Jacquemus continues its global expansion with the grand opening of its latest standalone store in London’s prestigious New Bond Street. Following successful launches in Paris, Dubai, and New York City, the new space is a testament to the brand’s soaring popularity and coastal aesthetic.
Creative director Simon Porte Jacquemus has launched the brand’s first flagship store in the UK, within a historic Victorian-style building adorned with an intricate frieze by artist Alexander Stoddart. Designed in collaboration with the renowned Dutch architecture firm OMA, the store’s interior juxtaposes the grandeur of Victorian architecture with a minimalist, Mediterranean-inspired makeover. Soothing, sunlit hues and organic textures evoke the essence of southern France, creating a serene escape from the bustling London streets. Angular forms blend seamlessly with soft, curving walls, embodying the effortless elegance of the brand. This London boutique delivers more than just a shopping experience—it’s a Provençal retreat.
Jacquemus’ playful designs—think the iconic Chiquito bags, double ballerina heels, and draped collar jackets —have long captivated British fans of the brand. For Simon Porte Jacquemus, who fell in love with London’s vibrant energy as a teenager, opening a store here is a full-circle moment.
With its doors opening this month, the London flagship solidifies Jacquemus’ reputation as a global tastemaker. It offers a thoughtfully curated brand experience where the charm of Provence meets the dynamism of one of the world’s fashion capitals.
London-based jewellery designer Solange Azagury-Partridge is known for her artful take on jewellery that incorporates provocative themes, often characterised by bold and playful uses of colours and gems. Marking her time in the industry–over 35 years–she has teamed up with Rizzoli to launch her first book, SOLANGE: Jewellery for Chromantics. Inside, expect plenty of storytelling (as with her jewellery), an exploration of her enchanting jewellery world, and her fantasy-filled creations. It’s no wonder then, that her pieces has gained a following with fashion and jewellery enthusiasts from Julianne Moore to Sarah Jessica Parker–loved for her avant-garde designs that set Solange apart from the traditional jewellery houses. Solange’s love of language and connotations have become central to her creative process, and as such, inform the names of her lauded collections: Scribbles, Chromance, Platonic, Supernature, Regalia, Poptails, Stoned, Sentimentals, Hotlips and Metamorphosis.
Solange’s expressive rings, full of life with colour, remain her most famous creations, cue the Hotlips ring that was first designed in 1995, and has established its legacy in the permanent collections of the Victoria & Albert museum and the Musée Art des Décoratifs in Paris, amongst
other Solange pieces.
“Her brains, impeccable eye and ability to continuously think outside the box are qualities to be marvelled at. There are no jewels that make me more excited than Solange’s. Never boring, always innovative and unlike any other,” says Adwoa Aboah. Solange: Jewellery for Chromantics is published by Rizzoli priced at £73.00.Available to purchase at Dover Street Market – 18-22 Haymarket, London, SW1Y 4DG and via solange.co.uk.
Art Basel Paris 2024 has made a triumphant return to the iconic Grand Palais, reclaiming its spot after two years at the temporary Grand Palais Éphémère. Set against the Beaux-Arts grandeur of the venue, the event featured notable VIPs like Brad Pitt, Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, and Natalie Portman mingling among the art elite. Opening day buzzed with energy as sunlight streamed through the Grand Palais’s restored glass roof, illuminating 195 galleries from 42 countries, reflecting Paris’s growing global art scene influence. Expanded programming included a partnership with Miu Miu and off-site exhibitions at the Domaine National du Palais-Royal and Petit Palais, blending Parisian culture with the international art market.
The fair’s structure featured the main Galeries section, the Emergence section for young artists, and Premise, a new platform for nine galleries with curated exhibitions. Standout works included Barbara Kruger’s Untitled (Long Life), Kati Heck’s Tip-Toe Echo, France-Lise McGurn’s Feather Lite, and Jack O’Brien’s Allowance, all exploring varied themes from media critique to authority. Other highlights were Linder’s The Red Shoes, Shuang Li’s The Guillotine (Future) on dystopia, and Mathis Altmann’s Mid-City III (Dionysian Revel), a diorama evoking a decayed, chaotic warehouse. Paulina Olowska’s Laura with Wolves brought feminine energy to Pace’s witch-themed booth.
