Martin Cid's Blog: Martin Cid Magazine, page 127

Not Even on Ship: Traverse Yuki Saegusa’s Landscape of Memories at Arario Gallery, Seoul

The prestigious ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL is proud to host the first solo exhibition in Korea by esteemed Japanese artist, Yuki SAEGUSA. Titled “Not Even on Ship,” the exhibition runs from July 10 to August 17, 2024, and showcases SAEGUSA’s exceptional talent and unique artistic approach.

Bridging Eastern and Western Artistry

Born in 1987, Yuki SAEGUSA is celebrated for her series of paintings, primarily crafted with oil and tempera, where she explores an array of materials and media. Her works bring to life landscapes of an ideational world, thoughtfully reconstructed through intricate personal memories and perspectives. Drawing inspiration from traditional Japanese landscape painting and Northern European Flemish painting, SAEGUSA effortlessly blends Eastern and Western painting styles in her work.

Floating in Vague Memories, 2024, Oil, tempera on canvas, 33.3 x 33.3 cm

A Glimpse into SAEGUSA’s Hometown

Her landscapes, rooted in the aesthetic of her hometown, Azumino City, reveal an innovative fusion of traditional East Asian landscape painting’s multi-perspective composition and the Flemish painting’s detailed depiction and mystical narrative structure. SAEGUSA presents a unique array of 34 works in the ongoing exhibition, offering art enthusiasts a glimpse of her characteristic delicate brushwork.

An Existential Journey

SAEGUSA’s canvases depict “a place that exists in someone’s mind but nowhere in reality.” Her use of meticulously detailed landscapes and representations of small, cartoonish animals strike a paradoxical balance, revealing the uncertainties and ambiguities of personal daily experiences, subjective memories, and imagination. In this way, her canvas becomes an endlessly explorable unknown world, an open-ended voyage with no fixed destination or specific route.

Black Hole Sun, 2024, Oil, tempera, pen, gold leaf on canvas, 18 x 14 cm

The Art of Time and Gravity

Among her works is “Gravity Moon” (2023), where a golden folding screen painted with Japanese pigments examines the relationship between gravity and time. Surrounding it are 12 paintings from the “Black Hole Sun” series (2023-2024) that symbolize the year, month, and day, arranged as if in an orbit around the screen. The interplay between the time-worn folding screen and the gravitational pull of the small ‘black holes’ creates a unique, organically intertwined space.

The Infinite Voyage of Painting

The golden ship anchored in her painting “Not Even on Ship” (2023) underscores the metaphorical representation of the infinite possibilities of painting, where materials are repurposed and reborn, unconfined to their given usage. The exhibition encapsulates SAEGUSA’s vision of painting as an endless voyage – a journey through the artist’s own thoughts and gestures, intertwined with the unique characteristics and ‘memories’ of the materials employed.

Journey with us into the mystical world of Yuki SAEGUSA, a realm where art knows no boundaries, and let your imagination take flight into her infinite universe of ‘places that are nowhere.’

Yuki SAEGUSA (b. 1987, Japan)

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Christie’s London presents a Global First – An exceptional exhibition by leading Saudi Contemporary Artist Ahmed Mater

LONDON – Christie’s fine art and luxury auction house unveils highlights from the forthcoming mid-career retrospective of leading Saudi contemporary artist Ahmed Mater, taking place at Christie’s headquarters in London from 17 July – 22 August. Featuring more than 100 works spanning paintings, drawings, photography, sculpture, video, and installation from his artistic career to date, Ahmed Mater: Chronicles represents an odyssey into the artist’s visionary practice. 

Ahmed Mater (B. 1979, Tabuk). Boundary. Executed in 2024. © Ahmed Mater, Courtesy of the Artist

Curated by Dr Ridha Moumni, Chairman, Christie’s Middle East and Africa, the exhibition will highlight the major milestones of Mater’s career, from unseen early abstract paintings, to the celebrated Illumination series, as well as pivotal works from the Desert of Pharan project. The artist’s site-specific commission, for Wadi AlFann, AlUla, will take centre stage with sculptures and studies related to the Ashab Al-Lal project, alongside new works such as Magnetism Book, presented to the public for the first time.

