This week in the UK art world, powerful themes of melancholy, identity, and social struggle take centre stage across a series of compelling new exhibitions. From Margate to Edinburgh, artists and curators are probing the depths of human emotion and political consciousness.
Crossing into Darkness with Tracey Emin
Tracey Emin turns curator for a significant new exhibition exploring the thresholds of despair and the potent force of melancholy. Titled Crossing into Darkness, the show opens at the Carl Freedman Gallery in Margate on Sunday. Emin has assembled works by visionary artists including Goya, Munch, Bourgeois, and Baselitz, creating a dialogue around profound emotional states. The exhibition promises a deep dive into the artistic representation of sorrow and introspection, set against the backdrop of the Kent coast.
Highlights from London to Edinburgh
In the capital, several noteworthy shows are unfolding. At the National Gallery in London, artist-in-residence Ming Wong presents a response to the homoerotic depictions of Saint Sebastian. This exhibition continues until 5 April.
Meanwhile, a nostalgic homage to a lost era of London life is on view at the Fitzrovia Chapel. Curated by artists Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, Souvenir recalls the late 1970s and early 1980s with contributions from Michael Bracewell and Sal Pittman. This evocative show runs until 8 February.
North of the border, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh hosts Solidarity Wins until 30 April. This community-focused exhibition showcases posters, collages, and artworks that testify to the power of popular struggle in north Edinburgh, highlighting grassroots political action.
Art History's Curious Revelations
A fascinating piece of art historical research has emerged from the Mauritshuis in The Hague. A study of Paulus Potter's 17th-century painting The Bull has revealed that the artist deliberately reduced the size of the bull's testicles to conform to contemporary sensibilities. Abbie Vandivere, a paintings conservator at the museum, noted the alteration was the most significant change made to the work.
In other learned tidbits, the baroque masterpiece Saint Cecilia by Pietro da Cortona is highlighted as this week's masterpiece. The painting, held in the National Gallery, exemplifies how female figures were central to Counter-Reformation art, albeit often to promote ideals of chastity and obedience.
This week's artistic dispatches confirm that UK galleries remain spaces for confronting complex emotions, re-examining history, and championing community voices.
