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The first UK solo presentation of work by Vivian Suter at Tate Liverpool absolutely tops our pick of exhibition highlights this month. After a period of almost three decades during which she shunned the attention of the art world, the Guatemalan based Swiss-Argentinian artist is making waves once again with her raw, brightly coloured abstracts that capture the light, heat and intensity of life in the heart of the Central American rainforest.
Elizabeth Price’s 2012 Turner Prize winning film, ‘The Woolworths Choir of 1979’, featuring footage from a tragic fire at the Piccadilly Gardens branch of the department store, will be exhibited in Manchester for the first time this October, alongside a wide selection of other new and acclaimed pieces by the artist. Beautiful and Brutal: 50 Years in the life of Preston Bus Station at the Harris will look back over the fascinating history of Lancashire’s most Marmite piece of Modernist social architecture, the recent renovation of which has been longlisted for the ‘UK’s best new building’ RIBA Stirling prize. And The Hepworth Wakefield prepares to present a major exhibition that refocuses our attention on David Hockney’s early career, presenting key works alongside paintings by fellow post-war artist Alan Davie, who served as a crucial inspiration for the young Yorkshire born and bred artist. This will be paired with the first UK solo presentation of work by the LA-based artist Christina Quarles.
Providing an exciting snapshot of what’s to come in the world of British contemporary art, and having boosted the fledgling careers of many now leading international figures over the decades – including Hockney, as well as Damien Hirst, Derek Jarman and Monster Chetwynd – the annual Bloomberg New Contemporaries exhibition is not to be missed. Catch this year’s edition at Leeds Art Gallery, and tie in with a visit to Yorkshire Sculpture International before the festival ends later this month.
Lastly, whether you’re a seasoned professional or haven’t touched a paintbrush in over 20 years, there’s still time to apply for the inaugural Manchester Open Exhibition at HOME, operating under the banner, ‘Everyone’s an Artist’.
Here are our picks
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1. Vivian Suter at Tate Liverpool
Vivian Suter, Nisyros (Vivian’s bed) 2016–17 © Courtesy of the artist and Karma International, Zurich and Los Angeles; Gladstone Gallery, New York and Brussels; House of Gaga, Mexico City; and Proyectos Ultravioleta, Guatemala City Vivian Suter at Tate Liverpool, Waterfront, 13 December 2019–16 March 2020, free entry - Find Out More
Drenched in the rich beauty of the Guatemalan rainforest, Tate Liverpool presents the first UK solo exhibition of work by the Swiss-Argentinian artist, Vivian Suter.
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2. Elizabeth Price at the Whitworth
AT THE HOUSE OF MR X, 2007, HD video. Courtesy of/copyright the artist Elizabeth Price at The Whitworth, Manchester, 25 October 2019–1 April 2020, free entry - Find Out More
Elizabeth Price at the Whitworth brings together new and acclaimed works – including drawings, sculpture, and video – by the Turner prize-winning artist.
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3. Beautiful and Brutal: 50 Years in the life of Preston Bus Station at Harris Museum, Art Gallery & Library
Image courtesy of The Harris Museum and Art Gallery. © BDP Beautiful and Brutal: 50 Years in the life of Preston Bus Station at The Harris Museum and Art Gallery, 21 September–24 November 2019, free entry - Visit now
Beautiful and Brutal – an unusual new exhibition celebrates the 50th anniversary of the iconic, internationally renowned Preston Bus Station.
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4. Venice, Paradise of Cities at Cooper Gallery, Barnsley
Courtesy of Cooper Gallery Venice, Paradise of Cities at The Cooper Gallery, Barnsley, Barnsley, 14 September–30 November 2019, free entry - Visit now
Weren’t able to make it over to Venice this summer? Us neither. But don’t worry, the floating city is much closer than you think.
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5. Alan Davie & David Hockney: Early Works at The Hepworth Wakefield
Alan Davie, Cross for the White Birds, 1965. © The Estate of Alan Davie. All rights reserved. DACS 2018. Alan Davie & David Hockney: Early Works at The Hepworth Wakefield, 19 October 2019–19 January 2020, free entry - Find Out More
A major new exhibition at The Hepworth Wakefield brings together the work of two major figures of post-war British painting: Alan Davie and David Hockney.
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6. Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2019 at Leeds Art Gallery
Bloomberg New Contemporaries installation image, Bluecoat, 2016. Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2019 at Leeds Art Gallery, 14 September–17 November 2019, free entry - Visit now
An exciting indicator for what’s around the corner in terms of British contemporary art, the 70th anniversary edition of New Contemporaries is a must see.
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7. Manchester Open Exhibition 2020 at HOME
HOME Manchester Open Exhibition 2020 at HOME Manchester, Manchester, 18 January–15 March 2020 - Book now
Featuring over 500 artists from across Greater Manchester, the inaugural edition of the Manchester Open Exhibition at HOME should be a highly eclectic and exciting affair.
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8. Yorkshire! Achievement, Grit and Controversy at Beningbrough Hall, Gallery and Gardens
Image: National Trust / Paul Harris Yorkshire! Achievement, Grit and Controversy, 5 March–3 November 2019, Normal admission charges apply/free to National Trust members - Book now
Featuring over 20 paintings, photographs and prints, this National Trust exhibition brings together some of Yorkshire’s most iconic and controversial figures.
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9. Football is Art at National Football Museum
Paul Nash: Pony the Footballer Football Is Art at National Football Museum, Cathedral Quarter, 5 April–3 November 2019, free entry - Visit now
With works by Banksy, Picasso and John Cocteau, National Football Museum’s current exhibition demonstrates how artists have been mining the beautiful game for inspiration for decades.
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35 years and still going strong. Castlefield – Manchester’s first public contemporary visual art gallery – looks back on its continuing legacy through the prism of sculpture.
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