A chance to see Sonic Youth frontwoman Kim Gordon’s art work, a survey of the past 50 years of LGBTQ+ art, and a major Latin American multi-disciplinary arts festival
IN REAL LIFE, OLAFUR ELIASSON, TATE MODERN, LONDON
Olafur Eliasson’s works are meant to be felt and experienced. Yet far from simply sensory, within them runs a “deep engagement with society and the environment”. Opening at London’s Tate Modern this week, Olafur Eliasson: In Real Life will present a retrospective exhibition on the Danish-Icelandic artist. In 2003, his The weather project was one of Tate Modern Turbine Hall’s first major installations, whereby Eliasson placed a long mirror and a replica sun on its ceiling to “create the illusion of a meteorological event”. In a turbulent political time, it gave visitors a time to reflect – both physically and metaphorically. Most recently, he placed giant iceblocks (“Ice Watch”) outside of the institution to bring awareness to climate change. Now, Eliasson’s practice will be celebrated as a whole with 40 works going on display, and the artist’s ethos even expanding to its kitchen which will serve a special menu, as well as beyond the museum’s wall to include a giant sculpture outside.
Olafur Eliasson: In Real Life will run at London’s Tate Modern from 11 July 2019 – 5 January 2020
BUT WE’RE DOING THIS, HOLLY BLAKEY AND MORE, THE PLACE, LONDON
Last year, Holly Blakey’s Cowpuncher performance at London’s South Bank Centre earned her a long standing ovation and after taking barely a minute to relax after the birth of her first child, the choreographer returns to the stage of The Place with Godspeed as part of BUT WE’RE DOING THIS, with music from Gwilym Gold and costumes from Hannah Rebecca Hopkins. The programme also debuts work from Samir Kennedy, Eve Stainton and Florence Peake, and marikiscrycrycry over the next three nights. Tickets available here.
BUT WE’RE DOING THIS has evening performances at London’s The Place until Friday 12 July 2019
LABS NEW ARTISTS III, RED HOOK LABS, NEW YORK CITY
The third edition of the annual Labs New Artists show is opening this week at Red Hook Labs’ space in New York City. Featuring 25 of the world’s most exciting, emerging talent handpicked from an international open call by myself, Edward Enninful, Ibrahim Kamara, Kim Jones, and many more industry figures. Get to know some of the artists here before you check out the show.
Labs New Artists III runs at New York City’s Red Hook Labs from 11 July – 28 July 2019
SHE BITES HER TENDER MIND, KIM GORGON, IMMA, DUBLIN
While Kim Gordon is best known as the frontwoman for Sonic Youth, she has been exhibiting and curating art shows since she held her first in 1981 (Design Office). However, that same year Sonic Youth was founded and took Gordon’s attention elsewhere. Two decades later, in the early 2000s, Gordon returned to making art which was inspired by her musical roots (for a show titled Noise Fest), and recently, she held her first North American solo show at Pittsburgh’s Warhol Museum (Kim Gordon: Lo-Fi Glamour). Next, Gordon comes to Dublin to present She bites her tender mind, an exhibition activated with an evening of live performances from Body/Head – an experimental duo comprised of Gordon and Bill Nace – as well as poet Elaine Kahn, and guitarist Heath Leigh, on Saturday 27 July.
She bites her tender mind runs at Dublin’s IMMA from 27 July – 10 November 2019
DARK AIR, GRAY WIELEBINSKI, DATEAGLE ART, LONDON
American artist Gray Wielebinski opens their solo show Dark Air in collaboration with London-based art platform DATEAGLE ART at the city’s Seager Gallery. The show will present a site-specific artwork, a half sphinx and half scorpion soft sculpture, and explore interwoven themes such as Americana, sports, masculinity, and religion. Alongside the exhibition will be a screening and conversation between Wielebinski and Justin Hammond, founder of J Hammond Projects and OOF magazine, a pottery class with Proudick, and an in-conversation event with myself on the final evening. In the lead up to the opening, get a glimpse inside Wielebinski’s mind as they have been sharing archival research imagery on DATEAGLE’S Instagram feed – from Greek mythology memes to Naomi Campbell with a baseball bat.
Dark Air runs at London’s Seager Gallery from 12 July – 2 August 2019
SWEET HARMONY, SAATCHI GALLERY, LONDON
London’s Saatchi Gallery plays host to Sweet Hamony: Rave | Today and offers an immersive retrospective look at the history of rave culture through those who were in its midst and also its forefront. Featuring photographers Dave Swindells, Vinca Petersen, Ewen Spencer, and Derek Ridgers to artist Jeremy Deller and many more, Sweet Harmony will unfold over two floors and feature multimedia room installations and audio-visual works, as well as a roster of live events. The gallery promises it “will recapture the new world that emerged from the acid house scene and narrates the ascendancy of rave culture with the youth of today”.