A new addition, the Oh La La! initiative, encouraged galleries to rehang booths on Friday and Saturday, offering new works for discovery. As the fair rolled into the weekend, sales were successful, with White Cube leading with a $9.5 million Julie Mehretu sale. With its stellar programming, glamorous clientele, and buzzing atmosphere, Art Basel Paris 2024 solidified its place on the international art fair circuit.
Around Paris, satellite exhibitions echoed Art Basel’s energy. Highlights included Tales & Tellers by Miu Miu at Palais d’Iéna, a Chantal Akerman retrospective at Jeu de Paume, and the Reena Spaulings Collective’s critique on consumerism at Galerie Hussenot. The Surrealismé exhibit at Centre Pompidou also celebrated Surrealism with over 500 works.
With its stellar programming, glamorous clientele, and a buzzing atmosphere, Art Basel Paris 2024 solidified its place as a key destination on the international art fair circuit, blending Parisian flair with the unmistakable excellence of Art Basel.
The Art Basel Shop, curated by Colette’s co-founder and creative visionary Sarah Andelman, was a standout feature at Art Basel Paris, bridging the worlds of art, fashion, and eco-conscious design. Located within the Grand Palais Éphémère, this unique retail experience presented a carefully curated collection blending artist-driven designs with sustainable craftsmanship.
Showcasing Andelman’s innovative approach, the shop featured exclusive collaborations that spanned sustainable fashion to one-of-a-kind art pieces. Key items included scarves by artists Claudia Comte and Marcel Dzarma, created in collaboration with Parley for the Oceans, an organisation dedicated to repurposing ocean plastic waste. Guerlain presented the world’s first signature art-fair branded fragrance, crafted in partnership with artist Julie Beaufils, which embodied a sensory experience inspired by art and nature.
Among the shop’s most compelling offerings was Martine Syms’ clothing line, developed with the support of Lafayette Anticipations. Syms’ collection brought a fresh perspective to wearable art, highlighting thoughtful, minimalist design that was both stylish and eco-friendly. Additional partnerships added unexpected twists: the Uniqlo x Musée du Louvre collaboration reflected a fusion of high art and accessible fashion, while Paris Saint-Germain Football Club joined in with art-forward pieces, showcasing its influence in both sports and contemporary culture.
By bringing together art and sustainability, the Art Basel Shop offered more than just merchandise—it embodied a movement toward mindful consumption. Andelman’s curation reflected a new chapter in retail, one that emphasised the values of conscious artistry. For visitors to Paris+, the shop provided a glimpse into a future where art and sustainability intersect seamlessly.
Dreams do come true…Margot Robbie shares the screen with Jacob Elordi for this fire campaign film, “SEE YOU AT 5” for CHANEL No. 5. The pair succeed Marion Cotillard, and it’s the first campaign film we’ve seen from the house for five years. Shot in California by legendary director Luco Guadagnino, of Challengers fame, Robbie and Elordi rendez-vous and it’s all a bit overwhelming… watch here or forever hold your peace.
