Get your culture fix in lockdown 2.0
And just like that, lockdown 2.0 is upon us. *SIGH*. For those who are already missing the art scene and are in desperate need of a culture fix, we’ve rounded up the best virtual art events to keep you going through November.
Objects of Art | The Skateboards – 30 October – 18 November
One for art-lovers and skate enthusiasts alike, House of Vans London and The Auction Collective have joined forces to create a virtual 360° exhibition, displaying 17 customised skateboards from established and emerging artists. Our favourites are the vibrant designs of Magnus Gjoen, Charley Peters, Camille Walala, D*Face and Rene Gonzalez.
‘Objects of Art | The Skateboards’ will come to a close with a live fundraising auction of the skateboards on Wednesday 18 November to raise funds for leading youth homelessness charity Centrepoint.
Check out the VR exhibition here.
Affordable Online Art Fair – 06-30 November
The Affordable Art Fair is back with its first ever online edition, showcasing an impressive roster of international galleries and a stellar line-up of virtual tours and talks, led by Fair Directors, industry experts and Affordable Art Fair Founder, Will Ramsay. Galleries taking part include London’s Panter & Hall and TAG Fine Arts, Brighton’s Liberty Gallery, Bristol’s Smithson Gallery, NYC’s Michele Mariaud Gallery, Italy’s Palma Arte and Bangkok’s La Lanta Fine Art.
The Affordable Art Fair has long been known for offering incredible, pocket-friendly art, and with another lockdown in our midst, there’s no better time to look for vibrant artwork to brighten up your home.
Barbican
For those who haven’t yet visited Toyin Ojih Odutola’s incredible exhibition, A Countervailing Theory, take the digital walkthrough narrated by the artist herself online.
Whilst the Barbican may have closed, it will continue its remarkable livestreamed concert series Live from the Barbican, as well as expanding its online programme of exclusive international films and live ScreenTalks from four visiting film festivals for Cinema On Demand. Don’t miss the following:
Cassie Kinoshi and SEED Ensemble – Saturday 14 November, 8pm
Shabaka Hutchings and Britten Sinfonia – Wednesday 18 November, 8pm
Love Child – 06 November – 04 December | Making Sweet Tea – 10-23 November
Cocoon – 10-16 November | If It Were Love – 10-22 November
Between Heaven and Earth – 13-26 November
Leila Alaoui: Rite of Passage – Somerset House
Acclaimed for capturing and preserving the unseen stories of individuals and communities displaced by conflict and unrest, the late Leila Alaoui’s retrospective offers an eye-opening and honest window into cultural resilience. For those who missed the exhibition in its opening weeks, the virtual tour gives the opportunity to discover Alaoui’s moving body of photographic and video work guided by award-winning broadcaster and cultural commentator Ekow Eshun.
Check out the tour here, which introduces three of Alaoui’s defining series featured in Rite of Passage. No Pasara documents the lives of North African migrants trying to reach Europe, Natreen (We Wait) follows families trying to flee the Syrian conflict, and inspired by Robert Frank’s The Americans, Les Marocains meets the many individuals who make up the multifaceted fabric of contemporary Morocco.
AGM 2020 by Somerset House Studios – 12 November
Celebrating four years of its expanding artistic community, the annual AGM takeover is back with a bang, with its first online edition offering an unrivalled line-up of live-streamed premieres, collaborations, performances, and experimental DJ sets. Tune in between 5-11pm for the never-disappointing, artist-led programme that features performances broadcast live from Somerset House, as well as remotely from across the UK and beyond.
AGM 2020 will premiere five new commissions from a specially curated line-up of artists and writers including Aida Amoako, DeForrest Brown, Jr., Josiane M.H Pozi, Rian Treanor, Tyreis Holder, plus a performance from Sarra Wild.
Written by Michelle Tonta
