Summer is ending, and with it new activities begin with the 7 Art and Design Highlights for September 2021
With these 7 Highlights of art and design we make a tour through different exhibitions and visits that we can follow this month. Fairs and exhibitions paying tribute to great artists around the world, or getting to know a little more about our country by discovering more about Balenciaga, as with the exhibition at the Museo del Diseño de Barcelona about his hats. We are surrounded by art that we rediscover, that motivates and inspires us. Join us to discover the 7 highlights for this September!
1-Van Eyck multimedia show
This year, paying homage to the legacy of Flemish artist Jan Van Eyck, the city of Ghent, Belgium, has been offering activities and exhibitions to bring visitors closer to his works. The Church of St. Nicholas is a classic point of visit in Ghent, where Lights on Van Eyck, a media show with mobile screens that tells us about the artist himself and his legacy, is on display. A digital and musical interpretation of the Mystic Lamb, composed by Mat Collishaw for 30 minutes, and projected on all the walls of the church, in a technological way, every detail of his best-known works.
St. Nicholas Church, where Lights on Van Eyck is performed
Inside the church of St. Nicholas, video mapping projections and giant screens illuminate the works created by Van Eyck on all the walls and vaulted ceilings.
When?: Ends 7 November
Where: St. Nicholas Church, Cataloniëstraat, Ghent-Belgium.
Timetable: 11.00h – 19-00h
Opening of the new visitor center at St. Bavo’s Cathedral
On the other hand, the masterpiece of the Van Eyck brothers, the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, can be seen in the Cathedral of St. Bavo, where it enjoys a privileged place and in detail, in the Chapel of the Sacrament. In addition, this year they have opened a new visitor centre, an innovative experience that offers a virtual and immersive visit. The Ghent Altarpiece is very well known in the art world, it is one of the most influential works, that is why they wanted to make a major restoration and change the concept of interpretation and presentation;
To this end, and to improve the visitors’ experience, they have created a technologically adapted space with augmented reality glasses, this immersion is accompanied by a virtual assistant who narrates in several languages.
Interior of the Cathedral of Saint Bavo where the Ghent Altarpiece has been exposed
Van Eyck was one of the first Flemish painters to use oil on panel and, together with his brother, transformed Gothic painting into an innovative, detailed and realistic technique. Furthermore, he became a forerunner of Western portraiture with his naturalism, lighting and perspective, which was rare in his day.
Address: St. Bavo Cathedral, Sint-Baafsplein, Belgium
Hours: Monday to Saturday from 10.00h – 17.00h. Sundays from 13.00h – 17.00h
Tickets: You can buy the tickets here
2-Salone del Mobile Milano: Latest trends in furniture
As every year, Milan dresses up to celebrate the Furniture Fair. Despite the health situation, they have reached agreements to maintain prevention and safety, allowing all the companies that want to come to Italy to exhibit in peace and quiet. The historic courtyards in the centre of Milan will host various exhibitions and designers of national and international importance, for example HoperAperta will be present with the exhibition L’oggetto Celibe. Per un’arte da camera à réaction poétique. .
During the days of the fair, Milan will host hundreds of activities, also occupying its own streets with art
The show will feature 423 brands and 50 designers, 170 projects or 20 of the most influential figures in today’s creative world. This year’s edition will be a tribute to A.G. Fronzini. Fronzini, Italian designer and teacher, who has left a great legacy for future generations;
Riviera. Crstina Galliena Bohman
In conjunction with technological innovations, they will want to promote and give visibility to innovative products and projects, transmitting them through new digital platforms. In addition, they want to be linked to sustainability, and green areas and recyclable materials will be of great importance.
When: From 5 to 10 September.
Where: Fiera Milano, Rho, Italy
Opening hours: Saturday to Thursday from 10.00h to 19.00h, Sunday from 10.00h to 16.00h.
Tickets: You can buy the tickets here
3-Botticelli: artist and teacher
On 10 September, the Jacquemart-André Museum will celebrate the life and career of the Italian artist Botticelli, exhibiting around 40 works, along with several paintings that were of great influence on him. In addition, there will also be works on loan from prestigious institutions such as the Musée du Louvre, the National Gallery of London and the museums and libraries of the Vatican, among others.
From left From left to right: Portrait of Julien de Médicis and Vierge à l’Enfant dite Madone Campana by Botticelli
Botticelli was one of the most important artists in 16th-century Florence, he continuously alternated between the production of single works and serial works, and that is what the museum wants to convey. The exhibition will show visitors how he worked in his studio and how he developed his ideas.
From left From right to right: Le Couronnement de la Vierge and Le Retour de Judith à Béthulie
The works, arranged in chronological and thematic order, will trace Botticelli’s development, his work and how he was able to influence many of his fellow artists. They will present the Italian as an artist, but without neglecting his traits as an impresario and master, all that complemented him and made him one of the greatest in the history of art.
When: 10 September 2021 – 24 January 2022
Where: Musée Jacquemart-André, 158 Bd Haussmann, Paris
Schedule: 10.00h – 18.00h
Tickets: You can buy the tickets here
4-Alice Neel: ‘People first’
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao will host the first retrospective dedicated in Spain to the American artist Alice Neel. The exhibition, People First, will cover Neel’s entire artistic career. The exhibition includes hundreds of paintings, drawings and watercolours, closely linked to the vulnerability of his characters, but also to the strength and resilience that emerge in the face of problems..
From left From right to right: The works Nazis Murder and Georgie Arce, giving a voice to those disadvantaged or excluded
Many of the paintings created by the artist reflect the reality of that time in the world, especially in New York, the city where she lived. She wanted to break social conventions and limitations, giving vision to those who suffered for being black, poor or women.