This year feels like an extra huge bumper Frieze Week. Every single gallery, institution and numerous project spaces are opening shows to coincide. Aside from the obvious visit to Frieze, Frieze Masters and the freebie option Frieze Sculpture Park in Regents Park, here are eight things to check out courtesy of our arts editor Francesca Gavin:
Frieze Film X ICA The ICA have teamed up with Frieze for a second year of artist film screenings projected in a continuous loop. There are some incredible people in their year but keep a special eye open for Sung Tieu, Onyeka Igwe and Jacolby Satterwhite. And if you cant make it the films are also free to view on line for the duration. (The Guemhyung Jeong performances at the ICA on October 8 and 9 will also be unmissable.) Oct 8 – 13, ica.art
Seb Patane at Maureen Paley This is the most welcome return pairing of the year. Seb Patane made his name on Maureen Paley’s roster with incredible drawing work, sound performances and graphic installations that touched on photographic history, the memory of war and the echoes of time. ‘In the Sharp Gust of Love’ is Patane’s return to the gallery in Paley’s Studio M offshoot. If you’re East, go see. Until Nov 9 Seb Patane at Maureen Paley, Studio M, Rochelle School maureenpaley.com
Magdalene Odundo at Thomas Dane This is cult favourite Odundo’s first London exhibition in over two decades. Inspired by diasporic ceramic and vessel sculpting techniques, her pieces are unforgettable (and have fans including Jonathan Anderson and Nadege Vanhee). The pieces on show here are described as fusing British studio pottery, ancient ceramics, ceremonial vessels from Kenya and Nigeria, and modernist sculpture. PV October 8 6-8pm Exhibition runs until Dec 14
Mire Lee at Tate Modern In case you thought a Mike Kelley retrospective wasn’t enough, the Turbine Hall is being given a dose of Berlin-style cool from Mire Lee. The young artist who is showing in the UK for the first time is known from abject and absorbing sculptures that drip, twitch and shudder. (Schinkel Pavilion paired her with great success with HR Giger). Imagining her neo-gothic liquid techno oddness supersized is VERY exciting. Oct 9-Mar 16 Tate Modern, tate.org.uk
1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair Somerset House’s regular is always a thankful respite from the market machine of Frieze itself. This is a the fair where you will discover artists – Lina Iris Viktor and Anya Paintsil for example both had their breakthroughs here. Looking at artists in the broadest sense from the African diaspora, keep a special on their special projects from people like Nigeria Art Society UK. 11-13 October, Somerset House, Strand, WC2 1-54.com
Yayoi Kusama at Victoria Miro You can’t help but love a bit of Kusama. If the lines for Tate have been to painful, quickly book to go see her latest works at Victoria Miro. There is a new Infinity Mirror Room with a tech edge that looks delicious as well as a series of intimate new paintings entitled Every Day I Pray for Love. Sounds like a good thought for today. Until Nov 2, Victoria Miro, 16 Wharf Road, London N1
Bloomsbury and Farringdon The explosion of emerging and fresh galleries in the Bloomsbury and Farringdon area is so good they even printed their own postcard sized map. If you want a taste of emerging London now, go to Hot Wheels Athens, Union Pacific, Brunette Coleman, A Squire, Phillida Reid, South Parade, and book a place to view the solo show by British painter Lewis Hammond at the incredible The Perimeter and finish at the hottest space in town, Ginny on Frederick. theperimeter.co.uk
Minor Attractions The is the second year for the parallel fair Minor Attractions founded by the burst of energy that is Jonny Tanna (Harlesden High Street) and Jacob Barnes. Focusing on non-profits and emerging galleries, this year it takes place in Fitzrovia’s Mandrake Hotel and is a place to see some killer spaces like Tblisi’s Artbeat and Salford’s Division of Labour (plus some late night programming for those looking for something after.) Oct 8-13
Special mentions (because its insane not to highlight some of the amazing shows out there!): Lauren Halsey, and Holly Herndon and Mat Dryhurst, at the Serpentine, Haegue Yang at Hayward and the Chronoplasticity show curated by Lars Bang Larssen at Raven Row, Nicola L and Jack O’Brien at Camden Arts Centre, Olivia Erlanger at Soft Opening, and Stanislava Kovalcikova at Emalin.
Daria Blum’s art star has been rising since her graduation from RA schools in 2023. In this solo show brilliantly titled Drip Drip Point Warp Spin Buckle Rot at Claridge’s Art Space, she develops her well-honed performance practice into a slick installation well worth a visit.
Blum won the inaugural £30,000 Claridges RA Schools prize selected by judges Yinka Shonibare CBE, RA and Eva Rothschild RA. The prestigious award was presented by performance artist Marina Abramović and introduced by actor, author and co-host of Talk Art Russell Tovey at Claridge’s last September.
This impressive site-specific installation in the subterranean Mayfair space evolves the artist’s research into the relationship between physical space and muscle memory, choreography and embodiment, and notions of institutional power in relation to dance and architecture, influenced by her own background as a ballet dancer.
A central three-channel video work follows Blum’s fictional character as she moves through rooms and corridors of a deserted 1970’s office building and discovers a collection of documentation and ephemera including portraits of her late grandmother Ukrainian ballerina/choreographer Daria Nyzankiwska, archival recordings of dance rehearsals and footage of a 2022 performance by Blum herself. Through a series of live performances, the artist further inhabits a live character who “disrupts and criticises, pointing fingers at the bodies on-screen and the voices offstage”.
