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Gulf Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Hala Badri, Dubai Culture DG, speaks at London Art Biennale on art scene
Dubai's creative spirit took the spotlight at the London Art Biennale (LAB, July 16-20) as Hala Badri, Director General of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), delivered a keynote address reflecting on the city's transformation into a global centre for the arts. She spoke about Dubai's innovative approach to cultural policy, noting how public art, a vibrant programme of exhibitions and supportive frameworks, is helping shape a dynamic ecosystem for emerging talent. Hosted at the historic Chelsea Old Town Hall, this year's Biennale brought together 350 artists from 60 countries for a museum-quality showcase of contemporary artwork. The event provided a space for artistic dialogue, attracting practitioners, collectors, and visitors from around the world. With UAE-based contributors among the participants, it strengthened the nation's cultural ties worldwide and encouraged meaningful exchange between the Gulf and the wider global creative community. The Gagliardi Gallery, London. In her address, Hala Badri highlighted the momentum behind Dubai's growing arts scene, underlining Dubai Culture's strong support for both homegrown talent and international collaboration. 'We aspire to make creativity part of the everyday experience — to transform the entire city into a living canvas where expression and imagination are not confined to galleries, but encountered everywhere,' she said. She also pointed to recent milestones, such as the introduction of the Dubai Cultural Grant and the long-term cultural visa, as well as the UAE's emergence as a sought-after venue for major international events. During the Biennale, she toured the exhibition with Aarien Areti, Deputy Mayor of the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, and Peter Gagliardi, Director at Gagliardi Gallery and a member of the Biennale's curatorial team. While also in London, she joined a guided tour of the Victoria and Albert Museum Storehouse, led by Isabella Valentini, City & Partnerships Officer at the World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF), exploring East Bank with Tamsin Ace, Director of East Bank, where she visited Sadler's Wells East, followed a public art trail, and attended student showcases by the London College of Fashion (LCF). The London College of Fashion. LAB is a museum level award exhibition curated by the International Confederation of Art Critics (ICAC), the Chianciano Art Museum and Gagliardi Gallery. The show is not theme based; so all artistic movements and styles are presented. The focus is on painting, works on paper, sculpture, applied arts and digital art, professionally curated to give viewers and collectors an exciting yet coherent experience, brought together in the iconic Chelsea Old Town Hall. Galleries, critics and clients are able to view and appreciate artworks from all over the world, from the UK to the USA, China to South Africa, and from Norway to Italy, with different cultures, styles, ideas and artistic expressions on view that represent the art world in its global entirety. London galleries are regularly invited to see the Biennale. It is LAB's tradition to give help to people in need. Over the years, tens of thousands of pounds have been raised and donated to Rotary International's 'End Polio Now' Charity, London's Air Ambulance and Age UK, among others. ICAC is an organisation that brings together professionals with expertise in art history, curatorial studies, and related fields. It aims to promote art criticism, ensure ethical and professional standards for art critics, facilitate international communication and exchange, and contribute to the understanding of diverse cultures within the art world. It offers services such as curatorial support, graphic design and catalogue realisation, for art events and publications. Victoria and Albert Museum, main entrance. The Chianciano Art Museum houses a series of collections ranging from Asian art to contemporary art. Approximately a thousand works of art are on display. The museum houses works by artists like Salvador Dalí, Mario Schifano, Frances Turner, Brian Willsher, Tom Nash, Damien Hirst, and Albert Louden; drawings from Guercino to Tiepolo, Munch, Magritte, and Guttuso; historic works from royal collections and etchings and engravings by great masters like Dürer and Rembrandt. Since its inception, the Gagliardi Gallery has been promoting innovation and tradition in the contemporary art scene. It has been involved in organising significant exhibitions not just locally, but internationally, partnering with institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum. The collaborations have helped bring diverse artistic expressions to a broader audience, enhancing the cultural landscape of London and beyond. Hala Badri speaks at London Art Biennale. Founded by Roberto Gagliardi, the Gagliardi Gallery grew from the shared dreams of Roberto, hailing from Italy, and Marie, originally from Sweden; the couple found a common passion in the world of art, which led them to establish the Gagliardi Gallery in the heart of London's prestigious Chelsea district. The gallery extends its influence beyond conventional gallery bounds, by orchestrating major art events like the London Art Biennale and the Chianciano Art Biennale. The prestigious events, held in collaboration with the Chianciano Art Museum in Tuscany, Italy, gather talent from around the globe, offering artists a platform to showcase their work and engage with the international art community. The Gagliardi Family created the Chianciano Art Museum to house their collections. Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) enables and develops the cultural and creative sectors in the emirate as the custodian entity, helping the emirate to define it in both local and global contexts. It manages five of the city's notable heritage monuments, six museums, and eight branches of Dubai Public Libraries.
