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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Recipes for Broken Hearts': How an ancient Uzbek city will be the world's new cultural table
From 5 September to 20 November 2025, this UNESCO Creative City will host the inaugural Bukhara Biennial, a ten-week journey of contemporary art, communal rituals, and culinary storytelling. Titled 'Recipes for Broken Hearts', the Biennial transforms a city of legends into a living stage where grief, memory and joy are reimagined through food, music, poetry and craft. Curated by international art figure Diana Campbell and commissioned by Gayane Umerova, Chairperson of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF), the Biennial features over 70 commissions created in Uzbekistan, activating centuries-old madrasas and caravanserais in ways Bukhara has never seen. 'Bukhara has shaped the world before: through knowledge, craft, and exchange,' says Umerova. 'This Biennial is a way of giving it the tools to do so again, through creativity and dialogue'. Not just an exhibition. A sensory ritual. Rather than opening with a red carpet or gallery wall, the Biennial begins with the aroma of fermentation. At Cafe Oshqozon, Buddhist monk and chef Jeong Kwan will prepare kimchi on the first day — only to unearth it again ten weeks later for a final meal, ripened by time and silence. It is a metaphor for the event itself. 'Recipes for Broken Hearts' explores how time, tradition, and care can heal. Every element – from food to sculpture, textiles to sound is part of a broader experiment in emotional repair. Diana Campbell, known for her work at the Dhaka Art Summit, calls it a 'multi-sensory feast rooted in Bukhara's spirit of hospitality and intellectual depth'. She adds, 'You don't just look at the art. You smell it, taste it, feel it in your hands and bones'. From salt and sugar to clay and code The artworks span disciplines and geographies. Egyptian-born food artist Laila Gohar conjures memories through Navat, a traditional sugar crystal made from saffron and grape juice. Colombian artist Delcy Morelos constructs a dome from earth, sand, and spices. Uzbek artist Oyjon Khayrullaeva, working with ceramicist Abdurauf Taxirov, builds mosaic organs - a stomach over the cafe entrance, lungs and hearts tucked across the city connecting venues as parts of one collective body. And then there's Subodh Gupta, who repurposes enamel dishes from traditional kitchens into a towering dome, inside which guests dine on dishes connecting India and Uzbekistan. 'It's about collapsing distance — between countries, between disciplines, between people,' he says. All works are made in Uzbekistan, many in collaboration with local artisans. 'This was non-negotiable,' says Umerova. 'We didn't want an art fair. We wanted something that speaks from here, even when it reaches the world'. This Biennial is a way of giving it the tools to do so again, through creativity and dialogue At the centre of the Biennial is the House of Softness, a transformation of the 16th century Gavkushon Madrasa into a space for public programmes, children's workshops, and storytelling. Artist and architect Suchi Reddy has designed a protective canopy inspired by Uzbek ikat casting patterns of healing across the courtyard. Here, a three-day symposium titled 'The Craft of Mending' will bring together thinkers, historians and artists to explore repair as both a physical and political act. 'Erasure is a form of heartbreak,' says Aziza Izamova, an Uzbek scholar at Harvard leading the event. 'And so, to repair to remember - is an act of resistance'. Young curators from across Asia will also gather in Bukhara for a workshop on how to commission work that does not yet exist. It is a fitting lesson for a city reshaping its own future. Music, too, flows through the Biennial's veins. Each full moon will be marked by a ceremonial karnay ritual – the long Uzbek horn used in weddings to symbolically summon water to the desert. These performances, led by Himali Singh Soin and David Soin Tappeser, fuse local tradition with global environmental consciousness. Elsewhere, the Bukhara Philharmonic will collaborate with artists like Tarek Atoui, bringing together Arab and Central Asian musical traditions. Weekly street processions and spontaneous performances will animate the city with rhythm and memory. Food is not a side programme, it is the soul of the Biennial. From fermented rituals to nomadic grains, the meals are designed to explore loss, resilience and belonging. Uzbek chefs like Bahriddin Chustiy and Pavel Georganov will share dishes infused with memory, while guest chefs like Fatmata Binta from Sierra Leone and Zuri Camille de Souza from India will link Uzbek traditions to West African and Goan culinary heritage. The final week hosts the Rice Cultures Festival, featuring plov, paella, pulao and jollof rice cooked in the open air, surrounded by stories and songs. 