Welcome to This Week in Culture, a weekly agenda of show openings and events in major cities across the globe. From galleries to institutions and one-of-a-kind happenings, our ongoing survey highlights the best of contemporary culture, for those willing to make the journey.
“Grace Weaver”
Neues Museum Nürnberg
In the 20 works on display in this show, Brooklyn-based artist Grace Weaver captures the vibrancy and complexity of young, urban women. Her pieces rework casual snapshots of everyday life, providing insight into the protagonists’ states of mind; the women featured in her art play sports and meet friends, yet often carry a deep loneliness. “Grace Weaver” will be on view from June 30, 2023 through June 16, 2024 at the Neues Museum Nürnberg.
“Ugly Painting” curated by Eleanor Cayre and Dean Kissick
Nahmad Contemporary New York
To curators Eleanor Cayre and Dean Kissick, “ugly” should not always carry a negative connotation. In the art world, the word can be synonymous with “bold,” “confrontational,” or “confident.” With "Ugly Painting," Cayre and Kissick celebrate the pleasures of exploding societal norms and expectations. The show features work from Rita Ackermann, Alex Carver, Guglielmo Castelli, Sedrick Chisom, Theresa Chromati, Carroll Dunham, and many others who've dabbled in the unsightly. “Ugly Painting” will be on view through August 26, 2023 at Nahmad Contemporary in New York.
“A Recital of True Events” by Philippe Parreno
Pilar Corrias London
With this show, French artist Philippe Parreno brings intricate drawings, rendered in ink and oil, of collected insects and dark skies coming together as a sort of eerie storyboard, furthering his exploration of the gallery as a singular experience or event. The plot the artist hints at is never fully realized here; he merely offers a prompt for his audience’s imagination. “A Recital of True Events” will be on view from June 28 through July 29, 2023 at Pilar Corrias in London.
"Tous Ces Objets Qui N'en Sont Pas" by Garance Vallée
Almine Rech Paris
French artist Garance Vallée’s first solo exhibition in Paris is comprised of a collection of paintings exploring the relationship of bodies and objects in space. Immune to the traditional rules of art-making, Vallée’s practice instead takes a cue from architectural renderings. The works call into question her subjects' place in both real and imagined worlds. “Tous Ces Objets Qui N’en Sont Pas” will be on view from June 30 through July 29, 2023 at Almine Rech in Paris.
“The Cold Wind and the Warm” by Klara Kristalova
Lehmann Maupin London
Klara Kristalova has long been inspired by the world around her. But in her first solo exhibition in London, “The Cold Wind and the Warm,” she pays particular attention to the small details in her immediate surroundings, namely how the most minute instances reflect the monumental impacts of climate change. The artist’s sculptures and drawings toe the line between innocence and grim maturity, reflecting the reality of growing up amidst ecological unrest. “The Cold Wind and the Warm” will be on view from June 27 through September 9, 2023 at Lehmann Maupin in London.
“Syphilis Too (II)” curated by Adam Cohen and Anton Kern
David Lewis East Hampton
Syphilis is a disease famous in art history for its associations with eroticism, mania, and decadence, but curators Adam Cohen and Anton Kern see it as an apt metaphor for the contagion that is contemporary media. This new iteration expands upon their original exhibition, “Syphilis,” held in 2018 at Rental Gallery. Five years ago, TikTok was only two years old, and it was hard to truly know how to protect oneself against the virality of contemporary life. But, this summer, Cohen and Kern bring the audience closer to an answer. “Syphilis Too (II)” will be on display from July 1 through July 30 at David Lewis in East Hampton.
“SEVEN.”
We Buy Gold at Jack Shainman Gallery and Nicola Vassell Gallery New York
In their ninth installation to date, roving arts space We Buy Gold presents “SEVEN.,” an exhibition exploring world-building in art, and both physical and metaphorical disruptions. The show is curated by Joeonna Bellorado-Samuels, and features work by Max Guy, Renee Gladman, David Hammons, Nandi Loaf, Abigail Lucien, Kerry James Marshall, Lorraine O’Grady, Ashley Teamer, Charisse Pearlina Weston, and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye. This spectacle of emerging and established visionaries upends figurative expectations and distorts what we accept as reality. “SEVEN.” will be on view from June 29 through August 11 at Jack Shainman Gallery’s 513 West 20th Street location and Nicola Vassell Gallery in Chelsea, New York.
