Our top picks of exhibitions together with cultural spaces and places, both online and in the real world.

All, Art, Auctions, Exhibitions, Travel & Hospitality, Initiatives

Viewing Life Between Islands: Caribbean-British Art 1950s – Now

The Wick Culture - Denzil Forrester Jah Shaka 1983. Collection Shane Akeroyd, London © Denzil Forrester

Above Denzil Forrester Jah Shaka 1983. Collection Shane Akeroyd, London © Denzil Forrester

The Wick Culture - Hew Locke Souvenir 2 (Edward VII in Masonic Regalia) 2019. Courtesy of the artist and Hales Gallery © Hew Locke

Above Hew Locke Souvenir 2 (Edward VII in Masonic Regalia) 2019. Courtesy of the artist and Hales Gallery © Hew Locke

The Wick Culture - Frank Bowling Kaieteurtoo 1975. UK Government Art Collection © Frank Bowling. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2021

Above Denzil Forrester Jah Shaka 1983. Collection Shane Akeroyd, London © Denzil Forrester

Above Hew Locke Souvenir 2 (Edward VII in Masonic Regalia) 2019. Courtesy of the artist and Hales Gallery © Hew Locke

1 December 2021 — 3 April 2022
Tate Britain, London
https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/life-between-islands

This captivating show looks at the relationship between the Caribbean and Britain in art over 70 tumultuous years. It features more than 40 artists, who were either born in the Caribbean or have Caribbean heritage, working across film, photography, painting, sculpture and fashion. It also includes works by British artists inspired by the Caribbean such as Peter Doig, Lisa Brice and Chris Ofili.

There’s a lot to take in here, from the first feature film by a Black British director to Steve McQueen’s earliest work, Exodus, which shows two elderly West Indian men on the 243 bus home. Also shown is an early photo of Bob Marley, Frank Bowling’s famous 1968 work Who’s Afraid of Barney Newman, and bold, brilliant canvases by Aubrey Williams, an artist of the Windrush generation who came to Britain in the 1950s.

The Notting Hill setting appears throughout the exhibition as do powerful black-and-white photographs showing intimate scenes of love, family and social gatherings — and racial and political violence. Also worthy of note is a new iteration of Michael McMillan’s The Front Room, a reconstruction of a fictional 1970s interior, exploring the role of the home as a safe space for social gatherings at a time of widespread prejudice.

Life Between Islands is a superb show that deserves slow and considered looking. Take your time and you’ll reap the rewards.

Viewing Art Basel Miami Beach

The Wick Culture - Art Basel Miami Beach

Above Art Basel Miami Beach

The Wick Culture - Proyectos Ultravioleta. Felipe Mujica, Primeros amaneceres en la tierra (Curtain 4). Courtesy of the artist and Proyectos Ultravioleta, Guatemala; and Von Bartha, Basel

Above Proyectos Ultravioleta. Felipe Mujica, Primeros amaneceres en la tierra (Curtain 4). Courtesy of the artist and Proyectos Ultravioleta, Guatemala; and Von Bartha, Basel

The Wick Culture - Pippy Houldsworth Gallery. Jacqueline de Jong, De achterkant van het bestaan (The backside of existence), 1992. Courtesy the artist and Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London. © Jacqueline de Jong (2021)

Above Pippy Houldsworth Gallery. Jacqueline de Jong, De achterkant van het bestaan (The backside of existence), 1992. Courtesy the artist and Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London. © Jacqueline de Jong (2021)

The Wick Culture - Simon Lee Gallery. Valentina Liernur, Señora rosa (sentada en el bar), 2021. Courtesy of the artist and Simon Lee Gallery © Valentina Liernur

Above Simon Lee Gallery. Valentina Liernur, Señora rosa (sentada en el bar), 2021. Courtesy of the artist and Simon Lee Gallery © Valentina Liernur

Above Art Basel Miami Beach

Above Proyectos Ultravioleta. Felipe Mujica, Primeros amaneceres en la tierra (Curtain 4). Courtesy of the artist and Proyectos Ultravioleta, Guatemala; and Von Bartha, Basel

Above Simon Lee Gallery. Valentina Liernur, Señora rosa (sentada en el bar), 2021. Courtesy of the artist and Simon Lee Gallery © Valentina Liernur

2-4 December 2021 (30 November and 1 December, by invitation only)
Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami Beach, Florida
https://artbasel.com/miami-beach

Art Basel Miami Beach is back for its first in-person event since 2019 — yep, that’s when Maurizo Cattelan’s duct-taped banana sold for a whopping $120,000 — and from 30 November-4 December the city will be buzzing with new shows, satellite fairs, preview events, dinners, parties and more parties.