'It's not about haute cuisine,' says Umerova. 'It's about how we gather, how we heal, how we remember - through food'. Why Bukhara? 'Bukhara is not a backdrop,' says Umerova. 'It is the protagonist'. For over two millennia, the city has been a center of spiritual, scientific and artistic exchange. Yet in the modern art world, it has remained peripheral, until now. The Biennial is part of a broader national strategy to reintegrate Uzbekistan into global cultural networks. With support from President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the ACDF has launched restoration projects, museums, and creative platforms across the country and internationally including the Venice Biennale pavilion and the Expo 2025 in Osaka. 'This is not soft power,' Umerova insists. 'It's structural power. Culture creates jobs. It shapes futures. It builds identity that isn't reactive or nostalgic — but alive, generous, and forward-looking'. Bukhara is accessible by high-speed rail from Tashkent and Samarkand, with boutique hotels and guesthouses nestled among its UNESCO-listed architecture. The Biennial is entirely free and open to the public. Foreign visitors can expect immersive programming in Uzbek, Russian, and English, and a culinary scene where history is served with every dish. More information is available at and on Instagram at @
CNA
18-07-2025
- CNA
Exploring Istanbul: Where to eat, what to see, where to stay
Istanbul, the Turkish city that straddles two continents, truly never sleeps. In the early mornings, seagulls swoop through the sky as motorbikes zip around corners and street vendors trundle their carts out onto the sidewalks. The bustle of 16 million people fills the days — and even the ubiquitous cats beloved by many locals seem occupied. Come evening, families, couples and friends spill into the city's enormous selection of restaurants and cafes, their conversations lubricated by omnipresent black tea. A centre of culture, commerce and power for more than 2,000 years, the city, known as Istanbul since 1930, with its Byzantine- and Ottoman-era structures, is a place where the past never feels distant. Yet contemporary culture thrives here. Those who venture into the many neighbourhoods beyond the well-trodden historic centre will be rewarded with stylish boutiques, exciting live music venues, bold restaurants, trendy bars, as well as contemporary and Modern art. FRIDAY 3pm | Explore Turkish art The Istanbul Modern, an imposing concrete and steel museum that opened in 2023, sits on a bank of the Bosporus, the busy waterway that divides the European and Asian sides of the city (entry, 750 lira, or US$19, approximately S$24.50). Rotating exhibitions on the ground floor showcase contemporary art. Upstairs, the permanent ' Floating Islands ' exhibition features Turkish artworks from the permanent collection, tracing shifts in Turkish life across the 20th and early 21st centuries. Accompanying placards provide helpful context about artists' education, lives and intentions. Artworks from the later decades include works exploring themes like womanhood, migration and machine intelligence. Don't skip the museum's roof deck, where you'll find 360-degree city views and a reflecting pool that has become a gathering point for seagulls. 4.30pm | Grab a snack and go shopping From the Istanbul Modern, head into Karakoy, a glitzy harbourside neighbourhood where, alongside five-star hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants, outdoor stands hawk balik durum, or wraps with grilled fish and vegetables. One of those stands, Meshur Balikci Eyyup Usta, elevates the fish wrap with a pomegranate-molasses-and-spice coating (180 lira). Afterward, wander into the Cihangir, Cukurcuma and Kabatas neighborhoods, where every building — whether it's a jewel-toned townhouse or an overflowing antiques shop — has a distinct personality. Check out Local Makers, a concept store selling items by Turkish artisans, like silk scarves by Galene, artisanal Turkish sweets by Marsel Delights and watercolour colouring books by Naz Saner. At Turkish Modern, you'll find ear cuffs, which don't require piercing, with the evil eye design; elaborate Turkish rugs; and handmade