-high Sky Mirror. Built in 1720 for the first prime minister Sir Robert Walpole, Houghton Hall is now owned by the Marquess of Cholmondeley. From now until 12 November, visitors to Houghton Hall will be able to view the exhibition. In addition to the stone sculptures, there are also a selection of drawings and smaller works that Kapoor has created over the past 40 years. Presented together, this series is meant to 'challenge the classical architecture of the house and the idyllic beauty of the grounds, whilst being in continuous dialogue and engagement with Houghton’s history.' I have been a long-time fan of Anish Kapoor's work, but I must confess, I was less excited to see his stone sculptures. That being said, I was actually pleasantly surprised, and really enjoyed them. Perhaps the grand backdrop of Houghton Hall and the fact it was the first exhibition I'd seen in months since lockdown, also positively influenced my experience. As I was walking past his series of three large rectangular pieces made from onyx, limestone and granite, I overheard a fellow visitor, who said, “If these (the sculptures) were inside, I’d walk straight past them”. I strongly disagreed with their statement and was fascinated by the simplicity of the sculptures and the obvious skill and dedication that had gone into creating something seemingly so simple. There was also an impressive array of works located within Houghton Hall. The Stone Hall filled with cherubs, ostentatious chandeliers and grand furniture is reflected back at you with a series of Kapoor’s brilliantly coloured mirrors, which beckoned one to stay and play. Each of the mirrors had a different reflective quality and with a room so full of detail and texture, one can easily spend hours in there. But with queues building up outside and restricted numbers allowed in the rooms, I had to let go of my indulgent self and move on! For me, the north wing courtyard was my favourite spot. This smallish outdoor space hosted “Grace” (marble) and “Imminence” (Onyx). The romance of the rich historical backdrop brought out a playful, almost sexual element to these anti-form sculptures, with the containment of the sculptures somehow adding to their potency.
To provide the perfect ending to your visit, stop by the walled garden for a lovely respite before your return journey home. If you're interested in travelling further afield, you can also explore the wonderful Norfolk countryside, and visit the sprawling lavender and poppy fields and many fantastic beaches, such as the nearby Hunstanton Beach, which is a personal favourite. Elinor Seath
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Istanbul Biennial 2019: The Seventh Continent Istanbul’s art scene is booming and it’s never been more evident than in this year’s 16th Biennial (14 September – 10 November). Running across three sites, and showcasing more than 220 artworks by 56 participating artists, it provides art lovers with a wealth of opportunities to fully immerse themselves in art. This year’s theme – The Seventh Continent The Seventh Continent refers to the mass of plastic waste floating in the Pacific, estimated to be five times the size of Turkey. Curator and art historian Nicolas Bourriaud uses this theme to explore the Anthropocene epoch; an era where human activity has been the dominant influence on climate change and the environment. While the biennial isn’t set on preaching an environmental message, it explores our current period in history and suggests a new ‘approach is needed to make sense of it. Bourriaud sees the 56 international participating artists as anthropologists of this ‘off-centred world’, a time where, the physical and symbolic limits that formerly separated human beings from their environments have collapsed. He suggests that,’ both anthropology and art are reflecting the erosion of the old mass systems – sociological, ethnical, sexual or political.’ The site locations Site 1 Located a stone’s throw from the beautiful Bosphorous and a 30-minute walk from Galata Bridge, the main venue (the new addition to the MSFAU Painting and Sculpture museum), plays host to more than half of the participating artists, so ensure you allow a day to take it all in. It’s also conveniently located for grabbing a coffee or a quick bite to eat, should you want some refreshments after an art-filled day. Site 2 The second host venue, the Pera Museum, is more centrally located near Taksim Square. Here, alongside the 14 Biennial artists, is the museum’s permanent collection, which is well worth viewing. Afterwards, head to Solera Winery, a fabulous little wine bar with a good selection of wines. Site 3 The third site, which is home to five art works, is located on Buyukada (the largest of the Princes Islands), situated a one-hour boat ride from the main port. All of the works are located within a short walk from the ferry drop-off for ease. To help inspire your visit to the Biennial, I’ve rounded up a few of my favourite installations / artists’ works. 