Blum’s multi-layered, constellatory work blends pop and classical in referencing both the online circulation of popular dance trends and influential theorists such as Arabella Stanger and Beatriz Colomina whose sociopolitical assessments track gender, violence, and power across bodies, dance and architecture.
The artist discusses classical dance as an ‘archaeological site’, and questions what it means to re-perform choreographies that contain a range of misogynistic and colonial tropes, including how French ideals inspired Imperial Russia and in mapping her family tree tracks how choreography “travelled via bodies across state lines”. One to watch, this will no doubt be the first of many solo presentations by this thoughtful and captivating artist.
Right In The Eye, is the new book from acclaimed photographer Boo George that spans his fifteen year career and includes figures like Emma Watson, Helen Mirren, Eddie Redmayne, and Kim Kardashian. He has risen to prominence working with top publications and brands including Moncler, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, Range Rover, Ralph Lauren, Emporio Armani, and Louis Vuitton.
This book dives into Boo’s journey, which leads from rural Ireland to an international, star-studded career, framed through anecdotes and BTS insights into his world.
After his father gifted him his first camera, Boo would go to Wicklow Mountain in Northern Ireland to take pictures of individuals that fascinated him and document a community that lived on the outskirts of the outskirts.
The juxtaposition of subjects has become his signature, as he explains, “wherever I go around the world I am a spectator, I never claim to be the same as the people I am shooting. I’m inquisitive as to who these people are and what their story is. In my photographs, their story is written on their faces.”
Boo grew up by the sea and spent countless hours aboard boats and trawlers, documenting fishermen and divers which became some of his favourite images. As such, the proceeds of the profits are donated to Bantry Inshore Search and Rescue Association (BISRA) who protect the waters near his home in Ireland.
London Fashion Week marks its 40th anniversary this year, with thousands of city venues being transformed into fashion show spaces for one-night-only events. Stylish crowds have been out in full force for the Spring/Summer 2025 collections, showcasing both established and emerging talent for the upcoming season.
Here are some of Twin’s highlights.
Chopova Lowena
On Friday evening, Chopova Lowena invited guests to the derelict basement of Shoreditch Town Hall, and combined playful references like the Wild West, can-can dancers, and Victorian Halloween costumes. Their signature carabiner clip kilts were ever-present, along with whimsical charm details. Titled “Chuckaboo,” the show had models racing through abandoned rooms accompanied by heavy metal soundtracks.
The English-Bulgarian duo debuted two collaborations: one with Asics, reimagining the GEL Quantum 360 VIII sneakers with butterflies, rhinestones, and flowers; and another with Hellmann’s Mayonnaise. A version of the brand’s leather “Margaret” shoulder bag was designed to carry a jar of the much-loved condiment, complete with a Victorian silver spoon and Hellmann’s blue charm.
JW Anderon
At JW Anderson, restriction is liberation.
Grounded in just four materials—cashmere, leather, silk, and sequins— Anderson’s SS25 collection featured echoes of previous designs, including optical illusion fastenings, buttery leather, liquid dresses, and oversized Argyle knits.
The Irish designer’s typical absurdity shone through in structural dresses with exaggerated hems and oversized pullovers mimicking sleek bomber jackets.
Nensi Dojaka
Albanian-born designer Nensi Dojaka returned to the runway after a two-season break, unveiling her collaboration with Calvin Klein and launching her e-shop on the same day. Since her rise in 2019, including winning the LVMH Prize in 2021 and dressing celebrities like Beyoncé and Dua Lipa, Dojaka has quickly become one of fashion’s most sought after brands.
Her signature lingerie-inspired designs were on full display, featuring stretch tulle layers, micro-drapes, and intricate strapwork. Models also were seen sporting body-clinging knitwear dresses, and leather bustier dresses.
“I think femininity is about embracing the contrast that lives within us: the balance between softness and strength,” Dojaka said in the show notes. This balance was undoubtedly at the core of her SS25 collection.
Last weekend Twin’s very own Francesca Gavin helmed the new look Viennacontemporary art fair. The biggest edition in recent years featuring 98 galleries and 6 institutions from 24 countries, Gavin is putting this art fair firmly on the Autumn pre-Frieze map and as she describes, “the aim was to create a fair with it’s own identity that showcases some of the incredible emerging talent coming out of Central and Eastern Europe … I wanted to curate a pan-European fair that had a sense of curatorial excitement”.
