No matter where you look this autumn, there’s new museums opening and old ones being revamped on all continents. You could spend the entire season just touring newly inaugurated or reopened art institutions. Just leave some time to explore new art exhibitions at tried and tested venues, too. [Work: Rebecca Rose, In Awe at Sculpture by the Sea. Photo: G Carr]
Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, South Africa – The opening of Zeitz MOCAA on 22 September is a big deal not just for Cape Town, but for South Africa and arguably the entire African continent. The contemporary art museum will occupy the heart of a repurposed grain silo located at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront and showcase contemporary art from across the continent. [Photo: Iwan Baan]
MoMA in Paris – Judging by the success of recent international excursions by New York’s Museum of Modern Art, Being Modern: The MoMA in Paris is set to be a blockbuster. Speculation surrounding the works likely to be included is already running wild, but a few Picassos would seem to be a sure bet. [Image: Paul Signac. Opus 217. Against the Enamel of a Background Rhythmic with Beats and Angles, Tones, and Tints, Portrait of M. Félix Fénéon in 1890. © 2017 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris]
Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Germany – Cologne is kicking off 500th birthday celebrations for Jacopo Tintoretto. Tintoretto – A Star was Born at Wallraf-Richartz-Museum appropriately starts at the beginning with the Italian painter’s early work, setting the scene for more quincentenary exhibitions in the year ahead. [Image: Jacopo Tintoretto, Deukalion und Pyrrha beten vor der Statue der Göttin Themis. Foto: © Paolo Terzi]
Museums Honoring Yves Saint Laurent, France and Morocco – Not one, but two museums dedicated to the work and life of French couturier Yves Saint Laurent are opening in October. The first, Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris, will show clothes and sketches from the designer’s career in his former atelier. The second will be housed in a purpose-built modern structure adjacent to the beautiful Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech and feature an exhibition space, library and concert hall.
African/French Art, Paris – Also in Paris, a whole host of exhibitions explore artistic connections between Africa and France. African Routes at the Musée du quai Branly shines a light on the paths forged as different cultures and colonists made their way across the continent; Dada Africa and Non-Western Sources at Musée de l’Orangerie showcases the appropriation of the exotic and primal in the groundbreaking Dada art movement. Meanwhile, Art/Afrique at Fondation Louis Vuitton presents a European collection of African art until 4 September. [Photos: Fondation Louis Vuitton. Courtesy CAAC –The Pigozzi Collection]
British Library, UK – It may not be the most highbrow arts event, but Harry Potter: A History of Magic is all but guaranteed to become the UK audience magnet of the year. In celebration of the first Potter book’s 20th publication anniversary, the British Library is showcasing manuscripts from the collection, as well as original drafts and drawings by J.K. Rowling and illustrator Jim Kay. [Jacob Meydenbach, Ortus Sanitatis (Strasbourg, 1491) © British Library Board]
The Barbican, UK – Serious art types are more likely to be found at the Barbican for Basquiat: Boom for Real, the first major UK exhibition focused on the visceral, street art-inspired work of the late Jean-Michel Basquiat. [Photo: © Edo Bertoglio, courtesy of Maripol. Artwork: © The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York]
Tate St Ives, UK – Part One of the reinvention of Tate St Ives culminated in the reopening of the renovated original building with a duo of exhibitions, The Studio and The Sea, which can still be viewed until the beginning of September. Part Two concludes with the opening of a new gallery and an inaugural exhibition of work by British artist Rebecca Warren. [Jessica Warboys installation © Tate. Photo: Ian Kingsnorth]
Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, Turkey – The world is ready for some positive news to come out of Turkey, and the Istanbul Biennial is all set to let the world see the country’s open, creative and modern side. The theme will be “a good neighbour”, a good one to ponder in a time of globalisation. [Photo © Alice Blangero]
Sculpture by the Sea, Australia – It’s that time of year again, when Australian art aficionados head outdoors to enjoy the weather, the views and the sculptures displayed on the Bondi to Tamarama Beach Coastal Walk. The 21st edition of Sculpture by the Sea is accompanied by the 2nd Sydney Sculpture Conference, which sadly takes place indoors, but does include a guided walking tour of the outdoor exhibition. [Photo: J Wyld]
Design Society, China – A museum exploring the intersections of art and design in Chinese industrial metropolis Shenzhen, Design Society will open in December 2017 with inaugural exhibition Values of Design. Co-curated by London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), this exhibition is the first of many in a 5-year partnership that will see an impressive array of shows stocked with items from the V&A’s vast collection.
Remai Modern, Canada – Just in case that wasn’t enough to put Canada on the art map in 2017, Remai Modern – another large museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art – is opening in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Province, on 21 October 2017.
The Broad, USA – Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room is the star attraction at the Broad in Los Angeles. The museum has a special queuing system in place just to deal with the crowds that want to visit the installation, which can only be viewed one visitor at a time. Needless to say, the exhibition Infinity Mirrors, exploring the artist’s work beyond that one piece, is likely to be equally popular. [Image: Yayoi Kusama, Infinity Mirrored Room – The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away. © Yayoi Kusama, Courtesy of David Zwirner, N.Y.]
The Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, USA – However, just to make sure the Broad doesn’t rest on its laurels as the most audience-pleasing museum in Los Angeles, along comes some serious competition in the form of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. The former Santa Monica Museum of Art’s new space in DTLA’s Arts District may become the hottest museum in town… until the next opening.
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