5 New Art Books

This month’s round-up of new releases spans street photography, futuristic architecture and surf culture, offering visual inspiration and global perspectives.

A New Digital Platform

The way we share art has changed dramatically in the information age. HUAWEI Themes is a new outlet for digital makers, adapting work for mobile.

Top Picks: ArtVilnius 2020

ArtVilnius’20 opens this week. The fair, which has been postponed twice, returns for its 11th edition with a focus on photography and performance.

Redefining Production

This autumn, the MAST Foundation presents the sixth edition of the MAST Photography Grant on Industry and Work, dedicated to emerging talent.

Visual Languages

Bruce Nauman looks at the languages – and aesthetics – of entertainment and advertising, creating works that explore human perception.

The Botanical Mind

There has never been a more important time to consider our relationship with the environment. Camden Art Centre looks at plants in art history.

Making Art Accessible

No single word wholly describes Smith & Partner: an advisory, dealership and gallery all at once. The organisation opened its doors on 15 September.

Individuality and Acceptance

Namsa Leuba’s latest series explores gender dysphoria, myth and reality. Boogie Wall Gallery, London, explores the themes in detail.

Art and Introspection

Alias Trate’s most recent works were made during lockdown. The paintings are rooted in the human condition, exploring a new normal and way of being.

The Future of Architecture

The Architizer A+Awards highlights designers who are transforming society and the built environment for generations to come.

Lost and Found

Kao Saephan is a photographer and writer who’s interested in the cinematic nature of smaller, often forgotten towns in California.

Connection and Identity

Bloomberg New Contemporaries returns for 2020 with a new digital platform. Kirsty Sim’s images explore the effects of mass media on culture.

Intrigue in the Everyday

Manchester based photographer Robert John Watson captures unnoticed spaces in the urban landscape. A new show draws attention to the city.

5 Live Streams to Watch

Since lockdown, museums around the world have been hosting Q&As online, making art more accessible than before. Discover five top picks.

Connecting Through Culture

Learning a new language can open up a wealth of opportunities in the arts. Goethe-Institut are leading the way, encouraging the study of German.

Floral Imagination

Flowers have had a significant presence in throughout art history, from painting to digital renders. A new book examines their enduring appeal.

5 to See:
Vienna Contemporary

From seminal photography to abstraction and installation, the 2020 programme highlights global established and emerging artists.

Humanity and the Land

Paul Hart captures the melancholy beauty of farmland. The images move beyond traditional landscape photography, taking a critical approach.

Computer Vision

Trevor Paglen is an artist examining the systems and technologies that shape our world. He reveals the underpinnings of the digital landscape.

ING Discerning Eye: New Platforms

The annual exhibition is now calling for entries for a brand-new online edition in 2020, giving creatives the opportunity to showcase virtually.

Design Without Constraints

Alexander Wong is an award-winning architect who specialises in avant-garde design that pushes the boundaries of luxury and grandeur.

On a Knife-Edge

Bara Prasilova’s surreal images teeter on the edge of absurdity and humour, using props to create authenticity and real physical tension.

Pathetic Fallacy

Felipe OA’s images communicate feelings of isolation and loneliness in the landscape, heavily inspired by literary and cinematic aesthetics.

Visualising the Anthropocene

In this interview, photographer Edward Burtynsky investigates humanity’s indelible, irrevocable and deeply complex influence on the Earth.

Works in Isolation

Sean Jackson’s new series is a collection of images capturing New York during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, between 13 March and 10 May.

Art Exhibitions to See:
This Month

Aesthetica selects five must-see exhibitions around the world – opening online and in galleries. They reflect on identity, migration and place.

Inspiration in the City

Camille Walala transforms public spaces through bold colours, playful shapes and geometric patterns. Her work is part of London Mural Festival.

Playing with Perception

Olafur Eliasson continues to respond to social and environmental issues through creativity and advocacy in the Guggenheim Bilbao retrospective.

Aesthetica Archives:
Architectural Photography

These bright, geometric images encourage us to look at cities in a new way – from Michael Wolf’s metropolis to icons of 20th century modernism.

Sculpture as Experience

A new publication explores Provence’s open-air museum, which is home to some of the biggest names in contemporary art and architecture.

5 to See: Art Outdoors

Public art has perhaps never been more important, offering audiences chance to experience culture whilst social distancing. Discover 5 to See.

New Paths

Michael Matzko is a Cincinnati-based photographer. As the first segment of a larger project On Being Human, which asks the fundamental question: “What does a healthy world look like?” Matzko began working on a series during the Covid-19 lockdown, entitled The Self Isolation Project.

Portrait of Britain

The winners of the annual photography award have been announced. They arrive in turbulent times, capturing individuals shaping our world today.

Innovative Anatomy

Design Museum Den Bosch’s latest show, BodyDrift, displays an imagined future in which human bodies blend with machines.

Into the Digital Realm

Berlin-based international festival Pop-Kultur launches its sixth edition this week – presenting audiovisual works of art for free and online.

Human Contact

“For over a year I stopped traveling and photographing. I barely took any pictures at all.” Alec Soth’s latest portraits are honest and revealing.

Launching A New Space

Smith & Partner is dedicated to both Old Masters and emerging artists, driven by the idea that collecting art should be accessible to anyone.

Aesthetica Archives: Nocturnal Photography

Discover visual artists capturing the world at night. From neon-bathed cities to remote woodlands, these images are filled with mystery.

Portrait of Society

David Goldblatt’s powerful and intimate photographs of people in Johannesburg span 1948 – 2018, drawing attention to injustice.

Arts in Lockdown

Many arts institutions across the UK have been threatened due to the pandemic. Joanna Vestey has photographed London’s empty theatres.

Climate Awareness

Oceans are rising across the globe, causing destructive flooding. Rosie Bond’s publication combines art and science to raise awareness.

A Photographic Discovery

An extraordinary archive of over 8,000 photographs was found in an attic. It provides a joyous view of life and travel in the 20th century.

Decisions at the Crossroads

The act of walking has taken on new significance in recent months. Oli Kellett’s photographs are taken at crossroads in cities across America.

Tuning Into Nature

Chip Skingley is a Photography BA graduate from UWE Bristol. The images explore the power of walking and reconnecting with the environment.

10 Quotes: Contemporary Photographers

Discover visual and textual inspiration from today’s leading image-makers. These photographers offer meaningful insights into their craft.

Expressive Figures

London-based Courtney Bae is a Korean artist recognised for her abstract figurative works. A new series of paintings is launching this summer,

View from Above

David O’Meara’s photo composites walk a fine line between forms, evoking a familiar sense of longing
whilst hovering above pedestrian crossings.

Mutual Realities

The difference between being “seen” and being “watched” is important to Rineke Dijkstra’s work, which explores human development over time.

Poetic Meditation

Isaac Julien offers a poetic meditation on the life of Frederick Douglass – a visionary African American writer, abolitionist and a freed slave.

Soul of a Nation

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is the final venue to present ‘Art in the Age of Black Power.’ Curator Kanitra Fletcher speaks to Aesthetica.