Indonesian Insights

Putting Indonesian art in the limelight is Art Stage Jakarta, an annual art market held in Sheraton Jakarta Gandaria City Hotel, Indonesia. Happening this month, between 11-14 August, the event promises to showcase a rich selection of works from local artists and from artists across Southeast Asia. Visitors are also offered a rare insight into the world of Indonesian art with The Collectors Show, a section of the exhibition that’s donated and curated by several individual collectors.

Feast For The Eyes

Edinburgh is known for its comedy festival, but the city is also the venue for one of the UK’s largest annual festivals of visual arts. It brings together galleries from across the city along with art spaces, solo artists, performers and museums for a month-long celebration, with most events free to attend. Until 27 August, the programme brims with shows to suit all tastes as well as family-friendly activities.

Perry Popular

Prestigious British artist Grayson Perry presents ‘The Most Popular Art Exhibition Ever!’ at the Serpentine Gallery this month. The free show sees the multitalented artist use numerous mediums to explore several themes, including masculinity, the existing political landscape in England and abroad, and the pursuit of popularity. Perry is renowned for his astute social commentary and his ability to cut to the core of pressing current issues, and this exhibition is no exception.

The Write Stuff

The Melbourne Writer’s Festival is now in its third decade and is growing every year to encompass more guest speakers, international and local writers and more visitors. From 25 August until 3 September at various venues across the city, the Writer’s Festival presents a rich programme of talks, readings, spoken word performances, workshops and discussions. It’s a fantastic environment to be introduced to fresh ideas and to gain new perspectives on topical issues.

Tall Tales

Catch Beijing-born artist Yan Xing’s first solo exhibition in Switzerland at the Kunsthalle Basel this month. A multidiscipline artist, Xing often weaves fantastical backstories into his finished pieces, and for his show at the Kunsthalle Basel, ‘Dangerous Afternoon’, he presents a fictional curator whose fantasy life provides the backstory to the rest of the show. Photography, film, performance and other components convey the character’s life story without ever explicitly explaining it. Xing’s fictional curator adds a third dimension to his solo show, making it richer and even more fascinating.

Sea Of Masterpieces

This month, the National Gallery Victoria in Melbourne hosts the first major presentation of work from legendary Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai, who produced one of the most recognised images in the history of Asian art, The Great Wave. The NGV Melbourne has teamed up with Japan’s Ukiyo-e Museum for a show that explores the entirety of the artist’s oeuvre, and also displays the five career-defining series that gave Hokusai his legendary status. 

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