Articles posted in Inside Scoop, Out of the Studio
7 of Tate’s most controversial Christmas decorations
This Christmas, Tate Britain is marooned! Artist Anne Hardy has dressed the gallery with tangled lights, torn banners, ice and mud. Tate has a history of weird and wonderful Christmas decorations. Each year, the London gallery invites an artist to create a winter installation. From an upside-down tree to giant slugs, here are 7 of Tate’s most controversial Christmas decorations.
7 must-see women solo shows in London
Art is still very much a man’s world. Museums and galleries make it clear that the art world has historically been male orientated. Only 13.7% of living artists represented by galleries in Europe and North America are women. But London is leading the way by showing more women artists. Here’s my pick of 7 must-see female solo shows open right now.
Do apps belong in art galleries?
Not long ago, art world etiquette was clear. Use of mobile phones in a gallery was considered crude. I’ve certainly tutted at selfie-taking tourists, rudely blocking my view. However, many museums and galleries are now encouraging visitors to use their phones. A new app, Smartify, allows you to point your smartphone at an artwork and receive instant information on it. Brilliant idea or big mistake?
Hector's Recommendations | HIX AWARD 2019, HIX ART
The annual HIX Award is back, with fifteen shortlisted artists exhibiting at HIX ART in Shoreditch and vying for the £10,000 prize and a solo exhibition at the gallery. Having been founded by art collector and restaurateur Mark Hix in 2013, the HIX Award is an open call submission competition, open to all students or recent graduates of UK based art schools, that aims to promote the work of emerging artists as well as assisting them to make the transition from art school to an art career.
A hidden history: Eiderdown Books, the first publishing house for female artists
Eiderdown Books is a new publisher releasing books about female artists written by leading female writers, art historians and cultural commentators. The publisher launched earlier this month with ‘Modern Women Artists’, an exciting new series highlighting the lives of five overlooked women artists: Marlow Moss, Lee Miller, Laura Knight, Sylvia Pankhurst and Frances Hodgkins. We chat with Harriet Olsen, founder of Eiderdown Books and Samantha Niederman author of ‘Frances Hodgkins’, one of the fiv
Arts philanthropy: should museums refuse dirty money?
Sackler is a name you will see on the walls of museums and cultural institutions around the world. Tate Galleries, the Louvre in Paris and the Metropolitan Museum of Art have all previously accepted substantial financial gifts from the Sackler Trust. However, protests from visitors and activists have put pressure on cultural organisations to reject philanthropy from the Sacklers.
Hector’s Recommendations | Jamian Juliano-Villani 'Let's Kill Nicole'
Since graduating with a BFA from Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts, New Jersey, in 2013, Jamian Juliano-Villani’s star has very much been in the ascendent. Whilst
Hector’s Recommendations | Ben Spires Hook and Crook
Ben Spiers has been described by artist, friend, former student and ‘Hook and Crook’ curator Oli Epp as “one of London’s best kept secrets” and “London’s most secretive painter”, and I for one would, therefore, like to thank both Epp and veteran collector and dealer Kostyál for drawing Spiers out into the spotlight.
6 Of The World’s Weirdest Museums
Most of us will have holiday memories that include visiting a museum. The Louvre in Paris, London’s British Museum or New York’s Met, maybe. But have you ever been to a unique and unexpected museum during your trip away? Featuring vampires, fake art and frogs, here are 6 of the world’s weirdest museums.
Top Art Exhibitions to see in London in July
Hector Campbell, our Curator at Large, has his eye on the latest and greatest contemporary exhibitions, and he's always on the lookout for promising up-and-coming artists. If you're in search of your next art fix, here are four current London exhibitions that Hector recommends.