43 Austrian galleries, 33 Eastern European galleries and 22 galleries from the rest of the world showcased a wide range of works, with a focus on emerging artists.
The CONTEXT section presented 20th century masterpieces by artists who continue to influence Austria today, and ZONE1 curated by Bruno Mokross presented artists living or working in Vienna.
Sustainability and Energy were a key focus of the fair, explored in the curated section VCT STATEMENT: The Color of Energy, curated by Mirela Baciak and two VCT STATEMENT Talks at the intersection of art and energy production and the fair’s Talks program features the coming together of leading artists, designers, gallerists, industry leaders, patrons, and market specialists, sharing insights into the latest trends of the art world alongside a new Open Call prize, ‘Art for Stronger Democracies’, which honored artists whose work confronts the challenges and opportunities facing democratic societies.
Twenty years ago, artist Sam Winston discovered a room of unused words in the Oxford University Press (home of the Oxford English Dictionary). Penny Silva, Dictionary director at the time, gave Sam a tour, “she was showing me around when she took me into a small room full of index cards and declared… ‘this is the room where all the words that aren’t in The Dictionary are kept’.” Since that first spark of interest in 2004, Winston has gone on to create exhibitions and artworks inspired by this unseen words room and the creative potential of the dictionary.
This unique linguistic inspiration now forms the spine of a lyrical picture book created in collaboration with New York Times best-selling author-illustrator Oliver Jeffers. A call to kids and adults alike to create, to question, to explore, and to imagine, their magical project is intended to prompt young readers to ignite their love of language and discover where their words come from, and how we all have a story to tell.
In 2007 words like almond, blackberry and crocus in the Oxford Junior Dictionary made way for block graph and celebrity. In 2012 the edition maintained those changes, and further removed catkin, cauliflower, chestnut and clover, and now instead features cut and paste, broadband and analogue. The authors noted a pattern in which the natural world and external play-based childhood inferences are being replaced with internal, digital and sedentary past-times.
Winstone reflects, “It’s a book that I wish I had as a kid. When I was young I didn’t understand words, my imagination was crazy and reading seemed like torture. This book is for that person. I hope it inspires a reluctant reader to pick up a book and smile. Because when someone realises how powerful the spell of words can be, a new world of opportunities opens up for them.”
Definitions
ghost /ɡəʊst/ Believed to be the spirit of someone who is no longer in this world. Ghosts can appear as shadows, strange shapes or just silly people with bedsheets over their heads. They sometimes scare people, which means it is hard for them to make friends. Fortunately, puddles don’t get scared; puddles make friends with everyone.
puddle /ˈpʌd.əl/ A small pool of water. Puddles are often made by rain and they love to look at the sky. They will make friends with anyone who takes the time to say hi to them. Puddles are the friendliest things in the universe.
apple /ˈæp.əl / A hard round fruit with green, red or yellow skin. Some apples can send princesses to sleep or give people all knowledge. Other apples fall to the ground to help explain complicated laws. (See gravity.) If we leave apples alone, they turn themselves into trees. (See amazing.)
artist /ˈɑː.tɪst/ A person who spends a lot of time with new ideas – drawing, writing or acting them out. Some of these ideas turn out to be funny, some sad and some beautiful. Lots of colour and a few surprises are often involved. (See art.)
dream /driːm/ A word for things people see while asleep. Dreams are the brain’s way of showing you that you’re a lot more imaginative than you think. In the day, we fill our heads with sensible things, but dreams prefer to create strange things, for instance, glow-in-the-dark marmalade and inflatable chicken’s teeth. We’ve been studying dreams for hundreds of years and we still don’t really know what they are. That said, Martin Luther King Jr had a really great one.
heart /hɑːt/The organ that pumps blood around an animal’s body. It’s also the part of the body that helps people recover from trying to think too much. (See headache.) Hearts help heads make good decisions. When things are going well, the heart feels full; not so well, it aches.
