Art

For a city as dense as Tokyo, the most populous in the world, in fact, the Japanese capital is a model of excellence when it comes to general safety, robust transportation systems, spotless streets and parks, as well as the abundance of cultural hotspots across the metropolis. From Ginza to Shinjuku, every corner offers picturesque scenes that draw millions of visitors per year. But for Japanese artist Hisaya Taira, it's the overlooked moments of the everyday that offer the greatest points of inspiration. The Tokyo-based painter is showcasing his favorite encounters across Shibuya in a series of new compositions at NANZUKA 2G. Since the 1990s, Taira has created photorealist recreations of the urban landscape, placing special emphasis on elevators, subway platforms and backstreets — areas t...

This past May, Yayoi Kusama's previously unseen painting ‘INFINITY’ (1995) fetched an impressive $5.94 million USD at Bonhams’ Modern & Contemporary Art auction in Hong Kong. Following this record-breaking sale, the British auction house is set to host another highly anticipated event featuring the collection of renowned actor Jim Carrey. Known for his iconic roles in films like 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' and 'The Truman Show,' Carrey is now showcasing a diverse array of fine art and modern design objects at Bonhams LA’s upcoming auction on July 25.The Modern Design | Art auction includes 35 lots from Carrey’s collection. Highlights include Kenny Scharf’s 2014 graphic oil painting Ice Mont, estimated at $30-40,000 USD, and a David Hockney work on paper depicting one of his...

Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei has partnered up with JRP Editions to release a set of three new limited edition lithographic prints. Mirroring a recent release Weiwei created with Avant Arte, each iteration of Grass Mud Horse features a two-color palette with a medley of surveillance cameras spiraling in-and-out of the composition. Weiwei is perhaps one of the most subversive and outspoken artists in recent memory. From his middle-finger laden photo series, Study of Perspective (1995-2003), to once covering the Tate Modern's Turbine Hall in millions of porcelain seeds — a commentary on the 'Made in China' phenomenon and the geopolitics of exchange of the present day — the Chinese dissident uses his practice to critique the global power imbalances in society. “Ai Weiwei is an inspira...

Shahzia Sikander's monumental sculpture "Witness" (2023) was found beheaded in the early hours of Monday, July 8, on the University of Houston campus as reported by the New York Times. Standing 18 feet tall, this striking piece depicted a female figure adorned in a hoop skirt and jabot, with braided hair twisted into ram horns and vine-like tendrils. It was installed earlier this year as part of a temporary exhibition.In February, the piece sparked controversy. Anti-abortion groups denounced the Pakistani-American artist's work, branding it a "satanic abortion idol," and threatened to protest its display. The uproar led the university to cancel Sikander's lecture scheduled for the opening reception.The vandalism occurred as Hurricane Beryl made landfall along the Texas coast, causing wides...

White Cube is showcasing a new solo exhibition on the American Abstract Expressionist Al Held at its Bermondsey location in London. About Space covers Held's 50 year exploration into the complexity between color, form and space. Held, who is widely considered as one of the pioneers of Abstract Expressionism, burst into the art scene following his military service in 1947, carrying an aesthetic similar to Franz Kline and Jackson Pollock, but also that of Hard-Edge artists Frank Stella and Ellsworth Kelly. Unlike his contemporaries, however, Held fused tenants used by each of the figures previously mentioned, resulting in massive wall-to-wall acrylic paintings occupying an almost hallucinatory altered dimension, where varying shapes contour across an endless void of colors — or lack of color...

HYBE has officially announced the opening of its upcoming exhibit "HYBE: We Believe In Music, A GRAMMY Museum Exhibit."Set to run from August 2 until September 15 at the Los Angeles museum, the exhibit will follow the evolution and influence of the South Korean-founded entertainment company by showcasing pieces from its impressive roster of artists, creators and fans. "We Believe In Music" is set to include the original outfits worn by BTS in their “Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)” music video, SEVENTEEN in "MAESTRO," TOMORROW X TOGETHER in “Sugar Rush Ride,” ENHYPEN in “Sweet Venom” and LE SSERAFIM in "EASY," to name a few, as well as accessories and performance gear donned by ZICO, fromis_9, BOYNEXTDOOR, TWS, &TEAM and ILLIT.Fans of the K-pop giants can also look forward to i...

