THE MAGAZINE
In Honour of April Fools’ Day: The Ultimate Art Prank
It’s April Fools’ Day! But there are prankster who don’t need any excuses to pull practical jokes. The street artist Banksy certainly doesn’t. In October 2018, he masterminded one of the most notorious art pranks in recent history. Read on if you are ready for a surprise!
He’s a Scream! The Night the Art World Met Edvard Munch
Ever been told by the art scene that you have destroyed art forever? This was the experience of Edvard Munch, the late-19th century Norwegian Expressionist artist, and the exhibition that made him famous.
David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away)
Are you curious about experiencing David Hockney’s art in a totally new way? Hockney just collaborated with Lightroom on a new show, “David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away).” Lightroom is a vast, innovative show space that just opened in London. The show will be on until 4th June 2023.
Nick Cave: Forothermore (Guggenheim Museum, New York, until 10 April 2023)
Nick Cave is a Chicago-based American artist and educator who works between the visual and performing arts and fashion. Much of his art is about being Black in America. Nick Cave: Forothermore is a survey exhibition covering the artist’s entire career. The exhibition includes his magical Soundsuits.
Escape the February Blues!
Are you feeling the February blues? If you are looking for a quick mental escape: how about diving into the paintings below and imagining that you are a part of the scene?
Milan’s List: Graphic Novels
Looking for a good graphic novel to immerse yourself in? TWoA asked graphic artist Milan Hulsing for a few recommendations.
Making Modernism: Trailblazing Female Artists at London’s Royal Academy of Arts
Paula Modersohn-Becker, Käthe Kollwitz, Gabriele Münter und Marianne Werefkin were instrumental in shaping modernism, but outside of Germany, they are still less known than their male colleagues. London’s Royal Academy of Arts is now devoting an exhibition to these four exceptional women. The exhibition is on until 12 February 2023. Read on for some key facts about these four women.
Pigs for the New Year
Wishing you pigs for the New Year! Read on to find out why.
Magdalena Abakanowicz: Every Tangle of Thread and Rope
London’s Tate Modern hosts a beautiful vision of harmony wrapped in ropes and threads, as Magdalena Abakanowicz’s exhibition provides an overview of her amazing career. Born in Poland in 1930, Abakanowicz’s work invites the viewer to consider humanity and its harmony with earth.
Anonymous Artist on Secret Mission: Banksy in Ukraine
First, there was a discovery: several graffiti appeared seemingly out of nowhere in a bombed-out small town outside of Kyiv (Ukraine). Then, there was speculation: could the graffiti be the work of Banksy, the celebrated, but secretive graffiti artist whose identity remains unconfirmed?
“What Is Worth More: Art or Life?”
London’s National Gallery houses one of the most important art collections in the world. But on 14 October, visitors to room 43 got more than they bargained for: two climate activists threw tomato soup at Vincent van Gogh’s iconic painting “Sunflowers.”
Living in a Dream? The Messy Reality of Living in a “Bauhaus”
A hundred years ago, the Bauhaus movement hoped to build a better, more equal future by imagining a new way of living. Unfortunately, this vision was to remain a dream. In the 1930s, many German Jewish Bauhaus architects emigrated to the British Mandate of Palestine to escape the Nazis. As a result, Tel Aviv can boast over 4,000 buildings in the Bauhaus style, more than any other city in the world.
Damien Hirst: Burning Art?
The British artist Damien Hirst was never one to shy away from publicity and controversy. Dead animals suspended in formaldehyde made him famous: in 1992. This month, in his project “The Currency,” he is burning physical artworks that have been exchanged for digital artworks, NFTs.
Women. Life. Freedom
On 13 September, the Iranian morality police arrested Mahsa (Jina) Amini, a 22-year-old young woman. The offence: Mahsa Amini had allegedly not complied with Iran’s strict rules on head coverings. Three days later, she was dead. Her death has sparked protests across Iran. Jalz, a 22-year-old artist and graphic designer in Iran, is the same age as Mahsa Amini. He is posting powerful works of graphic art in support of the protests on Instagram.
Royal Academy of Arts: Summer Exhibition 2022
Since 1769, London’s Royal Academy of Arts has held its annual summer exhibition, a showcase of art created right now, by both established and emerging artists. It is the world’s largest open submission exhibition: anyone can submit their work for consideration. This year was also the fourth year of the Royal Academy’s Young Artists’ Summer Show for students aged 4 – 19 across the UK.
Africa Fashion
Can fashion be art and does it belong into a museum? Certainly! London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V &A) has the largest, most comprehensive collection of dress in the world. But this collection has been very Eurocentric. The V & A is now trying to redress this imbalance with a major exhibition on African fashion, celebrating the imagination of African designers from over twenty countries.
The Blackest Black, or: Anger Makes Creative
Imagine a black that is so black that it absorbs 99.96% of visible light, making three dimensional objects look flat if you stand directly in front of them. Impossible? Well, take a look at Anish Kapoor’s sculptures painted in Vantablack that are currently on display in Venice. The stuff is pretty scary.