Cultural Highlights: Art to Visit
“Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk”
This exhibition at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum is dedicated to Japanese culture and one of its traditional garments, to be precise. This show presents the kimono as a dynamic and constantly evolving fashion icon and shows the garment’s aesthetic and social importance from the 1660s to the present day. In addition to traditional designs, designs by fashion designers such as John Galliano and Alexander McQueen can also be admired.
Scheduled, Victoria & Albert Museum, London
“Helmut Lang Archive”
A temporary intervention by exceptional designer Helmut Lang: The Vienna- based MAK is the only institution in the world to show a comprehensive collection of archive pieces to trace back Austria’s most famous designer’s brand development, history, and identity. A visit is worthwhile for a total of three reasons: the exhibitions “Show Off. Austrian Fashion Design” and “The Women of the Viennese Workshops” can also be viewed on location.
Until 12.07, Mak, Vienna
“The city. The country. Japanese Photography from the 1960s - 1970s”
“Rough, out of focus, unfocused”: an awareness of the change occurring within the political and social realm has stimulated Japanese photography into developing new, visual imagery. Austria owes one of the most important collections adhering to this style to the founding director of the Museum of Modernity, Otto Breicha. In the second part of the exhibition series, the relationship between city, country, and society is addressed. Works by Yutaka Takanashi and Kazuo Kitai are shown, amongst others.
Until 13.09, Museum of Modernity, Salzburg
“Bags: Inside Out”
Also at the Victoria & Albert Museum, this varied exhibition fully explores the style, function, design, and craftsmanship of the ultimate accessory: from the legendary „Birkin“ by Hermès to various designs by Louis Vuitton, the range of handbags spans through a number of historical models. A breath of fresh air for those who are in the mood for a lighter cultural experience. A must see!
From 01.09, Victoria & Albert Museum, London
“American Photography”
Apart from the great masters, whose work can be found in abundance at the Albertina in Vienna, its collection of photographs is also worth seeing. Works by Cindy Sherman, Lee Friedlander, and Diane Arbus show insights into the everyday culture in the form of a visually stunning road trip through America. The focus of the exhibition is the renewal of American iconography after 1945. A spontaneous, snapshot-like visual language is juxtaposed with elaborately staged film tableaus.
From 10.07, Albertina, Vienna
“Prada. Back to Front”
The London Design Museum gives unprecedented insights into the life and work of Miuccia Prada. The focus is on putting creative ideas into practice and the continuous development of her iconic brand, which can be seen as being the essence of modernity today. The definition of the term luxury is questioned, as is the influence of technology and new materials. Without a doubt, an undisputed cultural highlight for fashion enthusiasts.
From 01.09, London Design Museum, London
Photos: London Design Museum/Prada, Albertina Vienna/Lee Friedlander „New York City, 1963“ © Lee Friedlander/Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco & Luhring Augustine, New York, Museum der Moderne Salzburg/Ikko Narahara „Side of Pool, Lake Powell, Utah, 1971“, MAK Vienna/Helmut Lang „Excerpts der Selective Memory Series, Special Edit, 2020“ © HL-Art