Sweet Harmony: Rave | Today will run at London’s Saatchi Gallery from 12 July – 14 September 2019
OBEDIENCE AND DEFIANCE, PAULA REGO, MK GALLERY, MILTON KEYNES
While a selection of her works were included in Tate Britain’s All Too Human exhibition last year, Milton Keynes’ newly opened MK Gallery recently launched Lisbon-born artist Paula Rego’s first solo show in England in more than 20 years. Titled Obedience and Defiance, the exhibition traces Rego’s political and feminist themes in her paintings and drawings made during the 1960s and the present day, and grapples with issues such as abortion and female genital mutilation, as well as children sold into slavery in North Africa.
Obedience and Defiance runs at MK Gallery until 22 September 2019
HYSTERICAL, GARY CARD, PHILLIPS, LONDON
Set designer Gary Card collaborates with Phillips London this month on an immersive exhibition, Hysterical, which shares work from Cindy Sherman, Ugo Rondinone, Paul McCarthy, George Condo, and more. Described as a curation of “the art of my heroes”, Card says: “I want the viewer to be thrown into a darkly comic world, part psychedelic fever dream, part saccharine cartoon chaos. Like finding a tarantula in a bunch of bananas these works capture something inherently sinister while appearing equally absurd and disarming.” Alongside the exhibition, Card will present a pop-up store which will sell prints and collectable limited edition vinyl figures and merchandise.
Hysterical runs at London’s Phillips from 18 July – 21 August 2019
MANCHESTER INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL, MANCHESTER
Last week, the Manchester International Festival launched with new commissions from everyone to Yoko Ono to David Lynch and Skepta. Running for the next two weeks (until 21 July), the MIF is staged every two years in Manchester and is the world’s “first festival of original, new work and special events”. For example, Skepta’s DYSTOPIA987 reimages the history of rave culture in “an uncertain future”, which will include performances from the British MC and other DJs and artists. Whereas David Lynch presents My Head Is Disconnected, a major exhibition of his large-scale paintings, drawings, and sculpture. And Yoko Ono opened the festival this year with BELLS FOR PEACE, which saw thousands of people gathering to ring and sing for peace in the city’s Cathedral Gardens. And this Friday, Laurie Anderson’s To The Moon VR experience makes its UK debut at the festival.
The Manchester International Festivals run in Manchester until 21 July 2019
CASA FESTIVAL, LONDON
The 10th edition of CASA – London’s biggest Latin American arts festival – will take over the UK capital for two weeks in July and tackle important topics such as immigration, gender identity, and the breaking down of language barriers. Bringing together both international and local artists, this year, CASA expands from being a theatre-focussed program to a multi-disciplinary one which includes art, film dance, and music. Happening across The Arcola, The Rio Cinema, and The Dalston East Curve Garden, visitors can expect theatre from Mexico, puppetry from Chile, and film from Venezuela, amongst much more. The aim of the programme is ultimately to celebrate Latinx identities and narratives. Full programme – and tickets – can be viewed here.
CASA runs in East London from 16 July – 27 July 2019
BLACK FIRE SESSIONS AT SOUL OF A NATION, THE BROAD, LOS ANGELES
Soul of a Nation has been moving through the art world, elevating the works and progress of black artists who made work “in the age of black power” from 1963 to 1983. Originally launching at Tate Modern in 2017, it then went on to Brooklyn Museum and now finds itself in Los Angeles’ The Broad. With a programme of live performances and talks underway, next up is the first in the Black Fire Sessions. With Jazz music having been central to the early Civil Rights and Black Panther Movements, Quincy Jones has asked Roscoe Mitchell (co-founder of The Art Ensemble of Chicago and AfriCOBRA collaborator) and Brett Carson (world-renowned pianist) to host the series’ first evening (17 July) and be joined by three fellow jazz artists. The second evening takes place on 14 August and will be led by legendary composer and multi-instrumentalist Anthony Braxton, in collaboration with harpist Jacqueline Kerrod. It will feature Kelsey Lu, amongst three other musical artists.
Soul of a Nation runs at Los Angeles’ The Broad until 1 September 2019. Tickets to both evenings of Black Fire Sessions are available here
NOBODY PROMISED YOU TOMORROW: ART 50 YEARS AFTER STONEWALL, BROOKLYN MUSEUM, NEW YORK CITY
As much of the world celebrates the month of Pride, it’s equally as important to reflect on those who fought for the freedoms many of us can experience today. Honouring the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, which saw police clash with civilians over six days, Brooklyn Museum presents Nobody Promised You Tomorrow: Art 50 Years After Stonewall. The title itself is taken from the late artist and activist Marsha P. Johnson, who rose to prominence as one of the key figures of the fight for LGBTQ+ rights and representation. Featuring 28 LGBTQ+ artists who were born in the years after 1969 – From John Edmonds to Juliana Huxtable, Papi Juice, Linda LaBeija, and more, the show presents many mediums, from painting, sculpture, installation, performance, and video, to look at how “these artists engage interconnected themes of revolt, commemoration, care, and desire”. Alongside the exhibition is an interactive Resource Room organised so visitors can engage with local resources and community organisations as well as learn about an LGBTQ+ history that so many have chosen to erase of ignore.
Nobody Promised You Tomorrow: Art 50 Years After Stonewall runs at New York City’s Brooklyn Museum until 8 December