Polaroid and Magnum Photos have launched an Open Call for new photographic storytellers. Renowned Magnum photographers Enri Canaj, Newsha Tavakolian and Jim Goldberg are spearheading this project, highlighting the raw power of black-and-white photography with the Polaroid I-2 Instant Camera.Canaj's "Albania Homecoming" explores the profound cultural and societal shifts in his homeland, capturing the essence of change and resilience. Tavakolian's "Mount Damavand community" uncovers the hidden lives of people in a remote region, revealing their untold stories and unique perspectives. Goldberg's "Augusta community" exposes the spirit of America through intimate, often overlooked moments, painting a vivid picture of the country's diverse and uncelebrated facets.Photographers can submit portfol...

As Tokyo Dome enters its 35th year,  a new photo book that looks at the future of the iconic stadium is set to be released. Featuring an extensive body of photographic work by New York-based Japanese photographer Jiro Konami, the book serves to examine and explore the possibilities for the landmark.First opened its doors in March 1988, Tokyo Dome has since hosted a plethora of events, ranging from large-scale concerts, and international baseball tournaments to various other sporting events. The indoor stadium is of such an iconic status in Japan, that it’s often used as a unit of size within its country.Through the pages, Konami hopes to convey “the weight of the dream that has been passed down through the generations.” Showcasing various faces and sides of Tokyo Dome, the photos depict th...

On the last weekend of June, Hong Kong-based art gallery, THE SHOPHOUSE officially unveiled its otherthings space on Sun Chun Street. Refurbished from an 1890s Hakka-stye building, the new location inaugurated its first exhibition — a refreshing and intimate solo showcase by contemporary Japanese artist, Kansai Noguchi.Entitled EX TERRA, the exhibit comprises Noguchi’s fairly recent series, “JOMON Yakishime” as well as a new body of ceramic works under the name of “APOLLO.” Both series were born from the artist’s fascination with ancient times. “APOLLO” started from Noguchi wanting to create pieces that remind him of rough lunar surfaces, walls with peeled-off paints as well as objects with signs of weathering.The name of the series was not only borrowed from Apollo, the Greek god of the s...

Art Basel recently concluded the latest iteration of its flagship event in Switzerland, but all eyes now turn to Miami Beach — considered by many as the organization's biggest fair in the calendar year. To cap off 2024, the forthcoming Art Basel Miami Beach will be the first under new director Bridget Finn and will showcase 283 global galleries from 34 countries and territories. 22 years on, Art Basel changed the creative landscape of South Florida, sparking a chain of likeminded fairs and events that have come to now shape the larger Art Week in the Miami area, as well as the artists who call the city home. "It was incredibly important that we carve out a more equitable path to participation for small and mid-sized galleries entering the main sector of this show, and the proof is in the e...

Experts believe that there are 200 billion trillion stars in the observable universe. Yes, that is a real number. While the mathematics behind this conclusion is perplexing, society's fascination with the cosmos should come as no surprise, as space has enraptured minds from our earliest ancestors to the scientists of today. Galerie Templon is showcasing how contemporary art has also been influenced by the final frontier in a new group exhibition at its New York location. Cosmography, titled after the study of how researchers map the general features of the universe, will comprise of multi-media works probing into the intersection of mythology, history and mathematics. For French conceptual artist Laurent Grasso, he manipulates imagery from cinema and art history to create fictional scenes,...

George Condo's latest works are highlighted in DESTE Foundation's The Mad and the Lonely exhibition which is running until October 31, 2024. Situated in the island of Hydra in Greece, the DESTE Foundation's space was once a a slaughterhouse and now sets the stage for Condo’s exploration of society’s outcasts.Though fictional, Condo’s characters mirror modern psychological and societal turmoil. For DESTE, he mixes ancient Greek techniques with his distinct style, producing a haunting fusion of minimalistic sculptures and wild figures. The slaughterhouse, once used for animal slaughter, adds an eerie layer to the exhibition, amplifying the themes of madness and isolation.Condo’s series of works capture fragmented, often grotesque figures on the brink of madness and isolation. Drawing from Re...