Ambitious retrospectives on art scenes and social movements run alongside niche solo exhibitions this month.
Image: Benny Andrews, did the bear sit under the tree? 1969, private collection, courtesy estate of Benny Andrews/DACS, London/Vaga, NY 2017
What Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power
Where Tate Modern, London
When July 12 to October 22
Featuring 150 artworks—some of which are on display in the UK for the first time—the exhibition explores the contribution of African-American artists to the cultural and societal shifts in the US during the 1960s and 1970s. Paintings, photography, sculptures, activist posters and even fashion designs offer a comprehensive look into “Black Art”, as it came to be known during the Civil Rights Movement, telling the story of a people fighting to define their own cultural identity.
Marc Chagall, Costumes for Daphnis and Chloe: Shepherdesses, 1959, Paris, Opéra national, 2017, Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris, photo courtesy 2017 Museum Associates/LACMA
What Chagall: Fantasies for the Stage
Where LACMA, Los Angeles
When July 31 to January 7, 2018
An early modernist, Marc Chagall played with and was inspired by a wide array of artistic styles and media throughout his career. Performing arts was one of them, and this show reveals a display of costumes, set designs and paintings from the artist’s four productions for the stage, offering a vibrant glimpse into this lesser-known aspect of his career.
(Related: Fancy Yourself An Art Connoisseur? Check Out These Exhibitions)
Htein Lin, biology of art, 1999, courtesy Martin LeSanto-smith
What Sunshower: Contemporary Art from Southeast Asia 1980s to Now
Where The National Art Center, Tokyo and Mori Art Museum, Tokyo
When July 5 to October 23
The exhibition, held simultaneously in two Tokyo museums, is Japan’s most notable display of Southeast Asian art thus far. It explores the creative art scene from the 1980s onwards and the multifaceted issues that surround it: from identity and freedom, to democracy and post-colonialism. Participating artists hail from Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar and Laos.
Frederic Remington, Remington in Cuba for Collier’s Weekly, 1899, courtesy the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
What Frederic Remington at the Met
Where The Met, New York
When July 3 to January 2, 2018
Frederic Remington made a name for himself by portraying the old American West during the last decades of the 19th century. This show explores his legacy through 20 works, each a realistic representation of frontier life. Expect depictions of cowboys, Native American warriors, trappers and scouts.
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