The head art & design hunter and founder-CEO of The Artling reveals some of her go-to online hangouts for art
Many cities are emerging from lockdown now but with the call for “social distancing” measures, museums, galleries and art institutions are still closed to the general public. For all of you art and design lovers out there, don’t fret, there is a multitude of ways to keep entertained and up to date with the arts right from your own home. Here are some of my favourites:
IJC is a virtual art museum in the cloud dedicated to showcasing modern Japanese artists. From Yayoi Kusuma’s iconic pumpkin sculptures to Manabu Ikeda’s colossal, yet intricate mixed media paintings, this highly interactive 360-degree virtual space allows visitors to access artworks of various media across seven virtual exhibition rooms. An entirely immersive experience with brilliant graphics, IJC Museum has provided me with a new and refreshing setting to encounter as well as enjoy art.
Virtually travel and tour the globe, and visit some of the most prestigious museums on Google Arts and Culture. In collaboration with over 3,000 museums and galleries, Google has expertly created an online learning and visual platform enabling viewers to visit exquisite collections and exhibitions—ranging from ancient to contemporary works of art—from around the world. A favourite feature of mine is the Street View tool, which allows one to virtually enter the architectural space of your chosen art institution. More amazingly, you can even experience and access past or closed exhibitions.
Frieze’s online magazine provides in-depth analysis of contemporary art and cultural affairs from all over the world. It is a major resource for art enthusiasts that provides fascinating opinions by renowned art critics and insight into current art world happenings.
Art:21 has established itself as a leader in presenting thought-provoking and stimulating visual content about the contemporary art world. What I love about Art:21 is that its films and documentaries allow individuals to gain intimate, behind-the-scenes access into the lives of some of the most notable and important contemporary artists. Its award-winning series, Art in the Twenty-First Century allows viewers to observe featured artists at work, and understand the wider social and political implications that can affect artistic practices.
The Artling is an online platform that provides a specially curated selection of artworks from galleries, artists and designers from all corners of the world. With an array of art and design objects to browse through as well as carefully crafted city art guides, artist interviews, and much more, there is plenty to explore whether you are experienced or new to the arts. In light of recent developments, a new initiative #ArtInMyCity was launched on the platform, allowing individuals to discover artworks by locally-based artists in their very own city. (Disclaimer, the writer is from The Artling!)