THE JOURNAL
Ms Whitney Houston performing at Wembley Arena, London, 5 May 1988. Photograph courtesy of V&A, London. © David Corio
The summer season is typically a time for frivolous pursuits – festivals, garden hangs, Aperol spritzes – but it’s important to set aside some space for culture. It wouldn’t do, after all, for all of your hard-earned mental cultivation to wither in the heat of the high season.
To help you out, we’ve assembled seven must-see exhibitions – including interactive installations, striking photography and ornate couture – that will infuse some culture into your hot, sweaty life (and likely provide some much-needed central AC). Whether you’ll be in Paris, London or Prague, we’ve got you covered.
01.
Capturing The Moment at Tate Modern, London
Ms Paula Rego, “War”, 2003. Photograph by Mr Oliver Cowling, courtesy of Tate. © Paula Rego
Tate Modern’s Capturing The Moment explores the relationship between painting and photography through iconic modern art. The exhibition features a range of different styles from the 20th and 21st centuries – both realist and surrealist – including artwork by Messrs David Hockney, Pablo Picasso and Mses Paula Rego and Louise Lawler, and captivating photography by Messrs Hiroshi Sugimoto, Andy Warhol and Andreas Gursky.
Open until 28 January 2024
02.
Bohemia History Of An Idea at Kunsthalle Praha
Mr Gabriel Orozco, “Game of Limes”, 2001. Photograph courtesy of Kunsthalle Prague. © Gabriel Orozco
What does it mean to be a bohemian? A year after opening its doors to the public, Kunsthalle Praha is collaborating with writer and curator Mr Russell Ferguson on a collection of almost 40 artists from across the world, which explores the evolution of nonconformist, artistic lifestyles. The exhibition looks at the history of the bohemian movement, starting from its birth in post-war Paris and travelling to 1970s New York, communist Czechoslovakia during the 1980s, Beijing and Mexico City.
Open until 16 October 2023
03.
Over The Rainbow at Centre Pompidou, Paris
Brassaï, Un costume pour deux, Bal Magic City, c. 1931. Photograph courtesy of Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI/Georges Meguerditchian/Dist. RMN-GP. © Estate Brassaï – RMN-Grand Palais
Centre Pompidou presents a collection of more than 500 pieces documenting and celebrating LGBTQIA+ culture in the 20th and 21st centuries. The exhibition includes pieces of all visual art mediums and movements that question the concept of gender, explore sexuality and liberation, but also highlight the queer community’s struggles and fight for recognition. Film and erotic photography from the 1920s and 1930s and the rise of the 1960s’ leather culture meet literature and 21st-century queer zines. If you’re in Paris this summer, this collection shouldn’t be missed.
Open until 13 November 2023
04.
Reset Materials – Towards A Sustainable Architecture at Copenhagen Contemporary
Silas Inoue, Material tests, attempts to design a column in biocement with bamboo as reinforcement, 2023. Photograph by Ms Emilie Koefoed, courtesy of Copenhagen Contemporary
Did you know that construction is responsible for almost 40 per cent of the global CO2 footprint? Copenhagen Contemporary’s new exhibition Reset Materials – Towards A Sustainable Architecture explores what the buildings of the future could look like and how we can repurpose materials and use the resources that we already have. In collaboration with the Danish Association of Architects, the exhibition looks at alternative and experimental building materials, such as recycled plastic, mycelium, nettles, clay and hemp, and showcases their architectural, functional and aesthetic prospects.
Open until 28 September
05.
On Stage at mumok, Vienna
Mr Thomas Struth, “Audience 1” (Galleria dell'Accademia), Florenz, 2004. Photograph courtesy of Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien. © Thomas Struth
On Stage dissects the meaning of theatrical performance and theatre-related work through various art mediums, including photography, sculptures, video and interactive pieces. Here, the audience can become the performer – you’ll have to visit to see how that plays out. It starts with mid-century experimental performative and actionist art with neo-avant-garde, the Fluxus Movement and Viennese Actionism. The exhibition also looks at how feminist performers, such as Ms Marina Abramović, worked against these male-dominated art forms, and also exhibits art that subverted gender roles. A must-visit curation if you happen to be in Vienna.
Open until 7 January 2024
06.
Give Me A Sign: The Language Of Symbols at Cooper Hewitt, New York
Office of Henry Dreyfuss, Traffic Symbols, circa 1969. Photograph by Mr Matt Flynn, courtesy of Smithsonian Institution. © Henry Dreyfuss Archive, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
Need to work on those communication skills? Throughout humanity, we have curated many forms of universal language. Among these is a constantly evolving network of symbols that we use to communicate every day. The curation at Cooper Hewitt celebrates the 50th anniversary of Mr Henry Dreyfuss’ Symbol Sourcebook: An Authoritative Guide To International Graphic Symbols – a dictionary of symbols, if you will – and from traffic signs to emojis, it explores the history of what these designs mean, may that be signalling danger or representing activism.
Open until September 2024
07.
Diva at Victoria & Albert Museum, London
Ms Grace Jones, Drury Lane, 1981, by Mr David Corio. Photograph courtesy of V&A, London. © David Corio
London’s Victoria & Albert Museum always hits the mark with the most well-rounded fashion exhibits. Diva celebrates the – you probably guessed it – divas of the world, spanning from 19th-century opera singers and early 20th-century silent film stars all the way to modern legends such as Cher, Beyoncé and Ms Tina Turner. Highlights of the collection include Rihanna’s Met Gala gowns, avant-garde costumes by designer Mr Bob Mackie, the famous sculpted Issey Miyake corset worn by Ms Grace Jones and Ms Edith Piaf’s makeup and trinkets.
Open until 7 April 2024