Art Weekly Digest: London 11 - 17 December, 2017

Every week The Art Partners post a carefully curated selection of cultural events to see in London.

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Opening Of The Week

From Life

Antony Gormley RA, GAZE III, 2015. © Anthony Gormley. Photo: Stephen White.

On the cusp of the RA’s 250th anniversary, this special exhibition project takes an inquisitive look at the tradition of drawing from casts and life models and its ongoing relationship with artists today (and the changing role of a woman as well). One of the highlights is a room devoted to Jeremy Deller’s Iggy Pop Life Class, which took place at the Brooklyn Museum in 2016. As the artist noted himself there was a “degree of absurdity in the idea of convincing someone who is known for his restless stage presence to be still for four hours”.

The show will be on view until 11 March 2018, at the Royal Academy of Arts, (The Sackler Wing of Galleries and Tennant Gallery), Burlington House, Piccadilly,
London, W1J 0BD

In Focus

Christmas Tree by Tracey Emin

Tracey Emin’s tree 'The Greatest Gift' outside the Connaught. Photo credit: The Connaught

“ What I give to you is all I have.
An Open wanting
Deep in The Layers of my heart
And in Return I catch
Your smile
The Greatest Gift of All”

— Tracey Emin CBE

The Connaught Christmas Tree is rapidly becoming an art community tradition in London. For the third year, hotel partners with a renowned artist to convey a unique Christmas message. Following previous collaborations with Damien Hirst (2015) and Antony Gormley (2016), this year’s Christmas tree has been created by acclaimed British contemporary artist Tracey Emin CBE. This very ‘Tracey’ decorated tree has all of the hallmarks of her trademark neon works and handwriting. The letters represent a poem written by the artist herself and the passers-by can read the whole poem by going around the stunning 30 – foot high Christmas tree.

You can see the Christmas Tree during the festive season at The Connaught, Carlos Place, Mayfair, London, W1K 2AL

Art Discourse

Alchemy with the Science Museum

Kim Keever, 'Abstract 9318,' 2014, Waterhouse & Dodd

Have you ever wanted to delve into Divination and ponder the peculiarities of Potions? In conjunction with the exhibition “Harry Potter: A History of Magic” (commemorating 20 years since The Philosopher’s Stone was published), The British Library cooperates with the Science Museum to attract its visitors to find out how the science is connected to magic. The invited speaker Roger Highfield, a highly regarded science journalist and Director of External Affairs at the Science Museum Group will share his favourite experiments with the auditorium and link this experience to the history of magic.

This talk will be happening on Tuesday 12th December from 7PM until 8.15PM at the British Library, 96 Euston Road, NW1 2DB

Hymn For The Weekend

Home for Christmas

This year, Tate Britain has invited Alan Kane to devise an exciting new work for its iconic façade to mark the Christmas season. The artist aims to bring the happiness and joy into the visitor’s hearts by making his installation humorous and playful. Additionally why not to explore the museum’s final and quite exotic exhibition Art Now: Echoes by a French artist Marguerite Humeau. The works of Humeau are of a large scale and represent a synthesis of sculpture and sound.

The Façade decoration can be seen until 6th January 2018

Marguerite Humeau's exhibition will be on view until 15th April 2018 at the Tate Britain, Millbank, London SW1P 4RG

Last Chance To See

Mary Ramsden

Pilar Corrias Gallery presents a solo exhibition “COUPLES THERAPY” by Mary Ramsden. The young British-born artist is famous for her engaging abstract compositions, different in scale and form. The title of the show is a way to point to a wider understanding of visual relationships that have their own character and points of difference. The viewer plays a vital role in these moving parts and becomes an integral aspect of the group as a therapist, or third person in their company. The predominant use of pink, white and black colours, as well as a heart form in most of her paintings of this series make the viewers think of the changing nature of love, which can bring both pain and joy.

The exhibition will be on view until 15th December at Pilar Corrias Gallery, 54 Eastcastle Street
London W1W 8EF