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.
Barcelona
“La Gran Mentira de la Muerte” by Wu Tsang
Where: MACBA
When: July 20 – November 3
Why It's Worth A Look: This multichannel sound and film installation explores themes from the opera Carmen, intertwining them with flamenco and bullfighting. Wu Tsang, a MacArthur Genius Fellow, utilizes her cross-disciplinary approach to challenge traditional cinematic narratives and explore the concept of the “impossible” image.
Know Before You Go: The installation is designed for MACBA's Capella, making it a site-specific work.
Ibiza
“Painting Not Painting” by Stefan Brüggemann and Bruce Nauman
Where: Gathering
When: June 28 – September 1
Why It’s Worth A Look: The show challenges traditional notions of painting, featuring Brüggemann's works that utilize text, spray paint, neon signs, gold leaf, wood, and marble alongside Nauman's pieces. Despite being decades apart, they share interests in language, humor, mixed media, and conceptual art.
Know Before You Go: Gathering Ibiza is a new gallery space that opened in May 2024, founded by Alex Flick.
Menorca
“Chillida in Menorca”
Where: Hauser & Wirth
When: May 11 – October 27
Why It's Worth A Look: This major presentation celebrates Eduardo Chillida's profound connection with Menorca, featuring over 60 works spanning half a century (1949–2000). The exhibition showcases the full breadth of the Spanish sculptor's oeuvre, including large format "gravitations"—delicate black and white works exploring space through suspended paper layers—alongside steel sculptures and wood reliefs.
Know Before You Go: The exhibition concept, developed by architect Luis Laplace, uses local materials to amplify Chillida's bond with the island. The 18th-century building offers a unique opportunity to see how Menorca's light, landscape, and materials influenced this preeminent 20th-century Spanish sculptor.
"Soto," Cayón Menorca, 2024.
“Soto”
Where: Galería Cayón
When: June 3 – August 29
Why It's Worth a Look: This ambitious exhibition presents a comprehensive overview of Jesús Rafael Soto's groundbreaking career, featuring 40 works spanning from 1951 to 2004. Visitors can witness firsthand how the Venezuelan artist's work embodies the shift towards a more conceptual and immersive approach to art-making in the latter half of the 20th century.
Know Before You Go: Soto is renowned for his contributions to kinetic art, a movement that emphasizes motion and viewer interaction. His work explores the dynamic relationship between art, space, and perception, often incorporating optical illusions and physical movement to engage the viewer.
Málaga
“Joel Meyerowitz: Europa 1966–1967”
Where: Museo Picasso Málaga
When: June 14 – December 14
Why It's Worth A Look: This exhibition showcases the groundbreaking early work of Joel Meyerowitz, a pioneer in color photography. Focusing on his first European trip in 1966–67, the show offers a rare glimpse into a pivotal moment in Meyerowitz's career and the history of photography, clearly capturing the vibrant essence of European street life in the mid-1960s.
Know Before You Go: For six months of his European sojourn, Meyerowitz lived in Málaga, befriending a traditional Flamenco family, taking 8,500 photographs, and recording hours of live music.
Madrid
“Robert Nava”
Where: Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum
When: May 11 – September 22
Why It’s Worth A Look: Nava's art synthesizes a wide array of influences, from the primal energy of Prehistoric cave paintings, to the symbolic power of Egyptian hieroglyphs, and the rich visual language of pre-Colombian artifacts.
Know Before You Go: This exhibition marks Nava's first solo museum show, offering a unique opportunity to explore the work of this rising American artist.
“Hollywood, Florida” by Jack Pierson
Where: Galería Elba Benítez
When: August 1 – August 31
Why It's Worth a Look: This exhibition showcases three captivating video works by renowned American photographer Jack Pierson, filmed in Hollywood, Florida, in 1997. These rarely-seen pieces encapsulate Pierson's signature exploration of desire, beauty, and the bittersweet nature of American dreams.
Know Before You Go: Pierson was recently featured in an exhibition at the ICA Boston alongside Nan Goldin. Both artists were part of the "Boston School," a loosely affiliated group of artists who emerged in the late 1970s and '80s. This group was instrumental in documenting and celebrating the queer underground scene in Boston, adding layers of context to Pierson's artistic journey.
Palma
“Serie ibicenca” by Gonzalo Elvira
Where: Es Baluard Museu d'Art Contemporani de Palma
When: June 28 – September 29
Why It’s Worth A Look: Gonzalo Elvira's drawings explore Walter Benjamin's time in Ibiza years alongsize Balearic poet Vicente Valero's essay, "Experience and Poverty. Walter Benjamin in Ibiza." The exhibition delves into Benjamin's influential stay in Ibiza during 1932 and 1933, pivotal years in the German philosopher and literary critic's life.
Know Before You Go: Benjamin is perhaps most widely known for his essay "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction," where he explores how mass production transforms the nature and perception of art, laying the groundwork for modern media theory and cultural studies.
Lisbon
"Summer Show"
Where: Pedro Cera
When: July 6 - September 7, 2024
Why It’s Worth a Look: This exhibition features a diverse array of contemporary artists, including the Czech Anna Hulačová, known for her unique sculptural forms; the Portugese Bruno Pacheco, whose work explores the intersection of reality and imagination; and the Austrian Oliver Laric, acclaimed for his innovative approach to digital art and 3D printing.
Know Before You Go: A more in-depth exhibition of Laric’s work is also forthcoming from Pedro Cera's Madrid location, going up on Sept. 10.
