Leighton House, the spectacular studio-home of Victorian artist and former President of the Royal Academy, Frederic Leighton (1830-96), has reopened to the public following a major transformation. Situated on the edge of Holland Park, Kensington, Leighton House is famed for its opulent interiors, including the extraordinary Arab Hall featuring exquisite mosaic floors and tiles acquired…
For his largest exhibition to date in Italy, Olafur Eliasson leads visitors to Palazzo Strozzi on a meandering journey that reimagines and subverts the experience of the building’s Renaissance architecture. Open now and running until 23 January 2023, the exhibition brings together site-specific installations alongside historic pieces, as well as new works created using VR…
Running from 15-29 September 2022, Barbican Cinema is set to present the latest segment of its Hidden Figures series, this time celebrating the work of pioneering Burkinabé director Idrissa Ouédraogo. The innovative filmmaker’s distinctive works portrayed the lives of rural and working class people in Burkina Faso with compassion and care. Never limiting his subjects…
Opening tomorrow, 14 July 2022, and running through the summer, Selfridges have partnered with Berlin’s Reference Festival to present SUPERFUTURES, an immersive exhibition bringing together 13 experiential spectacles and surreal interventions by leading artists, brands and thinkers. Conceived by the communications agency Reference Studios, alongside founder and director Mumi Haiati, Reference Festival started out in…
The newly released documentary, The Melt Goes On Forever: The Art & Times of David Hammons, chronicles the singular career of the elusive African-American art star David Hammons from Watts rebellion era 60s Los Angeles to global art world prominence today. Hammons’ category-defying practice, rooted in a deep critique of American society and the elite…
With a rich history, first known as the East End Academy, then the Whitechapel Open, and finally The London Open, Whitechapel Gallery has provided an exciting and valuable platform for burgeoning artists since 1932. For almost 90 years, The London Open has been a launch pad for leading contemporary artists in the early stages of…
Programmed by Cinema Curator Matthew Barrington, Journeys across Afro-Futurism, a new season of film, launches at Barbican Cinema this June, looking at the origins of Afro-Futurism and exploring how the traditions of the aesthetic impact cinema today. Barrington explains: “Afro-Futurism for me, as an idea, is a wonderfully rich one which engages with the politics…
Plans have been revealed for Black Chapel, the 21st Serpentine Pavilion designed by Chicago-based artist Theaster Gates. Set within Serpentine’s grounds in Kensington Gardens, Black Chapel takes on sculptural qualities, building on Gates’ interest in fashioning clay objects, as well as reflecting the artist’s exploration of space-making. Gates creates works that engage with space theory,…