This week's art scene offers a diverse array of exhibitions ranging from 19th-century Danish painting to cutting-edge techno installations, providing art enthusiasts with compelling viewing opportunities across London and beyond.
The week's standout exhibition features Anna Ancher: Painting Light at Dulwich Picture Gallery in London, running from November 4 to March 8. This showcase highlights the work of a powerful Danish painter who captured everyday life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Ancher's stilled scenes echo the masterful techniques of Johannes Vermeer, demonstrating her exceptional ability to capture light and domestic tranquility in her compositions.
Several other notable exhibitions are currently on display across the United Kingdom. Ben Edge presents Children of Albion at Fitzrovia Chapel in London from November 6-26, featuring unconventional paintings of modern Britain that enthusiastically reference William Blake and the Green Man mythology. Meanwhile, renowned choreographer Wayne McGregor has expanded into art installations centered on the human body, with his work displayed at Somerset House in London until February 22.
David Blandy's film installation at The Amelia Scott in Tunbridge Wells, running until January 11, draws inspiration from Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales to explore the forgotten history of Britain's common land. Additionally, the Future Tense exhibition at York Art Gallery, continuing until January 25, features immersive installations by Squidsoup and Liz West that transport visitors into the techno age through pulsating lights and interactive technology.
This week's featured image showcases Ben Edge's dynamic interpretation of contemporary Britain. The artist recently explained how his innovative understanding of modern Britain, as depicted in grand paintings like Children of Albion, was sparked by witnessing a procession of druids marching past a KFC restaurant, highlighting the surreal juxtaposition of ancient traditions and modern commercial culture.
The art world has been buzzing with significant developments and controversies. Last week's jewelry theft at the Louvre represents just the latest incident in a long history of art heists. Architectural news includes the construction of a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired dream home that dramatically juts out over Loch Long in Scotland. David Adjaye's first major project since scandal affected his firm has been revealed as an intricate, maze-like art installation.
Several exhibition reviews have generated discussion within the art community. Critics noted that while Mrinalini Mukherjee's brilliant sculpture remains impressive, it gains little benefit from the group show surrounding it. Photography legend Don McCullin recently reflected on seven decades of documenting war and tragedy through his lens. In political art news, Donald Trump dismissed the federal board responsible for vetting his controversial White House ballroom project.
Legal challenges continue to impact major institutions, with New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art facing a lawsuit for purchasing a Van Gogh painting allegedly looted by Nazis during World War II. Meanwhile, the Artes Mundi 11 international exhibition has drawn harsh criticism for being described as "smug, stagey, up-itself nonsense" by reviewers.
This week's masterpiece spotlight focuses on Saint Zeno Exorcising the Daughter of Gallienus by Filippino Lippi and Workshop, created between 1455-60 and housed at the National Gallery in London. This 15th-century painting serves as a medieval predecessor to modern horror films like The Exorcist, perfectly timed for Halloween season. The artwork demonstrates how deeply rooted the belief in demonic possession was in European history, depicting the victim as ill and distraught, with an agonized face and vacant eyes as a small devil with wings and claws emerges from her mouth.
The painting provides a realistic portrayal of what might have been a psychological or neurological crisis, which medieval Christendom would likely have diagnosed as demonic possession. People continued to be plagued by such supernatural visions well into the late 1600s, though today these themes primarily serve as entertainment in popular culture. The artwork remains on display at the National Gallery in London, offering viewers a glimpse into historical perspectives on mental health and spiritual beliefs.
