This month’s news digest spotlights new exciting installations and exhibitions across the globe. From Glasgow to Venice and even The Vatican, Europeans are spoilt for choice. If you are in New York don’t miss out on Bulgari’s immersive installation by A.I. artist extraordinaire Refik Anadol and the Metropolitan Museum’s soon-to-close exhibition on one of Velázquez’ most talented, yet uncelebrated apprentices.
A.I. Art Maestro Refik Anadol Gives Bulgari a Boost With a Pop-Up Show in New York Celebrating 75 Years of Its Serpenti Collection
Bulgari, the renowned Roman jeweler, has opened a temporary immersive gallery in downtown New York City to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its iconic Serpenti collection. The pop-up exhibit features a multisensory sculpture by artist Refik Anadol, titled Serpenti (snakes), which explores the intersection of psychedelia, nature, and technology. Anadol’s constantly changing artwork is created using artificial intelligence (A.I.) and is inspired by the brand’s iconic Serpenti collection. In addition to the sculpture, the exhibit includes a mini exhibition showcasing 25 standout pieces from the collection’s history and seven new high jewelry pieces created specifically for the anniversary. The pop-up show will be open until July 16.
Pope Francis Marks 50 Years of Vatican’s Contemporary Art Collection With Visit from ‘Piss Christ’ Artist and Others
VATICAN MEDIA VIA VATICAN POOL/GETTY IMAGES
Pope Francis commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Vatican Museum’s inclusion of modern and contemporary art with a meeting of artists in the Sistine Chapel. The guest list included controversial artist Andres Serrano, known for his work Piss Christ. The Church has expanded its patronage of diverse art forms, including the controversial, over the years. Pope Francis blessed Serrano and expressed support, surprising the artist. The Vatican aims to deepen its relationship with the arts and included writers and musicians in the gathering to engage with artists. The Pope urged artists to focus on social justice and environmental issues, emphasizing the importance of art for the marginalized.
Who Was Juan de Pareja, and Why Is He Important?
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is hosting an exhibition titled Juan de Pareja, Afro-Hispanic Painter, which sheds light on the life and work of Juan de Pareja, a Black artist who lived in 17th-century Spain. Pareja was a slave and later a free man who worked as an assistant to the renowned artist Diego Velázquez. The exhibition features Pareja’s paintings, alongside works by Velázquez and other artifacts that provide context to the multiracial and multicultural world Pareja inhabited. The show also highlights the contributions of Arturo Schomburg, a Black historian who extensively researched Pareja’s life. The exhibition challenges existing myths and expands our understanding of art history and the artists behind it.
Venice Biennale’s 2024 Edition to Celebrate Diasporas Under the Title ‘Foreigners Everywhere’
The curator for the 2024 Venice Biennale, Adriano Pedrosa, has announced that the theme of the prestigious art festival will be “Foreigners Everywhere.” Pedrosa, the first Latin American curator in the history of the Biennale, aims to highlight artists who have traveled and emphasize the celebration of diversity in terms of race, gender, and nationality. The exhibition will focus on artists who are foreigners, immigrants, diasporic, or exiled, especially those who have moved between the Global South and the Global North. The 2024 Biennale will include sections dedicated to new and old works, with a focus on expanding the history of modernism beyond Europe and North America.
DANIEL CABREL
The first official Banksy show in over a decade will be open all night at weekends—unless you ‘show up appearing to be very intoxicated’
Renowned street artist Banksy has announced his first official exhibition in 14 years, titled Cut & Run: 25 Years Card Labour. The exhibition will be held at the Gallery of Modern Art (Goma) in Glasgow, Scotland, and will showcase Banksy’s career-spanning works, from his earliest pieces in the late 1980s to recent works created this year. The focus of the exhibition will be on the stencils Banksy uses for his iconic artworks, which are often found on walls around the world. The exhibition will feature notable works such as the Union Flag stab vest made for Stormzy and the self-destructing artwork at Sotheby’s auction in 2018. Visitors will have to store their phones during the visit, but complimentary Polaroid photographs will be provided.
Photo: © Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
Leave a Reply