September Art Guide - Bilbao

Fresh and irreverent, the current art scene of Bilbao brings some ways to kick out the end of the summer blues.

I.

Exhibition title: Post-conflict. Reframing a dialogue.

Artists: Live Wild Collective, Chow & Lin, Erik Kessels & Thomas Mailaender,  Luca Locatelli, Sofía Moro, Simon Norfolk, Juan Valbuena.

Venue: Getxophoto International Festival

Dates: until September 30th

Image takes over the city of Getxo, in the greater Bilbao area. Spread all over the facade of some public buildings, on subway walls, inside ephemeral beach boxes and even floating in the water, the festival welcomes a variety of photography formats around the theme of leaving a conflict behind. A chance to enjoy art as a part of city life, where one can wander through the derelict Punta Begoña galleries, jump on Trump’s face in Getxo Antzokia, and enjoy art at this beautiful coastal location.

Getxophoto highlights

II.

Exhibition title: Shadow Play

Artists: Javier Téllez

Venue: Guggenheim Bilbao

Dates: Until November 18th

Poetic and full of symbols, the work of the Venezuelan artist Javier Téllez manages to trigger through video format our best instincts and sense of humanity around a theme as contemporary as the condition of refugee.

Javier Téllez, Shadow Play, 2014. Film installation, 35 mm film projection. Film still, courtesy of the artist and Peter Kilchmann galerie, Zurich © Javier Téllez

III.

Exhibition title: Infinite Garden. Regarding Bosch.

Artist: Álvaro Perdices

Venue: Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao

Dates: Until September 17th

The Garden of Earthly Delights is an enigmatic triptych, painted c. 1490 - 1500 by Hieronymus Bosch, which comes to a new life through the work of a contemporary artist. A dark large room is filled with carefully curated fragments of the work of the Flemish artist, Bosch, enlarged, put into motion and interwoven into some kind of narrative. Let this work surround and mesmerize you.

Infinite Garden. Regarding Bosch.

Click here for more information about Oh So Arty in Bilbao!

Header image: Jump Trump by Erik Kessels and Thomas Mailaender

August Art Guide - New York

Recommendations of what to see in the New York City art scene this month by our local insider Maya Yadid. Discover more on a private art tour!

I.

Exhibition:  The Song of Dragon and Flowers
Artist: Chen Dongfan
Venue: Doyers Street, Chinatown
Dates: Until November 1st, 2018

Chinese artist Chen Dongfan has implemented a 4800 square foot mural on Doyers Street in Chinatown as a Seasonal Street. Dongfan’s installation, titled “The Song of Dragon and Flowers,” highlights the history of Asian immigration to the United States, as well as the historical significance of Doyers street. The artist was “inspired by the immigrant experience and how they perceive this neighborhood as home. I am eager to use my brush to tell the story of the past, the current, and the future of Chinatown.”

II.

Exhibition: Narcissus Garden
Artist: Yayoi Kusama
Venue: Studio 7, For Tilden, Far Rockaway, NY, 12-6 PM
Dates: Until September 3rd

One of the most famous installations of the Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama, has been installed in an unusual location: Rockaway Beach in Southern Queens. Presented by MoMA PS1, this public art experience is free of charge. The installation, that was first featured in 1966, consists of 1,500 mirrored chrome spheres, now covering the floor of a former military train garage. The garage where the exhibition is displayed was one of many buildings that were damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. MoMA PS1’s annual Rockaway!  art installation is meant to bring awareness to the continuing hurricane recovery, and the effects of climate change. 

III.

Event: Warm Up
Venue: MoMa PS1, 22-25 Jackson Ave, Long Island City, New York
Dates: every saturday through September 1st

MoMA PS1’s Warm Up series, the museum’s annual music event, features an array of innovative and emerging music artists for 10 weeks during the summer. The audience and view some of the museum’s exhibits while listening to the concerts, which are staged within an architectural installation. This year’s lineup includes artists such as Valee, Lizzo, Cashmere Cat, Gang Gang Dance, Maxo Kream, and more. 

Learn more about Oh So Arty in New York here!

August Art Guide - Bilbao

Recommendations of what to see in the Bilbao art scene this month by our local guide, María José Orihuela. Discover more on a private art tour!

I.

