Art events worldwide take the virtual road

A SUMMARY OF THE MOST EXCITING ART NEWS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

While we focus on Indian art, we can’t obviously function in a vacuum. It’s a small world and everything is connected, especially on the web. So, let’s train our spotlight across the world map to see what’s going on — from art trends to socio-political issues to everything that affects the great aesthetic global consciousness. Or, let’s just travel the world and have some fun!

The online shift continues

For over three decades, two regional showcases of African, Oceanic, and Indigenous art have taken place in San Francisco, USA, titled the Tribal Arts Show and the American Indian Art Show. Historically, given post-pandemic trends, they both opened together this year as one online edition last Thursday. The fair runs until next week, with 130 exhibitors from nine countries. ARTnews explores the pivot.

Historic design flops on show

Some of the most unusable objects ever made have gone on display at the Cité du design in Saint-Etienne, France. These bizarre creations including a wavy pingpong table and Donald Trump’s Monopoly set, in the exhibit titled “Flops! When design gets mixed up”. The event is strictly virtual at the moment while French museums stay shut — and its exhibits, say observers, are devoid of any real purpose, instead simply evoking laughter and stimulating the imagination. Euronews takes a video tour.

‘Household surrealism’

With over 150,000 Instagram followers, London-based visual artist and photographer, Helga Stentzel, creates whimsical optical illusions using mundane things found around the house. The Russian-born artist has combined her experience in advertising with her creativity to find success on social media. Stentzel calls her illusions “household surrealism”, revealing that her inspiration lies in her childhood in Siberia. PetaPixel compiles the best ones.