If being more cultural and artsy-fartsy belongs to your New-Year-New-You-resolution-list, here is a good place to start. At least for the month of January!

#1 – The BIG one!

TATE Modern
Alexander Calder: Performing Sculpture
Until 3. April 2016

Address: Bankside, London SE1 9TG

The exhibition in a nutshell: “Continuing Tate Modern’s acclaimed reassessments of key figures in modernism, Alexander Calder: Performing Sculpture will reveal how motion, performance and theatricality underpinned his practice. It will bring together major works from museums around the world, as well as showcasing his collaborative projects in the fields of film, theatre, music and dance.” – Tate Modern website. For the whole story, simply click here.

The nitty-gritty of the financial side: TICKETS.
Free for Tate Members
Adult £18.00 (without donation £16.30)
Concession £16.00 (without donation £14.50)
Help Tate by including the voluntary donation to enable Gift Aid
No booking fee on this exhibition
Under 12s go free (up to four per parent or guardian).
Family tickets available (two adults and two children 12-18 years) by telephone or in the gallery.

#2 – The Exotic One

White Cube Gallery Mason’s Yard
Park Seo-Bo: Ecriture (描法) 1967-1981 
(Curated by Katharine Kostyal)
Until 24. January 2016

Address: 25 – 26 Mason’s Yard, London SW1Y 6BU

‘My work is […] related to the oriental tradition of space, the spiritual concept of space. I am more interested in space from the point of view of nature. Even though my paintings may represent an idea about culture, the main focus is based on nature […] I want to reduce the idea and emotion in my work to express only that. I want to reduce and reduce – to create pure emptiness.’ Park Seo-Bo ( 2006)

This exhibition of paintings by Korean artist Park Seo-Bo is the first solo one of his work in the UK. Alongside Lee Ufan, Park Seo-Bo is widely considered one of the leading figures in contemporary Korean art. Credited as being the father of the ‘Dansaekhwa’ movement, he is best known for his ‘Ecriture’ series of paintings which he began in the late-1960s. This exhibition traces the origins of these works and includes 16 paintings made between 1967–81.

The exhibitions is FREE –  so no excuses there! For info, check the link here.

#3 – The Must-See

Hauser & Wirth London
Fabio Mauri: Oscuramento. The Wars of Fabio Mauri.
Until 6. February 2016

Address: 23 Savile Row, London W1S 2ET

National pride kicks in here as H&W presents the first historical solo exhibition of works by Italian artist Fabio Mauri (as well as Mauri’s first solo show in London for over 20 years).

The exhibition focuses on the series Picnic o Il buon soldato (Picnic or The Good Soldier), a sobering, direct and poetically reflective body of work that depicts the repercussions of conflict on collective cultural memory. The exhibition brings to light the political dimension of the image, as it is projected and proliferates throughout contemporary society. More info can be found here. FREE entry.

#4 – The Poetic One 

Carroll / Fletcher
Christine Sun Kim: Rustle Tustle
Until 30. January 2016

Address: 56 – 57 Eastcastle Street
London, W1W 8EQ

“Being deaf in a world of sound is like living in a foreign country blindly following the cultural rules, customs, and behaviours without ever questioning them … Sound is almost like money and power. It’s so powerful that it could either disempower me and my art, or empower me.I chose to be empowered.”   – Christine Sun Kim

The artist in question was born deaf and this exhibition gently and elaborately articulates the world she lives in. FREE entry. More info here. You are welcome!

#5 – The Feminine Choice

Wapping Hydraulic Power Station
Annie Leibovitz: Women – New Portraits
Until 7. February 2016

Address: Wapping Wall, London E1 W 3SL

Banks have been under a negative spotlight for ages now, but here is the GOOD bit: it is great when you are a huge financial institution, because you can also do the right thing! So here it comes the commission of this major exhibition by UBS. And here is what Annie thinks: “It is extraordinary to do this work for UBS on a subject that I really care about. It is such a big undertaking and a broad subject it is like going out and photographing the ocean.” 

Annie Leibovitz’s most enduringly popular series of photographs WOMEN was published in 1999 in a book of the same name. The new exhibition WOMEN: New Portraits will reflect the changes in the roles of women today. In addition to the new photographs, the exhibition will include work from the original series as well as other photographs taken since. For the full story on the UBS website, kindly press here. FREE of charge.

I hope you will keep the good purpose long enough to go and see these shows.

Please share in comments session below other artsy recommendations for the month of January!

Carmela

Follow me on Instagram @artemporary and Twitter @CarmelaTfr