olive-oil soap. 8pm | Dine at a revived 1960s villa With its Art Deco chandeliers, ivy-covered courtyard and caramel leather banquettes, Arkestra feels like a set out of a Great Gatsby remake. This remodelled 1960s villa in the posh Etiler neighbourhood, on the European side, has a Michelin-starred restaurant, a bistro and a music lounge, all of which require reservations that can be made via its website. In the restaurant, Cenk Debensason, the chef, prepares delights like the katsu sando, a thick slice of rare steak nestled between pillowy Japanese-style milk bread, or a light stone bass, a fish served with cabbage and yuzu butter (meal for two, about 9,000 lira). After dinner, head to the Listening Room, a music lounge where DJs spin vinyl either from the house collection or their own. Palm-tree-printed wallpaper and a white-wood balcony lend the space a tropical feel. Drinks include inventive cocktails like the Mandarin, a light, citrusy concoction made with yogurt liqueur and vodka (780 lira). WHERE TO STAY The Peninsula Istanbul, a five-star hotel that opened two years ago in what was once a ferry terminal, sits on the waterfront in the trendy Karakoy neighborhood across from the historic center. Behind the hotel, a 25m heated outdoor pool offers sweeping views of the city, and a dock serves as a water taxi stop. In the basement, the hotel has a hamam and an indoor pool, and upstairs, the Michelin-starred chef Fatih Tutak offers cuisine that draws on inspiration from places on the former Silk Road at Gallada. As with many hotels, rates are quoted in euros and vary based on availability and season. Here, they start at 850 euros, or US$980, in summer. Orientbank Hotel Istanbul, Autograph Collection, a short walk from the city's UNESCO-listed attractions such as the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, is a boutique hotel that used to be a bank. In the basement, a jazz bar occupies the former vault. Upstairs, a circular lounge offers views of the bustling Egyptian Bazaar and the striking Suleymaniye Mosque. A box of Turkish sweet treats and a customized bond certificate from the building's former life greet each guest on arrival. Rooms start at around €175. Monnas' Rooms, called Monnas Suite on some search engines and hotel booking websites, is a hotel with apartment-style rooms in Cihangir, a neighbourhood of hills and winding streets. A great option for families or groups of friends, Monnas' Rooms offers two- or three-bedroom renovated, spacious, well-decorated apartments for two nights or more, and the reception has 24-hour staffing. Apartments start at €190 a night. For short-term rentals on the European side, the ideal location is the swath of the Beyoglu district between Refik Saydam Caddesi, a thoroughfare with heavy traffic, and the waterfront. Adjacent to Beyoglu is Sisli, a more modern area that includes the affluent Bomonti and Nisantas neighbourhoods. On the Asian side, Kadikoy is a stylish neighbourhood with plenty of shops, restaurants and bars, as well as handy public transit connections. No trip to Istanbul is complete without a Turkish breakfast, or kahvalti, of cheeses, olives, spreads, breads, eggs and more. Kahve6, a popular cafe with the feel of a living room inside and a plant-filled, enclosed terrace in the back, offers several options. The Full On Breakfast, plenty for two people, comes with mulberry jam; kaymak, which is like a clotted cream, with honey; spicy tomato paste; olives; lor cheese, similar to cottage cheese, with pickled pepper; a bun; and a glass of strong, steaming Turkish tea (590 lira). Extend the meal with the addition of menemen, umami-rich scrambled eggs with tomatoes and peppers (260 lira). Or skip the Full On and instead try the Izmir Breakfast, which includes melted tulum cheese served in a cast-iron pan that's perfect for dipping simit, a sesame bread ring (395 lira). 12pm | Travel back in time In the Fatih district, the area that holds some of Istanbul's key UNESCO-designated historic sights, four must-see attractions are within easy walking distance of one another. Start with the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, a church built in the sixth century that was converted to a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of the city (entry, 1,050 lira). Next, visit the breathtaking Sultan Ahmed Mosque. Known as the Blue Mosque, it is a 17th-century structure decorated inside with 20,000 intricate tiles. Entry is prohibited for tourists during prayer times throughout the day, which change from day to day based on sunrise and