Martina Mrongovius captures urban environments in assembled photomontages she prints into holographic images. Her artworks investigate how perception shapes experience and are often installed in ways that provoke viewers to move. In this lecture Martina will discuss how her artworks were inspired by holographic imaging and navigating the urban landscape.
Damien Hirst is the most famous British artist since Henry Moore. Not even Francis Bacon had such a huge international presence. And yet in his home country he is often seen as a practical joker, pulling the wool over the eyes of the public, and not making proper art at all. This lecture aims to dispel this and show he is a deeply serious artist making work that is both significant and influential.
The ancient art of Southeast Asia took Hindu and Buddhist ideas from India and made them into something unique. Each of the major kingdoms of Southeast Asia evolved distinctive styles of temple building, sculpture and relief carving, from the vast cities of Pagan to monumental Angkor. The evolution of ancient Javanese art shows how styles developed from the Indian Gupta influences visible in Borobudur and Prambanan of Central Java, and transformed into the more Balinese-style temples of East Java.
The Nordic countries played a minor role in the historic development of world glassmaking. It is astonishing that these nations, with some 20 million inhabitants, produced more Post-War glass designers of international consequence than the rest of the Western World combined. The talk examines the factors behind the emergence of Scandinavian glassmaking from a disparate group of strong-minded, egocentric individuals and the varied designs that resulted from their work. Andy’s recent tour of the Scandinavia’s leading glassworks in Sweden, Denmark and Finland further informs these lectures.
Wine has sustained humanity for almost 10,000 years. While causing wars and riots, it’s also helped broker peace and more commonly served as an aphrodisiac. Wine has been personified in the form of Gods and been a catalyst in civilised entertaining and dining rituals. Bottom’s Up! traces the story of wine throughout the ages. It also examines the extraordinary art and artefacts created throughout history to enhance the pleasure of wine. The talk visits the ancient world, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and 18th century Britain, culminating today when more wine is being consumed than ever.
Japan has an extraordinary appreciation for art – with exhibitions drawing some of the world’s highest visitor numbers. Since the 20th century, government funding for acquisitions has continued to drop making private collections and corporate art museums ever more important. These include the extraordinary passion project at the Itchiku Kubota Kimono Museum, the refined tastes of gambling tycoon Kazuo Okada and the innovation and renewal of Naoshima’s Benesse Art Site.
