They say that great art captures the spirit of the present and preserves it so that it may be appreciated in the future. But what happens when you combine the awe-inspiring work of a 19th-century Dutch Post-Impressionist painter with a turbulent 21st-century world reeling from the effects of a global pandemic? The result may look something like this.
The history of art features countless examples of painters, sculptors, and technicians, chronicling the minutiae of devastating periods in time, oftentimes using ebullient and joyful colors and materials to distract and entertain audiences. One guerrilla mosaic artist continues this tradition, and he brings his signature artistic style to the bumpy streets of Chicago.
Deep in the heart of the West Texas desert, sitting conspicuously alongside a lonely and infrequently traveled highway is a Prada boutique. That’s right, a hyper-realistic art installation, built to replicate one of the luxury brand’s high concept stores, has stood in place, unstaffed and virtually inaccessible, for fifteen years. And despite the lack of transactional fashion available, the site remains a steady draw. So how exactly did this desert oasis come to be?
The Isle of Man, a tiny, self-governing British Crown dependency situated between Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales in the heart of the Irish Sea, features prominently in Britain’s history of scintillating storytelling. A proud population of around 80,000 Manx occupy this mythical territory, and most are keen to preserve its rich connection to traditional fairy folklore. And they’ve recently gotten some help from an outside source.
Atlanta, Georgia, is a city steeped in history. One of the country’s most formidable cultural destinations, this state capital is home to nearly half a million citizens, as well as countless points of interest – including theaters, museums, galleries, and trails. One local artist knows all too well about the abundance of historical hotspots and the likelihood of becoming overwhelmed by all that the city has to offer tourists and residents alike. But Karen Anderson Singer isn’t your average tour guide.
In her most recent installation, “Memory Palace,” British artist and stage designer Es Devlin used a massive space, further amplified by mirrors and visual illusion, to convey the journey of humanity – past, present, and future. The work, which just concluded a showing at the Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery in London, features noteworthy events in humanity, carved from bamboo and given life and dimension.
Once used as a base for Italian and German submarines during World War II, Bassins de Lumières, or “Basins of Light,” serves a far different purpose today. Located in Bordeaux, France, the over 13,000-square-meter space will open to the public in April of 2020 as the world’s largest digital art center.
Some people dream of tropical climates and hot, sandy beaches when they plan a vacation – the hotter, the better. For those who prefer a cooler destination, the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in Heilongjiang Province, China may be just the place.
The world changed on August 14, 1945. World War II was finally over after six long years. Photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt was in New York City, where citizens and soldiers alike were buzzing with excitement and celebration about the end of the war. As he snapped photos of revelers in Times Square, he captured what would become one of the most iconic images of modern art.
Activist and artist Cindy Weil wanted to publicly commemorate the profound contributions of immigrants to the creation of American culture. She founded the Immigrant Yarn Project (IYP), a community public art collaboration and one of the largest works of yarn-based art in the country, in 2017 to serve as a beautiful metaphor depicting the collective immigrant experience.
