Art Weekly Digest: London 8 - 14 May, 2017

Every week The Art Partners post a carefully curated selection of cultural events to see in London.

Subscribe and stay updated!

Opening Of The Week

Giacometti at Tate Modern

Giacometti’s distinctive elongated figures are some of the most instantly recognisable works of modern art. This UK’s first major retrospective of Swiss-born artist Alberto Giacometti for 20 years reasserts his place as one of the great painter-sculptors of the past century and brings together more than 250 works that have never been seen before.

Alberto Giacometti, "Femme de Venise", 1956

With Venice Biennale opening in few days, the remarkable fact is that during his lifetime, Giacometti declined all requests for him to exhibit his works at the Swiss Pavillion there. Even though his brother, the architect Bruno Giacometti, built the new Swiss Pavilion in 1952, artist graciously turned the invitation down and suggested another candidate instead. Only in 1956, he finally consented to put on display a group of plaster figures entitled "Femme de Venise" in the French Pavilion instead, as he saw himself as an international artist.

The exhibition continues until 10 September, at Tate Modern, Bankside, London, SE1 9TG

In Focus

Exceptional: Collyer Bristow Graduate Art Exhibition and Award

Dina Varpahovsky, Ambergris, 2017. Image courtesy of the artist

A highly-regarded law firm Collyer Bristow has been supported emerging artists through its in-house contemporary art gallery for more than 20 years. This brilliantly curated show brings together the most talented graduates from three London’s top art schools: Goldsmiths, Middlesex University and City & Guilds of London Art School. Amongst 25 artists selected by an independent curator Rosalind Davis and the firm’s Gallery Committee are: Jane Hayes Greenwood, Dina Varpahovsky, Emmanuelle Loiselle and Oliver Hickmet. Collective themes that have emerged reflect such crucial issues as the environmental and wildlife degradation, the brutalism of Motherhood and pressures of 21st Century value systems.

The show will be on view until 14 June at the Collyer Bristow Gallery, 4 Bedford Row, London WC1R 4TF

Time To Book

Salome at the National Theatre

View during the play 'Salome' directed by Yael Farber at the National Theatre

This play is not to be missed for those who enjoy unusual and modern representations of classical stories. Yaël Farber, an internationally regarded director tells this biblical tale of Salome like it was never told before. He places the girl Salome at the centre of a revolution and the spectators can observe who her thrilling and mysterious dance will change the course of history.

The performances will run from 2 May until 15 July, at the National Theatre, Upper Ground, South Bank, London SE1 9PX

Art Discourse

Colour and Contemporary Fashion:The Influence of Giacomo Balla

Art has been a source of inspiration for fashion designers for a long time, as for example the famous Mondrian-inspired dresses by Yves Saint Laurent or Raff Simons first Haute Couture collection for Christian Dior which incorporated paintings by Sterling Ruby. Nowadays we even more often recognise famous artworks within the clothing patterns of leading fashion designers. The Estorick Collection invites its' visitors to attend the talk of Join Maggie Norden, Broadcast Producer at the London College of Fashion and to find out more about how Futurist artists have changed today's fashion.

The talk is taking place on Saturday 13 May at 15:00 at the Estorick Collection, 9a Canonbury Square, London N1 2AN

Last Chance To See

THE RADICAL EYE: MODERNIST PHOTOGRAPHY

‘Dora Maar’ by Man Ray, one from a set of photographs from Sir Elton John’s vast private collection on display at Tate Modern

This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see one of the world’s greatest private collections of photography, drawn from the classic modernist period of the 1920s–50s. Sir Elton John has kindly offered to show his spectacular modernist collection of photography which includes portraits of Matisse, Picasso and Breton. It took 25 years to find more than 150 rare vintage prints of Brassai, Imogen Cunningham, André Kertész, Dorothea Lange, Tina Modotti, and Aleksandr Rodchenko and today we can see them all brought together at the Tate Modern.

The show will be on view until 21 May at the Tate Modern, Bankside, London, SE1 9TG