Anish Kapoor, untitled work from 2000 at Axel Vervoordt via Art Observed
There was a pensive, yet hopeful, mood to Frieze 2024 that mirrored Eva Langret’s vision for reflection, progression and inclusion and it showed itself the works of the artists it showcased, both inside and beyond the tent. Zanele Muholi’s, ‘Bambatha I’ (2023) sculptural piece showed the artist in the body of a serpentine creature, which turned out to be a metaphor for her battles with fibroids and gender dysphoria. Similarly Divine Southgate-Smith at Nicoletti, explored how human recollections encourage our understanding of time, space and empowerment. Joining her in this beyond the tent was Juliana Cerqueira Leite with her three sculptures, ‘Shovel’, ‘Button’ and ‘Sand’ (2024) which focused on universal, physical gestures.
The French Exit group show brought to life by the curatorial eye of Mattias Vendelmans invites a dialogue between artists and their muses, considering just what happens when one skips the farewell in search of something more enticing after dark. How does the basic notion of privacy and vulnerability continue to pique our curiosity? Spanning works from oil paintings and sculptures to pen and paper, from Baudelairean Paris to the suburbs of 1930s Stockholm, an ongoing exploration of organic tenderness and bestiality in human nature unfolds.
“To approach this new chapter differently, instead of viewing it as a carte blanche, we embraced the challenge of considering the many existing peripheral elements while exploring the centre as a void,” begins Minsuk Cho: this year’s chosen designer of the annual Serpentine Pavilion. With a background in hospitality, commercial and visual art projects across South Korea, Mass Studio’s founder brings a layered understanding of human interaction with one’s environment to this year’s installation.
Art Basel, the premier international art fair, returned to its namesake city of Basel, Switzerland, from June 13 to June 16, 2024. Known as the cornerstone of the global art calendar, Art Basel in Basel once again brought together the best of the contemporary art world, featuring an unparalleled array of galleries, artworks, and immersive experiences.
Chronos, the latest solo exhibition of works by the painter Maria Kreyn opened during the inaugural week of the 60th Venice Biennale, showcasing a series of ten new large-scale paintings. Set against the backdrop of the historic St. George’s Anglican Church in Venice, the paintings depict brooding tempests – the proverbial meeting of sky and sea at once turbulent and serene. Influenced by mythology and the sublime, Kreyn’s works are meditations on the fantastic forces of the natural world, as well as humanity’s inextricable entwinement with it. The storied church setting heightens the sense of the mystical and transcendent, turning each painting into a kind of altarpiece that invites prolonged contemplation.
Frank Stella, Gobba, zoppa e collorto (1985), from “Frank Stella: A Retrospective” (2015-2016) at the Whitney Museum.
The art world mourns the loss of pioneering artist, Frank Stella (1936-2024), who was known for working with a myriad of mediums, including painting, sculpture and printmaking. He was, and continues to be, one of the most influential figures of contemporary art. His way of reinventing and reinterpreting artistic mediums defined him as a visionary, unable to be easily corralled or categorized by his chosen industry.Â
Wide shot of David Zwirner booth at Frieze NY 2024, featuring a dual show of various works by Nate Lowman and Franz West.
After selling out in 2023, Frieze returns to The Shed in Manhattan for the 2024 installment of their annual Art Fair, spanning May 1 – 5, 2024. Bringing together the world’s leading galleries to showcase ambitious solo, group and themed presentations by pioneering artists, Frieze NY offers the opportunity to not only discover up-and-coming talent, but to also engage with the who’s who of the art world.
Movimento dos Artistas Huni Kuin at Venice Biennale 2024
The 60th International Art Exhibition, known as the Venice Biennale, is set to run from April 20 to November 24, 2024. This year’s theme, “Stranieri Ovunque” or “Foreigners Everywhere,” is curated by Adriano Pedrosa, marking a significant milestone as the first South American curator of the Biennale Arte. The event is hosted at Venice’s historic Giardini and Arsenale venues, which have been central to the Biennale since its earliest editions. The theme explores the concepts of intersectionality, displacement, and the reevaluation of geographical margins in the art world. Read More »