Book tour dates Saturday 17th August: London, Sunday 18th August: Edinburgh International Book Festival, Monday 19th August: Glasgow, Tuesday 20th August: Manchester, UK
As well as the annual summer party, the stunning Nan Goldin fim staged in the former church above Below Stone Nest, the pavilion opening and Serpentine Ecologies, this gallery has been in our diaries more than most this Summer.
The major exhibition is by trailblazer Judy Chicago, and surprisingly presents the first major interdisciplinary, immersive institutional exhibition in London of her work. As well as drawing, new and lesser-known works are on display alongside preparatory studies, and the expected audio-visual works.
Revelations, a moniker taken from an unknown illuminated manuscript by Chicago, was created in the early 1970s and now published for the first time with Thames & Hudson. The manuscript details the stories of women that have been persistently subjugated in the socio-political imaginary, in a radical retelling of human history.
With never-before-seen sketchbooks, films and slides, video interviews of participants from her iconic work The Dinner Party (1974–79), audio recordings, and a guided tour of The Dinner Party by Chicago herself, this exhibition is not to miss.
REVELATIONS is on view at Serpentine North from 23rd May to 1st September 2024
ME Ibiza Celebrates 10 Years of Style, Sustainability and Spirituality
As the white Isle continues to be a summer destination for luxury and party crowds alike, this year marks the tenth anniversary of ME Ibiza, the iconic five-star design hotel nestled in the heart of the legendary Balearics on the shores at Santa Eulalia.
Over the last decade, ME Ibiza has become a must-visit destination for artists and connoisseurs that find themselves drawn to the magic and energy of Ibiza, seeking a conscious community for artists and creatives. Offering more than the expected luxury F&B offering, ME has earned its status by creating a space for a conscious community of artists and experience-seekers. From hosting intimate Tanit Gatherings with local artists, to sponsoring the island’s film festival to showcase up-and-coming creatives, ME Ibiza is committed to fostering reflection and dialogue and contributing to the creative spirit of the island.
Gabriel Escarrer Jaume, the man behind ME by Meliá, has been attached to the spot since childhood, and watched the island’s legend grow along with the tree under which his dreams first took root. This magnificent coastal tree remains a landmark of the architecture, and a timepiece encapsulating generations of guest memories past, present and future.
To celebrate a successful decade in the sun, ME presents the programme Ancient Future, including the blessing of the ME tree by a local spiritual elder and a curated cultural programme showcasing local painters, photographers, and artisans, alongside holistic wellness experiences. ME Ibiza has been offering avant-garde design and high-end holistic wellbeing for the past decade, thereby maintaining its status as a member of The Leading Hotels of the World.
A unique installation by artist & designer Brett Westfall, longtime collaborator of Comme des Garçons & member of the Dover Street Market Paris umbrella, lands at Sorry Thanks I Love You (STILY) in Sydney this July over four weeks.
So-Cal born Westfall is a multi-disciplinary artist working across painting, sculpture, assemblage, installation, fashion, video, film, music and photography. His brand WESTFALL began with the idea of extending his ideas into clothing design that would read like poetry.
For this installation, canvas paintings and wooden pallets feature as walls, interlocking bicycles make up the roof and each hand-painted artwork incorporates Westfall’s signature motifs, hand-crafted and distressed style. “FRESH”, strawberries, and Westfall’s daughter’s version of “Snoppy” add a personal touch to the mix of eclectic found objects. STILY’s adjacent cafe is also in on it, serving a Westfall-inspired menu including custom-made treats from Tokyo Lamington and Gelato Messina in exclusive flavours.
The launch coincides with Westfall’s inaugural art showcase in Australia and to complement Westfall’s FW24 collection and mark the project, STILY and Westfall have co-designed a custom t-shirt, available exclusively in- store at STILY.
Sorry Thanks I Love You has an ongoing partnership with Dover Street Market Paris Brand Development and in addition to Westfall, STILY also offers DSMP BD labels Sky High Farm, Honey Fucking Dijon, and the recently introduced New York-based, Vaquera at their Westfield Sydney store.
The Dover Street Market x Westfall x Sorry Thanks I Love You collaboration will run at Sorry Thanks I Love You from 1 July – 28 July 2024.