1. Korakrit Arunanondchai – Thailand This video piece brings together two historical events – the rise of Donald Trump and the death of the King of Thailand woven together with the artist’s grandmother’s experience with dementia and a drone spirit called Chanti. Done through a collage of cleverly woven interviews, original footage, imagery and story-telling, there’s a real beauty to Arunanondchai’s work, which has an ethereal and spiritual quality. The content of the video is almost irrelevant; it’s the sum of the parts that makes it stand out. He punctuates the footage with poignant phrases, which encourage reflection such as: ‘how have the strokes of history painted your picture’, ‘for consciousness to exist beyond bodies’, ‘soil is the most valued species on the earth,’ etc. 2. Jonathas de Andrade – BrazilPeixe The Fish– video This powerful film shows a fisherman holding and stroking a fish with care and love while the fish slowly dies; a ritual performed by fishermen in the Northeast of Brazil. This demonstration of love while the fishermen knowingly kill the fish for food, throws up a complex set of emotions, making for compelling yet difficult viewing. Andrade uses this video to explore human’s relationship to the earth, that we are slowly killing yet depend on for our existence. 3. Hale Tenger – Turkey Appearance –Installation and audio - Buyukada This meditative piece is set in the gardens of Sophronius Palace, a now un-inhabited, dilapidated building on Buyukada Island. As you wander around the gardens you are drawn to the black obsidian mirrors that reflect the magic of this wild garden. You are forced to walk slowly in between the mirrors so you can hear the audio that forms part of this installation, a poem written by the artist – the voice of a fruit tree. The inspiration for this installation comes from a botanical technique girdling: the complete removal of a strip of bark which can kill trees or encourage enhanced growth of fruit. The artist asks ‘Can you be by not doing?’ and she creates a wonderful space to reflect on this and indeed how humans manipulate nature for their own gain. 4. Haegue Yang – South Korea ‘Incubation and Exhaustion’- sculpture, sound (Painting and Sculpture Museum) Yang presents an immersive sensorial environment with scents, sounds and textures. The room is saturated with biomorphic sculptures made up of motifs ranging from chillies and garlic to high-end surgical robots. These striking hyperreal images and sculptures are paired with an audio from a famous interview with Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in, where native bird song and camera clicks was all that was recorded. Yang’s installation explores the breaking down of barriers between technology, politics, art and nature. Overall, the experience left me feeling reflective. Perhaps human beings are merely a dot on the landscape of the history of this great earth whose time is up. Motivated by human-centric concerns, the climate change debate, which has provoked so much discussion and anxiety, maybe suggests our focus should be on how to leave this earth gracefully.
Elinor Seath Steve McQueen. Photo © John Russo Turner Prize-winning artist and Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen, together with Tate Britain, Artangel and A New Direction, today announced one of the world’s most ambitious contemporary art projects: a portrait of an entire age group of Londoners, capturing tens of thousands of Year 3 schoolchildren from across the capital. Over the next nine months, each and every one of London’s 2,410 primary schools with Year 3 pupils is invited to have those classes specially photographed for the project, with the resulting artwork going on display at Tate Britain and around London in autumn 2019.
This month 115,000 seven-year-olds are beginning the new school year in a new class in London. This is a milestone year in a child’s development and sense of identity, when they become more conscious of the world beyond their immediate family. McQueen’s project will capture this moment of excitement, anxiety and hope through the traditional medium of the class photograph, depicting rows of children sitting or standing alongside their teachers and teaching assistants. In bringing together so many of these class photos from a single year, the work will embody the diversity of the city in which the artist grew up, as well as the potential of the next generation who will shape London’s future. Working with creative learning specialists A New Direction, Tate Britain and Artangel today invite every London primary school to register their school at tateyear3project.org.uk. Here they can choose a date and time for a Tate photographer, briefed by McQueen, to visit their school and take their Year 3 class photo. Specially created learning resources will also allow pupils to further explore the work’s key themes of belonging, identity and citizenship within the curriculum, while a live-streamed lesson will be staged in spring 2019 for primary school classes across the country to watch and engage with the project. From November 2019 to May 2020, the Duveen Galleries at Tate Britain will be taken over by a vast installation of the photographs, free for all to visit. It will be a celebration of the tens of thousands of young people who will make London their own in years to come, and a meditation on the social forces and personal developments that shape our lives. Artangel, who are renowned for producing extraordinary art in unexpected places, will also create an outdoor exhibition of class photographs across each of London’s 33 boroughs, giving passers-by a glimpse of the future of their city. Tate Modern will then stage a major survey exhibition of McQueen’s work to coincide with the project, open from February to May 2020. What better way to explore Venice