Top 3 Art Events Across Europe in September
As travel restrictions in Europe are easing, we wanted to highlight some of the major art events happening in European cities this Autumn. If you’ve been waiting for a reason to book a weekend getaway, then look no further! With postponed events now finally being confirmed as back on the calendar, these are ones you won’t want to miss!
Photo London | 8-12 September
Let’s start with Artscapy’s home town, London! Photo London is known as ‘the photography event of the year’. It brings together the world’s leading photographers, galleries and collectors with four days of talks, exhibitions and workshops to highlight both historical and fresh perspectives in the medium. The first physical photography fair globally in 18 months, it’s a guaranteed hit! As expected, tickets have been selling fast, but there are still limited second release tickets to snatch up.
There will be 91 galleries from 17 countries, so there is plenty to feast your eyes on! Yet, we want to highlight the one artist we are most excited to see!
The Master of Photography exhibition, which celebrates the work of Iranian artist Shirin Neshat, will feature Neshat’s multidisciplinary project called ‘Land of Dreams’. The exhibition marks a shift in the artist’s career, turning her lens away from her own Islamic culture and to a new area: the American West. It is a complex project on New Mexico and its inhabitants, comprising 111 monochromatic images and two films. Although ‘Land of Dreams’ was widely lauded in the US, it has never been fully exhibited in the UK due to Covid-19 related closures, and we can't wait!.
Neshat’s empathetic take on storytelling shines through in her photographic work. She creates intimate portraits of her subjects by engaging them in a conversation about their latest dreams.
Parallel to her portrait work, Neshat has also produced a more sinister fictitious film, where an Iranian colony tasks her alter-ego with recording the dreams of, and photographing American residents in their homes. The surreal film compliments her more traditional work, exploring “the complexities between the ephemeral nature of dreams and the dangerous impact of oppressive political ideologies”.
Don’t fret if you’re not able to make it to London in time, Photo London is keeping its digital programme throughout the month of September so that you can enjoy much of the fair from anywhere in the world. You will also be able to access a brilliant selection of free talks and workshops. One talk that we think you won’t want to miss is with Pixy Liao, “Your Gaze Belong to Me”, on the 13th of September via Zoom. The talk will teach us a little more about Liao’s practice and influences in her work. If you want to get some insights on her practice ahead of time, why don’t you read our previous article ‘Fe/Male Gaze’? And... we’ll see you on the call!
Art Paris | 9-12 September
You’ll have a tough decision to make if you are interested in both photography and contemporary art, since Photo London and Art Paris are taking place on the same weekend! To help make your decision easier we’re going to highlight some of the key features of Art Paris 2021:
Featuring over 140 galleries from 20 countries, Art Paris 2021 is back with a strong focus on the French art scene, and is brought to us by the guest curator, Hervé Mikaeloff. This year’s art fair showcases a selection of 20 contemporary artists (such as Yan-Pei Ming) that prompt a fresh look at portraiture and figuration.
“In a “post-medium” era, art is more than ever questioning its relationship to the image. In my focus on the French scene, by choosing the theme of portraiture I am aiming to show the renewal of figurative art. Above and beyond a simple stylistic effect (...)”
We think the highlight of Art Paris this year is probably “Solo Show: A Showcase of 27 Monographic Exhibitions” (if you are wondering what a ‘Monographic Exhibition’ is, don’t worry! This is just a fancy word to say ‘solo show’ - exhibitions that showcase the works of just one artist) where galleries will be presenting renowned artists like Pablo Picasso as well as introducing lesser well-known artists such as landscape artist Jessie Homer French.
Tickets are available to purchase online - find out more here.
Berlin Art Week | 15-19 September
In line with Berlin’s long-standing reputation as an arty city, its art festival will no doubt meet our expectations for quirkiness and trendiness! For its tenth iteration, the festival will bring together artists and art lovers from all over with an extensive programme of exhibitions, screenings and performances.
Locations are spread throughout Berlin, from big museums like the Gropius Bau, to smaller galleries in the upscale Charlottenburg district. It is a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the city’s creative culture whilst you’re there enjoying the festival!
The festival covers contemporary art quite broadly, you can expect to see quite a bit of photography, sculpture, paintings and moving images this year. One of our highlights of the festival is the first ever retrospective of the German Fluxus artist, Tomas Schmit.
Although Tomas Schmit was a prolific artist and pioneer of the Fluxus movement (an avant-garde art movement that emerged during the ‘50s,often associated with artists such as Marcel Duchamp and John Cage). His work has not been this widely exhibited before, and on this scale. It is therefore a unique opportunity to see his work, which directly questions the concept of bourgeois art and also highlights intricate links between art and life.
If that isn’t your cup of tea, that’s okay! You still have over 80 different locations participating in the art week to choose from. Make sure to book tickets ahead of time for the events you are most interested in!
If you are based in Vienna, Milan or Basel, you’re also in luck! The miart (Milan’s international art fair) will be taking place from the 17-19 of September, check out more information here. Vienna Contemporary will be showcasing Central and Eastern European Galleries from 2-5 September. And lastly, the major Art Basel will be closing off the September art fairs with an exciting programme from the 24 – 26. Keep your eyes peeled because another article highlighting all the good stuff in Art Basel is coming your way. Meanwhile, why don’t you book your tickets?
Ah - last thing! Make sure you share your insights from all these events with our fellow Artscapers. In our ‘Explore’ feed you can see everything that everyone is posting on Artscapy and you can also post your own update. How cool is that? We want to see the weirdest, the worst and the best artwork you find! Use the hashtag #ArtscaperEvents and we will post our favourites on our Instagram!
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