The exhibition represents a unique moment to witness the transformations of the social and cultural landscapes of Saudi Arabia whilst reflecting on the region’s multifaceted identity. Through his practice, Mater documents and analyses these changes and imagines possible prognoses for a land of unprecedented religious, social, economic, and political influence, taking into consideration the psychological impact on the individual, the community, society, and the world. 

Ahmed Mater: Chronicles, is the most comprehensive exhibition dedicated to the artist to date, bringing together different stages of the artist’s career and revealing his unique path as a chronicler of his homeland’s materiality and spirituality.

Exhibition Highlights, selected by Dr Ridha Moumni, Curator and Chairman, Christie’s MENA, include:

A group of sculptures related to Ashab Al-Lal, a site-specific installation by Ahmed Mater commissioned by Wadi AlFann, Valley of the Arts, AlUla, a new cultural destination being developed by the RoAhmed Mater (B. 1979, Tabuk) Illuminations I. Executed in 2022. ©Ahmed Mater. Courtesy of the Royal Commission for AlUla

(Illustrated above left on page 1), Magnetism Book, a new work from Ahmed Mater’s iconic ‘Magnetism’ series. Drawing inspiration from the Holy Qur’an and religious texts, Mater uses magnets and iron filings to symbolise the sacred verses, highlighting the spiritual forces that uphold human faith. Variations of the original Magnetism installation have been exhibited at prominent institutions worldwide including the British Museum, London; Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris; Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha and Brooklyn Museum.  (Illustrated above right on page 1), Boundary, takes the shape of a mihrab, the niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates qibla, the direction of prayer. Mater has mutated the mihrab into an airport security scanner, reflecting on surveillance and security operations that have become part of daily life for Muslims.

An extraordinary preview of Ahmed Mater’s site-specific installation commissioned by Wadi AlFann, Valley of the Arts, AlUla, will be taking centre stage (illustrated below left), Ashab Al-Lal will explore the mythic space between subjective imagination and objective reality by generating a mirage within the desert landscape of AlUla, North-West Saudi Arabia. Mater is one of the first five artists commissioned to create site-specific land art installations for Wadi AlFann, which will start welcoming visitors in 2025. Exhibited alongside Ashab Al-Lal sculptures will be a group of Illuminations and studies related to the project, including Illuminations I (illustrated below right), which was previously exhibited at the House of Architectural Heritage, Bahrain, and at AlJadaidah, Arts District in AlUla.

(Illustrated below left), Talisman X-ray Blue (Torso) is part of the artist’s celebrated Illumination series, in which the artist fuses past and present and bridges subjects often conceived as irreconcilable: faith and science. Drawing inspiration from the Islamic arts of the book, Mater employs gold leaf, tea, pomegranate, coffee, and other materials traditionally used on the pages of Islamic manuscripts. Although typically a small and intimate art form, Mater expands the scale of his illuminated page and creates a different sense of intimacy by incorporating human X-rays.

(Illustrated below right) Lightening Land shows an enormous lightning bolt hitting the desert landscape with an oil field on the left and a Bedouin tent on the right. Through this erratic and unpredictable flash of force, the artist highlights the tensions of land caught between past and future, tradition and innovation, heritage and globalisation and considers their impact on both an individual and societal level.

Another iconic work featured in the exhibition is Evolution of Man (illustrated second row below). This comments on the rapid evolution of Saudi Arabia since its discovery of oil in 1938, which transformed the Kingdom’s economic, political, social, and religious landscape. The morphing of a gas pump into a man, gun to its head, reflects on a foreboding prognosis – that of the risks to the environment, social fabric, and ultimate threat of cycles of destruction. 

