Latest news with #NicolasParty
The Guardian
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The art of making ‘a little mess' brings Nicolas Party's showstopper to Bath
There was a time when Nicolas Party would be pursued by police for decorating trains and buildings across Europe with his distinctive street art. Now, grand galleries and museums invite him to unleash his visions on their walls. His latest extraordinary piece, a large mural in soft pastel inspired by the works of a 17th-century Dutch artist and an 18th-century British master has materialised at the Holburne Museum in Bath. As the finishing touches were being put to the work, Party said he was thrilled that the Holburne, housed in a late-18th-century building and the custodian of paintings by the likes of Thomas Gainsborough and George Stubbs, was hosting his work. 'It's great to be in a grand place like this.' For his new piece, his first major mural in an English gallery, Party borrowed from a small oil painting in the Holburne's collection, A Brawl Between Peasants, by Benjamin Gerritsz. Cuyp, a Dutch painter known for his allegorical oil panels and landscapes, influenced by Rembrandt. Over four days he recreated the rather violent image over a whole wall of a gallery, raising an awful lot of pastel dust. He used pastels again for a second, smaller work, this time on linen – a depiction of two horses in the style of Stubbs's horse and lion paintings, with a calm, ghostly human face between them. The second work was then hung at the centre of the mural, obscuring much of the action. Party's mural is called A Brawl Between Peasants, After Benjamin Gerritsz, 2025. The second, smaller piece is Portrait With Two Horses, 2025. The artist said he was drawn to the Dutch painting because he liked the 'grim, funny' subject matter. 'It's not a portrait or a sweet landscape, it's more unusual.' The mural is a close copy and Party said the addition of the second element – the horses and face image – made it his work. It didn't worry him that the most dramatic part of the mural was hidden behind the smaller image, he said. 'I think my work becomes my work when I put the two together.' A chamber had to be built in front of the wall for Party to work in. The wall has to be prepared with acrylic paint, water and sawdust to create a sandpapery texture that holds the pastel. Sign up to Art Weekly Your weekly art world round-up, sketching out all the biggest stories, scandals and exhibitions after newsletter promotion 'So that makes a little mess and the pastel generates a lot of dust. That's why we have to be enclosed.' He then uses both hands, applying the pastel and rubbing it to create textures and colours. 'It's quite tiring so I use both arms.' The piece is the showstopper in an exhibition called Nicolas Party: Copper & Dust, which features two rooms of smaller works including striking landscapes, still lifes and portraits, created out of oil on copper. Chris Stephens, the director of the Holburne, said the gallery was excited to show Party's work. 'With his deep knowledge of the history of art, especially his interest in 17th-century Dutch painting and in 18th-century pastels, both of which feature in the Holburne's collection, Nicolas's art is in a perfect setting.' Nicolas Party: Copper & Dust, runs from 12 May until 31 August.
Telegraph
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Fancy buying some top-notch contemporary art? Head to the country
Head west out of London this month for some inspired exhibitions in unexpected settings to rival anything in the capital. Opening in Bath next Monday is an exhibition of new work by Switzerland's most successful young artist, Nicolas Party, at the stately Holburne Museum, home to a collection of 18th-century portraits formed by Sir William Holburne (1793–1874). The juxtaposition will not be incongruous as Party draws heavily on art historical references in his work, rendered in sharply contrasting bright pastel colours and simplified linear contours. All the works have been supplied by Party's dealer in Glasgow, The Modern Institute, but are not being advertised as for sale. Party's market is difficult to gauge at the moment. In 2022, he achieved a record $6.2 million (£4.7 million) at an auction in Asia and in 2023 became the world's top-selling millennial artist (he is 44). But with the recent decline in speculative interest in the latest contemporary art, his work has been selling below estimate at auction and sometimes not at all. So, a museum show is just the ticket to maintain his reputation during an unfavourable market. Five days later (May 17) and a mere 20-minute drive south to Bruton is where international art dealers Hauser & Wirth converted the semi-derelict Durslade Farm into an arts venue which opens for Myths & Machines, an exhibition that celebrates the centenary of the birth of Jean Tinguely, the leading kinetic artist of bizarre, mechanical assemblages. The exhibition places Tinguely's work together with Niki de Saint Phalle, a self-taught outsider artist whom he married for only two years but worked with for more than 30, and who provides the mythic element to the exhibition. While Europe will be awash with memorial events in museums and institutions, this will be the only one in the UK, and the farmyard setting should set it apart.
BBC News
26-03-2025
- BBC News
Unlocking the ultimate new luxury travel experiences for 2025
If a Mediterranean resort location is in your plans, Marchant's tip is to visit in the "shoulder season" – April, May, June, September or October. "There's something about experiencing Rome or the Amalfi Coast when it's quieter and slightly cooler," he says. "It's the difference between rushing through a site like the Colosseum and having time to take it in." On the Amalfi Coast, family-owned Le Sirenuse Positano distinctly anchors its offering to its Sorrento surrounds, encouraging hikes of the rugged mountains for postcard views without the crowds, boat excursions, craftsman trails and local wine masterclasses with sommeliers. The family business reimagined its resort pool into a mosaic masterpiece by artist Nicolas Party to kick off its 2024 season and has a long-held reputation for ties with community artisans, from those making sailboats to designer wares. Le Sirenuse was one of the earlier adopters of the now popular movement of hospitality collaborating with fashion houses, taking it a step further with its own resort wear label that expresses the spirit of Positano. Morocco continues to be a popular destination, with its opulent Riads offering tranquillity from the bustling markets. La Pause is a stunning desert oasis day trip for culture, tagine and vistas, or consider a retreat to the High Atlas Mountains, a location Black Tomato says speaks to the desire for quiet travel to replenish the spirit. Before you leave the airport, you can withdraw about AU$100-$150 cash equivalent of local currency for the start of your journey – international banks such as HSBC, and their Everyday Global Account, have no account-keeping fees, transaction fees and HSBC ATM fees*. While digital wallets are often available offline these days, taking a physical bank card or cash is always helpful. Often "the town next door" is where true magic is found. In Japan, for instance, Marchant says, "visit the classic hotspots in Tokyo and Kyoto but balance that with some time in lesser-known Kanagawa to experience a beautiful ryokan and private outdoor hot spring baths." Tapping into a local's take on a city is invaluable. In London, dine or take a cocktail masterclass at Lucky Cat 22 Bishopsgate for its 20th floor, 360-degree views that include the Shard, rather than visiting the attraction itself. Chatsworth Road Market makes a great alternative to Portobello Road or enjoy a glass of wine at Forza Wine, the National Theatre's rooftop bar, which provides an ambience of the South Bank and the Thames to rival the London Eye. If London is your platform to access Europe, an account such as the HSBC Everyday Global Account offers internationally connected banking where you can buy, hold and spend money in up to 10 currencies or spend fee free* around the world wherever Visa is accepted. The HSBC Australia Mobile Banking App provides full oversight of conversion rates to keep track of your currencies as you move between countries.