K1006/188 Pitt Street, Level One Westfield, SYDNEY NSW 2000
Artists: Liam Gillick, Paul Purgas, Claudia Wieser, Appau Jnr Yiadom-Boakye
This week we’ve been excited for the launch of Isle Skateboard’s limited-edition line Tweaked Modernism. Curated by Twin’s art editor Francesca Gavin, the artist produced decks are accompanied by a printed publication by Birmingham design studio An Endless Supply.
The four specially created skateboards unpick the aesthetic and conceptual ideas of modernism, meta modernism, and off modernism.
Founded by Isle Skateboards is the skateboard label founded by artist Nick Jensen and Paul Shier. Past collaborations with artist have included boards from Kira Freije, Oliver Laric and Christian Hidaka.
As curator Francesca reflects, “there are fascinating connections between skating and modernism. Both have rethought what the human physical relationship is to form and space. Street skating approaches architecture in a way no one would have imagined. I was interested in bringing together four varied artists who all tweak modernist ideas or aesthetics in their work. I liked the urban slang take on tweaking as getting high – it felt apt for addressing how artists rework history.”
The Artists:
Liam Gillick studied at Goldsmiths and lives and works in New York. His work, ranging from small books to large-scale architectural collaborations, explores the aesthetics of the constructed world and dysfunction of modernism.
Paul Purgas is a London-based artist and musician working with sound, performance, and installation. Originally trained as an architect, he has presented projects with Tate, Spike Island, Glasgow Tramway and Kunstverein Gartenhaus. He is one half of Empyset, and has performed at Berghain, Serpentine Gallery, CTM and Atonal.
Claudia Wieser is an artist based in Berlin known for creating geometric installation, sculptures and wall works that unpick the legacy and aesthetics of modernism. She has had solo shows Hamburger Bahnhof, The Drawing Center and has collaborated on projects with Hermes and Musée Yves Saint Laurent.
Appau Jnr Boakye-Yiadom is a London-based multi-disciplinary artist working with found materials and objects, sculpture, photography, sound, performance, archive, and self-produced moving image. He has exhibited at National Portrait Gallery, Jerwood Space and Southwark Park Galleries.
Boards available from skate shops across the United Kingdom, United States, Holland and Japan.
Scottish designer Charles Jeffrey has marked a significant milestone in his career, celebrating the tenth anniversary of his brand, Loverboy, by taking over Central London’s Somerset House. In a turbulent period for the UK fashion industry, Jeffrey’s infectiously joyful brand offers a beacon of innovation.
Loverboy originated as a queer club night in east London, and has since evolved into a celebrated fashion label with a dedicated following. Jeffrey has dressed notable figures like Tilda Swinton and Harry Styles.
The SS25 showcase was a testament to Loverboy’s signature queer-meets-punk identity, presented with unapologetic flair. Models, as if struck by Cupid’s arrow, tumbled down the runway in a captivating display. The collection featured oversized jumpers, shirts with arrows shot through, reimagined army and sailor uniforms, paired with Loverboy’s distinctive animalistic headgear, with peeling banana boots adding a playful touch.
Somerset House, which has housed his studio since 2016, was a fitting venue for this celebration. The event also inaugurated The Lore of Loverboy, a retrospective exhibition in the Terrace Gallery, chronicling the brand’s evolution from a queer club night at Vogue Fabrics in Dalston to a fashion powerhouse.
As the music dimmed and models exited backstage, American icon Beth Ditto returned to deliver a rousing rendition of Patti Smith’s “Gloria.” The 41 looks then danced up and down the runway, honoring Charles Jeffrey Loverboy’s decade-long journey. The SS25 collection celebrated bright, queer identities, encouraging bold self-expression and cherishing life’s fleeting moments.
Visitors can view The Lore of Loverboy exhibition from 8 June – 10 September 2024 at Somerset House. Tickets operate on a pay what you can scheme to ensure accessibility.
MiArt New Talent: Julija Zaharijevićby Twin Art Editor Francesca Gavin
Julija Zaharijević exhibited wall sculptures with Eugster from Belgrade at Miart.. The gallery was in the emergent section of the Milanese fair – in a great section in the fair which happens each April, curated by Attilia Fattori Franchini.
The Cabbage series depicts realistically recreated cabbages – complete with faked insect nibbles and decay. Each cabbage subtly varied in colour so it was clear they are the real veg on the wall. Pyschadelic, emotive and beautiful, the works play with the art historical tropes of beauty, decay and the sublime. They are stand ins for roses or flowers. Part of what makes her cabbages so engaging is how that question what is real, what is beauty, what is meaning.
