Intersection is a culmination of Alexander James’ long-standing fascination with the theme of vanitas (a symbolic work of art associated with still life). Running 25 April until 23 May at The Studio Building, London, the exhibition highlights his mastery of an entirely unique artistic process. Taking objects from nature and handmade props, James puts together underwater sculptural installations in black tanks full of highly purified water, which he then photographs. Relying on the natural interaction between the object, light and lens when plunged into water, his photographs have a painterly effect. With no digital editing or post-production involved, Intersection is an intriguing display of photographic purity including works from his Vanitas, Swarm and Glass.
Spring Photography Selection 2013, London
Collating the work of six artists, Flowers Gallery’s Spring Photography Selection represents work exploring the relationship between the human body and the surrounding physical and emotional landscape. Navigating between the constructed and the observed, the included pieces jump between portraying the lived experience to reenactments of vulnerability through cinematic narratives. The works challenge viewers to consider their own position in relation to the artist and the observed, reflecting on how the human condition is determined its environment.
Superreal: Alternative Realities in Photography and Video at El Museo del Barrio, New York
Superreal, explores the layered meanings and interpretations of the real as it is represented in photography and video art. Drawing on the presentation of the landscape, the human figure, the world of architecture, various objects and natural phenomena, these images explore alternative realities despite their use of the photographic or video image, traditionally understood as a reflection of actuality.
Studio Sittings: Photographing Royal Academicians, Frink and Blake, Leighton House Museum
Leighton House Museum open a new photographic exhibition celebrating some of the most applauded Royal Academicians of recent times, shown in the context of their studios. Including images of Dame Elisabeth Frink, Sir Peter Blake, Antony Gormley and Grayson Perry, Studio Sittings: Photographing Royal Academicians is a collection of contemporary photographs of present day artists shown their Victorian counterparts, drawing fascinating parallels between the nature of the artist’s studio today and in Victorian times.
Exhibition Platform: Unlimited at Art Basel
A unique exhibition platform, Art Basel‘s Unlimited sector will this year feature 79 artworks, the largest number of projects to date. Curated for the second consecutive year by Gianni Jetzer, Director of the Swiss Institute in New York, Unlimited will showcase a strong selection of works, many of museum quality, including pieces by Carl Andre, Marc Camille Chaimowicz, Lygia Clark, Michel Majerus and Gina Pane. Emerging talents – including Esther Kläs, Emil Michael Klein, Oscar Murillo and Amalia Pica – will be shown alongside established artists Ai Weiwei, Martin Creed, Thomas Demand, Theaster Gates, Antony Gormley, Susan Hiller, Walid Raad and Thomas Schütte.
Sharjah Biennial 11 Programme of Music, Performance, and Film Continues into May
Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF) continues an extensive programme of music, performances, and film screenings as part of Sharjah Biennial 11 (SB11), Re:emerge – Towards a New Cultural Cartography, which opened 13 March and will continue through 13 May. For SB11, Curator Yuko Hasegawa proposes a new cultural cartography that reconsiders the relationships between the Arab world, Asia, the Far East, through North Africa to Latin America.
Opening Evening 8, Manchester
AWOL Studios in Manchester host their eighth Open Evening on 17 May from 4pm until 9pm. With 81 studios and workshops, AWOL Studios at Hope Mill is home to over 120 artistic and creative individuals practising a diverse range of disciplines including fine art, jewellery, fashion, photography, sculpture, animation, film making and crafts.
Paul Robinson: REDACTED at Roberta Moore Contemporary, London
REDACTED, a new series of work by ground-breaking art photographer Paul Robinson will open at Roberta Moore Contemporary on 22 April. Lyrical and dreamlike, Robinson’s work pushes art photography to its limits, combining and layering images in this abstract, painterly series – a product of the artist’s distinctive photographic eye. REDACTED incorporates several integrated works –from metropolises worldwide – creating a mesmerising series evoked by cities all over the world. Finding inspiration in global travels, Robinson exhibits regularly in the UK, the US and Asia. Capturing the ‘moods’ of cities and the spirits of their people – from Paris, London, Rome and Florence to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Bangkok – multiple exposures combine architecture, portraiture, landscape, light and texture on a single image. The culmination is a panorama of lyricism, poetry, mystery and intrigue.
Interview with Sarolta Bán, part of New Wave Photography, London
For the second time, New Wave Photography returns to The Crypt Gallery, London, 19 – 27 April. Organised by United Creativity, a company representing emerging contemporary photographers from Central and Eastern Europe, the event recognises the evolving talent of new artists from the CEE region. The exhibition will host 12 artists, showcasing fine art photography from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. The works on display cover a variety of themes including, Surrealism, minimalist landscape, classical nude photography, gum print, lomography and digital montage. One of the individuals involved will be Sarolta Bán, she speaks to Aesthetica about her manipulation of digital photography and her development from jewelry production.
Rudolf Stingler at Palazzo Grassi, Venice
The programming of Palazzo Grassi – François Pinault Foundation follows the principle of an alternation between thematic group exhibitions devoted to the works of the Pinault Collection and solo exhibitions by major contemporary artists. As part of the solo exhibitions, Rudolf Stingler has unveiled his first exhibition encompassing the entire space at Palazzo Grassi on 7 April. Conceived by the artist with the valuable and meticulous collaboration of Elena Geuna, the exhibition Rudolf Stingel presents over thirty paintings from international collections, including those of the artist and of François Pinault, forming a corpus that itself becomes a masterly work.
Cityscapes, Flowers Gallery, New York
Cityscapes at Flowers Gallery, New York, collates modern artists who respond to elements of urban life in their various practices. Included in this exhibition will be, David Hepher, Peter Howson, Patrick Hughes, Lucy Jones, Nadav Kander, John Keane, Jiro Osuga, Tai-Shan Schierenberg and Renny Tait. Each of those involved respond to the city in a unique way, presenting a show that examines the urban landscape and the inhabitants within it.
Environmental Photographer of the Year
Combining thought provoking imagery and stunning aesthetics, the Royal Geographical Society exhibit CIWEM’s Environmental Photographer of the Year 2013. Running 10 April until 3 May, the images are outstanding environmental, social and natural photographs by international photographers and filmmakers. CIWEM’s Environmental Photographer of the Year 2013 is an international showcase for the very best in environmental photography and video, celebrating both emerging and established talent.