AUSTRIA
Exhibition "Biedermeier - Fictional Simplicity", until May 13, Vienna. At the Vienna museum Albertina a new exhibition opens dedicated to one of the stylistic directions in Austrian and German art of the first half of the 19th century. Its name – "Biedermeier" – this direction got from the fictional surname of a simple German commoner, the hero of a poem by poet L. Eichrodt "Biedermaiers Liederlust" (1850). The new direction fully corresponded to popular notions of respectable orderliness of everyday life. Hence the characteristic for Biedermeier reworking of Empire forms (mainly in interiors and decorative applied arts) in the spirit of intimacy and domestic coziness. For Biedermeier painting are typical small format, fine detailed writing, love for everyday details, striving for intimacy and heartfeltness of images. The exhibition is prepared in cooperation with several European museums, and will present both decorative art objects and paintings. www.albertina.at
BELGIUM
Boat Show, February 10-18, Ghent. At the Flanders Expo exhibition center in Ghent the traditional February boat show will open. The main exhibits will be, undoubtedly, novelties of motor yachts and sailing dinghies, as well as accessories for them. But recently an interesting trend has developed during this exhibition: more and more stands dedicated to water sports are presented. It is these exhibits that attract a huge part of visitors. www.belgianboatshow.be
GREAT BRITAIN
Exhibition of works by Gilbert & George, February 15 - May 7, London. At the London gallery Tate Modern in mid-February a long-awaited large exhibition of English artists Gilbert and George will open. Having met in 1967, these artists firmly decided to immediately become famous. Thus in 1969 their first "living sculptures" were created, where the artists' own bodies served as objects. Fame came to them immediately, because they could stand for hours in various crowded places, in art galleries and museums, dressed in tight suits of ordinary people, with faces painted with paint ("Red Sculpture"). Creating "art for everyone" and identifying themselves with their own art, they skillfully and with humor used the paradoxes and conventions of modern culture. Parallel to successful performances, the artists create charcoal drawings and paintings, and from 1971 photography enters their work more and more – from small compositions to monumental collages. The funny and absurd in their work is now closely connected with the tragic and serious. This exhibition will present works of all genres in which the artists worked, united by a common task – "to strike viewers before they start thinking". www.tate.org.uk
Exhibition "Landscapes of Renoir 1865-1883", February 21 - May 20, London. The London National Gallery in cooperation with the National Gallery of Canada and the Philadelphia Museum of Art have prepared an unusual thematic exhibition dedicated to the genre of landscape in the work of Auguste Renoir (1841-1919). A detailed study of this seemingly occasional theme in the artist's work plays a huge role in understanding all subsequent motifs and stylistic discoveries of the artist. Because it is from the study of reflections on water ("La Grenouillère") that the impressionist vision and search for new forms in his painting are formed. The paintings at the exhibition will be arranged in chronological order – from student works of 1865 to landscapes of 1883, created under the impression of a trip to Guernsey. The theme of travel becomes central to this exhibition, which is logical – after all, Renoir created his best few landscapes during trips to the south of France, Italy and Algeria. www.nationalgallery.org.uk
GERMANY
Retrospective exhibition of Helene Schjerfbeck, until May 6, Hamburg. The fate of the almost legendary Finnish artist Helene Schjerfbeck (1862-1946) turned out mysteriously and strangely. In Scandinavia, her works are extremely popular, her name is associated with self-denial and asceticism in creativity – the last 40 years she lived in remote Finnish villages, where her best works were created. And the rest of the world seems to have forgotten about this artist and remembers with surprise when her paintings at auctions go for the highest prices. Probably, one of the main tasks of the organizers of this exhibition will be simply reminding the world of the existence of beautiful paintings by Helene Schjerfbeck, one of which – "The Convalescent" – received recognition at the World Fair in Paris in 1889. This can explain the fact that the exhibition from the Hamburg Kunsthalle will then "move" to other countries. 120 paintings by the artist will be presented at this exhibition, among them visitors will be able to see a unique series of self-portraits and still lifes by Helene Schjerfbeck, provided by many Scandinavian museums and private collectors. www.hamburger-kunsthalle.de
Exhibition "Embedded World", February 13-15; exhibition of natural products BioFach, February 15-18, Nuremberg. Embedded technologies have become an integral part of modern life, so the Embedded World exhibition, which will be held in Nuremberg for the fifth time, enjoys growing popularity. The exhibition is attended by leading manufacturers (sale of electronic components in Moscow) of modules for embedded technology, equipment and software suppliers, as well as providers of related services.