sunset, and last about 90 minutes each, but is otherwise free of charge. Continue to Basilica Cistern, an underground complex built around the same time as the Hagia Sophia to store up to 100,000 tons of water for the city. Inside, enormous ancient columns stand amid shallow water, lit by blue, green and purple light (entry with audio guide, 1,500 lira). End at Topkapi Palace, a splendid complex that was once the residence of Ottoman sultans and includes a former harem and a museum showcasing jewels, textiles and weapons. Grab a bite between stops at Hocapasa Pidecisi, which specialises in pide, a large flatbread with toppings like ground meat, cheese and vegetables (one pide, 300 to 400 lira). 3pm | Get the royal treatment at a hamam For the ultimate relaxation experience, visit the Zeyrek Cinili Hamam, a 16th-century bathhouse that reopened recently after a 13-year, US$15 million restoration. Every session begins with a cold glass of sherbet, a diluted fruit juice. Next, an attendant guides you into the heated bathing area — the men's and women's areas are separate — where the surfaces are an elegant grey marble and the ceiling is decorated with star-shaped holes cut into the stone. The 50-minute Original treatment includes a full-body scrub, a hair wash and a decadent foam massage that feels like slipping into a cloud (€105, about US122, or S$163). At the end, relax with hot tea and refreshing cold towels on a daybed. Afterward, head across the street to Van Golu Gida, a shop selling spices and herbs that the owner scoops from large burlap sacks, and sweet-smelling soaps that can be cut to a custom size. 6pm | Glide between Asia and Europe for US$1 Given its arrangement on two continents divided by a narrow strip of water, Istanbul abounds with boat tours. The cheapest and easiest way to hit the seas is on a ferry. A ride from Eminonu, a harbourside section of the historic centre on the European side, to Kadikoy, a bustling area on the Asian side, takes about 20 minutes and offers spectacular views of the Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque and the Sea of Marmara (one one-way ticket, 40 lira). If the deck becomes too windy, pop inside for a hot Turkish coffee or black tea from the onboard cafe. Ferries are accessible from many points in the city and run regularly. Schedules are available on the ferry operator's website and on Google Maps, and you can tap to pay with a phone or a card. 6.30pm | Nibble your way through Kadikoy Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an Ein Beitrag geteilt von Tatar Salim Döner Lokantası (@tatarsalimdoner) In the lively heart of Kadikoy, locals crowd the narrow streets, shopping for wares, sipping tea and noshing on street foods. Assemble dinner based on what calls to you. Some suggestions: Start with a sampler of olives, cheeses and dips at Gozde Sarkuteri, a delicatessen that charges based on weight (for an assortment of snacks, expect to spend 200 to 300 lira), then cross the street to a shop called Ozcan Tursu 1935 for a cup of palate-cleansing pickle juice (30 lira). Head to Kadikoy Merkez Borekcisi, where you'll find plenty of seating, for borek, a flaky pastry with fillings like cheese or potatoes (140 lira). End at Tatar Salim, a comfortable, simple restaurant selling doner, juicy slices of lamb served with flatbread and a refreshing salad of herbs, lettuce and pomegranate (410 lira). No reservations needed. Grab a cocktail before or after your feast at the cozy Fahri Konsolos, where ingredients can include pistachio, quince and saffron, and drinks arrive with tiny snacks, like a sliver of homemade baklava (cocktails, 620 lira). 10pm | Rock out to live music Hop on a ferry, subway or bus, or catch a taxi back to the European side, and head for the well-to-do Bomonti neighborhood for a concert or a DJ gig at Babylon, part of an entertainment complex called Yapi Kredi B omontiada. Situated around a large courtyard buzzing with energy in the evenings, Yapi Kredi Bomontiada also has a museum dedicated to the photojournalist Ara Guler, who was known as the 'Eye of Istanbul,' that's open during the day, as well as several restaurants and an art exhibition space. The Populist serves beers produced on site by Torch Brewery. The Babylon lineup offers Turkish and international acts across genres, including rock, pop, folk and electronic (tickets about 700 lira). If these don't strike your fancy, check out Salon IKSV or Blind, live-music venues about 20 minutes away by taxi or bus, with lineups as global and diverse as Babylon's. For those with a sweet