AUSTRIA
Exhibition "Egon Schiele and His Circle", until September 24, Vienna. The Belvedere in Vienna is hosting an exhibition dedicated to the formative period of Austrian Expressionism, entitled "Egon Schiele and His Circle". The exhibition features paintings by Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt, Oskar Kokoschka, Max Oppenheimer, Richard Gerstl, and prints by Alfred Kubin from 1909-1918, as well as documents and recollections about this important stage in the history of early 20th-century painting. "Egon Schiele and His Circle" consists of six sections that reflect the history of friendship and unity of creative pursuits among the artists who united in the group Neukunstgruppe in 1909. //www.schiele.belvedere.at
Wine & Art Festival, August 31 – September 2, Linz. Wine and art are the two main themes of this unusual festival in Linz. It will feature the best Austrian wines from 60 producers, as well as the finest works by Austrian artists and craftsmen – paintings, glassware, ceramics, and jewelry created over the past year. //www.linz.at
GREAT BRITAIN
Exhibition of paintings by George Stubbs, August 21 – January 14, London. The Tate Britain is opening a major exhibition of George Stubbs (1724-1806), marking the 200th anniversary of the artist's death. This unusual painter, who became engrossed in the study of anatomy (drawings and engravings for "The Anatomy of the Horse"), created a series of animal paintings depicting exotic animals, dogs, and horses, which in his time – the era of classicism – was considered a low genre. The exhibition features about 30 works by Stubbs from English museums and private collections, including hunting and racing scenes, portraits of aristocrats against rural backgrounds, and village landscapes. //www.tate.org.uk
Exhibition "Paranoia", until August 27, Leeds. The current state of the world with its volatility, anxiety, unpredictability, and drama is perceived by contemporary artists as paranoia (Greek paranoia – madness), which is reflected in the title of the exhibition opening at the Leeds City Art Gallery. Artists from the most troubled regions of the globe – Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Serbia, and Montenegro – will present their works. Other paranoid aspects of the state of the world and man will be shown in video installations, photographs, and paintings by artists from the USA, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and France. In addition, the exhibition program includes debates among participants of "Paranoia". //www.leeds.gov.uk //www.aionarap.org
GERMANY
Exhibition "Lifestyle Trends", August 25-29, Frankfurt am Main. At the international Tendence Lifestyle exhibition at Messe Frankfurt, more than 3,000 participating companies annually present their collections, and 85,000 people from around the world visit it. New trends in modern everyday lifestyle will be presented in the following sections: "Modern Living" (interior design, glass, porcelain, and ceramic tableware, kitchen appliances, textiles), "Emotions" (mirrors and lamps, decorative items, winter garden and children's room design, paintings), "Joy" (toys and souvenirs), "Passion" (jewelry, cosmetics, and perfumes), and "Functionality" (household appliances, kitchen utensils). Within the exhibition, you can buy kitchens from the manufacturer, and special thematic shows will also take place. //tendence-lifestyle.messefrankfurt.com
Long Night of Museums, August 26, Berlin. The annual "Long Night of Museums" event takes place in Berlin twice a year – in January and August. On Sunday night, 114 museums and art galleries open their doors to visitors. That night, the city also hosts specially organized concerts, readings, music and theater performances, tours, and exotic buffet tables are served. As in previous years, special buses will run between the museums, and travel on them is included in the ticket price (?12), which gives access to all museums. //www.lange-nacht-der-museen.de //www.btm.de
SPAIN
Solo exhibition of Manolo Valdés, until September 25, Madrid. The Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid has opened a large retrospective exhibition of Spanish sculptor Manolo Valdés (born 1942). It features Valdés's works from the later period of his career, from 1981 to 2006, created after his departure from the pop art group Equipo Crónica. The exhibition is divided into several thematic sections: "Nature", "Portraits", "Biblical Themes", "Everyday Life", "Inspired by Velázquez", "Projects". It includes paintings, drawings, and of course, sculptures by the master. //www.museoreinasofia.es
Exhibition "Picasso's Work in Antibes", until October 15, Barcelona. The Picasso Museum in Barcelona has opened an exhibition dedicated to one of the most joyful and life-affirming periods in Pablo Picasso's work, associated with his stay in 1946 in the small resort town of Antibes, 20 km from Nice. In the Château Grimaldi, where the artist created about 150 works in a short period, the Musée Picasso is now located. The collection of this museum, which is temporarily closed, forms the basis of the Barcelona exhibition. "Joy of Life" is the name of one painting that became the thematic and compositional center of the exhibition, consisting of Mediterranean-spirited drawings, paintings, lithographs, woodcuts, posters, as well as ceramics and sculpture. //www.museupicasso.bcn.es
ITALY
Festival "Summer of Photography", until September 24, Milan. Summer in Milan is marked by photography: numerous exhibitions located at the Palazzo Reale and art galleries aim to draw the attention of residents and visitors to the history of photographic art. The main exhibition this year is Superstar: 99 Myths of the 1900s. It is dedicated to the most iconic events of the 20th century, as reflected in the photographs of that time.
