Culture Journal: eight things to do in August
Words Nicole Waefler
From an exhibition on handmade craft in Edinburgh, a tour of Barbara Hepworth’s garden, and a photography retrospective in Vienna, we pick the events that will be scheduled into our diaries for the month ahead…
Indigo: Cultivate, Dye, Create
Fashion and Textiles Museum London, 2nd August
The London Museum of Fashion and Textiles has organised an evening with textile experts Kerstin Neumüller and Douglas Luhanko to discuss the mysterious dye that is Indigo. The talk will explore the process of plant-to-pigment-to-garment, alongside practical samples of their work. Exploring the many possibilities of dyeing with this incredible pigment, the duo will show how it can be applied through traditional processes that include shibori and sashiko. Advice will also be given on how to use indigo to dye synthetic and natural fibres at any skill level as well as providing recipes along with more environmentally friendly dyeing techniques.
Barbara Hepworth garden talk
Tate St Ives, 8th August
Tate St Ives is organising a tour in Barbara Hepworth’s very own garden, detailing the inspiration behind the space. The talk will be guided by author and gardener Miranda Phillips, who will share her knowledge and insight into the plants that allowed the garden to evolve into the landscape it is today. Much of the house and garden have been preserved in the original state left by Hepworth herself and includes a selection of her favourite sculptural pieces in the secluded area. The talk will provide an opportunity to experience the artists own personal environment and see it with fresh eyes. Though it is a members-only event, we think it might be worth finally getting that membership in your pocket.
Handmade in Edinburgh
Royal Botanic Garden, 10th August – 12th August
One of the highlights of the design calendar, HANDMADE in Britain has established itself as a force in championing handmade crafts and objects from the UK. Founded ten years ago by engineer-turned-designer Piyush Suri, the initiative has proved highly successful in promoting designers and makers in a variety of fairs, events, and popups. This event will be held at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh and will host eighty talented makers displaying their work over three days, as well as featuring workshops and demonstrations. Expect to see the best in handcrafted jewellery, ceramics, and furniture, all set amongst the stunning botanic gardens.
Moriz Nähr: Photography and Modernism
Leopold Museum, Vienna, 24th August – 29th October
Moriz Nahr has been described as one of the most important pioneers in the development of photography in Vienna during the 1900s. Having befriended Gustav Klimt, Nahr documented their friendship with a series of photographic portraits that reflected this bond. He was also highly prolific in documenting Viennese culture and society, having been appointed as the official court photographer to the imperial Habsburg family by Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand in 1908. This exhibition will also highlight the variety of Nahrs oeuvre, including his architecture and landscape pictures as well as his street photography which provides a unique snapshot into his world.
Designs by Thomas Chippendale
V & A museum, 28th August – 17th February 2019
In honour the 300th anniversary since Thomas Chippendale’s birth, the V&A will be displaying a collection of his famous furniture designs. Many of these appeared in the famed The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker’s Director book, first published in 1754. The name Chippendale has become synonymous with classic design and meticulous craftsmanship, which already shine through in the original drawings done by the master himself.
Radical Kitchen: CLAY
Serpentine Pavilion, 30th August
The Serpentine Gallery will be presenting a new Radical Kitchen lunchtime event at the Serpentine pavilion focusing on clay. The event will feature design studio Arabeschi di Latte, which was founded by Francesca Sarti in 2001, and who are currently based in London. The studio has a unique approach to exploring concepts behind food and use this as a starting point to investigate cultural and social rituals. They have described their practice as blurring the lines between food and design. Projects the studio have worked on before include their interpretation of the Brompton Cocktail, whereby a conceptual drink was created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Brompton Design District.
MKH Biennial
Halberstadt, Germany, 31st August – 29th September
The third Monat Kunst Halberstadt (Halberstadt Art Month) will be taking place from the end of August until the end of September. The town of Halberstadt is in the Saxon-Anhalt region, in what used to be East Germany and is seeking to build an international art hub. The theme for this year’s event will be Climates of Change and will give artists the space to present work throughout the town in public areas, as well as exhibiting in empty shops. The event will display new and existing works by artists who aim to bring transformation and change through their practice. This is an event that will highlight the importance of contemporary art in a world that is experiencing many challenges, and how important it is to take time out to reflect.
Harold Ancart
David Zwirner gallery, 31st August – 22nd September
The David Zwirner gallery will be hosting an exhibition of new paintings by the Belgian-born and New York-based artist Harold Ancart, his first solo event in the UK. Ancart is a versatile artist who employs a range of different styles that includes sculptural installations with found objects, drawings, and paintings to create an engaging narrative experience. More recently the artist has focused on creating abstracted organic form paintings that have a surreal and almost ghostly quality to them. Using oil sticks to apply the paint, the solid blocks of colour sit in stark contrast to the abstracted and yet figurative forms that float on top.