tooth, no visit to Istanbul is complete without baklava, the sweet, syrupy pastry made with layers of flaky dough. Karakoy Gulluoglu, a beloved bakery that opened in 1949, sells a range of these pastries, including chocolate or cold baklava, in a sleek, contemporary space. Next door is another popular cafe, Mahizer Baklava Karakoy, where you can find creative delights, such as a baklava ice cream sandwich, a Turkish variation on tres leches cake called trilece and fig pudding. Grab a Turkish tea or coffee and a selection of treats from both bakeries and walk over to the waterfront to taste and compare them side by side. Or if you prefer a savoury breakfast, Mahizer offers the classic Turkish kahvalti with menemen, crispy borek, fried halloumi and a selection of spreads. 10am | Escape to the islands Take the tram or the bus to the Kabatas ferry terminal to catch a ride to one of the Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmara southeast of the city, a preferred getaway area for locals (one-way ticket, 88.38 lira). During the 90-minute boat ride, you might catch sight of frolicking dolphins. The four inhabited islands are rich with foliage, scenic overlooks and beaches. Motorised vehicles are banned, so visitors move around on foot, by bicycle or by electric shuttle. The largest and busiest island, Buyukada, has plenty of restaurants, boutiques, coffee and ice cream shops, and bike rental operators, and is famous for its elegant Ottoman-era mansions. Stop for a scoop at the quirky Buyukada Sekercisi Candy Island Cafe Patisserie, and dine on a broad selection of seafood dishes like grilled salmon on a stick or shrimp casserole as well as Turkish favorites like crispy pastries with melted cheese or eggplants with tomatoes at the Secret Garden Restaurant (dinner for two, about 2,500 lira).
Barnama
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Barnama
National Art Gallery Showcases BIMP-EAGA Contemporary Artworks
KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 (Bernama) -- The 'Isle To Isle: A Reflection of BIMP-EAGA Through Contemporary Art' (KePulauan: Refleksi BIMP-EAGA Melalui Seni Kontemporari) exhibition, showcasing contemporary artworks by artists from the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), is currently being held at the National Art Gallery. The National Art Gallery said that the exhibition, taking place in Gallery 3A, is open to the public from today until May 31, 2026, featuring diverse artistic expressions, including mixed media, installations, paintings and photography, as well as audio and video works. As part of the Cultural Diplomacy agenda, under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) Strategic Plan 2021-2025, the exhibition aimed at strengthening strategic cooperation in the tourism and cultural sectors. 'The initiative also aligns with the BIMP-EAGA 2025 Vision, which is anchored on the principles of resilience, inclusivity, sustainability and economic competitiveness (R.I.S.E), and forms part of the activities held in conjunction with Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship, this year,' it said, in a statement. The exhibition was officiated yesterday by MOTAC secretary-general, Datuk Shaharuddin Abu Sohot. Also present were National Visual Arts Development Board director-general, Amerrudin Ahmad, along with curators and visual arts practitioners from Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines. The National Art Gallery said that the exhibition highlights visual reflections by artists from the four nations, exploring themes of economy, social relations, environmental protection, science, and, most importantly, local wisdom, in the eastern ASEAN region. This region encompasses Brunei; Indonesia's Kalimantan corridor from Pontianak to Balikpapan, as well as Sulawesi and Maluku; Malaysia's Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan; and the southern Philippines, including Mindanao and Palawan. Among the participating artists are Josrie Haral, Muslim Mattajim, and Dr Mohamad Faizuan Mat, from Malaysia; Umi Zaty Bazillah Zakaria and Asilah Maziyah Mohamad Yussof, from Brunei; while the Philippines is represented by Chester M. Mato, Romy Jones Mata, Leonard B. Ansiong, Brendale Taj Hassan Tadeo, and Alynnah Macla. Meanwhile, Indonesia is represented by Audro Chrustofel Rompas, along with two art collectives: Susur Galur from Pontianak, featuring Muchamad Riduwan, Tito Prastio, and Elfrida Citra Rominggagas; and Muara Suara from Samarinda, which includes Robby Octtavian, Prashasti Wilong Putri, and Rio Raharjo.
