From Max Ernst in Milan, to Claude Monet and Joan Mitchell in Paris, and manga in Singapore, this is your November cultural crib sheet compiled by Citizen Femme.
Designed for cosmopolitan globetrotters – based anywhere from London to New York – we’ve rounded up the best and newest exhibitions to catch in your chosen city this month.
Lives of the Gods: Divinity in Maya Art
Art and history meet in New York this month with the opening of Lives of the Gods: Divinity in Maya Art. Explore an impressive collection of artefacts and learn about Mayan deities, as well as their representation in art. This reflection on the link between the arts and the divine in the Classic Mayan period is made possible by bringing together recent archaeological discoveries and well-known masterpieces, whats more, many of the Mayan artists, who have been recently identified by their artist signature, will have their names showcased on labels for the first time.
Claude Monet-Joan Mitchell: En Perspective
The Fondation Louis Vuitton is an essential stop for anyone travelling to the French capital. If you plan to go in November, you’ll fall in love with their current exhibition, rendering homage to two exceptional artists: French impressionist painter Claude Monet and abstractionist Joan Mitchell. Set as a dialogue, this exhibition aims to look at how two icons of their time interpreted similar idyllic landscapes. Visitors are taken on a journey through the soft colours of the gardens of Giverny to the changing lights of the Seine. The Fondation also presents an impressive retrospective on Joan Mitchell’s work in Europe over 30 years. We are ready to be enchanted.
Max Ernst
Enter the noble floors of the Palazzo Reale in Milan and discover the life of one of the most creative minds of the 20th century. Surrealist, Max Ernst, was a multidisciplinary artist and this retrospective dives deep into his seventy years of work. It contains over 400 works including paintings, sculptures, drawings, collages, photographs, jewels, and illustrated books. The pieces have been gathered from all over the world and highlight the themes, people, and world events that shaped him. Almost fifty years after his death, Ernst continues to be a fascinating enigma.
Théophile-Jean Delaye's Morocco
The Fondation Jardin Majorelle in Marrakesh is forever linked to French designer Yves Saint Laurent, but is also the place to discover more about the rich history and beauty of Morocco. The current exhibition, Théophile Delaye’s Morocco, celebrates the 20th century cartographer and illustrator Théophile-Jean Delaye, and looks at Morocco through his eyes. Delaye – a man of science and as an art – was the first to scientifically map the mountains of Morocco, presenting them in a spectacularly accurate way and bringing many then-uncharted areas to light. Delaye may have focused his attention on the reliefs of the Atlas Mountains, but he also portrayed the lives of Moroccan people, from the old neighbourhoods of Fez to the tribes of shepherds in the Berber country through sketches and paintings. A historical trip you don’t want to miss.
Cézanne the EY Exhibition
Avoid the rainy London weather by staying warm at the Tate Modern this November, while enjoying a selection of paintings from Cézanne, one of Europe’s best-known modern painters. A breath of fresh air from busy modern life, Cézanne found his iconic style by focusing on nature and the poetry of daily life. His landscapes of the Provencial countryside and still life composition challenged the conventions of his time, and continue to inspire us to seek beauty in the everyday. The exhibit also seeks to understand Cézanne’s artistic development by tracing the relationships and the inspirations that forged the painter’s work. Visit to discover the reason Claude Monet referred to Cézanne as “the greatest of us all”.
The Doraemon Exhibition Singapore
Created by the artist Fujiko Fujio in 1969, Doraemon is one of the most beloved characters in Japanese manga. Since the 70s the show, and its characters, have had a significant cultural impact, reaching far beyond Japan’s borders. The Doraemon Exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore showcases original drawings by Fujio, as well as the many reinterpretations created by contemporary artists. After a successful tour across Japan, the exhibit is coming to Singapore this November, allowing international Doraemon fans to enjoy and share their memories.
Johann Gottfried Schadow: Embracing Forms
If sculptures move you, head to the Alte nationalgalerie in Berlin to admire this retrospective on Johann Gottfried Schadow, founder of Berlin School of Sculpture. Already a famous figure as an emblematic member of the German Neoclassic Movement, a lot more has been uncovered about Schadow’s life and his work, which is what makes this exhibition so special. Don’t miss the artist’s most famous sculpture exposed in the gallery, the ‘Princess Group’: a life-size double statue of Princesses Louise and Frederica of Prussia.
Pattern
Navjot Altaf, an Indian artist whose work is a meeting between art and activism, is celebrating her first solo exhibition in the Arabian Peninsula. Held within the Ishara Art Foundation in Dubai’s arty neighbourhood, Al Serkal Avenue, her series of works tackle issues of climate change, ecology, and feminism in the digital age. Altaf’s belief that art cannot be separated from social questions is evident throughout the exhibition, leaving a profound impression on those who visit. Her piece, ‘Seriousness of Issues’ is a graph to represent the evolution of ecological disasters in 12 countries between 1992 and 2012. Atlaf created it to explain how cold, mathematical representations of ecological disasters have desensitised us to the potentially disastrous consequences they have on our future.
2022 Idle Space Project (oh, shyness)
At Buk-Seoul Museum of Art, the Idle Space Project reflects on the work of four artists from different backgrounds in New York who have created paintings, videos, sculptures, and installations based on the idea of shyness, a desire to be invisible, and slowly emerging after a long period of isolation. The exhibition came about post-pandemic lockdown, showcasing a global collective of re-emergence after months of isolation and hiding behind closed doors. Luca Buvoli’s painting ‘Astrodoubt Floating Over Horizon’ feels particularly poignant due to its vivid colours and sense of detachment from the world.
Atos de revolta, imaginando outra historia, de Gê Viana
An incredibly powerful juxtaposition between memory and the future, Artist Ge Viana takes us on a historical journey through Brazil with her photos as she recomposes images of the past to imagine another present. Using 19th century imagery of Black and Indigenous people in everyday scenes of joy and freedom is a way to honour Brazil’s complicated history, while hoping for a better future.
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