Ahmed Mater (B. 1979, Tabuk), Lightning Land Executed in 2017. © Ahmed Mater, Courtesy of the ArtistAhmed Mater (B. 1979, Tabuk) Talisman X-ray Blue (Torso). Executed in 2009. © Ahmed Mater, Collection of Barjeel Art FoundationAhmed Mater (B. 1979, Tabuk). Evolution of Man Executed in 2010. © Ahmed Mater, Courtesy of the Artist

Dr Ridha Moumni, Chairman, Christie’s Middle East & Africa comments, ‘It is an extraordinary privilege to present an odyssey into Ahmed Mater’s visionary practice, the first mid-career retrospective dedicated to one of the leading cultural voices of the Middle East. Mater’s captivating journey invites us to rethink urban and natural environments, unearth hidden histories, envision potential futures and ponder profound beliefs. His artistic responses to the swift transformations within Saudi Arabia’s complex social and cultural context invite us to discover fascinating narratives of an evolving land and reflect on its multifaceted identity.’ 

Ahmed Mater, remarks, ‘It is a great honour to present my artistic journey at Christie’s historic headquarters in London this summer. It is especially poignant for me to exhibit in London, almost 20 years after the first presentation of my work outside Saudi Arabia at the British Museum in 2005. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to reconnect with the city and its dynamic art community through this immersive and comprehensive exhibition of my practice. I have been witnessing Christie’s dedication over the years to promote art from the region and it is a distinction to be aligned in this respect, and build an educational and cross-cultural dialogue.’

Works on loan throughout the exhibition are courtesy of Ahmed Mater’s studio (Saudi Arabia); Wadi AlFann, Valley of the Arts, Royal Commission for AlUla (Saudi Arabia); Royal Commission for AlUla Contemporary Art Collection (Saudi Arabia); Ramzi and Saeda Dalloul Art Foundation, DAF (Lebanon); Barjeel Art Foundation (Sharjah, U.A.E.); Athr Gallery (Saudi Arabia) as well as from private collections.

Christie’s and Ahmed Mater would like to thank Wadi AlFann, AlUla for their contribution to this exhibition, along with our exhibition supporting partners Athr Foundation, Dalloul Art Foundation (DAF), SUR Multi Family Office and The Tamer Family Foundation. Christie’s would also like to thank The Visual Arts Commission, Saudi Arabia for their support of the exhibition publication.

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Antony Costa extends and further cast announced as Mamma Mia! The Party turns 5 at The O2 Londo

Celebrating five years at The O2, Björn Ulvaeus’ Mamma Mia! The Party, today announces a new cast of 2024/25 alongside the extension of British popstar Antony Costa in the role of Nikos.

Costa, who will continue starring in the experience until 15 November 2024, will be joined by a new cast including Lucinda Lawrence (Cool Rider, Palladium/Duchess Theatre)as Kate, Inês Fernandez (La Bamba! A New Musical, West End & Tour) as Konstantina, Henryk Firth (MAMMA MIA!,UK & International Tour) as Adam, Georgia Morgan (Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Piccadilly Theatre)as Nina, Kelly Aaron (Dear Zoo LIVE! Leicester Curve)as Sue/Swing and Ollie Llewelyn-Williams (A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream, Minack Theatre)as Ruben/Swing.

On the announcement of Costa extending, he said: “I have loved every minute of playing Nikos in Mamma Mia! The Party over the last year, and I am thrilled to spend a little longer in this wonderful world created by Bjorn Ulvaeus and Sandi Toksvig. I can’t wait to be joined by this stellar new cast to continue spreading the joy of ABBA’s music.”

From 24 July, they join existing cast members Rosemary Annabella Nkrumah as Debbie, Oscar Balmaseda as Fernando, Dawn Spence as Grandma, Allie Ho Chee (at certain performances) and Rosie Rowlands (at certain performances) as Bella, Emmanuel Alba as Carlos/Swing, Claudia Bradley as Loretta/Swing, Deschenes Graham as Joyce/Swing and Robban Hogstrom as Robin/Swing, along with the musicians John Donovan, Luke Higgins, Luke Roberts, Steve Rushton and Kathryn Tindall.