Scoop
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Abigail Aroha Jensen Is Awarded The 2025 Residency For An Artist From Aotearoa New Zealand At Gasworks, London
Gasworks, the Jan Warburton Charitable Trust and the Office for Contemporary Art Aotearoa are delighted to announce that Abigail Aroha Jensen will travel to London in October as the ninth New Zealand artist to undertake a residency at Gasworks. Nearly 80 applications were received for the 2025 residency, with the Gasworks selection committee commenting on the extremely high standard of applications. Abigail is interested in the repetition and stagnation of culture, images, language, motifs and sound, and how mauri (life force) may transfer between the object and the body. Her work is often site-specific and responds to desolate land sites, fantasy worlds, 'the archive', and local histories related to labour, colonial entanglements and online habitats. Abigail's studio practice involves harvesting and weaving with harakeke (flax) and other found materials, rope making, drawing, painting, screen printing, sound, installation and improvisation. These ways of making demand a sustained repetition of specific gestures, which in turn influence visual and sonic artworks. During her residency at Gasworks, she plans to spend time developing her research around mauri, collecting materials, foraging for new flora and fauna and sketching in the studio. She will also visit and document sites of interest to compose the score for her first film, NZ Forever. Abigail lives in Ngāruawāhia, Waikato, Aotearoa New Zealand. Recent exhibitions include: Rope Play, (a series of acts), sites across Aotearoa including; Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Pōneke Wellington, Heretaunga Hastings, Ōtepōti Dunedin, Ōtautahi Christchurch, Kirikiriroa Hamilton, Köln, Germany and the Busan, South Korea (2022- present); Spring Time is Heart-break: Contemporary Art in Aotearoa, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū (2023); Glittering Images, Grace Aotearoa (2024); I nside my papahou: puoro tuatin i. H er site, Désirée – ā whakamātao owha co- commissioned by Te Tuhi and the Busan Biennale Organising Committee, South Korea; (2024) cab-sous vide, The Dowse Art Museum, (2024) What thrives on these soils, at Te Whare Toi o Heretaunga, Hastings Art Gallery, and Bootleg, The Physics Room, Ōtautahi Christchurch, (2025). About the residency The Gasworks residency offers an early / mid-career artist, opportunities for self -led professional development, artistic exchange and experimentation and development of new international networks, and as such can be significant for the advancement of their career. Alongside the time for extensive practice-based research and access to artists in London with similar interests, Gasworks provides opportunities for the artist to develop new work and showcase their practice, work ethic and conceptual focuses to an international audience, including curators and collectors, unavailable in Aotearoa New Zealand. The residency provides return flights to London, 24/7-access to a private studio space in the Gasworks building, accommodation in a house shared with three or four other international artists in residence with Gasworks, plus living and materials allowance. The critical nature at the heart of Gasworks encourages the fostering of active dialogues with local creative practitioners, including artists, curators and writers, as well as direct engagement with important London-based artist-run spaces, collectives, galleries, museums, patrons and collectors. The three-month, fully funded residency will take place from October – December 2024 and is delivered through a partnership between Gasworks, the Jan Warburton Charitable Trust and the Office for Contemporary Art Aotearoa. The 2025 residency is made possible by the very generous support of individuals and trusts, including the Jan Warburton Charitable Trust, Jenny and Andrew Smith, Shirley-Ann and Rick Mannering, Dame Jenny Gibbs, Bath Street Arts Trust, Tim Melville and Rosemary and Tim Auld. This will be the ninth consecutive Gasworks Residency for a NZ artist. Previous artists in residence at Gasworks are Sriwhana Spong, Katrina Beekhuis, Hikalu Clarke, Christina Pataialii, Sarah Rose, Campbell Patterson, Sorawit Songsataya and Shiraz Sadikeen. About Gasworks Established in 1994, Gasworks is a non-profit contemporary visual art organisation working between UK and international practices, offering a cohesive space of critical dialogue and studio-driven