Author: Sam Art
Mexico City is having a moment. The second largest city in Latin America, rich in history and tradition, perpetually hosts new sets of restaurants, bars, shops, faces and, of course, fairs and galleries. Zona Maco, the city’s annual art fair, recorded a record attendance this year, with 81,000 visitors and 200 exhibitors. Mexico City ranked among the best and most livable cities in the world for expats in 2024 in the lists of Forbes, time outand countless more. The growing number of artist residencies in the Mexican capital at galleries such as JO-HS and Fundación Casa Wabi have made it…
Frank Franzen, an artist deeply intertwined with the rhythms and uncertainties of nature, is preparing for his upcoming solo exhibition in Denmark next month. His work, particularly the piece “Searching for Nature,” delves into themes of climate change and ecosystem collapse, reflecting his intense engagement with these pressing issues. Franzen’s artistic process is described as a ritualistic response to the destabilizing forces of our current environmental crisis. He explores how humans are intricately connected to nature and dependent on its health for our survival. His work raises profound questions: What will the world look like in 30 or 40 years?…
Juliette Boisdron draws a majestic female warrior adorned in protective armor and a helmet decorated with superb colored feathers. These delicately drawn feathers symbolize both lightness and resilience, creating a fascinating contrast with the robustness of the armor. On the bodies of her subjects, Juliette incorporates a multitude of heads and faces. These faces, expressive and varied, represent the many facets of female identity. They tell stories of strength, wisdom, and diversity. Juliette Boisdron’s “Shield Series n.10” is an artwork that exemplifies her unique style. This artwork, created with ink on rice paper and measuring 70 x 50 cm, was…
The French Riviera has long been a haven for artists. Pierre-Auguste Renoir spent his last years, from 1907 to 1919, here in a house in Cagnes-sur-Mer. Pierre Bonnard settled in Le Cannet in 1920. Pablo Picasso lived and worked in Vallauris from 1948 to 1955. And many of the most important artists of the 20th century would stay at La Colombe d’or, an emblematic hotel that is the heart and soul of Saint. -Paul de Vence. The other jewel in the crown of this city, west of Nice, is the Fondation Marguerite et Aimé Maeght, which is celebrating its 60th…
Mathias Mornat was born in Paris and is now 57 years old. For over two decades, he has dedicated himself to painting, evolving into a self-taught artist with a diverse skill set. After training in advertising layout design at the Estienne School, Mathias mastered various painting techniques, including ink, gouache, acrylic, and oil. His work has been showcased primarily in France’s Champagne region, Lisbon in Portugal, and recently in Basel, Switzerland, at the Art Project Basel during Art Basel week. Mathias Mornat’s artistic journey is a testament to the power of self-education and passion. Over the past 20 years, he…
The Bangkok Art Biennale has announced its line-up of the 45 local and international artists who will participate in its fourth edition, opening on October 25. The artists come from 28 countries and, according to the organizers, approximately 25 percent of the works presented have never been exhibited before. Artists include French-Algerian installation artist Adel Abdessemed, Italian ceramist and visual artist Chiara Camoni, Singaporean multimedia artist Priyageetha Dia, French-American multimedia artist Camille Henrot, South Korean sculpture designer Choi Jeong Hwa, artist of Brooklyn. Chitra Ganesh, Japanese multidisciplinary artist Aki Inomata, Scandinavian sculptural artist duo Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset, Hong…
Georges Dijoux, a graduate of the National School of Fine Arts in Paris, merges art, knowledge, and technique to create unique pieces reflecting his artistic approach. His journey is marked by constant exploration and a relentless pursuit of singularity in his work. Dijoux’s artistic philosophy is deeply rooted in interconnectedness and transformation, vividly embodied in his sculpture “I Am Here.” This piece, featuring a bronze hand releasing butterflies from a flower, draws inspiration from Spinoza’s concept of “Deus sive Natura,” emphasizing the inseparable bond between humanity and the natural world. Dijoux’s commitment to innovation and uniqueness is evident in his…
Matthew Swarts, a visionary in the realm of photography and digital imaging, has an intriguing approach to his art. “I use computers to question some of the things I make with cameras,” he states, challenging traditional notions of photography. Swarts believes in photography’s power to touch truth but is skeptical of its supposed direct link to reality. His work, showcased in publications like The New York Times Magazine, WIRED, and SLATE, questions our perception of reality through digital manipulation. With a background in Ethics and the Philosophy of Value from Princeton University and an MFA in Photography and Digital Imaging…
A new museum focusing on the ancient Roman city of Pompeii is set to open in the Italian city of Naples. The space is 103,000 square meters (1.1 million square feet) and will be designed by architect Paolo Desideri. It will be located inside the old Albergo dei Poveri, a building also known as Palazzo Fuga. This new institution will serve as a sister museum to the Museo Nazionale Archaeologico Napoli (MANN) and will therefore be known as MANN 2. The building has been empty for decades and the new museum is part of a city-wide revitalization effort aimed at…
David John Hilditch allows paint to have a life of its own, creating complex and abstract environments where ideas of reality can emerge and transform free from the moorings of time, space, and causality. This freedom is explored through the language of clouds in flux, hints of facial structures, abstract textures, and forms from nature. Inspired by the masters of figurative oil painting and the writings of modern Western philosophers, his watercolors and large-scale oils reflect on perception, impermanence, and identity in a way that is deep, engaging, and open to endless interpretation. David was born in Wolverhampton in 1951,…