Emerging artist Khadija Saye confirmed victim of the Grenfell Tower blaze
Khadija Saye (b. 1992) has officially been confirmed as one of the victims to have died in the horrific twenty-four-story Grenfell Tower fire in London on Wednesday. The young emerging artist — whose work is currently on show in the Diaspora pavilion at the Venice Biennale — was the second victim to be named. Though there are 30 confirmed deaths, police warned yesterday it could rise to over 58.
Saye was one of nineteen artists selected by the International Curators Forum (ICF) and the University of the Arts London (UAL) to exhibit at the Palazzo Pisani S. Marina during the 57th Biennale. Though Saye’s profile has been taken down from the official website, her series of photographs Dwelling: in this space we breathe — a series of tintypes reflecting on her Gambian heritage, specifically “the migration of traditional Gambian spiritual practices and the deep rooted urge to find solace within a higher power” — will be on show through November 26. The Diaspora Pavilion at Venice is unique in that it challenges the national pavilion norm by presenting an international selection of young artists reflecting on “diaspora” as a lived reality, and the prevalence it holds today. Details via The Guardian
Khadija Saye, Dwelling: in this space we breathe
2018 Villa Romana Fellowship
Villa Romana announce its fellowship recipients for 2018. As one of Germany’s oldest cultural institutes based in Florence, Italy, the fellowship offers four German artists a 10-month residency with a stipend of $1,800. The 2018 recipients are Jeewi Lee, Christophe Ndabananiye, Lerato Shadi, and Viron Erol Vert.
Each year the Villa Romana presents five exhibitions focusing on the dialogue between German and Italian artists, publishing a number of artist books and annual catalogs. The annual fellowship program also invites ten international guest artists to live and work there for two to three months at a time. Previous artists include Georg Baselitz, Max Beckmann, Katharina Grosse, Georg Kolbe, Anna Oppermann, Walter Stöhrer, and Dorothee von Windheim.
Jeewi Lee, ABRIEB I _ ENTHUELLUNG (2014) | Lerato Shadi, Motlhaba Wa Re Ke Namile (2016) at the III Venice International Performance Art Week 2016. Image © VestAndPage
New research reveals creative arts graduates to earn least of any major
New data released by the UK’s Department of Education has revealed that young people with creative arts and design majors face the lowest median earnings across all disciplines. Self-employment earnings however were not included in the study — rendering the results tenuous in their ability to shed light on employment in the arts — a sector dominated by the self-employed. For the full report, click here.
V&A to unveil expansive new exhibition space
London’s Victoria and Albert Museum — the world’s largest museum of the decorative arts and design — has announced it will open a vast new courtyard entrance, foyer and exhibition gallery space on June 30. The Museum’s biggest building project to date will see the creation of a 12,000-square-foot temporary exhibition space. Costing £54.4 million ($69 million), the design by Aston Webb, one of the museum’s original architects, will both preserve and transform the building’s existing architecture. Details via The New York Times.
Design render of the extension at the Victoria and Albert Museum © ING Media and The V&A
Idris Khan and Isaac Julien awarded
Victoria Miro Gallery have announced two of their artists have been awarded Orders of the British Empire for services to Art in the Queen’s Birthday 2017 Honour List.
The artist and director Isaac Julien has been appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to the Arts, whilst artist Idris Khan has been appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to Art. Issac Julien’s solo exhibition I dream a world will be on display at Victoria Miro Gallery until July 29. An exhibition of new work by Idris Khan is scheduled for October.
