Art

Earlier today, Italian artist Michelangelo Pistoletto's giant Venus of the Rags installation in Naples was destroyed by an alleged arson attack. The artwork was first created in 1967 during the height of the Arte Povera movement, in which Pistoletto juxtaposed a statue of the Roman goddess Venus, which alludes to beauty and fertility, against a large pile of rags as a commentary on the adverse effects of consumerism. The destroyed artwork was the largest of several different iterations of Venus of the Rags that are housed in museums around the world. Naples mayor Gaetano Manfredi expressed "deep dismay" at learning the artwork, which has been housed in the city's Piazza del Municipio, was set ablaze. “Now, however, is the time for a response from the city: I have already heard from Pistole...

Chicago's Kavi Gupta Gallery is showcasing a new exhibition of works by African-Canadian artist, Esmaa Mohamoud. Entitled Let Them Consume Me in the Light, the Toronto-based artist is presenting a series of sculptures that probe into what the artist calls “Black body politics”, or a web of interconnected social, historical, economic and personal connotations of Blackness — both perceived by the Black community and non-Black people alike. Cinematic in tone, Mohamoud is showcasing four paradoxical sculptures that act as monuments of nostalgia on a road towards nirvana. Perched high up the gallery is a tall peacock chair made of rattan that is named to pay homage to an actress who once towered over her contemporaries, while simultaneously dissecting darker undertones to which the original pea...

Floral artist Azuma Makoto continues to break botanical boundaries with his ethereal floral installations. In the latest iteration of his In Bloom series, Makoto has amalgamated a stunning slew of floral textures and shapes to create a vibrant sculpture that sits thousands of feet deep on the ocean floor. Carefully curated with utmost attention to detail, Makoto's deep-sea installation rests admist untamed Japanese waters, reminding us that coexistence with our natural environment is not only doable, but beautiful.The artist is no stranger to the sea floor, as the first two sculptures in the "In Bloom" series rest underwater as well, though in more peaceful ocean waters in Okinawa, Japan. Makoto intentionally selected this specific location for his latest lush arrangement, enlisting the he...

Meguru Yamaguchi, whose Awakenings series was initially introduced in Hypeart's 'NOISY REALITY' exhibition in March, has returned with a captivating new extension to the body of work. Recently showcased at Tokyo Gendai, this series delves into the mesmerizing dynamics of energy in nature, drawing inspiration from various sources.One notable influence on the series is Katsushika Hokusai's renowned masterpiece, the 36 Views of Mount Fuji, which the artist vividly remembers reproducing during his childhood. Yamaguchi skillfully incorporates elements of the sea and the rhythmic motion of waves, seeking to capture the essence of nature's powerful energy. In addition to Hokusai, Yamaguchi's artistic vision was also shaped by the works of Leonardo da Vinci. The artist combines the techniques of t...

The organizers behind Paris+ par Art Basel have announced major expansion plans for the art fair going into its second year. Commencing in October, the event will return to the Grand Palais Éphémère with a new Conversations program in six historic venues across the French capital, including a group exhibition entitled La cinquième saison (The fifth season), made in collaboration with the Louvre Museum, which will be on view at the Jardin des Tuileries. Additional venues hosting programs include the Domaine national du Louvre, the Chapelle des Petits-Augustins des Beaux-Arts de Paris, and the Place Vendôme, as well as three new entries, the parvis de l'Institut de France, the Palais d'Iéna, and the Centre Pompidou — the latter of which will play host to the newly minted Conversations progra...

The Brooklyn Museum is gearing up to host a major exhibition honoring the city's fabled son, Spike Lee. Entitled Creative Sources, the forthcoming show will present a comprehensive survey into the filmmaker's storied career through immersive installations that paint a portrait of the many people, places and over 300 objects that have inspired him along the way.Drawing from both his personal collection, along with his many critically acclaimed films, the exhibition seeks to offer a "fresh perspective on a cultural icon," according to curator Kimberli Gant. “By making Lee’s collection accessible to the public, this showcase celebrates his legacy while honoring his deep connection to Brooklyn, a place that has been an integral part of his storytelling.”The show will be anchored around seven t...

