It’s shaping up to be an eventful summer in Europe this year, with major sporting events like the Paris Olympics and the men’s Euros bringing a swathe of international visitors to the continent. In the art world, meanwhile, the 2024 Venice Biennale is a must-see for collectors and art lovers alike, making the eternal draws of summer in Europe that much more tantalizing.
But not all of the best art lies on these well-trodden paths. For art lovers heading off on a European vacation, we’ve selected six unmissable exhibitions in stunning locations that are sure to make any trip even more memorable. From remote mountain villages to sun-drenched Mediterranean resorts, these venues offer unforgettable settings for some of the best modern and contemporary art on show this summer.
Tapta, “Flexible Forms”
Muzeum Susch, Susch, Switzerland
Through Nov. 3
Housed in a former monastery and brewery in a remote town in the Engadin Valley of the Swiss Alps, Muzeum Susch offers an art experience like no other. Its spectacular location is matched by its gallery spaces, several of which are built directly into the rockface of the surrounding mountains, providing a one-off environment in which to display a permanent collection and temporary exhibitions of modern and contemporary art, which focus on neglected or misunderstood women artists.
This summer and autumn, the museum will host a retrospective of the Polish Belgian artist Tapta (the pseudonym of Maria Wierusz-Kowalska), a radical artist who redefined the possibilities of textile art, exploring its potential as a medium for sculpture. The exhibition will showcase the innovative textile works she created from the 1960s until the early ’80s, which used experimental techniques to create organic, three-dimensional forms from knotted rope and other materials, and invite both a visual and tactile response from the viewer.
From the late 1980s onwards, Tapta made a radical shift from textiles to the industrially manufactured material neoprene, with which she constructed large, open structures that the viewer can walk through or physically alter, further developing her idea of “flexible sculpture.”
Joseph La Piana, “Frequency”
Orto Botanico Corsini, Porto Ercole, Tuscany, Italy
Through Aug. 8
The small Tuscan town of Porto Ercole is famous as the burial place of Caravaggio, but it has much to offer besides. Located on a hilly peninsula jutting out into the azure blue of the Tyrrhenian Sea, it’s a spectacular location, and also home to the Orto Botanico Corsini, a botanical garden housing over 1,500 different species of plants that regularly invites contemporary artists to participate in site-specific projects.
This summer, the garden is hosting an exhibition by New York–based artist Joseph La Piana, whose monumental architectural works engage with and recontextualize its collection of exotic flora. La Piana’s choice of physical materials (in this instance, industrial latex and rubber, pulled taut, wrapped, warped, and stretched) suggest tension and change. When placed in the context of the botanical garden and left to interact with the natural forces of its ecosystem on an auditory and kinetic level, his sculptures begin a dialogue with nature. As the materials slowly expand and contract, they create a meditative atmosphere, evoking the human relationship with time and nature.
The exhibition continues at the nearby Forte Stella, a 16th-century star-shaped fort with glorious views overlooking the bay.
Kamel Mennour Sculpture Garden
Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Cap d’Antibes, France
Through Oct. 20
One of the most iconic destinations on the Côte d’Azur, Antibes is synonymous with luxury and glamour, and the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc is one of its most celebrated jewels. Notable guests have included John F. Kennedy, Marlene Dietrich, Elizabeth Taylor, Orson Welles, and F. Scott Fitzgerald (the latter of whom immortalized it as the Hôtel des Étrangers in Tender is The Night). Its fame is hardly surprising given its spectacular setting on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea, halfway between Cannes and Nice, surrounded by centuries-old pine trees, and boasting everything from a Michelin-starred restaurant to a saltwater pool carved out of a cliff.
This summer, the hotel’s grounds will be transformed into a sculpture garden curated by Parisian gallery owner Kamel Mennour, who has been invited to present a group of monumental works by five contemporary artists. Works by Daniel Buren, Alicja Kwade, Bertrand Lavier, Lee Ufan, and Ugo Rondinone enliven the park with their playful use of materials, colors, and forms. Kwade’s Big Be-Hide (2022), for example, sets a granite stone and its aluminum replica on either side of a two-sided mirror in a poetic game of hide-and-seek.