than being on the hunt for thought provoking, enlightening world class art and exhibitions? I recently made the pilgrimage to see the work of Khadija Saye, an artist who sadly died in the Grenfell Tower disaster, an unexpected and poignant moment during my visit. While this trip was my first time visiting Venice, I had to remain focused and not be distracted by the sheer beauty of the city, to ensure I had ample time to take everything in during my weekend jaunt. For those who wish to see all that the Biennale has on offer, I’d recommend a five or six-day visit, however, a weekend visit will give you a good flavour of what’s on show. Now is the perfect time to visit – the throng of summer tourists have packed up and left and the Biennale buffs have been and gone – leaving a wonderful space to wander round the exhibitions bathed in the dazzling Autumn glow. In addition to experiencing the artworks themselves, you can attend ‘Open Table’ sessions with the artists and check out the music festival. This year’s curator is Parisian Christine Macel, best known for her curatorial role at the Pompidou Centre. Macel’s working title for this year’s Biennale ‘Viva Arte Viva’, translates to ‘a celebration of the artist and of art for its own sake’, a move away from one central theme most Biennales have, while removing it from a political agenda where many Biennales have sat in the past.
Throughout the Biennale there are 120 invited artists from 51 countries; 103 of whom are participating for the first time. While most of the artwork is concentrated in the two main sites, The Biennale spreads throughout the city with more than 20 collateral events and exhibitions taking place. The main exhibition sites are the Giardini and the Arsenale; two immense permanent buildings that sit within a 10-minute walk of each other and lie along one of the main waterways of Venice. The participating artists are grouped together into nine ‘chapters’ including The Pavilion of Joys and Fears, which explores the relationship between the individual and his own existence, and The Dionysian Pavilion, which celebrates the female body and its sexuality. These groupings help the viewer navigate their way around an eclectic mix of art forms, scale and meaning. So, if you haven't had the chance to attend, now's the time to go! To wrap up the celebrations in style, the grand finale on 26 November promises an exciting programme of events and closing parties, ensuring an electric atmosphere for all to enjoy. Elinor Seath London Design Festival celebrates and promotes London as the design capital of the world. Now in its 15th year, the Festival will be returning to venues and institutions across the city from now until the 24 September 2017. A major feature of the Festival is an ambitious programme of over 450 projects and events, offering Londoners and visitors to the city an opportunity to experience world-class, innovative, and challenging design across the capital.
Key exhibitions to see at The London Design Festival... Set in Stone The Design Museum, which opened the doors to its new home in Kensington in November 2016, presents an exciting project during this year’s London Design Festival. Set in Stone presents a selection of works by eight designers invited to explore the potential of marble and limestone. These works, displayed in various locations both inside and outside the museum, include objects intended for public use, such as seating by Eduardo Souto de Moura; a slide by Elemental; graphic pieces by Sagmeister & Walsh; and a series of domestic objects by Michael Anastassiades and Jasper Morrison. The project is an investigation of the qualities of stone, and the technical means through which it is cut and shaped. The natural formation of stone over millions of years produces patterns and textures that are unique and unrepeatable. The designers’ responses represent small moments of monumentality that reflect the solidity and permanence of an elemental material. Drop in the Ocean Designer, Brodie Neill, presents ‘Drop in the Ocean’ at ME London, a mesmerising site specific nature-driven installation, located in The Atrium of the iconic Foster + Partners designed hotel, the Official Hotel Partner for the Festival. ME London, is the flagship property for the ME by Melia brand, located in the cultural heart of Covent Garden. Neill’s presentation premieres his work Flotsam, produced using his self-created material Ocean Terrazzo which Neill developed for the Australian Pavilion for the 2016 London Design Biennale, and confronts the problem of the world’s plastic waste within our oceans. Cast completely as singular pieces, the Flotsam collection is created from a combination of all-white Ocean Terrazzo to reflect water and multicoloured ocean plastic fragments to reference the floating nature of the plastic waste which travels across oceans and break down into small fragments from the force of the currents, meanwhile the single drop seen in the melodic installation symbolises the smallest essence of nature resulting in momentous consequences. Magnus Plessen's 'The Skin of Volume' exhibition was my first visit to the White Cube Gallery, Mason's Yard. One of four White Cube sites across London, this petite gallery tucked behind The Ritz was an old electricity station in its former life. Today, it features an expanding programme of exhibitions, hosting a wide range of art from international artists.