Julija Zaharijević was born in 1991 in Serbia and lives and works between Vienna, where she studied, and Berlin. Still only a recent graduate, Zaharijević’s practise has incorporated performance, collage, text, that touches on the experience of class, gender and reality.
Highlights value systems that are innately built into the purchase and visual consumption of beauty and art in a wider sense. They are mirrors to our heads, emotions and performative selves.
On this solar eclipse in Aries, we celebrate Seana Gavin’s archive that serendipidously includes the eclipse free festival, photographed by Gavin below.
Following on from her phenomenally successful book “Spiralled” published by Idea Books, the artist and former raver opens her new exhibition Hidden Tracks at Gallery 46. This exhibition continues her exploration of the legacy of sound systems that put on illegal raves in the UK and across Europe in the nineties, and acts as a document of the creativity, vitality and community of the underground party scene in which Gavin features heavily. From 1993-2003 she spent long periods of time travelling in friends’ mobile homes, in convoy with the sound systems, living in nomadic communities, attending raves and parties in France, Spain, Holland, Italy, Berlin, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary.
“It was more than just a night out. I wasn’t a photographer or journalist I was part of this world and these people were my family. We were un-materialistic and survived with minimal funds without limitations.” – Seana Gavin
Whilst the book is aesthetically and nostaligically pleaseing, it also serves as a reminder about the radical potential and rebellious energy of the free party movement, which emerged as a rebellion against the over commercialization of Acid House that had developed in the UK at the time.
Even today we are left with the legislation that became ‘The Criminal Justice Act’, catalysed by the police response to Castlemorton festival – a week long free unlicensed rave which took place in the British countryside and was shut down by the police. As an underage teenager the artist’s adventurous spirit led her to other like minded wanderers as news spread before mobiles and the internet, and 20- 50,000 people came together by word of mouth alone.
The exhibition which opens this week, includes Gavin’s personal documentation including flyers, ephemera, diary entries and a large body of photographs that capture the build-up and aftermath of the raves across Europe alongside the characters and friends who defined this scene, and demonstrates the ethos and spitit of community and freedom.
Now that we’re into the swing of 2024, the new issue of Twin lands just as the smell of spring and the thrill of summer start to come into sight.
In this issue, we take a deep dive into the role of women in fashion and celebrate the names you know, as well as those you may not have heard of – yet! Tony Glenville’s fashion foray into history is rich and insightful. Meanwhile, we also spotlight three names to know among a new wave of Polish artists; Tishan Hsu talks organic technology; and the author Natasha Stagg – whose third book Artless came out at the end of last year – talks writing in the real world.
Plus, a look at modern craft and a delve into the role of women in the ever-evolving world of ceramics, by Madeleine Ringer in conversation with six contemporary ceramicists.
There is also fashion that invites new-season thinking. Be gone jumpers and coats, instead welcome dreamy vacation (or staycation) vibes for out-of-office looks; clothes to move in, go out in and party-with-your-pals in. Shed those layers and indulge in the styles you’ve been thinking about all winter long. Plus, day to night takes on a new, more plausible, meaning. Spring and summer is here.
Artist, technologist, and pioneer in artificial intelligence arts, Refik Anadol presents his new exhibition of eye-candy works at London’s Serpentine Gallery.
Anadol’s collaborative generative process with AI plays here manifests to present “years-long experimentation with visual data of underwater landscapes and rainforests”. This large scale digital work features Artificial Realities: Coral (2023), which immerses viewers in an Al’s imagination of underwater landscapes. Made by training a unique AI model with approximately 135 million images of corals openly accessible online and generating abstracted coral images, “the AI then constructs new visuals and colour combinations based on the dataset.”
This is also the UK premiere of Living Archive: Large Nature Model which was first introduced at the World Economic Forum 2024 in Davos, Switzerland. To make this, Anadol worked with the data of major institutions, including the Smithsonian Institution and London’s Natural History Museum to create the model, “centred around archival images of fauna, flora and fungi, will expand over the coming years.”
As far as spectacular exhibitions go, this is a sure fire crowd-pleaser.