The narratives of dreams and nightmares have long been represented in art. Whether biblical, fantasies of folklore or fictionalised, artists have for centuries depicted surreal visions. Recent works by the three artists Raqib Shaw, Lu Song and Kenny Scharf all provide interpretation of dreamscapes that linger in your mind long after your first encounter with...
Last week’s Contemporary Art sales at Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips saw established names achieving stellar results. William Kentridge’s The Pool set a record for a work on paper at the hammer price £447,000 at Sotheby’s on Wednesday. At Christie’s the day before, Gerhard Richter’s Musa (2009) achieved £1,031,250, a world record for a tapestry by...
Tumultuous global relations, the consolidation of the technological revolution and an ever-louder call for populist ideologies have guaranteed 2019 to significantly develop from the status quo of 2018. Whilst artists and institutions are being urged to reflect on and contribute to the current socio-political zeitgeist, the question remains: how is the contemporary art world responding?...
Two weeks ago, the jet set of the contemporary art world continued their breakneck pace around this year’s circuit of must-see/must-be-seen-at-events with the preview of the 2019 Venice Biennale, titled “May You Live in Interesting Times”. It seems as though the whirlwind of Frieze New York is in the distant past. The crowds were heavy...
“Basel Basel”? Too much blue chip art being dealt at the Hotel Les Trois Rois and not enough fun. Basel Miami? Too much partying and not enough business. Art Basel Hong Kong? Jussst right. Hong Kong is one of those cities where a five/six day span is just the right amount of time. There is...
With 90 exhibitors coming from 18 different countries and more than 800 artists exhibited, Artgenève is back in town. This 8th edition will be held from 31 January to 3 February 2019 at the Palexpo convention center. Artgenève was founded in 2012 by Thomas Hug who remains at the helm as its current director. After...
What is VR? Virtual reality (VR) devices have become popular accessories worldwide. The technology was established in the 1990s, rising to prominence in recent years. VR experiences are enabled through a headset that displays a panoramic field of vision. The visuals move in synchrony with the user’s own movement, thereby distorting their perspective and creating the effect of situating [...]
Blockchain and cryptocurrencies have the potential to disrupt the ordinary flow of business in a profound way. Many are wary of these technologies and their growing prevalence in society. However, the steady growth of demand for secure and affordable means to digitally authenticate art is seeing a rise in the number of firms working in this [...]
Authenticating art in the digital age is proving increasingly difficult. Though the art market has faced issues of counterfeiting and fraud for years, recent advancements in technology have, until now, made combatting this a huge challenge. Could new technology, however, revolutionise the way art collectors, galleries and artists work? Blockchain is an electronic, transparent, public, [...]
We have witnessed a seismic shift in the cultural and political landscape in the past two years. Brexit has brought uncertainty and division, whilst simultaneously (and perhaps most worryingly) sapping the country of its already dwindling appetite for political debate. Across the pond, Donald Trump’s presidency continues to shock the world. These phenomena have been [...]
