SHOWNews: Your Weekly Art Bulletin
EXHIBITION
The National Gallery of Denmark Are Using AI To Rewrite Women's Art History
It's no secret that male artists have long enjoyed greater success than their female counterparts and it doesn't take a brainbox to work out why either. Even when female artists have managed to break out of the mould and achieve international stardom, it's often short-lived, meaning their careers are over as quickly as they begin. Looking to challenge this pattern by posing questions in favour of twenty-four Nordic women artists who were active between 1870 and 1910, The National Gallery of Denmark's (Statens Museum for Kunst) latest exhibition Against All Odds – Historical Women and New Algorithms asks how might such artists be restored to a commemorable place in art history by helping rewrite the truth using AI. Complicated? Sort of. Necessary? Undoubtedly. For more information, click here.
EXHIBITION
Why Preslav Kostov Is A Name To Remember
Tomorrow, Tara Downs gallery in New York will act as a temporary home to the many tangled figures of artist and painter Preslav Kostov whose deeply surreal, Francis Bacon-esque paintings will be on show to the public for one month as part of the exhibition Between the Five Wells. Armed with a lugubrious palette drawn from Old Masters paintings and an appreciation for the human form, Kostov's work is as intriguing as it is slightly disturbing thanks to his divine mix of aggression and eroticism that intertwine to reflect the artist's own personal stories and lived migrant experience. Identity stands at the forefront of the exhibition, even if faces are no where to be seen in Kostov's work, adding a uniquely voyeuristic touch - which is why if you happen to be in New York for fashion week, make sure to pay the exhibition a visit. For more information, click here.
EXHIBITION AND AUCTION
Kerry Taylor Auctions Has Caught Onto Biba Fever
From the Fashion and Textile Museum's latest exhibition The Biba Story to the launch of the Yale University Press-published book Biba the Fashion Brand That Defined a Generation by the shop's founder Barbara Hulanicki, London has certainly revelled in Biba fever this summer. Continuing its long celebratory streak in commemoration of what would be the boutique's 60th anniversary, this September Kerry Taylor Auctions has caught onto the Biba fever craze and is featuring a week-long auction and exhibition of Biba clothes, accessories and ephemera, while also hosting and collaborating on several special events throughout the week. The auction officially opens for bidding at 9:00am on Monday 9 September and will begin closing at 7:00pm on Monday 16 September with the public exhibition taking place in their Bermondsey saleroom during this time. For more information, click here.
EXHIBITION
King of Collage John Stezaker's New Exhibition Casts A Spell Over the Art World
When talking about the medium of collage, it's impossible not to mention John Stezaker, whose magnificently elegant juxtapositions and comic takes on the world around us have consistently pushed the boundaries of what it means to collect, snip and stick ready-made images together. The artist's latest exhibition at The Approach gallery Spell is some of Stezaker's finest work to date, bringing together two new bodies of work, the Spell and Life Room series, alongside his ongoing Mask series (1982 – Present) - all of which miraculously subvert faces, places and spaces in true Stezaker style. For more information, click here.
OPEN STUDIOS
Artist and Illustrator Elyse Blackshaw Opens Her London To the Public This Weekend
This Saturday, fashion illustrator and SHOWstudio contributor Elyse Blackshaw is opening up her 10-year archive to the public in her first-ever open studio. Whether you're interested in the artist's 10-year archive of original fashion illustrations, her current 2024 collection or an exclusive range of limited-edition prints - this is your chance to get up close and personal with it all while browsing different artworks in Blackshaw's very own Elephant and Castle studio. If you're lucky, you may even be able to pick up one of Blackshaw's A/W 24 haute couture depictions but not if we get there first...
RSVP by Friday 6 September to secure your opportunity to buy great art for an even greater price. Light refreshments will be served.
BOOK LAUNCH
Patti Smith, Paul McCartney, Peter Saville and More Contribute To Centre Pompidou and Magma Journal's Collaborative Publication Nouvelles Enquêtes Surréalistes
2024 is a big year for birthdays, not least because of Biba's 60th but also because it is the centenary of surrealism - an art movement whose relevance never seems to falter not be left to art history. Complimenting the explosive 2024 Surréalisme exhibition at Centre Pompidou in Paris, the institution has teamed up with Magma Journal to revive Enquêtes Surréalistes in a special edition of the publication that includes contributions from over 150 artists including Patti Smith, Georg Baselitz, Wolfgang Tillmans, Marina Abramović, Ólafur Elíasson, William Kentdridge, Paul McCarthy, Peter Saville, Erwin Wurm and many more. If one thing is for sure, surrealism is no longer 'in fashion', surrealism is fashion.