At the fair you’ll find 253 of the world’s leading modern and contemporary galleries showcasing the very best paintings, sculptures, drawings, installations, video and digital art on the market. Among the blue-chip booths, Pace presents Block Universe, a new NFT created by DRIFT artists Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta as part of their collaboration with the DJ and digital art pioneer Don Diablo. Hauser & Wirth, meanwhile, brings works by artists based in the United States including Rita Ackerman, Larry Bell, Nicole Eisenman, Christina Quarles, and Henry Taylor. Over at White Cube, look out for works by David Hockney, Isamu Noguchi and Mark Bradford.

Once you’ve explored the fair’s main section, head to Positions, which is dedicated to young galleries showcasing ambitious solo presentations by emerging artists. Also worthy of note is Meridians, the fair’s platform for large-scale projects curated by Magalí Arriola, director of Museo Tamayo in Mexico City. Look online for more detail on Conversations, the fair’s accompanying programme of talks and events.

There are plenty of satellite fairs to check out too: among the highlights are Design Miami, Art Miami and its sister fair, Context Art Miami. For emerging and mid-career artists, look to NADA, dedicated to new voices in contemporary art; Pinta, the leading fair for Latin American and Hispanic artists; and Untitled Art, featuring an ambitious new sector, Nest, to support emerging galleries, collectives and non-profits.

Other Miami Art Week must-sees include the multi-disciplinary art project DAISIES at The Standard and Es Devlin’s Five Echoes, a multisensory sculptural installation surrounded by a fleeting forest of over 1000 trees, plants and shrubs, conceived in collaboration with Chanel to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its iconic Chanel N°5 scent.

When it comes to museums and galleries, make a beeline for the Rubell in Allapattah, which is presenting works from three of its recent artists-in-residence: Otis Kwame, Kye Quaicoe and Kennedy Yanko. Superblue’s Miami outpost is showing immersive installations by James Turrell, Es Devlin and teamLab, while Wynwood Walls is set to unveil 13 new installations. Enjoy the art but be sure you save time for some sun, sea and sand. Oh, and poolside cocktails!

Viewing The Courtauld Gallery Reopening

The Wick Culture - Claude Monet (1840 - 1926) Antibes 1888, The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Above Claude Monet (1840 – 1926) Antibes 1888, The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

The Wick Culture - Duncan Grant (1885-1978), Four-fold screen with Lily pond design, 1913-14. Estate of Duncan Grant. All rights reserved, DACS 2022. The Courtauld

The Wick Culture - Edouard Manet, A bar at the Folies-Bergere, 1882, The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust) © The Courtauld

Above Edouard Manet, A bar at the Folies-Bergere, 1882, The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust) © The Courtauld

Above Claude Monet (1840 – 1926) Antibes 1888, The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Above Edouard Manet, A bar at the Folies-Bergere, 1882, The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust) © The Courtauld

19 November 2021, opening times vary
The Courtauld Gallery, Somerset House
https://courtauld.ac.uk/gallery/

After a three-year, £57 million makeover, The Courtauld Gallery is finally reopening its doors. Visitors to the spanking new space will see one of the UK’s greatest art collections, ranging from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, redisplayed across elegantly refurbished galleries. As hoped, this bijou trove shines brighter than ever before.

Among the treasures back on display are Botticelli’s large-scale masterpiece The Trinity with Saints and The Courtauld’s celebrated collection of works by Peter Paul Rubens. Other highlights include the gallery’s renowned collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces, such as Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergère (1882), Van Gogh’s Self- Portrait with Bandaged Ear (1889), and the most significant collection of works by Cézanne in the UK. New to the hang is Cecily Brown’s Unmoored from her reflection, a large-scale painting specially commissioned for the curved wall at the top of gallery’s historical staircase.

After meandering around the permanent galleries, head to the top floor to see Modern Drawings: The Karshan Gift (19 Nov 21 – 9 Jan 22), a temporary exhibition showcasing an outstanding group of drawings by European and American masters including Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Georg Baselitz and Cy Twombly. Courtauld, it’s good to have you back!