WD | Culture | Events
Events Listings *Unless specific times are listed, please check the venue for times. Venue locations are subject to change. June 2 to Sept. 9
Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia Approximately 60 works, drawn from the collection of Miami-based collectors and philanthropists Debra and Dennis Scholl, spotlight nine leading Aboriginal Australian women artists. The artists are from remote Aboriginal communities across Australia, and the subjects of their art are broad, yet each work is an attempt to grapple with fundamental questions of existence, asking us to slow down and pay attention to the natural world. The Phillips Collection Through June 8
Whispering Glass A new photographic exhibit by Fiona Lake shares stories from Australia’s outback cattle stations through images that capture life on outback cattle stations located across Australia’s vast rangelands, stretching more than 3,000 kilometers east to west and 2,000 kilometers north to south. Embassy of Australia Art Gallery June 9 to Jan. 13, 2019
Fabergé Rediscovered Designed to delight and surprise, the treasures created by the firm of Carl Fabergé have inspired admiration and intrigue for over a century, both for their remarkable craftsmanship and the captivating stories that surround them. The fascination with Fabergé continues to uncover new discoveries about the storied jeweler to the tsars and his remarkable creations. This exhibit unveils recent research and explore how the 2014 discovery of a long-lost imperial Easter egg prompted new findings about Hillwood’s own collection. Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens June 16 to Aug. 12
Ralph Steadman: A Retrospective Celebrating the career of one of Britain’s most important graphic artists of the last 50 years, this collection of more than 100 original artworks will take viewers on a journey through Ralph Steadman’s wideranging career, from sketches created in the 1950s, to book illustrations, to present-day work. Steadman is famous for his long collaboration with the writer Hunter S. Thompson, most notably providing the illustrations for “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” and helping to create what has since become known as “Gonzo” journalism. American University Museum June 16 to Sept. 23
Form and Function: The Genius of the Book Dive deep into one of the world’s greatest technologies: the book. Discover a history beyond what’s printed on the page, seen in the structure, craftsmanship and beauty of this often-overlooked marvel. Folger Shakespeare Library Through June 24
Jim Chuchu’s Invocations The museum is the first institution to acquire and display Kenyan multimedia artist
Jim Chuchu’s mesmerizing suite of video projections, in which two distinct videos loop in succession and follow the structure of initiation rituals. Surrounded by Chuchu’s pulsing house beats and evocative imagery, viewers are invited to contemplate the separations and releases that shape our individual and collective identities. National Museum of African Art
THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | June 2018 Through Aug. 5
Events Highlight
June Is the Month of Portugal T
he Portuguese government is highlighting its many connections to the United States throughout the month of June with a series of events spanning 55 cities and 11 Through June 24 states across the U.S. (also see this month’s The Creative Nation: Swedish cover profile). Music and Innovation Those connections include geography Sweden has long been ranked as one of the (the countries are linked by the Atlantic, with most creative and innovative countries in the Azores being the first European port in the world, with accolades for its contributhe North Atlantic), history (Portugal was the tions to music, design and technology. This first neutral country to recognize a newly exhibit explores the connection between independent America) and culture (over 1.5 Sweden’s many technological innovations million Americans identify themselves as and the nation’s commercial musical prow-NO INTEREST having Portuguese roots). The government For 12 Months ess. From video games to communicationSAME AS CASH! is also touting its economic links, including With approved credit tools, a slew of innovative products has foland minimum purchase of investments in infrastructure, technological lowed in the tracks of Ericsson and Skype. $4000 APR 23.97% innovation and the sciences. And given Sweden’s long history of musical “Portugal and the United States face each excellence, it’s hardly surprising that tech other across the Atlantic, united by shared companies in Sweden also excel in the values, enduring alliance bonds and strong world of music. Sweden offers universal people-to-people friendship,” Prime Minister music education and is among the top
nations per capita both in number of choirs and number of global stars, from dancing queens to house mafias. House of Sweden