2024 marks the 50th anniversary of ABBA’s legendary winning performance of Waterloo at the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest and a trip to Nikos Taverna on the Greek Island of Skopelos (via The O2, London) is the perfect way to celebrate this milestone. Originating in Stockholm in 2016, MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY is celebrating its fifth anniversary in London this August and since opening at The O2, London in 2019, the critically acclaimed experience has welcomed nearly 500,000 guests from 110 countries.

Created by ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus, with the English book by Sandi Toksvig, MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY is London’s premier theatrical dining experience, bringing ABBA’s hits to life more vividly than ever before. As the sun sets in Skopelos, guests take their seats at Nikos’ family-run taverna where they enjoy a delicious four-course Greek feast whilst a romantic and heartwarming story unfolds all around them. Following the performance, which is filled with timeless ABBA anthems such as Mamma Mia, Dancing Queen and Waterloo, guests are encouraged to sing and dance the night away at a glittering ABBA disco.

MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY is executive produced by Björn Ulvaeus and Pophouse Entertainment andis currently booking until 15 June 2025 at The O2, London.

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Meridiem Set to Launch Limited Physical Edition of Papetura for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch

Meridiem Games is thrilled to reveal its plans to release a limited physical boxed edition of the captivating action-adventure game, Papetura, crafted in a remarkable paper cutout style. Originally developed by Petums and digitally published by Feardemic, the unique Papetura Craft Edition is hitting the European market through specialist retailers for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 in late 2024.

This limited edition is a product of Meridiem’s creative design and manufacturing expertise. It will feature a beautifully designed case that includes an impressive art book and a downloadable code to access the original game soundtrack.

Papetura introduces players to an enchanting paper world where they control Pape, a diminutive paper being. Accompanied by his companion Tura, they are entrusted with the task of saving their world from a looming fiery menace. The gameplay centers around engaging with their surroundings, utilizing Pape and Tura’s distinctive abilities to overcome a variety of challenges and progress in the story.

The game’s design cleverly intertwines puzzle-solving with the narrative to provide a seamless and engaging experience. The puzzles are woven effortlessly into the paper environment, while the narrative unravels wordlessly, relying on animations and the visual backdrop to spin a deeply emotional and immersive tale.

Papetura has garnered positive reviews for its unique aesthetic and meticulously handcrafted design. The creativity and devotion of Tomasz Ostafin in weaving the paper world and the atmospheric music by Floex have met with high praise from critics. The game has also been honoured with several accolades in the video game industry.

Features Include:

Unparalleled point-and-click adventure conveyed through distinctive animations and sounds, sans dialogue.A world entirely derived from paper, ranging from petite insects and creatures to fantastical monsters and enchanting locations.A mesmerising ambient soundtrack by Floex and Tomas Dvorak.Intuitive puzzles that act as integral parts of the story and the world, revealing the captivating narrative.

The much-awaited Papetura Craft Edition will be available as a physical boxed version for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 later in 2024.

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“Space Cadet”: A Familiar Comedy on Prime Video Starring Emma Roberts

“Space Cadet” is a film featuring the talented Emma Roberts and Tom Hooper. With the screenplay and direction provided by Liz W. Garcia, it’s a classic comedy about a simple yet gifted girl trying to bring positivity into a world dominated by “brainiacs”.

The film finds Emma Roberts in her element, masterfully portraying a role tailored almost perfectly to her comedic range. It’s just like every other comedy we come to expect – funny to varying degrees, featuring a popular protagonist in a unique social setting, and a family movie we tend to forget once we are done watching it.

Storyline of “Space Cadet”

Rex Simpson is a waitress who is living her life to the fullest. Despite having no formal education or preparation, and preferring pink shorts as her attire, Rex’s dreams never cease. With an unwavering resolve, she applies to NASA with dreams of becoming an astronaut.