“All Things become Islands Before My Senses”
Leros, Greece
Through Aug. 30
The Greek island of Leros in the Aegean Sea is a haven of hidden beaches and tranquil bays, traditional fishing villages with cobblestoned streets, and a rich culinary heritage. Legend has it that its wild landscape was the goddess Artemis’s favorite hunting ground. But this beautiful island has a complicated, sometimes turbulent history, marked by its relationship with the sea and several decades of Italian occupation.
Organized by Turkish art platform Perasma (which stages ambitious exhibitions in unexpected settings), “All Things Become Islands Before My Senses” is a group show of site-specific installations by 17 artists. Spread across six key locations—including iconic buildings dating from the period of Italian occupation such as The Cinema Roma and The Old Barracks—the exhibition explores the relationship between time, water, and the island’s history. These complexities, it suggests, can generate both beauty and adversity in equal measure. Featuring new and existing works by artists including William Kentridge, Goshka Macuga, Cevdet Erek, Maryam Turkey, and Lindsey Mendick, the exhibition presents Leros as a nexus where past and present intersect, overlaid by history, mythology, fantasy, ghosts, and reality.
Magdalene Odundo
Houghton Hall, Norfolk, U.K.
Through Sep. 29
Built in 1720 for Sir Robert Walpole, generally considered to be Britain’s first prime minister, Houghton Hall is one of the most spectacular stately homes in the U.K. Its grand Palladian architecture, breathtaking five-acre walled garden, and dedicated sculpture park offer a stunning backdrop to both its permanent collection and an ambitious series of temporary exhibitions by major contemporary artists.
This summer, visitors to the Hall will have the chance to see a range of new and established works spanning the distinguished 30-year career of celebrated ceramic artist Magdalene Odundo. Fusing historical and contemporary influences, Odundo’s vessels, each created by hand over several months, address her own diasporic identity, while blurring the boundaries between pottery and sculpture. Combining voluptuous forms with shimmering surfaces and anthropomorphic references to the female body, her work draws on both African and European ceramic traditions.
These highly distinctive works will be displayed within the Neoclassical splendor of Houghton’s State Rooms, placed around a monumental centerpiece created from historic Wedgwood molds. This work, which subtly includes motifs related to slavery and contemporary activism, references Britain’s colonial past and questions how viewers should understand it today.
Joel Mesler, “Me, You and The Sunset”
Château La Coste, Provence, France
Through Sep. 8
Nestled in the Luberon valley, Château La Coste occupies a unique position within the striking beauty of the Provençal landscape. About 10 miles north of Aix-en-Provence, this 600-acre estate combines a biodynamic vineyard with a luxury hotel, spa, and gourmet restaurants, alongside a stunning art center designed by superstar Japanese architect Tadao Ando and a music pavilion by Frank Gehry. An exceptional collection of Modern and contemporary art is displayed along a two-and-a-half-mile walk around the estate (including work by Louise Bourgeois, Tracey Emin, Alexander Calder, Ai Weiwei, Andy Goldsworthy, and Bob Dylan), while a series of temporary exhibitions runs throughout the year.
One of this summer’s highlights is a solo show by acclaimed Californian artist Joel Mesler, whose bold canvases often use bubbly, graphic text as a centerpiece, drawing on his own autobiography in deceptively fun and playful compositions. Vividly-colored backgrounds, often featuring patterns of tropical leaves, combine with elaborately rendered typography to create an off-kilter Pop Surrealism that has become his trademark. In this current exhibition, Mesler will present a series of twelve new paintings inspired by the Provençal landscape, its vibrant sunsets, and inhabitants. Although outwardly cheerful and summery these works also touch upon more complex and weighty emotions, recalling the artist’s childhood experiences in California.
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