António Costa said in a statement. Over a dozen events will be held in the D.C. area. Among them: “Sustainable Azores – Commitment Toward the Future,” an exhibition on the archipelago of the Azores, the closest European territory to the U.S. (through June 30 at the Portuguese Embassy). Other highlights include: concert featuring internationally acclaimed fado interpreters Camané and Nathalie Pires (June 13 at the Kennedy Center) and Portuguese soul singer Áurea (June 3 at the Kennedy Center); the film “Disobedience – The Sousa Mendes Story” (June 21 at the Avalon Theatre; the seminar “Enduring Alliances” featuring the Portuguese foreign affairs minister (June 22 at Georgetown University); and the Inaugural Portuguese-American National Conference (June 23 at the Washington Marriott at Metro Center). — Anna Gawel
Director Ingmar Bergman’s imagery continues to inspire artists of all genres today. During the 2018 Bergman Centennial Year, many new films inspired by Bergman’s legacy are being released by contemporary filmmakers. The costumes presented at House of Sweden represent a mix of new and old, including examples from Tomas Alfredsson’s newly released film as well as original Nina Sandström works used in Bergman productions and other reinterpretations. The costumes are paired with large-scale photos reimagining iconic Bergman roles as well as the milieus that shaped Bergman as a storyteller. House of Sweden Through June 24
Still Life by Karin Broos Karin Broos is one of the most widely recognized Swedish artists of our time, and this is the second presentation of her work in an exhibition outside of Sweden. With her photorealistic portrayals of apparently everyday scenes, she expresses ambiguous sentiments and universal feelings of melancholia and gloom. The subjects in her atmospheric works are mainly from her home in Östra Ämtervik, the Värmland countryside, the Fryken lakes and her own close family. Her work also often explores different kinds of interiors and self-portraits, referring to 17th-century Dutch paintings and symbolism as well as to contemporary art. House of Sweden June 28 to Sept. 16
Heavy Metal – Women to Watch 2018 Over 50 works made from silver, copper, bronze, pewter, aluminum and more highlight contemporary women artists working with a variety of metals and techniques to create pieces such as wall-size installations, exquisite jewelry and reinventions of familiar objects. National Museum of Women in the Arts
40 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JUNE 2018
Inspired by the acquisition of the important William A. Clark maiolica (glazed Italian ceramics) collection from the Corcoran Gallery of Art, this exhibition brings together some 90 objects to highlight the impact of Renaissance prints on maiolica and bronze plaquettes, the two media most dramatically influenced by the new technology of image replication. National Gallery of Art Through Aug. 15
Tomb of Christ Be virtually transported to Jerusalem and discover the fascinating history of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in an immersive 3-D experience unlike anything you’ve seen in a museum before. Groups will be able to virtually visit the church and learn about its storied history and enduring mysteries. National Geographic Through Aug. 31
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Through June 24
Ingmar Bergman Moods: Costumes and Images
Sharing Images: Renaissance Prints into Maiolica and Bronze
Through June 30
Inaugural Day of Light – Naked Eyes The latest immersive exhibition opening at ARTECHOUSE, by a world-renowned artist studio NONOTAK, is the ultimate celebration of light. Comprised of four unique installations, with each piece very site specific, the exhibit is a completely immersive and other-worldly experience of sound and vision. ARTECHOUSE Through July 1
through each artist’s distinct aesthetic and thought process. Separately and together, Darío Escobar of Guatemala and Patrick Hamilton of Chile share a penchant for using common materials such as rubber tires, metal fencing, spackling knives and soccer balls. Lightly treated and often simply rearranged or reordered, Escobar and Hamilton’s found objects are transformed from commercial products into newly aestheticized artworks that also provide ideological critiques of globalization and its effects. OAS Art Museum of the Americas
Cézanne Portraits
Through July 9
Bringing together some 60 examples drawn from collections around the world, this is the first exhibition devoted to the famed post-impressionist’s portraits. The revelatory exhibition provides the first full visual account of Paul Cézanne’s portrait practice, exploring the pictorial and thematic characteristics of his works in the genre, the chronological development of his style and method, and the range and influence of his sitters. National Gallery of Art
Vanishing Traditions: Textiles and Treasures from Southwest China
Through July 8
Through July 13
