The flight home after the holidays is always a surreal experience: on the one hand there is so much newness, so much untouched and yet to happen. On the other hand, however, you can't help wanting the magic to last just a little bit longer, for there to be the moment of clarity in the clear sky outside the window before routine settles down like a fog, making the world seem so much smaller. How about if I told you you didn't have to let go of the world just yet (or break the bank)? To start off 2025, this edition of the art guide is a gift from Insistrum to you- the gift of exploration and adventure, all from your local city.
Brasil! Brasil! The Birth of Modernism
Quick deets:
Location | Royal Academy of Arts Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD |
Open From | 28th Jan-21st Apr 2025 |
Price Details |
Brazilian Modernism arose during the first half of the 20th century, inspired by pre-World War trends such as Cubism, Futurism, Expressionism and Surrealism. It also posted it's stamp in the "Modern Art Week" in Sao Paulo during 1922, alongside countrywide whispers in the ears of various art disciplines such as poetry. It was also around this time, at the close of tumultuous dissent that threatened the closure of Rio’s National School of Fine Arts by Republicans, that Brazil began to desire a realistic portrayal of Brazilian life and culture.
The exhibition features around 130 works from 10 influential artists including members of the trailblazing"Grupo do Cinco" Anita Maffati and Tarsila do Amaral among many others.
Anita Maffati, labelled the "spearhead" of the group and one of the first Brazilian Artists to bring the culture of European and American modernism elements into her art, was actually seen as scandalous to many Brazilians, due to her work not being "Brazilian" enough and too much for the conservative citizen. However, despite claims of being "childish", Mafatti employs a Van Gogh esque mastery in her avant garde style, Cubic distortions and vibrant palette to perpetuate a deeper reflection of the self and one's standing in an ever changing world.
If you'd like to hear the ringing of carnival rich with cultural experiences such as the Afro Brazilian, female, and revolutionary, right from the streets of London, look no farther than the doors of the Royal Academy.
Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael
Quick deets
Location | Royal Academy of Arts Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD |
Open Until | 16th Feb 2025 |
Price Details |
With the new year just begun, I'm going to propose something controversial yet enthralling: let's go back in time to the 25th of January 1504, the days of the Italian Renaissance, to explore the effect of Michelangelo and Leonardo's rivalry on young Raphael as all three of them strive to be noticed by Florence's most influential patrons.
The exhibition features notable works from these three musketeers of the art world, and you get a feel for Raphael's awestruck identity as a student through his take on the infamous "David".
Letizia Battaglia: Life, Love and Death in Sicily
Quick deets:
Location | The Photographer's Gallery 16-18 Ramillies St, London W1F 7LW |
Open Until | 23rd Feb 2025 |
Price Details |
Battaglia was born in Palermo, Sicily in 1935 and began her photography career in her 40s, around the early 1970s. She documents everyday life during the reign of the mafia from the 70s to 90s, sprinkling her narrative with snapshots into the contrast between poverty on the streets and the rambunctious glamour of the upper class with their frequent ballrooms and religious festivals. Reporting for L’Ora, the daily newspaper, she or one of her colleagues were present at every major crime scene, with their photographs opening the eyes and minds of readers from the front page.
Battaglia mainly photographed in black and white, perhaps a reflection of how social unrest can leach the colour out of life. However, it can also be noted that throughout the hardship, her photos are testament to the spontaneous courage of human perseverance, providing colour through their own vitality in a world that seems devoid of it.
Note from the host: Please be aware that the exhibition includes potentially triggering content. This includes images of guns, murder victims, dead animals, police arrests/brutality, crime, blood, nudity and scenes of poverty
William Morris and Art from the Islamic World
Quick deets
Location | William Morris Gallery Lloyd Park, Forest Rd, London E17 4PP |
Open Until | Sunday 9th March 2025 |
Price Details | Free entry but there is an option to donate. |
The first exhibition to explore the influence of the Islamic World on the work of William Morris, one of the founders of the Arts and Crafts Movement and creator of many trademark prints featured on wallpaper, stationary and trinkets alike. The exhibition features over 90 works and demonstrates how some of Morris' designs like Flower Garden (1879) were directly inspired by Islamic surface design, most of which is still seen today in areas like mosques or cultural hubs, as well as in people's homes.
The World of Tim Burton
Quick deets
Location | the Design Museum 224-238 Kensington High St, London W8 6AG |
Open Until | 21st April 2025 |
Price Details |
We've recently had the absolute delight of the release of "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice", a sequel to Burton's infamous "Beetlejuice". Now, as if that weren't enough, Burton once again spoils us with an exploration of his weird and wonderful world through sculptures, drawings, paintings and photographs.
As this is the final stop in a decade long world tour, and the only exhibition we will have here in the UK, make sure to book your tickets well in advance! If you needed further incentive to attend, there is also a "World of Tim Burton" afternoon tea overlooking Holland Park.
So our world tour concludes at home sweet home: Insistrum's page. All that is left to say, dear reader/ fellow traveller, is to get your tickets and be prepared to start the year off right, be it in the colourful landscape of Brazil, Morris' Islamic inspired precise yet flowery prints, Battaglia's unrelenting truths, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael's riveting triangle of love and war or Tim Burton's nostalgic yet uncanny fever dream. All that I can guarantee, when you're ready for even more art, we will be back here each month to guide you.
References
Royalacademy.org.uk. (2025). Brasil! Brasil! The Birth of Modernism | Royal Academy of Arts. [online] [Accessed 5 Jan. 2025].
‌Wikipedia Contributors (2025). Modernism in Brazil. Wikipedia.
Wikipedia. (2020). Anita Malfatti. [online]
www.royalacademy.org.uk. (n.d.). Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael | Exhibition | Royal Academy of Arts. [online]
The Photographers Gallery. (2024). Letizia Battaglia: Life, Love and Death in Sicily. [online]
William Morris Gallery. (2024). William Morris & Art from the Islamic World. [online]
The World of Tim Burton. [online] Design Museum.
‌
‌
‌
‌
Comentários