Equally popular in the modern world is the theme of natural, environmentally friendly food, cosmetics, and textiles. This very theme is the focus of the young exhibition BioFach, which is attracting increasing attention from producers and consumers. Both exhibitions will be held at the Messezentrum Nuremberg exhibition center. www.biofach.de www.embedded-world-2007.de www.nuernbergmesse.de
DENMARK
Exhibition of André Derain, February 10 - May 13, Copenhagen. In early February, the exhibition of the famous French artist André Derain (1880 - 1954) opens at the Statens Museum for Kunst. The art studio on the island of Chatou, where the young Derain worked, was considered in the early 20th century the center of Fauvism. His fascination with a new stylistic direction in art brought him closer to Matisse, and in 1905 he decided to exhibit a series of his landscapes at the Salon d'Automne. They were all bought at that time, which allowed the artist to go on a European tour to continue his education. In the 1910s, new motifs appeared in the artist's work – medieval painting, Italian and Netherlandish painting of the 15th century, folk pictures. All this allowed Derain's painting to be interpreted as eclectic and intellectual. In addition to paintings, Derain also became famous for his set and costume designs for many theatrical performances (for example, for the Diaghilev seasons), as well as book illustrations (for example, for Apollinaire's 'The Rotting Sorcerer'). All these genres will be presented at the Copenhagen exhibition, which was prepared jointly with several major European museums. www.smk.dk
Scandinavian Food Fair TEMA, February 23-28, Copenhagen. This largest international fair will feature new products in the field of healthy nutrition, as well as non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages. The program of the exhibition-fair is very rich: it includes daily competitions of the best chefs, as well as numerous presentations and tastings of new products. But the fair has its own specificity: it preserves Scandinavian traditions, as evidenced, for example, by a mini-festival of Scandinavian chocolate. Every year about 50,000 people visit this exhibition. www.tema05.dk
SPAIN
Exhibition of Tintoretto, until May 13, Madrid. The Prado Museum in Madrid will soon open an exhibition of works by the famous Italian artist Tintoretto (1518-1594). According to the organizers, this is the first large-scale monographic exhibition of Tintoretto since the famous Venetian exhibition of 1937. It will feature more than 60 works by the great master - paintings on historical, mythological, religious subjects, portraits, drawings. Tintoretto's painting attracts attention primarily for its 'boundary' character. He is connected with Baroque artists by pictorial pathos and the 'infinity' of spatial constructions, and the multifaceted, freedom-loving nature of his realistic talent makes his work (like that of Michelangelo) a grandiose epilogue to the art of the late Renaissance. Paintings for this exhibition were provided by numerous museums in Europe and the USA. /museoprado.mcu.es
International Contemporary Art Fair ARCO, February 15-19, Madrid. Another review of contemporary art will be held in Madrid at the Juan Carlos I Exhibition Complex. In addition to Spanish galleries, which traditionally form the backbone of the exhibition, gallery owners from Germany, France, Austria, Portugal, the USA, Brazil, and Mexico will participate. This year, special attention will be paid to contemporary Korean art – this country is the 'special guest' of the exhibition. ARCO guarantees an introduction to all directions and genres of contemporary art, including the increasingly fashionable media art. www.ifema.es
ITALY