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Gwangju Biennale Foundation's new president tasked with balancing local, global demands
Soon after his inauguration, Youn Bum-mo, the newly appointed president of the Gwangju Biennale Foundation, shared his concerns about how to expand the "May 18 spirit" to the global stage as a new generation emerges. Youn, a former director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, said Gwangju is a rare case globally as the city is associated with a 'spirit." In turn, this has formed the identity of the biennale. The May 18 spirit derives from the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising in 1980 against the military dictatorship, which brutally suppressed the uprising, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries. The spirit remains today as a symbol of resistance to oppression and commitment to democracy and human rights. 'Now that a generation has passed, younger people are less familiar with the May 18 spirit. It is time to move toward a more mature phase. But how do we move forward? That is the question, and we need specific strategies and actions for that,' Youn said. Youn's remarks come at a time when the 30-year-old biennale, which has become one of the leading art events in Asia, faces challenges to its identity. Youn said the demand to dilute the city's spirit in the biennale has existed for many years among the civic groups in the city. 'There is a growing sense that the spirit of Gwangju should be artistically sublimated," he said. 'But at the same time, we should pursue a biennale that only Gwangju can realize — one that is distinct and has a clear character.' Youn, who will serve a three-year term, previously served as a member of the executive committee for the inaugural Gwangju Biennale in 1995. 'Gwangju (Biennale) has grown into a leading art event not only in Korea but also internationally. I was entrusted with its leadership at a turning point where we began writing the next 30 years of its history. I feel the weight of that responsibility. 'There is a significant gap between how things appear on the outside and the complex realities I face from within,' Youn said. There are calls from local communities to better support and highlight artists from the region, Youn noted. When asked whether such demands could affect the artistic director's autonomy, he said that would not be the case, pledging that the foundation will fully support the director. Singaporean artist Ho Tzu Nyen will helm the 16th Gwangju Biennale in 2026 as artistic director. The upcoming 2025 Gwangju Design Biennale in September will be curated by Choi Soo-shin, a professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design in the US, exploring how design embraces humanity. Next year's biennale will have national pavilions on a similar scale as last year, when 31 national pavilions participated, according to Youn. 'We will have to come up with ways to secure better spaces for the national pavilions next year. We have been receiving a lot of applications,' he said.
Scotsman
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
The artists set to represent Scotland in Venice Biennale return
The work will be a return to the Venice Biennale for Scotland Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... An artist duo who met working in queer cabaret in Edinburgh is to represent Scotland as it returns to the Venice Biennale. Scotland has not taken part the art expo - one of the oldest art festivals in the world - in two years, however a review of its participation earlier this year opted to re-enter the event. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Bugarin + Castle - aka Davide Bugarin and Angel Cohn Castle - are to present a 'multi-layered new project', drawing on queer histories, Scottish archives and Filipino cultural heritage. They said: 'We first met performing in the mess and noise of queer cabaret in Edinburgh. A decade later, that spirit still drives our practice. 'We're thrilled to show new work together in Venice, transforming the venue with spatial and drag-inflected interventions that confront questions of gendered performance and colonial sound control, rooted in our lived experience. We aim to trouble easy narratives on the contested ground of identity today.' Scotland's participation in the Biennale was paused in 2023 amid financial concerns. However, Scotland + Venice, a partnership between a range of organisations including Creative Scotland, British Council Scotland and the Scottish Government, said earlier this year a review had opted to restart participation in the prestigious event. It said it would be a 'more efficient model', prioritising lower-carbon travel, more sustainable logistics and hybrid ways of working. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Although Scotland does not have its own pavilion - and is incorporated into the British Pavilion at the Bienniale, it has previously staged a number of "collateral" shows on the fringes of the main sites. A total of 29 countries have official pavilions at the event, regarded as one of the most significant international platforms within the global art world. Bugarin + Castle, Davide Bugarin and Angel Cohn Castle are to represent Scotland at the Venice Biennale. | Scotland + Venice Alastair Evans, chair of Scotland + Venice Partnership, said: 'Scotland + Venice 2026 presents a timely opportunity to showcase the diversity, innovation and internationalism of contemporary Scottish art. 'This presentation reflects the depth of collaboration, critical engagement and inclusive practice that defines the Programme's future direction.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Bugarin + Castle's recent interactive film Sore Throat, shot in Edinburgh and Manila, explored colonial monsters and sound in queer Filipino spaces, showing in a solo exhibition at Fruitmarket as well as at Tate Modern and international venues. Via custom software, gallery audience voices were unknowingly recorded and replayed within the film, implicating them as antagonists in its narrative. Bugarin + Castle also perform in drag as Hairy Teddy Bear and Pollyfilla, through Pollyanna, a Scottish queer arts company founded by Castle, now in its 10th year. Forma, an arts charity working across the UK and internationally, will provide production support for the film element of the new work, building on the organisation's previous Scotland + Venice experience working with Alberta Whittle in 2022. The work will be shown in Venice from 9 May to 22 November next year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mount Stuart Trust, based on the Isle of Bute, will curate the project, working with the artists and a series of partners. The Venice exhibition will return for an exhibition at Mount Stuart on Bute in Summer 2027, before further presentations in Scotland to be announced. Emma Nicolson, head of visual arts at Creative Scotland, said: 'We are thrilled to support Mount Stuart Trust and Bugarin + Castle as they lead Scotland's return to Venice with a commission that speaks powerfully to the rich and diverse contemporary art practice that we have in Scotland.
