AUSTRIA
Exhibition of works by Marc Chagall, February – March, Vienna. The Albertina Museum in Vienna has opened the thematic exhibition "Biblical Motifs in the Works of Marc Chagall". 17 paintings and preparatory sketches for them, made in 1954-67, 39 gouaches on the Holy Scripture, created in 1931, engravings and lithographs by the artist for the edition of the Bible can be seen at this exhibition. Most of the works are provided by the Chagall Museum in Nice. //www.albertina.at
Hunting and fishing goods exhibition DIE HOHE JAGD & FISCHEREI, February 11-13, Salzburg. For lovers of wildlife and hunting, the fair-exhibition in Salzburg has been working for years, offering extreme enthusiasts guns to kill animals, tackle to catch fish, dogs that are excellent at hunting game, SUVs to get to wild corners. This exhibition for lovers of ancient and eternal entertainment works at the Salzburg Exhibition Center and every year gathers more and more lovers of extreme recreation. //www.messe.at
BELGIUM
Exhibition of tea, coffee and chocolate, February 4-6, Brussels. AROMA is the name of this exhibition, which has gained prestigious popularity, although it is held this year only for the second time. How can one really understand the best varieties of tea, coffee and chocolate without a prestigious exhibition? And how should one properly drink this tea and coffee? All questions will be answered at the exhibition. //www.cpexpo.com
International exhibition VACANCES, February 3-7, Brussels. This event annually gathers a huge number of non-specialist visitors, as it is dedicated to recreation and leisure – one of the most precious freedoms of modern man. The main goal of the exhibition is to promote active recreation, so its main exhibits are novelties in the field of tourism, water sports and travel. //www.vosvacances.be
DENMARK
Exhibition of works by Fernand Léger, February 5 – May 16, Copenhagen. In early February, the Arken Museum in Copenhagen opens a large exhibition of works by the famous French artist Fernand Léger (1881-1955). "Man of the New Era" is the name of the exhibition, and it indeed presents works by the artist that reflect the dynamics of 20th-century civilization, urban culture, and the man dissolved in it.
The exhibition presents Léger's works from both the early Cubist period, written largely under the influence of Cézanne ("Cézanne taught me love of forms and volumes and made me concentrate on drawing"), and his later works from the 1940s-50s. In addition to paintings, the exhibition will also feature ceramics, sketches of sets and costumes for the productions of "The Creation of the World" and "The Triumph of David", the artist's experimental films ("Mechanical Ballet" 1924) and photographs of his "wall miniatures". //www.arken.dk
GREAT BRITAIN
Winter beer festival, February 9-12, Derby. The beer festival in Derby, organized by the British club CAMRA, is held twice a year – in July and February. For more than 30 years, CAMRA has been fighting for the return of "real British ale" as part of the national heritage, and this campaign is very successful. The beer festivals it organizes are direct proof of this. At the winter festival in Derby over three days, visitors will be able to taste traditional British beers, cider and perry (a drink made from pears), as well as foreign bottled beer and various types of fruit wines. //www.assemblyrooms-derby.co.uk
Exhibition "Caravaggio: The Last Years", February 23-May 22, London. At the end of February, the National Gallery in London opens an exhibition of Caravaggio's last works, painted after the artist fled Rome, where he killed a rival in a duel. 1606-1610 were the years of Caravaggio's wanderings, the period in which the Neapolitan, Maltese and Sicilian works were written. "Salome with the Head of John the Baptist" and "The Flagellation of Christ", created in Naples, testify to a new direction in the artist's creative quest: he is now interested in plastic and monumental effects. The exhibition will also feature works that Caravaggio painted to order from the Order of Malta, for which he received the title of knight, and Sicilian works ("The Raising of Lazarus", "John the Baptist" and other canvases). //www.nationalgallery.org.uk
GERMANY
Exhibition of drawings by Toulouse-Lautrec, February 4 – May 1, Munich. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec admired Degas, under whose influence drawing and composition became the artist's main expressive means, and the main theme was the morals of contemporary Paris. Free drawing, unusual compositions, and a taste for "Japanese" simplicity made him a master of the poster. His "Aristide Bruant in his cabaret" and "At the Moulin Rouge. La Goulue" in 1891 became a sensation in the field of advertising posters.
Dynamic plans and gestures are combined in the series of posters (1891-96) with a delightful color palette. Toulouse-Lautrec demonstrated similar decorative freedom in numerous lithographs, created under the strong influence of Japanese prints. From 1892 to 1899, the artist created more than 300 lithographs, in which he repeated his favorite themes: theater, circus, cafe visitors. //www.hypo-kunsthalle.de
Transmediale Media Art Festival, February 4-8, Berlin. A notable cultural event in Europe will be the next international Transmediale festival, held since 1998, which is dedicated to artistic discoveries in the field of technology and “new media”. The question of whether “artistic programming” can be considered art has been discussed long and actively. The festival will mainly focus on the foundations of artistic practice in digital technologies. The 2005 theme sounds provocatively simple – “Foundations”. Exhibitions, forums, discussions, and the awarding of four prizes await both festival participants (artists, critics, programmers, philosophers) and anyone interested in media art who happens to be in Berlin during those days. //www.transmediale.de
To be continued.