Exhibition title: Invisible Landscapes / Paisajes Invisibles
Artist: Saray Pérez Castilla
Venue: Sala Rekalde
Dates: Until September 2nd, 2018

When a conflict is far more complex than words would be able to tell, art often comes along. This is the case of the work by Saray Pérez, who travels to Tindouf (Algeria) to visit Saharawi refugee camps and initiate a dialog about memory and land with, a contained use of technology and great emphasis on oral communication.

D2 Paisajes Invisibles 27º 31´ 24.996´´ N 8º 0´ 43.631´´ O Selma Mohamed “Belga”

II.

Exhibition title: Chagall, The Breakthrough Years 1911-1919
Artist: Marc Chagall
Venue: Guggenheim Museum
Dates: Until September 2nd, 2018

Chagall is an artist that can be constantly rediscovered. His onyric scenes, mysterious characters and cultural references bring layers of meaning along, which allow multiple readings, never twice the same. The exhibition brings together his youngest works, from his 20s and early 30s. Around that time, he decided to move from St. Petersburg to Paris, where he he felt at odds with Impressionism and Cubism. 

Jew in Black and White (Le juif en noir et blanc), 1914 Oil on cardboard mounted on canvas 101 x 80 cm Im Obersteg Collection, permanent loan to the Kunstmuseum Basel 2004, Inv. Im 1084 © Marc Chagall, Vegap, Bilbao 2018

III.

Exhibition title: Silver to Pixel / De la Plata al Pixel
Various artists
Venue: Bilbao Arte
Dates: Until August 6th, 2018

Twenty artists come together in this exhibition to celebrate the gallery’s twentieth birthday. Despite its somewhat uninspired title, the exhibition at Bilbao Arte brings together a truly evocative selection of authors, each of which have been artists in residence, one each year from 1998 until today. While the show gives a good grasp of what has been going on in photography during the last two decades in the North of Spain, it is a chance to discover something new... to me, this project was Deseret Haretatik by Ainhoa Akutain.

Tidal (Deseret Haretatik) © Ainhoa Akutain

Learn more about Oh So Arty in Bilbao here!

Header image: © Saray Pérez Castilla

72 Hours in Antwerp

The beautiful Belgian port city of Antwerp has existed since around the 1500s and has a wealth of historical and contemporary institutions to explore. We were invited by This Is Antwerp to participate in their cheekily nicknamed ‘Antwerp bootcamp’ also known as ‘Discover Antwerp Through Experience’ or D.A.T.E. Eager to find an Oh So Arty insider in this cultural hub, we packed our bags and flew to Antwerp for an enlightening few days with other creatives, bloggers, and artists. We are looking forward to unveiling Oh So Arty in Antwerp but until then, enjoy this compilation of our favorite places from our Belgian sojourn.

Day one was a whirlwind of checking into our beautiful accommodations for the weekend at the boutique Hotel Pilar and meeting all the other individuals participating in D.A.T.E. We then prepared for a city bike ride with Cyclant. Peddling around Antwerp was the perfect way to see the city! A highlight was cycling through the impressive St. Anna’s Tunnel or ‘The Underpass’ as it is known by locals.

Biking through St. Anna's Tunnel. Photo by Niko Caignie.

In the evening we went to the Berchem district and toured PAKT, an old warehouse site that currently functions as a creative hub and office area that also has restaurants, bars, housing and unique events. We ended day one with drinks from The Antwerp Brew Company at Seef Brewery.

The Antwerp Brew Company at Seef Brewery. Photo by Niko Caignie.

To start day two we hopped back onto our bicycles and road to the open air Middelheim Museum. Located in a city park on the edge of Antwerp, the Middelheim Museum presents a large collection of modern and avant-garde installations that are free to view. During our visit we saw the exhibition Experience Traps which featured sixteen contemporary artists, who created monumental sculptures and installations that responded to the Baroque landscape of the park.

Middelheim Museum. Photo by Niko Caignie.

After an amazing morning in the park we biked on to MUHKA, the Museum of Contemporary Art. Like many creative partners in the city, MUHKA is participating in the Antwerp Baroque year in which throughout 2018 the city presents a program juxtaposing old and new Baroque. Their current exhibition Sanguine Expo (on view until September 16th, 2018), curated by Luc Tuymans, perfectly captured this relationship between old and new.

We made time to stop off at Plus One Gallery which represents Belgian and international artists. The gallery has two locations, one in Berchen and the second in Nieuw Zuid and is a great destination for contemporary art lovers visiting the city!

For dinner we grabbed a bite at Native Food serving organic food with authentic and locally sourced ingredients. The relaxed alfresco atmosphere makes it a perfect place to decompress after a long day of touring.