Hung Liu in Print This spotlight exhibition features 16 prints and a tapestry by painter and printmaker Hung Liu that invites viewers to explore the relationship between Liu’s multi-layered paintings and the palpable, physical qualities of her works on paper. Her multifaceted body of work probes the human condition and confronts issues of culture, identity and personal and national history. National Museum of Women in the Arts Through July 8
Transformers: New Contemporary Latin American Sculpture by Darío Escobar and Patrick Hamilton The conceptual sculptures on display in this exhibition explore similar themes
For centuries, minority cultures in southwest China have donned elaborate textiles, jewelry, and accessories for community celebrations. Dazzling festival costumes new to the museum’s collections explore traditions now endangered by modernization. The George Washington University Textile Museum
in Central Asia. Not surprisingly, ikats caught the attention of contemporary designers, most notably Oscar de la Renta. This exhibition brings together about 30 of the finest historical Central Asian ikat hangings and coats from the Freer|Sackler collections, as well as seven of Oscar de la Renta’s iconic creations, to explore the original use and function of these dazzling fabrics and the enduring appeal of their extraordinary designs. Freer Gallery of Art Through Aug. 5
Through Sept. 3
Korean-born Do Ho Suh (b. 1962) is internationally renowned for his immersive, architectural fabric sculptures that explore the global nature of contemporary identity. “Do Ho Suh: Almost Home” will transform the museum’s galleries through Suh’s captivating installations, which recreate to scale several of his former homes from around the world. Through these works, Suh investigates the nature of home and memory and the impact of migration and displacement on an individual’s sense of self. Smithsonian American Art Museum
World on the Horizon: Swahili Arts Across the Indian Ocean
Through Aug. 5
Franco Lippi and Luis Falduti use photography to temporally expose the enigmatic layers of Lippi’s paintings to disclose its hidden messages. The aim of these two artists is to re-enact the complete chain of events in which a painter and a photographer collaborate, creating two separate bodies of work, each from his own point of view, that still allows both to reveal the essence of the other. Embassy of Argentina
The Prince and the Shah: Royal Portraits from Qajar Iran
To Dye for: Ikats from Central Asia With their brilliant designs, ikats are among the most distinct fabrics produced
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the first Latin American Olympic games, this exhibit takes audiences through a simple and concrete exploration of the sporting venues built for the 1968 Mexico City Summer Olympics and their constant connection to design and urban art. The development of competition sites for the Olympics’ diverse sporting disciplines required not only the adaptation of existing structures, but also the rapid construction of new, modern and functional facilities. In these new spaces, it was possible to implement the use of an applied architecture that met both the needs of the audience and the functional requirements of each sporting event that occupied it. Mexican Cultural Institute
Do Ho Suh: Almost Home
Perspectives
Through July 29
Constructing Mexico68
In our age of social media and selfies, it may be difficult to grasp the importance of painted portraits and studio photographs in 19th-century Iran. During this time, known as the Qajar era, rulers such as FathAli Shah, a contemporary of Napoleon, and Nasir al-Din Shah, a contemporary of Queen Victoria, used portraiture to convey monarchical power and dynastic grandeur. Through a selection of about thirty works from the Freer and Sackler collections, this exhibition explores how Persian artists transformed modes of representing royalty and nobility. Freer Gallery of Art
The first major traveling exhibition dedicated to the arts of the Swahili coast reveals the diverse interchanges that break down barriers between Africa and Asia in a space that physically connects the Smithsonian’s African and Asian art museums. The Swahili coast, where East Africa meets the Indian Ocean, has long been a significant cultural, diplomatic and commercial intersection for Africa, Asia and Europe for millennia. “World on the Horizon” offers audiences an unprecedented opportunity to view over 160 artworks brought together from public and private collections from four continents. National Museum of African Art Through Jan. 21, 2019
No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man Each year in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, a city of more than 70,000 people rises out of the dust for a single week. During that time, enormous experimental art installations are erected and many are ritually burned to the ground. Cutting-edge artwork created at Burning Man, the annual desert gathering that is one of the most influential events in contemporary art and culture, will be exhibited in the nation’s capital for the first time this spring. Renwick Gallery