Space CadetAbout the Film

Once again, Prime Video banked on a family comedy for entertainment in this production, even though it may not leave a significant impression. Nonetheless, it has a joyous nostalgic touch without being overly sentimental. Just as Homer Simpson followed a similar path, the smart and charming Rex Simpson does the same, proving to the “brainiacs” that life exists beyond mathematical calculations and that persistence and hard work can achieve anything in life.

Indeed, it’s a movie with a simple moral, built with a simple structure. It manages to meet its objectives without any surprises. Those objectives, however, were not too lofty. Its nostalgic vibe takes us back to the 90s, reminding us of the numerous movies we enjoyed back then.

Our Take

The movie doesn’t reinvent cinema or comedy. It’s designed to complement Emma Roberts’ talent, who effortlessly owns her role and delivers a few funny moments. It’s a film that relies heavily on clichés in a narrative already told but still manages to meet audience expectations, thanks to a compelling performance by the lead actress.

Where to Watch “Space Cadet”

Prime Video

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Landmark Gothic Modern exhibition at Ateneum Art Museum | Opening 4 October

First exhibition to explore the pivotal importance of Gothic art for late 19th and early 20th-century artists, offering an ambitious new story of modern artFeatures 200+ works by artists including Edvard Munch, Helene Schjerfbeck, Vincent van Gogh, Käthe Kollwitz and Hugo Simberg alongside Lucas Cranach the Elder, Albrecht Dürer and Hans Holbein the YoungerCrossing borders of time, place and cultures, it reveals how the Gothic responds to periods of upheaval, reflects societal anxiety and re-imagines futuresThe culmination of a six-year international research project led and initiated by Ateneum Art Museum and Professor Juliet Simpson (Coventry University), the exhibition will travel to the National Museum, Norway and the ALBERTINA Museum, ViennaKäthe Kollwitz: Hunger (1923). Finnish National Gallery / Ateneum Art Museum. Photo: Finnish National Gallery / Jenni Nurminen.

Gothic Modern is a ground-breaking international exhibition that reveals, for the first time, how modern artists were deeply inspired by late medieval, Gothic art.
 
Opening on October 4 at Ateneum Art Museum, Helsinki, it will feature over 200 works by Arnold Böcklin, Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Vincent van Gogh, Theodor Kittelsen, Käthe Kollwitz, Marianne Stokes, Edvard Munch, Helene Schjerfbeck, Hugo Simberg, Gustave Van de Woestyne and their contemporaries. It will show the pivotal impact of Northern Europe’s medieval and Renaissance art during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and also includes key works by Lucas Cranach the Elder, Gerard David, Albrecht Dürer, Hans Holbein the Younger and Hans Baldung Grien.
 
Moving beyond nation-centric stories of modernism, the exhibition explores how artists all across Europe drew on medieval and in particular Gothic art to express their own complex experiences of the time. In a period marked by growing nationalism, rapid societal transformation and the outbreak of war, the Gothic inspired artists to create radical new visions of sexuality, death, trauma and world-making.
 

The galleries will be organised around eight themes. Highlights include erotic devotions, which shows the resonances of artworks separated by centuries but connected through their exploration of complexly entangled human relationships and sexuality. It will feature paintings of Adam & Eve by Simberg (1895) and Max Beckmann (1917) alongside an original depiction of this subject by Cranach the Elder (1531), who inspired both artists. In Lovers II (1913), Kollwitz presents two bodies tightly intertwined both physically and emotionally, while Munch’s Eye to Eye (1894) provides a haunting exploration of intimacy, anxiety and the human psyche.

Hugo Simberg: The Garden of Death (1896). Finnish National Gallery / Ateneum Art Museum. Photo: Finnish National Gallery / Jenni Nurminen.

