Glamcult Art Guide: International Edition

As the bliss of sunny days is finally upon us, the least you can do to reward yourself for surviving the winter is to take yourself on a gallery date. Luckily, this season has some impressive exhibitions sprouting at every corner – and we got you covered. Scouting our go-to art capitals, we present to you a summer edition of our hand-picked must-sees for wherever you are. Scroll down to find your city!

One of our most beloved photography galleries in Amsterdam never disappoints with its curation, and this summer Huis Marseille hosts the enigmatic photographs from the Haitian artist Widline Cadet. Reflecting on themes of intergenerational connections, kinship and fragility of memory, Cadet’s work aims to document her past as much as it allows for it to remain unknown and filled with interpretations of the present. Take This With You is the phrase she heard when moving to the US from Haiti and the tender age of 10; now, under the same title, her exhibition combines Cadet’s archive family photos and her personal work, in which she traces back her ancestors through portraits of friends, strangers, and herself.

Through October 22nd

The many forms and faces of Sasha Gordon come together in her mesmerising solo exhibition at the Stephen Friedman Gallery. Titled The Flesh Disappears, But Continues To Ache, Gordon’s body of work is a forcefully surreal exploration of her identities and contexts within which they exist. Whether it’s her pruning herself as a Venus-resembling modesty-preserving bush or an erupting volcano with lava spilling down her face like hair, Gordon’s paintings are rich in technical detail and symbolic meanings, masterfully and quietly transcending a sense of reality.

1st of June – 22nd of July

Another absolute must-see is BODY SUIT at the Hannah Barry Gallery in Peckham, an exhibition dedicated to the soft-blurred paintings of George Rouy. His works, rooted in the dissolving the internal and the external, are meant to be experienced through feelings and not words – so come and immerse yourself into his universe with your own eyes.

Through September 9th

There is never too much of Jean-Michel Basquiat, as the facets of his work can unravel endlessly. This summer, the exhibition Basquiat Soundtracks at Cité de la Musique expands his legacy beyond visual arts, shining light on the centrality of musical expression within his practice. Resembling an experimental jazz piece, Basquiat’s paintings transmute the same energy of freedom and experimentation that cannot be captured in words, carrying an almost vocal aspect embedded in his bold brushstrokes. The exhibition breaks down the rhythm of his visual work, and dissects how the artist’s love for hip hop, punk, no wave and jazz manifested in his approach. The show is split up chronologically, providing immersive snapshots of the New York cool-kids scene that was driven by pure feeling – sound becomes a mean of connection, and music a form of revolution, providing a refreshing lens through which to dive into Basquiat’s monumental work.

Through July 30th

Photography as a Way of Life at Schwules Museum explores the work of Rüdiger Trautsch, one of the most impactful artists pushing the very first waves of Queer movement in Germany. Documenting the pivotal moments of his community – from the first gay protest marches in Münster in the 1970s up to the last Folsom events before Corona in Berlin – Trautsch’s vision is that of truth and joy, moving across timelines and capturing the vibrant reality around him.

Through September 18th

Darkly humorous, eerie and enigmatic, Adam Alessi‘s work draws you in even if you try to resist. Now temporarily housed at the New York gallery C L E A R I N G, Alessi’s quietly haunting paintings are ready to gently crawl under you skin. Existing in the realm somewhere between the surreal and the familiar, Alessi’s work forges its own liminal space where the strange and the whimsical prevail.

Through July 9th

Unusual Experiences at Everyday Gallery by Florian Hetz is a photographic exploration of the elusive nature of memory. Having suffered memory loss caused by encephalitis, Hetz turned to photography as a mean of documenting his changed reality. Trained in theatre, a sense of drama and performance permeates his work, as finds beauty in the strange and the uncanny, with an emphasis on tactility and sensuality.

July 14th – August 27th