The Exhibition List: The Art of Looking Closely
Four exhibitions that deserve more than one visit, from intimate personal worlds to histories preserved through objects and photographs
This week’s curated exhibition list focuses on the idea of observing closely.
There is argaret Olley’s intimate domestic settings, Carmen Laffon’s patience and detail oriented attention to her work over time, the the archiving and study of Islamic history to new audiences in Korea and the storytelling of documentary photography through Sharjah Art Foundation’s Vantage point.
While vastly different in many ways, each exhibition considers what is visible and how the world can be recorded through the artist’s eye.
Margaret Olley: Australian Intimiste
National Art School, Sydney
The legacy of legendary Australian painter Margaret Olley is currently being celebrated through an exhibition of over sixty works drawn from significant public and private collections. Seen through the lens of the European artistic tradition of intimism – a movement of art, literature, or film centring on quiet and domestic interior scenes (sounds down right delightful) the exhibition is a portrait of Olley’s personal world.
On view until 26 October
Carmen Laffón. Variations
The Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid
The first major retrospective since her death in 2021, Sevillian painter and sculptor Carmen Laffón’s exhibition focuses on her unique approach to the figurative world. Featuring over 70 works, including oil paintings, charcoal drawings and sculptures, the exhibition reflects how Laffón has presents central ideas and motifs in her compositions as they recur in variations and series across her expansive career. throughout her more than sixty-year career.
On view until 27 September
Islamic Art: A Journey of Splendor
World Art Gallery of the National Museum of Seoul
This sounds incredible. An expansive exhibition presenting 85 masterworks drawn from the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar. Korean audiences, and anyone visiting Seoul will have the opportunity to learn about the rich, diverse, and interconnected works of Islamic civilisation across it’s 1,400-year history and geography that spanned from Spain to Southeast Asia.
On view until 11 October
Vantage Point
Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah
The 13th edition of the photography exhibition features six artists from across the world working from different perspectives within the medium of documentary photography. The thoughtfully curated exhibition explores themes such as the connections between land, memory while pushing the boundaries of what documentary photography can do.
On show until 29 November