In this exhibition, Magnus Plessen presents a series of provocative images exploring the impact of war on the human form. Despite the seriousness of the subject matter, the artwork has a playful, child-like quality and his use of vivid colours is striking against the back drop of the black walls. There are two main rooms in the Mason’s Yard White Cube. In the first, Plessen’s work is presented in a dimly lit room with black painted walls, which add an air of drama. In the larger space down stairs, the walls are white, which created a lighter atmosphere. In addition to the larger works of art displayed in the two main rooms, I loved Plessen’s smaller ink on paper works in the lobby, which showed a completely different side to the artist. I was also thrilled to have caught a glimpse of the founder of the White Cube dynasty, Jay Joplin, and his new beau! While I tend to prefer my galleries on the larger side, allowing me to get lost within the space, I absolutely loved this exhibition and was immediately transported into Plessen’s world. It's definitely worth a visit for anyone who's a fan of vivid, modern art. Magnus Plessen ‘The Skin of Volume’ White Cube Mason’s Yard Dates: Now until 14th January 2017 http://whitecube.com/ Elinor Seath Lacking some colour, fun and kitsch in your life? Then don't miss Jeff Koons: Now Lobsters balancing upside down on chairs, mountains of Play-Doh and graphic pornographic images, where else could you be but at a Jeff Koon’s show?! Jeff Koons: Now spans more three decades (35 years to be exact) of Koon’s extraordinary career, providing enough art to fill the six gallery spaces in London's Newport Street Gallery. Lauded as one of the most significant artists to have emerged in the postwar era, Jeff Koons' diverse work has explored themes of taste, consumerism, mass culture, beauty, acceptance, and the role of the artist. Now is the first major UK exhibition to be devoted to the artist since Jeff Koons: Popeye Series at the Serpentine Gallery in 2009. Now features more than 30 paintings, works on paper and sculptures dating from 1979 to 2014. Drawn from Hirst’s collection, a number of these works have never before been shown in the UK. Koons' work is all about the surface, which is generally oh so shiny and deceives the viewer. The largest of his works the ‘Balloon Monkey’, (a loose interpretation as I didn't see a monkey), is a giant imitation of a few nifty twists and turns of a balloon, crafted in steel. Its sheer scale combined with its perfectly reflective surface make it a truly captivating piece. I love how Koon juxtaposes fantasy with the mundane, a theme that runs throughout his work.
I’m not getting involved in the debate as I'm not an expert on Koons. All I know is I left the exhibition with a smile on my face and it stayed with me for the rest of the day – thanks Jeff. If that doesn't demonstrate the power of art, I don't know what does.
Jeff Koons: Now is on Until 16th October 2016. To book tickets. visit www.newportstreetgallery.com Newport Street Gallery Newport Street London SE11 6AJ Elinor Seath Enjoy a wealth of fabulous craft events across London
2016 is set to be an exciting time for London’s vibrant art scene. Theo Dubroy, Head Concierge at The Arch London, is officially recognised as one of the finest Concierges in the UK, having been awarded the prestigious Golden Keys. For those who know their Matisse from their Monet, Theo shares his expertise with an itinerary for art enthusiasts visiting London in 2016.