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
‘For the Time Being': Kochi Biennale to reimagine art as living ecosystem
Kochi: Kochi Biennale Foundation unveiled the title and the curatorial framework of the sixth edition of Kochi-Muziris Biennale, which is set to begin on Dec 12. The upcoming Biennale, titled 'For the Time Being', will be curated by artist Nikhil Chopra and will run for 110 days, until 31 March 2026. The Biennale will feature an international exhibition, alongside a diverse programme of talks, performances, workshops and film screenings. It will also include key verticals such as the Students' Biennale, Invitations, Art By Children and Residency Programme across various sites in Kochi. According to the curatorial note authored by Chopra, the sixth edition of Kochi-Muziris Biennale is an invitation to embrace process as methodology and to place the friendship economies that long nurtured artist-led initiatives as the very scaffolding of the exhibition. "We move away from the idea of the Biennale as a singular, central exhibition-event and instead envision it as a living ecosystem; one where each element shares space, time and resources, and grows in dialogue with each other," read the note. The note further adds that, "In Kochi, a historic port city where trade once connected distant worlds, we begin with our site and region to engage in dialogue with emerging global perspectives. This rootedness allows us to resist the pressures of the conventional biennale model as a finished spectacle, and instead shape something that is evolving, responsive, and alive." Chopra is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice interweaves performance, drawing, photography, sculpture and installation and is part of HH Art Spaces, an artist-led organisation based in Goa.
Indian Express
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
What to expect at Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2025-26?
With less than six months for the opening of the sixth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale — which will be held from December 2025 to March 2026 — its curators, multi-disciplinary artist Nikhil Chopra and Goa-based artist-led organisation HH Art Spaces, shared their curatorial vision on July 15. Titled 'For the Time Being' the curators note that the Biennale 'is an invitation to embrace process as methodology, and to place the friendship economies that have long nurtured artist-led initiatives as the very scaffolding of the exhibition'. Alluding to Kochi's past as a historic port city and centre for trade, the note states, 'we begin with our site and region to engage in dialogue with emerging global perspectives. This rootedness allows us to resist the pressures of the conventional biennale model as a finished spectacle, and instead shape something that is evolving, responsive, and alive.' It adds: 'This edition of the biennale is also an invitation to think through embodied histories, of those that came before us and continue to live within us in the form of cells, stories and techniques… We invite artists to seek resonances across geography and time, to trace shared memories, mirrored struggles, and new affinities rooted in empathy and deep listening.' One of India's biggest art events that also draws significant global attention, the biennale that had its inaugural edition in December 2012 has been grappling with challenges in recent years. Postponed a day before it was to open its fifth edition in 2022, the sixth edition of the biennale was initially scheduled to be held in December 2024. While Chopra and HH Art Spaces were announced curators for the forthcoming edition in November 2024, a release issued had also noted that the event will feature 60 artists and artistic practices from across India and the world. Last year also saw several organisational changes in the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF). While former Chief Secretary to the Government of Kerala Venu Vasudevan is now the chairperson of the KBF, former United Nations official Thomas Varghese is CEO of the foundation. Conceived in 2010 at the behest of the then culture minister for Kerala, MA Baby, and with Kerala-born Mumbai-based artists Bose Krishnamachari and Riyas Komu at the helm, the first edition of the biennale was curated by the duo. In the subsequent years, the biennale has seen artist-curators such as Jitish Kallat (2014-15), Sudarshan Shetty (2016-17), Anita Dube (2018-19) and Shubigi Rao (2022-23). The list of participants for this year is expected to be announced in October. The curatorial vision further states, 'Many forms of liveness — performances, actions and conversations — will bring alive the 110 days of the Biennale. Durational works that blur process and presentation will invite audiences into embodied, participatory moments, challenging a static exhibition. We believe this is what a Biennale can be: a space of aliveness, presence, and communion. A place where people come together, not just to see art, but to be with it, and with each other.'
