Seeing is Believing is an exhibition of selected works by the German photographer Jochen Lempert. Lempert’s photographs address the relationship between the world of nature and our man-made world. Having first studied as a biologist Lempert is well acquainted with the natural world and indeed his works often embody a scientific approach to the subject matter seeming to present them as cases studies as well as artistic subject matter.
Rena Effendi: Liquid Land: Legacies of Oil and Power at Impressions Gallery, Bradford
Opening on the anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, Liquid Land: Legacies of Oil and Power reveals the struggles and resilience of people living in some of the world’s most polluted areas in the former Soviet Union. This is the first UK showing of this new exhibition by award-winning Azerbaijani photographer Rena Effendi.
Patternity: Pattern Power/Superstripe, London
In a cultural festival of pattern exploration, Patternity present Pattern Power/Superstripe at the London Newcastle Project Space from 6 April. The exhibition opens a series of events that explore the powerful presence of pattern and it’s impressive ability to positively inspire and connect humanity. Living in a world of patterns, the shapes and colours surrounding us can often be overlooked, this collection draws audiences to look at these familiar angles with a new perspective.
New Order: British Art Today at Saatchi Gallery, London
Towards the end of this month, the Saatchi Gallery will launch a new programme of exhibitions which will continue the Gallery’s 25-year-long support of emerging artists and its drive to make contemporary art as widely available as possible to a British and international audience. An entire floor of the Gallery will be devoted to exhibiting artists in the early stages of their careers. Throughout the year the exhibitions will reflect the Gallery’s unique ability to respond quickly to some of the most exciting work being made by artists working in the UK.
PULSE New York
Marking its eight edition, PULSE New York returns to present 60 national and international galleries, exhibiting a mix of emerging and established artists. Covering a variety of media, photography, painting, sculpture, performance, installation and video art, the fair celebrates artistic practice and a range of talent from 9 May until 12 May.
Anguish and Enthusiasm: What Do You Do With Your Revolution Once You’ve Got It at Cornerhouse, Manchester
Cornerhouse opens Anguish and Enthusiasm on 13 April, an extraordinary group show of new and recent contemporary art investigating post-revolutionary periods and events. Exploring contrasting perspectives and observations from Latin America, Eastern Europe, Asia and beyond, the exhibition considers politics, change and those who were lost along the way. Featuring new commissions by Sarah Pierce, Andreas Bunte, Mathieu Kleyebe Abonnec and Trust Your Struggle alongside existing work by an array of acclaimed artists including Eoghan McTigue, Pocas Pascoal and Jun Yang, Anguish and Enthusiasm will be accompanied by two Artist Film Forums showcasing shorts contributing to the exhibition’s themes, and events further investigating the outcome of a revolution.
POP! Design Culture Fashion, The Civic, Barnsley
Pop! Design Culture Fashion opens 4 April at The Civic, Barnsely, celebrating poodle skirts, rockers, Mods, kitsch glamour and 1970s retro. A reminder of when British popular culture first captivated the world, the exhibition uncovers a time when popular images, music, art and fashion blurred the boundaries of commerce, culture and style. Between the optimism of 1955 and the disillusion of Punk, the “Pop” generation created a lifestyle, which reached its apogee in 1966 in “Swinging London”, and values which constantly challenged those of wider society.
Adrian Melis: The Value of Absence at Kunsthalle Basel
Kunsthalle Basel‘s current exhibition calender includes the first solo show by the Cuban artist Adrian Melis. In the centre of the work of the 1985 Havana-born artist who is now based in Barcelona, workers are out of work, in both the socialist and capitalist economic system. Melis’s early projects were concerned with working conditions and with the disinterested attitude of employees towards their work in Cuba’s state-owned enterprises. The lack of motivation and an indifference to the activities to be performed are common symptoms that indicate a deficiency or a loss of identification with the existing political and economic system. Normally, such an identification depends on the personal commitment of the individual and includes a belief or acceptance of a supportive system ideology. The general lack of productivity, which is typical of many Cuban farms is the starting point for Melis observations that lead to the emergence and “co-production” of paradoxical situations and activities and an intrusion into the everyday routine of the workers.
Lottie Davies: Memories and Nightmares, London
Lottie Davies focuses her work on stories and personal histories, embracing the tales and myths society uses to construct life, and LA Noble Gallery present her Memories and Nightmare 5 April until 4 May. Unpicking humanities memories, life-stories and beliefs, the photographer takes inspiration from both classical and modern painting, cinema, theatre and the imaginary worlds of literature. Through her colourful and striking images, she reworks visual language, playing with notions of nostalgia, visual conventions and subconscious “looking habits”, with the desire to evoke a sense of recognition, narrative and movement.
Aesthetica April/May Out Now
Aesthetica Issue 52 is now out in the shops. Inside this issue, we start with Amalia Pica’s latest exhibition, which opens in April at MCA Chicago and is the artist’s first major solo museum show in the USA, including 15 of her most significant works. We also look at the Julio Le Parc retrospective on now at the Palais de Tokyo, Paris, presenting a vast survey of the artist’s work from the 1950s to the present day. European Chronicles opens this May as part of Diffusion in Cardiff, which is Wales’ first international photography festival. NYC 1993: Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star is the latest exhibition to open at the New Museum in New York City, capturing a specific moment at the intersection of art, pop culture and politics.
BiennaleOnline: Emerging Artists Of The Future Announced
The online platform ART+ announces 180 of the most promising emerging artists at a critical moment, when they are poised to become established artists, chosen by 30 world-leading curators. A streamed selection of the artist’s work, including rising stars from across the globe, will be shown on the BiennaleOnline exhibition that opens 26 April. BiennaleOnline is the first curated, exclusively online biennial exhibition of contemporary art. Facilitating links between organisations and practitioners operating within the global biennial community by providing resources and an open platform for exchange, collaboration and research.
Man Ray: Portraits, London
The works showcased in this exhibition are arranged chronologically according to specific stages of Man Ray’s artistic career, commencing in New York and concluding in Paris. Some of the artist’s most celebrated images including his portrait of Marcel Duchamp dressed as his alter ego Rrose Sélavy and the now iconic Le Violon d’ingres are among the first we encounter. Despite having been reproduced ad nauseam Le Violon d’ingres still retains a unique aura, commanding our attention and piquing our curiosity. The image reveals the artist as a a man before his time, exploiting the conceptual possibilities of image manipulation in a pre-photoshop era.