July is brimming with exciting exhibitions, events and festivals to add to your summer diary. We’ve rounded up our top ten, including five in the UK and five in various parts of the world. We’ve got the Frieze Sculpture show and Artist Self-Publisher’s Fair ASP3, plus a Christian Dior exhibition and La Voyage à Nantes showcasing the best of 40 artists in France.
Joseph Beuys: Boxkampf für die Direkte Demokratie
7 July – 11 August 2017, Waddington Custot, Mayfair, London
Performance artist Joseph Beuys believed it was possible to transform society through the creativity of every individual. In this show at Waddington Custot, an artwork originally staged by the German artist in 1972 is resurrected. The piece is a boxing match between the artist and sculptor Abraham David Christian, using screened archival footage of Beuys.
Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power
12 Jul – 22 October 2017, Tate Modern, London
This landmark show will explore what it meant to be a black artist in the USA during the civil rights movement and at the birth of black power, as well as art’s purpose and audience during this time and afterwards. Spanning 1963–1983, it’ll feature over 150 works of painting, photography, print and sculpture by 60 artists, many on display in the UK for the first time.
Frieze Sculpture
5 July – 8 October 2017, The Regent’s Park, London
Frieze is opening its first-ever summer show in Regent’s Park, promising to be London’s largest outdoor exhibition. The free event will feature sculpture work by 23 artists including Michael Craig Martin, Eduardo Paolozzi, Urs Fischer, KAWS, Gary Hume and Alicja Kwade, selected by Clare Lilley, director of programme for Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
Artist Self-Publishers’ Fair ASP3 – The Third
8 July 2017, ICA, London
Never failing to be provocative, energetic and hugely diverse, the Artist Self-Publishers’ Fair returns to the ICA for its third edition. Publishers taking part include Blotter Books, Hate magazine, Arnaud Desjardins and Pound Shop, plus there will be music, live performance and publishing from Lord Tusk, Ruth Angel Edwards, and Nervemeter.
Block Party – A Celebration
30 June – 30 July 2017, Diddy’s, Mare Street, Hackney, London
Our local spot Diddy’s is holding its inaugural exhibition, curated by the wonderful Jayden Ali and featuring the work of photographers Jaime Ackroyd and Lizzie King. The exhibition documents a long hot summer afternoon last summer when, in the shadow of Brexit, Hackney residents got together for one of the area’s much-celebrated block parties.
Christian Dior: Couturier du Rêve
5 July 2017 – 7 January 2018, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France
The Musée des Arts Décoratifs is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the creation of the House of Dior. The “lavish and comprehensive” exhibition is set to be a journey of discovery through the world of Christian Dior and the couturiers who have succeeded him including: Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons and most recently, Maria Grazia Chiuri. Among the exhibits on display will be over 300 haute couture gowns designed between 1947 and present day.
Jean Dubuffet in the Rijksmuseum Gardens
1 June – 1 October 2017, Rijksmuseum Gardens, Amsterdam
12 monumental sculptures by the French artist Jean Dubuffet will be on display in the Rijksmuseum Gardens. Featuring a parade of tragicomic characters, a white tree and a tower full of stories, there will be some of Dubuffet’s most established pieces dating from 1968.
We Are The Remix
10 June – 20 August 2017, Röda Stems Konsthall, Gothenburg, Sweden
Museea has joined forces with We Are The Remix to produce an immersive international film and video exhibition. Featuring eight audiovisual works created by some of the most distinguished artists and filmmakers of today, the installation aims to explore the diversity of global and cultural identities.
Animation Block Party
27 July – 20 July 2017, Rooftop Films & BAMcinématek, Brooklyn, NYC
A weekend of screenings, talks and discussions celebrating animation. This year’s highlights include An Evening with BoJack, featuring BoJack Horseman’s production designer, Lisa Hanawalt and supervising director, Mike Hollingsworth; a Cartoon Network shorts showcase; and the NYC premieres of Birdboy: The Forgotten Children and Strangers from Late Night Work Club.
Le Voyage à Nantes
1 July – 27 August 2017, Nantes, France
This will be the sixth edition of the two-month arts festival taking over the French city of Nantes, with site-specific works by 40 artists popping up alongside a busy programme of events. The opening night will feature an appearance by the self-proclaimed “hermaphrodite twins of art” Adele and Eva. This year also marks the reopening of the Musée d’arts Nantes following a six year renovation.
