Category: ART
Franco Battiato
Franco Battiato (1945–2021) was a visionary Italian musician, filmmaker and spiritual seeker who captivated audiences in Italy while remaining largely unknown in the English-speaking world. Following the release of Il Lungo Viaggio and the exhibition Un’altra vita at Rome’s MAXXI, this article explores the life, music and philosophy of an artist who searched for a permanent centre of gravity beyond fame and success.
Mountains and Seas – Song of Today
Blending ancient Chinese myth with music, movement, and poetry, Mountains and Seas – Song of Today confronts climate crisis, rising fascism, and collective grief through a powerful non-Western lens.
Sudan Retold
Sudan Retold offers a powerful, deeply human retelling of Sudan’s history through a decade-long collaboration of artists, writers, and curators. While the nation continues to endure political turmoil and civil war, the project highlights Sudan’s greatest strength—its people—through a hauntingly beautiful art exhibition and book. Drawing on personal archives, oral histories, and forgotten objects, Sudan Retold opens a window onto a rich cultural heritage, offering a layered and compelling narrative beyond the headlines.
Nigerian Modernism
“Nigerian Modernism” at Tate Modern offers a groundbreaking look at 50 years of artistic innovation, tracing Nigeria’s creative evolution from colonial rule to independence. With works from over 50 artists, alongside the return of the 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair, this review explores a vibrant period when Nigerian artists reshaped national identity and global modernism.
Queer East
Queer East returned to the UK for its sixth edition, shining a light on boundary-pushing LGBTQ+ cinema, theatre, and art from East and Southeast Asia. From Takeshi Kitano’s epic Kubi to intimate portraits of queer middle age and psychological thrillers, the festival redefines queer storytelling beyond Western borders.
De l’ombre à la lumière : Annie E. Walker et Henry Ossawa Tanner
Cet article retrace les parcours remarquables de deux artistes afro-américains méconnus du XIXe siècle — Annie E. Walker et Henry Ossawa Tanner — qui, en quête de reconnaissance et de liberté artistique, ont trouvé en France un terrain propice à l’épanouissement de leur talent, inscrivant ainsi leur empreinte singulière dans l’histoire de l’art.
Magic in the Everyday: Two Artists Who Transform Reality
Two powerful art exhibitions in London—Noah Davis at the Barbican and Grayson Perry at the Wallace Collection—reveal how everyday life can be transformed through a magical, artistic lens. In times of unrest, their work offers light, complexity, and wonder.
Ghosts in the Garden: An Encounter with the Art of Hugo Durante
While walking my dog through the Bordeaux Botanical Garden, I encountered an artist who sees ghosts in forgotten statues and hope in decay. Hugo Durante’s sculptures draw from ancient myth, pop culture, and the natural world—blending apocalypse with revelation. This is the story of how a shared love of animals and art sparked conversations about beauty, ruin, and the worlds we dare to imagine.