Opening at Christie’s this week is London Now, a summer festival of exhibitions, events and auctions that celebrate the capital as one of the most culturally vibrant cities in the world.
Headlining the festival is ‘The Art of Literature’, a dedicated series of events exploring the relationship between art and literature. Not to be missed is The Art of Literature: Auction Highlights Exhibition (6 – 15 June), an immersive showcase of the top lots from across Christie’s summer auction season with fashion by Molly Goddard. Expect to see lots of tulle, taffeta, organdie and silk, as wondrous looks from her archive collections — including her Autumn/Winter 2019 Ready-to-Wear collection, inspired by Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles — are suspended from the ceiling.
Also on display is The Art of Literature: Loan and Selling Exhibition (6 June – 14 July), a cross-category showcase featuring works of art inspired by the written word, as well as the novels, poetry, drama and stories which have inspired them.
Curated by Christie’s next generation of specialists, the exhibition seeks to spark new conversations around the links between the literary and the visual arts. ‘We have relished the opportunity to thread a narrative between writers and artists from the classical period to the present day,’ says co-curator Annabelle Scholar. ‘Works of art and literature on show will range from Dante to Hilary Mantel, and Roman antiquities to Marlene Dumas’. Much of the festival is open to the public (and free), so hop online to browse the full programme of events.
Remember the spectacular herds of life-size elephant sculptures that took up residence in London’s Royal Parks last year? Well, now it’s the turn of life-sized eggs. Yep, really.
Currently installed across the Cadogan Estate in Chelsea are seven unique egg-shaped masterpieces, each representing a different decade of the Queen’s historic 70-year reign, created by leading contemporary artists including Emily Powell, Sasha Compton and Simon Emery.
Conceived by the Elephant Family — the charity on a mission to protect Asia’s wildlife and the force behind the elephant exhibition — in collaboration with Clarence Court eggs, this free public art exhibition aims to raise awareness around the impact of egg poaching.
The seven egg sculptures will be auctioned off next year, with proceeds going towards conservation work in South Asia. If you’re keen to purchase an egg, log your interest asap via the Elephant Family website.
