SHOWnews: Your Weekly Art Bulletin

Artist Fiona Banner Gets Political With New CIRCA Arts Commission

We are living in unprecedented times. Don't believe us? Just take a look at last month's Global Peace Index; a sobering report that revealed there are currently 56 wars taking place around the world, involving 92 countries and hundreds of millions of people. Numbers reaching such heights are made even more chilling when the realisation dawns that never before have this many nations been in conflict since World War II. Joining a large array of artists taking a stance and speaking out is Fiona Banner, whose CIRCA commission unveiled to the public on 16 July saw the artist manifest a procession of military jets to spell out DISARM; a subtle but firm message calling on war-mongering countries to quite frankly stop.

As the message lit up screens globally across Milan, Seoul, Berlin, Tokyo and, most importantly, London's Piccadilly Circus last night at 20:24 BST, people sharing their belief in wanting a united world gathered as Banner's wowed audiences by using F-16 military jets - ones currently flying towards Ukraine as you're reading this - to convey an important, if not contradictory message of peace. Subtle in its reading of being nothing more than an anti-war statement but also feeding into the many calls for ceasefire, the artwork cleverly exercises the artist's right to freedom of speech while also serving as a reminder that you do have the power to express dissent and advocate for humanity, even if you think you don't.

Filmmakers From Other Cinemas Film School Unite For New Exhibition Collective Imaginings

In Brent, what once was an NHS health clinic now stands as a creative metropolis, officially known as Metroland Studios and home to the Other Cinemas community. Different from other film organisations in their sole mission to exclusively champion black and non-white filmmakers and educators, the collective encourages those whose voices are often overlooked to speak out and make a stand for what they believe in, which is exactly what their upcoming exhibition Collective Imaginings - opening to the public on Friday 19 July - is all about.

Taking over the ground floor space of Metroland Studios (which includes free studio space, a grassroots cinema and a printing press and radio station), the exhibition will feature over 30 moving image works by 16 artists, all of whom are students that belong to the free, year-long Film School run by the Other Cinemas community, which also peddles a black and non-white community-centred approach to filmmaking. Challenging curatorial perspectives, the work involved will be presented on floating fabrics playing in sync; immersive projections; and films projected onto textiles in an area with cushions and rugs. A wall display mapping the history of Other Cinemas will also make an appearance, as will the opportunity to ‘Make Your Own Film’ with help from the school. We won't give away too much but if you're local to the area or have always wanted to get into film but don't know how; this exhibition is for you.

Collective Imaginings opens to the public on Friday 19 July at Metroland Studios in Brent and will remain open until Thursday 4 August.

Artist Aria Shahrokhshahi Presents Solo Exhibition Normal Life Happens at Have A Butchers Gallery

Russia's war on Ukraine may be continuing to wage on 2.5 years after Russia first invaded but that doesn't mean artists are slowing down in their protest against Putin's nation. Just take a look at what London-based British-Iranian visual artist and photographer Aria Shahrokhshahi is doing, whose second solo exhibition Normal Life at Have a Butchers Gallery in Dalston is aiming to amplify the voices of Ukrainians on the ground, while raising crucial funds for Humanitarian Aid in the ex Soviet state. The event will also see the launch of the artist's Volume 2 sketchbook zine series, with all sales from the sketchbooks also going to charity. The launch will take place on Thursday 18 July... see you there, then?

Wayne McGregor Continues Artistic Directorship at La Biennale di Venezia

For the last four years, Sir Wayne McGregor has served as the artistic director of the Dance Department of La Biennale di Venezia, a role he's clearly exceeded all expectations in thanks to the announcement of his reappointment by the festival's board of directors - chaired by Pietrangelo Buttafuoco - last week. 'Seeing him at work in the past weeks, studying his prodigious imagination and his efforts as a Maestro in the exclusive school that is the Biennale Danza College, allowed me to understand that his work deserves more time to consolidate practices and visions that are important to our institution', Buttafuoco noted in a statement to press, a decision McGregor is also thrilled about.

The role means McGregor will continue his artistic directorship of the festival for the two-year term 2025-2026, following on from his involvement in the 18th International Festival of Contemporary Dance, titled We Humans, set to take place in Venice from 18 July to 3 August. 'I look forward to working with the brilliant Biennale team to drive forward an evolving and powerful vision for dance today', McGregor commented. As huge fans of the choreographer here at SHOWstudio, so do we.

Nick Knight's Roses Travel To Spain For New Exhibition

Nick Knight has been exhibiting his work around the world for decades but for some reason, an exhibition in Spain has never come to fruition. Alas, that is all about to change as the artist's Roses From My Garden series is about to take up space at the Fundación Barrié headquarters this October, bringing Knight's irresistibly beautiful flowers to a new audience.

Although not the first time Knight's spectacular Roses From My Garden will be on display for the public, the exhibition does include eight brand new roses - a testament to Knight's ongoing desire to experiment and challenge himself while repositioning the rose as a muse fit for the 21st century. Existing in the liminal space between the past and present, the series looks to the rich history of classical painting as much as it utilises new technologies such as artificial intelligence. The exhibition will see Knight follow in the footsteps of his photography inspirations, most notably Alfred Stieglitz and Norman Parkinson, both who have had work shown with and supported by the Barrié Foundation.

Roses From My Garden opens to the public on 18 October at the Fundación Barrié headquarters in Spain and will remain open until 26 January, 2025.

Exhibition Cityscapes at The Artist Room Profiles The Unforgettable Art of Dennis Creffield

In 1987, post-war artist Dennis Creffield was commissioned by the Arts Council to draw every Cathedral in England and despite their similarities, the results of Creffield's depictions are remarkably individual; . Canterbury Cathedral is rendered as a series of sparse dashed lines while Durham's is barely visible in a smog of charcoal clouds. Regardless of what and how Creffield worked to capture these archiectural structures, the resulting body of work firmly anchored the artist's place in the canon of British art - an achievement recognised by The Artist Room in their latest exhibition Cityscapes, paying ode to Creffield's magnificently rich portfoilo as well as the cities that unequivocally inspired Creffield and his art. The exhibition is complimented by a concurrent group show Afterimage which, by paying tribute to Creffield's interest in cities and the land and which they're build upon, focuses on questioning notions of ‘landscape’ and its possibilities, while also bringing the work of a new generation of artists to the forefront.

Afterimage and Cityscapes are open to the public until 2 August at The Artist Room in London.