Though it may not seem much more than a black square on a white background, Malevich’s Black Quadrilateral signifies a game-changing step towards pure abstraction in the art of the early twentieth century. ‘Adventures of the Black Square’ explores the legacy of Malevich’s experiments with an abundance of works that range from traditional fine art…
| 26/01/2015
The idea of home or homeland, in the last 25 years, has figured heavily in interpretations of Cold War-era and ‘post-Socialist’ art. The reasons for this lie in several things: the steering of that conversation by emigrés, the developed world’s pornographic fascination with the ruin left by a failed utopia, and US pop culture’s love…
| 11/01/2015The dreamlike photography of Ellie Yonova is exhibited at the Sofia Gallery as a part of the 3rd London Festival of Bulgarian Culture. Inspired by Bob Fosse’s bold and dynamic Cabaret, a series of Opuses seems to awaken musical associations. Using primarily light, glass, water and natural objects like flowers, Yonova uncovers her own technique and style: one characterized…
| 27/12/2014
The exhibition Favourite City at the Bulgarian Cultural Institute is one of the final events in this year’s London Festival of Bulgarian Culture, and the first London Exhibition of contemporary Bulgarian poster and graphic design. Curated by Anna Simeonoff, co-founder of the online Sophia-based graphic arts platform PlakatKombinat and a designer specialising in posters, book covers and…
| 17/12/2014
When István Szabó’s film Sunshine was released in 1999, it introduced a new audience to some of the finer points of Hungary’s history, as well as reminding us of some of its forgotten heroes. The protagonist, played by Ralph Fiennes, was based substantially on the life of Attila Petschauer, one of the world’s greatest Olympic…
| 14/12/2014
The Romanian Imaginarium – a magical title! And indeed, when entering the room on the first floor of the Romanian Cultural Centre, I’m confronted with shadow-creatures, flowery skulls and birds that ride on faceless humans. Even though the exhibition space is not purpose-built, the period-style chandelier and stucco decoration on the ceiling add to the…
| 14/11/2014
Small as the Courtauld Gallery may be, it’s host to an array of significant artworks. Its latest exhibition “Egon Schiele – the Radical Nude” is no exception, and that this is the first UK show devoted to Schiele in over twenty years makes it even more special. The exhibition is on the top floor of…
| 12/11/2014George Butler is a talented young illustrator, with a special focus on travel and current affairs. Having previously explored such hot subjects as the oil fields of Azerbaijan, soldiers in Afghanistan and the Syrian civil war, his latest exhibition at the Romanian Cultural Institute in London was dedicated to the lush region of Transylvania. This…
| 10/11/2014
The Russian North is alluring for many travellers to this part of the world. Here one is likely to be taken aback by the sheer sterility of the flat horizon so close to the North Pole, an experience that is both charming and uncanny. So different from the popular Moscow and St Petersburg, or indeed any…
| 24/10/2014
St Petersburg Gallery belongs to a tacit network of recently formed Russian art hubs in London, the past few years having seen the launch of now renowned institutions like Calvert 22, GRAD, Erarta and, indeed, St Petersburg itself. The latter, evoking the most explicit connotations of the Russian world, combines the expertise both of art…
| 13/10/2014