From left From right to right: The works Nancy and Olivia and Carmen and Judy, representing women and motherhood
The exhibition includes a variety of themes such as the brutal anti-Semitism of the Nazi regime with his work Nazis Murder Jews, the ethnic diversity and underprivileged that inhabited the Spanich Harlem or the nude and sexuality. This last theme, the artist presented with a unique and real touch, women were represented as erotic objects, but Neel wanted to show more realism, touching, for example, on motherhood.
When: From 17 September 2021 to 6 February 2022.
Where: Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Abandoibarra Etorb., 2, Bizkaia
Schedule: 11.00h – 19.00h
Tickets: You can buy tickets here
5-Amadeo Modigliani: The revolution of art
The Albertina Museum Vienna will pay tribute for the first time to the Italian artist Amadeo Modigliani with the exhibition The Primitive Revolution, featuring 130 works. Throughout his short life, Modigliani did not earn much money as a painter, but today his paintings are exclusive and highly desirable. From 17 September visitors will be able to contemplate works that have travelled from museums and private collections in the United States, Singapore and Russia, or from the Picasso Museum in Paris.
Desnudo femenino recostado sobre una almohada – Modigliani
From left to right: Paintings created by Modigliani, Diego Rivera (1914) and Max Jacob (1916/17)
The exhibition will explore the origins of art represented by the Italian artist. Modigliani depicted the Renaissance in his works, but he was also linked to African, Egyptian and Asian archaic art. In this way, he was able to compose the prehistoric and non-European world with representations of Pablo Picasso or André Derain.
From left From right to right: Works created by Pablo Picasso, Bust of a Man and Caryatid
Modigliani delved into ancient times in order to be influenced by everything that attracted him, and his works reflect this and play an essential role in the history of art, without the artist having been a great pioneer. In fact, suffering and scandals marked his work, yet he was able to unite modern art with ancient art, and a hundred years after his death, the exhibition will highlight his career.
When: From 17 September 2021 to 9 January 2022.
Where: Albertina Museum Vienna, Albertinapl. 1, Austria
Schedule: 10.00h – 18.00h
Tickets: You can buy tickets here
6-Alaïa and Balenciaga linked through the years
The Cristobal Balenciaga Museum is hosting the exhibition Alaïa and Balenciaga. Sculptors of form until 1 November. The exhibition occupies 1,000 m2, and visitors can enjoy 52 pieces by the designer Alaïa and 48 by Balenciaga, displayed in showcases and outside them.
From left From right to right: Sleeveless black lace dress, decorated with ruffles on the skirt and neckline, and long red silk dress with crossed body and long train. Designed by Alaïa
From left To right: Evening dress in ivory satin with rhinestones, rounded skirt with whales, ecru tulle skirt, designed by Balenciaga. Laser-perforated raw velvet and lamé viso dress, with perforated and studded leather belt, created by Alaïa
Throughout the exhibition it will be possible to perceive the similarities that the two geniuses had when creating their pieces.For the Tunisian, Alaïa, Balenciaga, was the most loved and appreciated, in fact, from 1970 onwards he acquired collectible pieces to enhance the value of these garments so that they would not be forgotten. Both designers had the perfect idea of balance between measurements and volumes, the importance of tailoring and fabrics, and intense colours such as fuchsia, red, or black full of details.
From left From right to right: Black leather ensemble, wide lapels and short high-waisted skirt. Short black leather coat, fitted and belted. Cape set with tailored collar and high-stemmed straight skirt, it also has a silk cloque simulating crocodile skin
From left to right : Black wool herringbone fitted tailored jacket with three-button closure, and black wool tailored tailored jacket with tailored collar by Balenciaga
The visit includes a variety of documentation, sketches, photographs and films belonging to the Balenciaga Archives in Paris. In addition to two documentary pieces on Azzedine Alaïa.
When: Until 1st November
Where: Museo Cristóbal Balenciaga, Aldamar Parkea Parkea, 6, Guipúzcoa
Hours: From Tuesday to Sunday from 11.00h to 19.00h.
Tickets: You can buy the tickets here
7-Art international appointment in Basel
As every year Art Basel returns to Basel, it will feature 272 galleries presenting works from all periods; historical, little-known and recent treasures spearheaded by new and young artists. In addition to exhibiting art in galleries and functions, Art Basel will also present 62 large-scale works in Unlimited, providing galleries with the opportunity to showcase large sculptures, expansive walls of paintings and projections in a huge way. Works such as Mastaba, sculpture by Carl Andre or the work Le Soleil Toujours by Lebanese artist Etel Adnan, will be on view.
Art Basel will feature, like every year, a large number of galleries, where old and new paintings will be exhibited.
In addition, 20 specific projects as part of Parcours, in public and private places, with the logo Can we find happiness together again?. Within these spaces we can find 12 paintings by Claudia Comte presented at Galerie Gladstone, sculptural installations by Pedro Wirz at the Kunsthalle Basel or Neopets, a large-scale sculpture by Bunny Rogers.
Unlimited Zone, where artists can exhibit their creations in a wide and extensive way
There will also be two interventions by the artists Monster Chetwynd and Cecilia Bengolea, a film programme and different talks about the fair, and everything is focused on contact, connectivity with others, reinforcing friendship and joy.
When?: From 24 to 26 September
Where: Messeplatz Basel, Basel
Schedule: 11.00h to 19.00h
Tickets: You can buy tickets here
Images courtesy of The Salone del Mobile in Milan, Jacquemart-André Museum, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Albertina Museum in Vienna, Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum and Art Basel