Tate Britain is showcasing a moving retrospective exhibition chronicling the career of acclaimed British filmmaker and installation artist, Sir Isaac Julien. Born in East London in 1960, Julien has spent the past 40 years investigating themes related to racism, homophobia, colonial legacies and desire through captivating documentary films that straddle fiction and reality. As the largest retrospective on the artist to date, What Freedom is to Me, was chosen as the title of the show as an homage to Nina Simone, who once used the phrase in a 1968 interview. The exhibition will feature a number of his most celebrated works, including five single-screen films, along with six floating installations, such as his seminal early films, Looking For Langston (1989) and Vagabondia (2000), as well as n...

Although far removed from Texas' major cities, the small desert town of Marfa has long inspired artists, writers and creatives of all backgrounds since Donald Judd first set up studio spaces in the area in 1971, by purchasing and reconverting a series of abandoned buildings. Adding to the lore that is Marfa nowadays, Los Angeles-based artist Matt Johnson has permanently relocated his massive Sleeping Figure installation to West Texas.Having debuted at the most recent Desert X biennial, Sleeping Figure is a 150-foot-long and 40-foot-tall installation entirely made of shipping containers that have been contorted in a balancing act to whimsically resemble reclining figures from art history. Think Rose from Titanic (1997), but made of shipping containers and sprawled out across the desert land...

Famed pro tennis player Andy Murray, renowned artist Refik Anadol and the Wimbledon Foundation have partnered to bring to life a living digital artwork, derived at the crossroads of art, sport and data science.Dubbed "The Exposition," the work acts as a gateway into 18 years of Murray's Wimbledon career data, brought to life visually through complex analysis and algorithms -- with each burst of color in the work said to represent "the drama, the rivalries and the Championship victories," seen over the course of the player's storied career.Collecting first became available for the time-limited edition on July 7, a significant date for Murray as it marked the 10-year anniversary of his first Wimbledon win. What makes the work especially unique is the fact that it will organically evolve, to ...

Last week, rising South Korean artist Surin Kim opened her first solo exhibition titled, "POWER OBJ." Taking over Seoul's REALATION SPACE, the digital-based artist shared her latest creations in varied media forms.Surin Kim's practice aims to give life to beautiful sculptures that do not exist in the world. Kim notes, "My sculptures dance in a way that they want to be recognized for their unique grammar. But I can save their data and implement them online and reproduce them. I play with contradictions, also capture the desperate gestures of sculptures seeking beauty."Kim's "POWER OBJ" exhibition notably features more than 20 sculptures in her signature dynamic forms created using 3D printing and UV printing technology. Inspired by the Seokgatap and Dabotap stone pagoda structures found thr...

Unveiling at NANZUKA next weekend is Julia Chiang’s new solo exhibition, “Remember That Time When What.” The exhibition will mark the Brooklyn-based painter’s third showcase at the gallery, and the first time in four years since “Pump and Bump.”A series of 15 new paintings, alongside a selection of watercolor pieces will be displayed at the gallery, all in Chiang’s hallmarked abstract aesthetics. The new body of paintings is described as “a world in which drops, splashes, and petal-like clusters and organic colors harmonize comfortably.“ Open for interpretation, the pieces can be viewed as maps that denote the flow of energy, or even as intriguing patterns of living organisms.The openness and unpredictability of Chiang’s works carry a level of uncertainty, which the artist clarifies as an ...

Angelina Jolie recently announced a new venture that would allow consumers to become designers, as they collaborate with a range of tailors and artisans from around the world. Dubbed Atelier Jolie, the platform seeks to democratize fashion by creating a more inclusive environment that would breathe new life in vintage and deadstock materials. Where will this atelier be based? None other than the old studio space once owned by legendary artist Andy Warhol and occupied by his contemporary, Jean-Michel Basquiat. According to a report by ARTnews, the actress and humanitarian recently closed in on a deal to purchase the 19th century building the two lived and worked in the 1980s, which she will rent out for up to eight years. Directors John Roesch and Garrett Kelly of Meridian Capital Group, wh...