No less interesting is the exhibition of French photographer Marc Riboud (1923-1986), which presents a collection of 120 works by the famous master. The festival also features photographs by J. Sternfeld, Gabriele Basilico, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Robert Doisneau. //www.estatefotografia.it
Exhibition "Raphael. From Florence to Rome", until August 27, Rome. This exhibition, held at the Borghese Gallery, is the first of a ten-year cultural project "10 Great Masters." Next year, an exhibition dedicated to Canova will take place there, in 2008 – Correggio, in 2009 – Caravaggio, and so on until 2015. The current exhibition brings together paintings by the artist belonging to the Borghese Gallery, as well as paintings and drawings from other museums. //www.enel.it //www.romaturismo.com
NETHERLANDS
Exhibition of restored paintings by Rembrandt, until September 17, The Hague. The Mauritshuis Museum in The Hague is rightly proud of possessing one of the largest collections of paintings by Rembrandt van Rijn. For the 400th anniversary of the artist's birth, an exhibition-study of the restoration process of three paintings belonging to the museum was prepared: "Simeon in the Temple" (1632), "Homer" (1663), and "Self-Portrait" (1669). In addition to the three restored paintings, the exhibition presents a detailed and fascinating photo report of the restoration process. In the adjacent halls of the museum, one can also view other paintings by Rembrandt. //www.mauritshuis.nl
FRANCE
Exhibition "Auguste Rodin – Eugène Carrière", until October 1, Paris. Sculptor Auguste Rodin and painter Eugène Carrière met in 1880. Critics of the time noted the closeness of their creative search for new forms in art. In 1890, Rodin and Carrière founded the National Society of Fine Arts and exhibited their works at the Salon of the New Art. As it happened, Auguste Rodin did not lose his fame after death, while Eugène Carrière is rarely remembered. The organizers of this exhibition at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris (which houses a fine collection of the artist's paintings), in collaboration with the Rodin Museum, have prepared a unique exhibition-dialogue between the two artists. Visitors will discover both common features and differences in the work of Rodin and Carrière, and perhaps understand the main force – the test of time – that separates merely talented from genius. //www.musee-orsay.fr
Exhibition "Winslow Homer – Poet of the Sea", until September 24, Giverny. Painting and picturesqueness are the main hallmarks of the town of Giverny, and it is here, next to the house where Claude Monet lived, that the Museum of American Art is located, whose collection includes paintings by American Impressionists. Currently, this museum hosts a large exhibition of American artist Winslow Homer (1836-1910). The organizers emphasize that this is the artist's first monographic exhibition in Europe. //www.maag.org
CZECH REPUBLIC
Sculpture Festival, until October 30, Prague. The capital of the Czech Republic has opened a festival of large sculptures (Sculpture Grande 06), featuring 47 artists from different countries. At Wenceslas Square, the main venue of the festival, one can see five sculptures from the series "Air Closets" by the famous American conceptual sculptor Dennis Oppenheim. The largest sculpture of the festival will be the building of the National Museum of Prague, thanks to an installation by German artist Herbert Hamak. The most spectacular project promises to be the installation "Tsunami," which creates a realistic effect of a giant wave. This work by Slovak sculptor Richard Senesi is dedicated to the tragic events of December 2004 in Southeast Asian countries. //www.galleryartfactory.cz //www.prague-info.cz
SWEDEN
Autumn Fair Formex & Textile, August 31 – September 3, Stockholm. The theme of this year's autumn fair in Stockholm is formulated as: "Passion for...", reflecting new trends in the choice of fashionable autumn decorative trends. So, in interiors, it is now unfashionable to choose natural and calm, but fashionable to choose sensual and exotic. At least, that's what the organizers claim. Visitors to Stockholmsmassan will likely be convinced of this as they view the interior design and textile sections and choose decorative items, gifts, and toys. //www.stockholmsmassan.se //www.formex.se
SWITZERLAND
Exhibition "Ed Ruscha – Photographer", until August 28, Zurich. American artist Ed Ruscha began his career as a conceptual artist leaning towards pop art, but he became famous for his photographic works, including photobooks hand-stitched. The most famous of these is "26 Gasoline Stations." This exhibition, held at the Kunsthaus, presents original photographs printed by the artist himself. //www.kunsthaus.ch