practices. Gasworks run a highly respected international residency program offering artists the opportunity to research new work in London. Events, workshops and open-studio events are organised to engage the wider community, as well to provide the resident artists an opportunity to develop and expand their professional networks. Through Gasworks, curator and patron visits ensure that the artists are provided with an active landscape to ensure the exposure of their artistic practices. About Jan Warburton Charitable Trust The Jan Warburton Charitable Trust (JWCT) was established by Dunedin based collector and philanthropist, Jan Warburton, to support the development of contemporary art in Aotearoa New Zealand, with a particular focus on late-emerging and mid-career artists. The residency for a New Zealand artist at Gasworks was developed by the Trust in 2016 and has been supported over the years by a number of individuals. Without their continuing generosity, the residency would not be possible. About Office for Contemporary Art Aotearoa The Office for Contemporary Art Aotearoa (OCAA) works in partnership with other organisations and individuals, both from New Zealand and internationally to enable and facilitate the presentation of work by New Zealand artists at major overseas exhibitions; and to encourage exchange and dialogue between visual arts practitioners from New Zealand and their international counterparts. OCAA was formed in early 2024 and is based in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Prior to the formation of OCAA, OCAA's director, Stephanie Post worked with Gasworks and the Jan Warburton Charitable Trust to develop the residency. OCAA is delighted to continue this work fundraising for and facilitating the annual residency at Gasworks and is extremely grateful to all those who support the funding of the residency.
Telegraph
01-07-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
This £7.5 million nude is proof that women are the future of the art world
London's summer season of Modern and Contemporary Art sales at Sotheby's, Christie's and Phillips took another step backwards last week mustering a slim £97.8 million – down 25 per cent from last June's £129.5 million, and a mind-boggling 84 per cent down on the £600 million recorded 10 years ago. The drop is due in part to Christie's and Phillips abandoning their high-value evening sales to focus on Frieze week in October, so Sotheby's was left to show the world what London could do. But while they finished streets ahead of the competition, Sotheby's £75.7 million total was a severe 41.5 per cent down on last year. Amid the gloomy statistics, however, comes a ray of hope. A pre-sale report written by number crunchers ArtTactic tracked the booming market for female artists, some of whom were to feature in the Sotheby's sale. The report calculated that between 2018 and 2024, auction sales by female artists rose from $523.7 million to $675.6 million and that the female artists' share of the market had doubled from 6.2 per cent to 13.5 per cent. In the major museums, Tate and MoMA New York, the percentage of solo shows and acquisitions of works by female artists increased to 50 per cent over the same period. The report also stated that the rate of return (Compound Annual Growth Rate) on works by 20th-century artists that had been bought and resold was much better for female than male artists, supporting the view that women artists have been undervalued. Although the report was careful to state that it did not constitute investment advice, it was hard to escape the implication that female artists were on an upward trend. And female artists turned out to be the stars of their sale. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys) The top lot of the week at £7.5 million was a voluptuous female nude (La Belle Rafaëla, 1927) by the bisexual society art deco painter, Tamara de Lempicka, which was being sold by lyricist Sir Tim Rice. Sotheby's did not name him, but Sir Tim was credited as the owner when he lent the painting last year to a de Lempicka exhibition at the de Young Museum in California. He is believed to have paid about £1 million for it in 1997. As an indication of how her prices have moved, the painting was previously owned by actor Jack Nicholson after it had sold at auction for £175,000 in 1985. Other celebrity owners of her sensual, stylised work include Madonna, Donna Karan and Barbra Streisand, and a handful of Russian oligarchs. Although born in Poland, her father was Russian. While