Exhibition of Annibale Carracci, until May 6, Rome. A retrospective exhibition of one of the most interesting artists of the Bolognese school of painting of the late 16th century has opened at the Chiostro del Bramante in Rome. Annibale Carracci (1560-1609) was the younger brother of the famous Carracci family, who founded their 'Academy of the Progressives'. The young Annibale remained true to these principles, creating his first altar paintings in Bologna, Parma, and Reggio. During his years in Bologna, Annibale Carracci also created portraits, landscapes, and genre scenes in a naturalistic manner. The evolution of the artist's style is connected with his move to Rome and the creation there of a series of frescoes on antique themes in the Palazzo Farnese. In Rome, he also created a number of altar paintings, secular portraits, and landscapes, and organized his workshop. The current Rome exhibition presents 160 paintings and drawings by the artist. www.chiostrodelbramante.it www.romaturismo.com
Exhibition of Masks, until February 27, Venice. The new thematic exhibition opening at the Museo Correr in early February is primarily associated with the world-famous Venice Carnival, which is linked to the famous 'comedy of masks'. The mask is the main attribute of this carnival, so learning about the history of the real Italian mask, not limited to the mass-produced items sold everywhere, will be extremely interesting for those who visit Venice during these days. The exhibition was prepared with the participation of the world-renowned mask-making specialist Professor Donato Sartori, so visitors will be able to learn about the specifics of production, history, and evolution of the Italian theatrical mask. www.museiciviciveneziani.it
NETHERLANDS
Art Rotterdam contemporary art fair, February 8-12, Rotterdam. Art Rotterdam is a real congress of contemporary artists and art lovers interested in the latest trends and directions in contemporary art. This exhibition is also interesting because it mainly features young art. This year, the participants of this contemporary art forum will be gallerists and artists from Belgium, Italy, France, Ireland, Great Britain, Norway, Turkey and the USA. A special prize of €10,000 will be awarded for innovative art. The exhibition will include lectures, master classes and seminars, and a special graffiti project by the American artist group Grafitti Research Lab (GRL) promises to be interesting. www.artrotterdam.nl www.holland.com
FRANCE
Contemporary art exhibition (1906-1960), until April 2, Paris. Over three months, visitors to the Paris Museum of Modern Art – the Centre Pompidou – will be able to see the museum's complete own collection of art from the first half of the 20th century. This exhibition will bring together about 1,300 exhibits, including the museum's latest acquisitions. The exhibition will be located on the fourth and fifth floors of the museum, and will be open until 11 pm on the first two days. www.centrepompidou.fr
Vintage car exhibition, February 16-25, Paris. For the 32nd time this year, one of the most vibrant and spectacular exhibitions of vintage cars will be held at the Paris expo exhibition center. The main goal for most visitors of this unique exhibition (whose number has long exceeded 150,000) remains simply 'to look and enjoy, because these are already works of art,' as the organizers claim. And there will be plenty to see: besides 300 vintage cars, the exhibition will feature motorcycles, military vehicles and accessories. Special interest will surely be aroused by the special equipment used in the French polar expedition of Paul-Émile Victor in 1947-1949. www.retromobile.fr
SWITZERLAND
Exhibition of sculptures by Auguste Rodin, February 9 - May 13, Zurich. At the Zurich Art Museum (Kunsthaus) in early February, a long-awaited exhibition of rare sculptures by Rodin, whose work predetermined the development of sculpture in the 20th century, opens. Visitors will not find those sculptures that most people associate with Rodin's name. The exhibition will feature sculptures and details in bronze, plaster and marble - mainly portraits and allegories. It is through these works of the sculptor, the organizers claim, that one can see the very process of 'the painful birth of harmonious form from primeval chaos.' By the opening of the exhibition, the restoration of Rodin's sculpture 'The Gates of Hell' will be completed, which will return to its usual place - at the entrance to the Kunsthaus. www.kunsthaus.ch