For an aesthetic retreat in the capital, The Arch London features its own unique instalments whilst sitting just a stone’s throw from numerous acclaimed London galleries. A black and white ‘Alphatecture’ series of prints spans the length of the gallery-inspired hall, while a moving art installation illuminates the reception desk. Theo Dubroy says: “The Arch London is perfectly located close to London’s most prestigious art venues. The owners of hotel are also hugely passionate about art and we are fortunate to have specially curated artworks by British talents displayed in all the guestrooms and public areas. Vincent Poole’s “New Shoes” collage welcomes guests at the entrance to the hotel and is a visual homage to the designer boutiques surrounding the hotel; while above the concierge desk there is a moving art installation. The corridors have also been permeated with character, and Peter Defty’s black and white ‘Alphatecture’ series of prints span the length of the gallery-inspired hall leading towards the Martini Library.” 2016 London Art Events Calendar January Current - 28 Feb: Liberty in Fashion will be taking place at the Fashion and Textile Museum and will explore Liberty’s impact on the British fashion industry. 20 - 24 January: London’s Art Fair will take place at Islington’s Business Design Centre, where industry experts will speak while galleries exhibit. 30 January – 20 April: The exhibition, Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse, Royal Academy of Arts, will examine the role gardens played in the evolution of art from the early 1860s through to the 1920s. February 11 February – 22 May: Vogue 100: A Century of Style will take place at the National Portrait Gallery, and will showcase the remarkable range of photography that has been commissioned by British Vogue since it was founded in 1916. March 18 March – 9 October: Scottish Artists 1750-1900: From Caledonia to the Continent, held at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, will highlight the importance of artists whose work was shaped by the ideas of the Scottish Enlightenment. April 16 April – 12 March 2017: Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear at the V&A Museum will display around 140 garments together with fashion plates, photographs and film and advertisements to introduce changing concepts of the ideal body. 5 April – 4 September: The Rolling Stones first major exhibition will be at the Saatchi Gallery. EXHIBITIONISM will display over 500 Rolling Stones artefacts from the band's personal archives. May 11 May – 25 September: Tate Britain will be holding the exhibition, ‘From the Pre-Raffelites to the Modern Age’, which will bring together photographs and paintings including Pre-Raphaelite, Aesthetic and British Impressionist works. 19 – 22 May: Somerset House will hold Photo London, an international photography event featuring over 80 exhibitors from vintage to contemporary. June 5 – 12 June: ArDe is a brand new contemporary architecture and design exhibition which will launch at Somerset House and will feature innovative and groundbreaking design solutions for living. July 6 July – 30 October: The American modernist artist, Georgia O’Keeffe, will be at Tate Modern a century after her New York debut. The exhibition is the first important solo institutional exhibition of the artist’s work in the UK for a generation. September 7 – 27 September: London Design Biennale will be held at Somerset House and will bring design installations and exhibitions from up to 40 of the world’s nations to the heart of the capital. 14 September – 8 January: In his first museum exhibition in London since 1952, the Tate Modern will showcase the works of Wilfredo Lam at The EY Exhibition: Wilfredo Lam. October 5 – 8 October: Frieze Art Fair: One of the world’s leading contemporary art fairs will be returning to London and will feature leading figures, philosophers, and critical theorists. Tickets will be released July 2016. 26 October - 5 March 2017: Paul Nash, one of the most distinctive and important British artists of the twentieth century, will have his work displayed at Tate Modern. December 1 December – 2 April 2017: Tate Modern will host the first UK exhibition of painter Robert Rauschenberg’s work for 35 years. Source: The Arch London On my search for some art in this great city, I wandered into the cool depths of Shoreditch to the Protein Gallery, which was hosting the Safari Festival, a celebration of illustration, graphics and alternative comics. The crowd visiting the exhibition was uber cool, which made me feel decidedly uncool. I shuffled around the various art displays and was especially taken by Leon Sadler's fantastic, edgy and subversive prints. The visit to the gallery re-ignited my love affair with street art. I used to live on Redchurch Street – now home to Shoreditch House and the like – and I would love discovering new graffiti art. I am pleased to report the street art scene is still very much alive and kicking here and in and around Shoreditch the urban landscape is one giant canvas bringing creativity, colour and subversiveness to all that wander its streets.
Other street art projects - Dismaland by Banksy Street art lovers should also check out Banksy’s new project 'Dismaland', described by the man himself as ‘a festival of art, amusements and entry level anarchism’ in Weston-super-mare. It features 19 ‘areas’ each put together by a different artist. My favourites are 'Mini Gulf', an oil caliphate themed crazy golf course made from the hockey pitch at Cheltenham Ladies college and 'Water Cannon Creek', an armour plated riot control vehicle built to serve on the streets of Northern Ireland, equipped with sniper posts, grenade launchers and now a children’s slide. On until 27th September (featuring Friday night events finishing with Massive attack on Friday 25th September), it's certain to be fab. I’m doing all I can to get tickets for this one, got any contacts anyone?! Elinor Seath |
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