PAKT. Photo by Niko Caignie.

As we came to discover, you can’t visit Antwerp without immersing yourself in its rich Baroque history. A visit to the house of Peter Paul Reubens, one of the most influential Baroque painters is a must. The Rubenshuis displays several of his paintings and contains his workshop as well as a lovely courtyard. Visiting Rubenshuis will satiate art history fanatics, and give you a taste for what life was like in Antwerp at the time of Rubens.

Rubenshuis. Photo by Niko Caignie.

Grabbing a quick breakfast bite at Sanba coffee shop we started day three at the MAS (Museum aan de Stroom or Museum at the river). Designed by the renowned Neutelings Riedijk Architects MAS was established in 2011 when older museums had to close for maintenance. MAS has something for everyone including ethnographic art, maritime art, the city’s archive and a detailed exhibition of Antwerp shipping history.

When in Belgian it is practically required to indulge in Belgian fries. Make your order upscale at Baraque Friture. Fries in hand we decided to check out the newly opened Port House, designed by world renowned architect Zaha Hadid. Hadid’s design epitomizes the dynamic identity of this port city. Contemporary art has a place at Port House too and we were awestruck by the monumental drawings of the young Belgian artist Rinus Van de Velde, currently exhibited in the space.

Port House designed by Zaha Hadid. Photo by Niko Caignie.

Our final arty stop was to the Plantin-Moretus Printing Museum named after the 16th century printing company and located in the home of its owners. As with many historical sites in Antwerp, the Plantin-Moretus museum has a connection to Rubens as the artist was a close friend of the Plantin family and some of his paintings are on display. A UNESCO World Heritage Site opened to the public in the 1880’s, this museum is a unique arty venue. During your visit make sure to check out the museum's collaborator Kastaar, a graphic design studio with a collection of historic printing material. Within their workshop Kastaar creates custom-made printing projects.

 Plantin-Moretus Printing Museum. Photo by Niko Caignie.

Exhausted and inspired form our whirlwind exploration of Antwerp we sat down for dinner at Bar Noord with all of our new creative contemporaries to digest the past 72 hours. Immersed in the verdant Park Spoor Noord we sipped on spritzes and toasted this fascinating city. Stay tuned for an Oh So Arty local insider in Antwerp coming soon. If you’re interested in taking a private art tour in Brussels please click here to learn more.

We would be remiss not to mention our fantastic colleagues who joined us during these few days in Antwerp. Please check out their creative endeavors throughout Europe. Birdy Ben, Tony Skeor, Mimo Mali, and Dimitris Ladopoulos are all artists who were commissioned to create new art work for This Is Antwerp. There were also bloggers and writers in our group including: Stefania Guglielmi, Angel Trinidad, Local Lore's Réka and Adrienn, and Maximilian Prag.

A special thank you to the amazing team at This is Antwerp for inviting us and hosting us in what was an unforgettable stay and to Niko Caignie for all the beautiful pictures. 

Viewing installations commisioned from Birdy Ben, Tony Skeor, Mimo Mali, and Dimitris Ladopoulos. Photo by Niko Caignie.

July Art Guide - London

Recommendations of what to see in the London art scene this month by our local guide, Marine Tanguy. Discover more on a private art tour!

I.

Exhibition: Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition
Artists: Various Artists
Venue: Royal Academy of Arts
Dates: Until August 20th, 2018

Grayson Perry curated this exhibition and it is a lot of fun! 250 years of tradition, art and giving a chance to all artists. Heaven. 

II.

Exhibition: Open Studios
Artist: Sam Creasey
Venue: Artist's studio - Putney Vale Community Centre Stroud Crescent SW153EJ
Dates: Until July 28th, 2018

The paintings of London based artist Sam Creasey welcome the viewer into a dystopian narrative formed from a juxtaposition of lurid photographic material extracted from the internet. Come for drinks, fun and oh so arty conversations! 

III.

Exhibition: Barrels & The Mastaba 1958-2018
Artists: Christo & Jeanne Claude
Venue: The Serpentine Gallery
Dates: Until September 9th, 2018

Christo and Jeanne-Claude are celebrated for their ambitious sculptural works that intervene in urban and natural landscapes around the world and temporarily alter both the physical form and visual appearances of sites. This summer, in the heart of London, the Serpentine Galleries presents a major exhibition of the artists’ work, which draws upon their use of barrels to create artworks.

To discover more about the London art scene book an Oh So Arty tour with Marine!