Rafaëla was not a record for de Lempicka, other female artists did attain that distinction at Sotheby's. A large Jenny Saville charcoal drawing of intertwining reclining nudes entitled Mirror, 2011-12, sold for £2.1 million. This is a record for a drawing by Saville, whose currency is no doubt helped by the National Portrait Gallery's exhibition, which runs until September. It attracted a chorus of bids, including one from the well-heeled Turkish banker, Kemal Cingillioğlu, though even he was outgunned. The other record in the sale was for a Mondrian-inspired relief painting White, Black, Blue and Red,1944, by queer/androgynous British artist Marlow Moss. Moss had previously been written off as a Mondrian pasticheur who changed her name from Marjorie to Marlow in 1919 to sound more masculine. But her originality as an artist is now recognised, and her rare work which survived a wartime bomb hitting her studio, is commanding higher and higher prices. This example, which had cost £82,000 in 2009, raced past its £200,000 estimate to sell for £609,000. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Peyton, that American painter of cultural icons, fetched her second highest price at auction with a work depicting brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher. Seemingly offered to coincide with the Oasis reunion tour, it sold for £2 million, six times its previous price in 2011. Later in the week, in the ceramic collection formed by Oxford bike shop-owner Sydney Denton, the top price by a long way was for a female artist, Dame Magdalene Odundo, whose untitled long necked burnished and carbonised terracotta pot from 1990 quadrupled estimates to set a new record – £723,000. Even discounting the ceramic sale, ArtTactic calculated that the female artists' contribution to this June's sales leapt 143 per cent from £6.9 million last year to £16.9 million, increasing their market share with the men from 8 per cent to 29 per cent. A Union Jack flag from The Battle of Trafalgar goes up for auction At five o'clock this afternoon, Christie's will offer for sale an exceptional 11-and-a-half-foot wide hand-stitched, battle-worn Union Jack flag. Once proudly flown under the order of Horatio, Lord Nelson from the mast of HMS Spartiate at The Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and still embedded with shards of metal, the estimate is £500,000-£800,000. Nelson was one of the first naval commanders to fly the Union Jack in battle and, according to Christie's, only two other Union Jacks from Trafalgar have survived intact. One is in the National Maritime Museum, and the other, entirely coincidentally, is for sale with Greens of Cheltenham at the Treasure House Fair in London, which closes this evening at 8pm. Slightly smaller at nine feet across and priced at £450,000, this one was flown from the forestay of Vice-Admiral Lord Collingwood's flagship HMS Royal Sovereign. According to the Nelson expert Martyn Downer, who is advising Greens on the sale, neither Greens nor Christie's knew another flag was coming onto the market and the two prices were arrived at independently. Both would have used the HMS Spartiate flag's previous auction price, nearly £400,000 in 2009, as a guide. At the fair opening last week, offers were made for the Royal Sovereign flag but none accepted. That may change before the fair closes, depending on what happens at Christie's this afternoon. The Bristol Museum crowdfunds to buy a rediscovered Turner Museums don't usually telegraph their intentions to bid at auction publicly, but tomorrow, the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery will be bidding at Sotheby's for a rediscovered JMW Turner painting which depicts the Avon Gorge before the Clifton Suspension Bridge was built. Not only is it of local interest, The Rising Squall, Hot Wells, from St Vincent's Rock, Bristol, painted when he was just 17, was the first painting Turner ever exhibited at the Royal Academy, in 1793. Had they spotted it last year at a provincial auction where its authorship was unknown, the museum might have bought it for £525. But the buyer took it to be cleaned and discovered a signature under the grime. Now valued beyond the museum's budget at £200,000-300,000, it has launched a public appeal to raise funds through the crowdfunding process in which individuals and companies can contribute directly online. Within five days the crowdfund had raised over £100,000. Now it's a matter of whether competitive bidders will hold off and allow the museum to be successful.
