Art

2023 was the year of Pablo Picasso, as private collectors and global institutions banded together to host a series of touring exhibitions to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Spanish artist's death. For those who could not venture great distances to see his work in person, there is a new online portal containing photographs, paintings and sculptures detailing Picasso's oeuvre, including works previously unseen by the public. The archive was released courtesy of the Picasso Museum in Paris, containing thousands of interviews, essays, artworks and images aimed at researchers and in-resident artists, but to which can equally enjoyed by everyday fans alike. There's arguably no artist who has had a bigger impact on shaping modern art than Picasso over the past century. Alongside his contemp...

London's Tate Modern will unveil a new solo exhibition of light installations by the acclaimed British artist Anthony McCall. Long before today's 'immersive' shows, McCall was captivating audiences as early as the 1970s through a fusion of sculpture, cinema, drawing, and performance, by casting three-dimensional beams of light that undulate in form through smoke-filled spaces. Opening on June 27, Solid Light encompasses a series of existing works that will illuminate across the Tate Modern's George Economou Gallery. McCall first captivated onlookers through his seminal Light Describing A Cone (1973), described by the artist in the past as "habitable tents of lights", which invited visitors to interact with the various projectors displaying complex sculptural forms whose temporal structure ...

WNDR Museum in Chicago's West Loop has introduced a reimagined atrium featuring Yayoi Kusama’s "LOVE IS CALLING" and a new WNDR Lounge. “We’re always evolving to spark curiosity and creativity,” said Brad Keywell of WNDR Museum. The lounge offers local food and drinks to both ticketed and non-ticketed guests.Kusama’s "LOVE IS CALLING" is her largest infinity room to date, inviting visitors into a mirrored space filled with inflatable, polka-dotted forms that glow in various colors, creating an illusion of infinite space. Accompanied by Kusama’s voice reciting a love poem, it adds a contemplative layer to the experience. This marks the Chicago debut of the piece, originally premiered in Japan in 2013.The WNDR Lounge, open during museum hours, features local food and beverages, accessible to...

Library Street Collective presents Temple of Silence, a solo exhibition by New York-based artist Sam Friedman. The exhibition features four large-scale "Cave Paintings" that explore existential themes through meticulous lines and vibrant colors.Friedman's work examines how individuals construct personas to navigate an overstimulating world. He suggests that humans develop mental and emotional "armor" to cope with life's demands, which can isolate them from their true selves. Reconnecting with nature and painting helps Friedman restore his sense of humanity.Temple of Silence aims to create a serene space where visitors can escape daily pressures. The paintings, ranging from 9x9 feet to 25x9 feet, feature smooth transitions and gentle forms, fostering a sense of security and fluidity. Inspir...

Ryan Todd’s 365 Days of Drawing project features a clever and insightful series of daily sketches. The challenge of creating one drawing per day for a year was significant and Todd humorously acknowledged moments of doubt in his interview with ItsNiceThat. His goal was to cultivate a habit of daily creativity and conceptual exploration, which he achieved by setting a strict routine to record his visual thoughts.Todd carried his sketchbook everywhere, finding the constant need for ideas both difficult and enjoyable. This daily practice nurtured a playful and inquisitive mindset. The collection, marked by its simple black and white style, includes whimsical puns and observations from his surroundings, serving as visual exercises and social commentary. Changing locations often inspired new su...

UEFA Euro 2024 is less than an hour until kickoff as host nation Germany takes on Scotland at the Allianz Arena in Munich. As with any major football tournament, there have been a number of adverts that have come out to hype up the competition, from adidas' "Hey Jude" campaign to Corteiz' jersey swap program. A new initiative by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), however, shines a sombre light on the real threats of cardiac arrest affecting young people across the UK. Produced in collaboration with Saatchi & Saatchi and Grand Visual, "'Til I Died" comprises of a series of murals depicting 12 young England, Scotland and Wales supporters who tragically lost their lives due to heart-related complications. According to a report on the issue, roughly 12 kids die because of cardiac arrest e...

German artist Sonja Rychkova is showcasing a new solo exhibition at Ruttkowski;68 in Cologne. Born in Darmstadt to Russian parents, Rychkova's work probes into the immigrant experience and the shape-shifting concept of home.In Smile Now Cry Later, the emerging artist revisits friends during her travels to the underprivileged Mexican-American neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Like vague memories floating back to the surface of the mind, Rychkova's figures are hollow and transparent, appearing like ghosts, as she creates this effect by thinning her oil paints with turpentine. The thematic base of her show, and practice thus far, has been a survey into "ghettos" — seeking to dismantle stereotypes associated to marginalized communities. View this post on InstagramA post shared by Sonja Rychkova (...

For better and worse, the creative industry is one of the biggest industries that has been impacted by the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). On one end, users are able to moodboard, and many instances, bypass numerous hurdles to realizing a creative thought or brief in a matter of seconds — without the need of rigorous sketches, camera crews or creative collaborations. On the opposite spectrum, it's been reported numerous times that these machine learning systems are illegally using the intellectual property of millions of artists without consent or repercussion, setting the stage for what many creative professionals fear to be an uncertain landscape going forward. In April of 2023, an AI-produced image created a storm of controversy when it won Sony's World Photography Awards. To the ...

Library Street Collective and real estate company Bedrock Detroit worked with light artist Christopher Bauder and musician Kangding Ray on a new experiential exhibition in the Motor City. Entitled SKALAR: Reflections on Light and Sound, the kinetic art show kicked off late last month during legendary techno festival, Movement, as a celebration of the city's rich electronic music heritage. SKALAR has previously exhibited across the world in Berlin, Zurich, Mexico City, Amsterdam, and Riyadh, but is showing for the first time in the United States. The audiovisual event aims to illuminate the abstract nature of human emotion through an elaborate interplay between light and sound. "It reminds us that our experiences, though internal, are no less real." said Kangding Ray. "Through the fusion of...

Superposition Gallery is hosting ‘Saturn Gives Structure to the Dream,’ on view from June 7-17, 2024. This group show delves into the impact of Saturn's return, a cosmic event that prompts introspection, resilience and radical change. With Saturn currently in Pisces, it signifies a time of significant transformation and opportunity, challenging existing structures and encouraging the creation of new pathways as expressed by Gallerist Storm Ascher.‘Saturn Gives Structure to the Dream’ offers a transformative journey through this period of upheaval, highlighting the potential for profound change amidst uncertainty. Through bold and daring artistic expressions, the exhibition illuminates new possibilities, encouraging viewers to question entrenched power structures and imagine new realities. ...

Sidecar Gallery features "What Will You Give?," an exhibition of large-scale paintings by Veronica Fernandez and Tidawhitney Lek, curated with Melanie Ouyang Lum. This marks the first Sidecar exhibition for both artists.Fernandez and Lek, both artists and friends, explore themes of generosity, empathy, wonder, delight and hope. Their paintings capture personal and universal narratives of love and loss, drawing from their life experiences to illustrate the human condition. Employing their distinct artistic styles, they depict family dynamics, childhood memories and locations significant to their identities. Their works highlight tenderness, vulnerability, and social/economic struggles, inviting viewers to connect emotionally and intimately with the art. Head to Sidecar Gallery's website for...