Maeve Brennan, Chisenhale Gallery, London
London and Beirut-based artist Maeve Brennan premieres her new film commission The Drift. Tracing the shifting economies of objects in contemporary Lebanon, the work combines documentary footage, gathered through fieldwork, with staged scenes. Underpinning the film is the importance of archaeology in the Middle East today, particularly in relation to the destruction and preservation of heritage sites across Syria and Lebanon.
Until 4 June 2017. www.chisenhale.org.uk
John Akomfrah, The Whitworth, Manchester
This three-screen film, first seen at the 56th Venice Biennale as part of Okwui Enwezor’s ‘All the World’s Futures’ exhibition, explores man’s relationship with the sea and its role in the history of slavery, migration, and conflict. It mixes archival material, readings from classical sources, and newly-shot footage, explicitly highlighting the cruelty of the whaling industry.
Until 28 August 2017. www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk
Ellsworth Kelly, Tate, Liverpool
American artist Ellsworth Kelly’s paintings were inspired by his observations of ‘overlooked’ geometric shapes such as shadows on a wall or the architectural features of buildings. This show featuring 11 paintings, prints and reliefs from the Tate collection, spans six decades of his career and highlights his impact on post-war abstraction.
Until 29 May 2017. www.tate.org.uk
Aleksandra Domanović, Henry Moore Institute, Leeds
This new commission of sculptures by Aleksandra Domanović investigates how technological advances impact on communication and culture. The work references the tradition of Greek Korai, sculptural dedications of female figures that hold offerings. Also featured in the show is Turbo Sculpture, a moving-image work exploring public sculpture in the former Yugoslavia, the artist’s country of birth.
Until 11 June 2017. www.henry-moore.org
NOW, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh
This group show is the first in a series of exhibitions that will take place at Modern One over the next three years. It includes a three-room solo presentation by Glasgow-based artist Nathan Coley featuring The Lamp of Sacrifice, 286 Places of Worship, Edinburgh (2004), an installation comprising 286 scaled-down cardboard replicas of every building listed as a place of worship in the 2004 Yellow Pages telephone directory for Edinburgh. The show also includes installations by Brazilian artist Rivane Neuenschwander, Lebanese-born artist Mona Hatoum, Tessa Lynch, Pete Horobin, and a display pairing paintings by Louise Hopkins and Tony Swain.
Until 24 September 2017. www.nationalgalleries.org
Images:
1. Maeve Brennan, The Drift. Courtesy: Chisenhale Gallery
2. John Akomfrah, Vertigo Sea (film still), 2015. © Smoking Dogs Films. Courtesy: Lisson Gallery
3. Ellsworth Kelly, Red White, acrylic paint on canvas, 165.4×229.5 x2.9cm, 1966. Tate. Presented by the Tate Americas Foundation, courtesy of Douglas S Cramer 2013. © Ellsworth Kelly; Courtesy: Tate
4. Nathan Coley, The Lamp of Sacrifice, 286 Places of Worship, Edinburgh 2004, sculpture, 286 cardboard models; 2 photocopied and annotated pages from Yellow Pages (Edinburgh); cardboard models: dimensions variable; pages: 42×29.5cm each; Collection: Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Bequest 2004; A Fruitmarket Gallery / Bloomberg Commission: purchased with funds from the Cecil and Mary Gibson; © Studio Nathan Coley
5. Mona Hatoum , Position: Suspended, digital print, 49.3×80.3cm, 1986/2013. Performance documentation, Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne: Photo © Mona Hatoum / Locus+ Archive (Stephen Collins)
More on a-n.co.uk
Events: Metal art, rural life, the bliss of colour
In Brief: Acme launches new artists housing programme, Henry Moore sculpture returns to London
A Q&A with… John Akomfrah, artist and filmmaker