Another gallery, centred around Holbein’s series on the Danse Macabre (1523-25), explores the violence, absurdity and comedy of mortality, drawing on the emotional power of the medieval ‘Dance of Death’. These include the grinning figure in Van Gogh’s Head of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette (1886) and Kollwitz’s Death and Woman (1910), which reflects the artist’s unique approach to addressing contemporary issues. Her exploration of death as a recurring motif recalls the Gothic preoccupation with mortality, depicting it not only as an end but as a poignant commentary on the human condition and social injustices. Elsewhere, the exhibition also presents seminal paintings such as Böcklin’s dark Self-Portrait with Death Playing the Fiddle (1872) and Simberg’s Garden of Death (1896), where plant-tending skeletal figures offer a symbolic interpretation of the co-existence of life and death.
 
The exhibition will offer a compelling new reading of artists such as Munch, who is repositioned from a ‘solitary genius’ to an artist deeply engaged with German medieval, Gothic art. This is demonstrable in works such as By the Deathbed (1896), Golgotha (1900), and The Sun (1910-13), a powerful work that echoes the pattern of a religious, medieval stained-glass window and highlights the artist’s connection to Gothic themes. New perspectives will also be created around the work of Marianne Stokes, historically considered a Pre-Raphaelite, but here reappraised within the international context of a Gothic modernity. Key paintings will include Madonna and Child (1907-08) and Death and the Maiden (1908), which incorporate the medieval and spiritual iconographies of Trecento and Gothic themes and ways of making art.

Arnold Böcklin: Self-Portrait with Death Playing the Fiddle (1872). Alte Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. Photo: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Nationalgalerie / Andres Kilger.

In addition to paintings and prints, Gothic Modern will also present objects, sculptures and furniture, including a rarely seen sheet music cabinet from the late 1890s, carved by Mary and Akseli Gallen-Kallela. This integrated vision of a Gothic modernity spanning multiple creative mediums distils the rich and diverse ways artists engaged with Gothic art across this period, which was characterised by re-imagining the artist, non-commercialism, freedom and envisioning the future through the past. Ultimately, the exhibition will challenge many long-held notions and narratives around modernism, and offer a bold new perspective on the art of this period.
 
Gothic Modern is the culmination of a major international six-year research project. After its debut, it will travel to the National Museum, Norway and the ALBERTINA Museum, Vienna. Professor Juliet Simpson (Coventry University) has led the research concept and guided the overall project as the Guest Curator, leading the curatorial team of experts: Anna-Maria von Bonsdorff (Director, Ateneum Art Museum), Vibeke Waallann Hansen and Cynthia Osiecki (Curators, National Museum, Norway) and Ralph Gleis (Director, Alte Nationalgalerie).

Marianne Stokes: Madonna and Child (c. 1909). Wolverhampton Art Gallery. © Wolverhampton Art GalleryEdvard Munch: Eye in Eye (1899–1900). Munch Museum, Oslo. Photo: Munch Museum / Ove Kvavik.

Gothic Modern will be accompanied by the publication of a comprehensive exhibition catalogue Gothic Modern: From Edvard Munch to Käthe Kollwitz, edited by Juliet Simpson and Anna-Maria von Bonsdorff, offering deeper insights into this landmark exhibition through a collection of articles. The catalogue will be available in English and Norwegian, and a more concise Finnish-language version will also be published.

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“The Man with 1000 Kids”: A Controversial Netflix Docuseries

“The Man with 1000 Kids” is a documentary series directed by Josh Allott.

Depending on the law and the country, a sperm donor can only have 25 children or donate around 5 times. This regulation is aimed at reducing the risk of consanguinity or inbreeding. However, sometimes, donors choose to connect directly with those interested in getting pregnant and donate privately, bypassing these restrictions.

What would you think of a man who managed to father more than 1000 children through private donations?

“The Man with 1000 Kids” is a documentary that tells the tale of how a long-haired guy who called himself Jonnathan began to “repopulate” the world with his DNA, ending up with children in several countries and repopulating the country… and then the world. His full name; Johnatthan Jacob Meijer, originally from the Netherlands.

“The Man with 1000 Kids”: A Documentary Treading the Line Between Comedy and Social Alarm

“The Man with 1000 Kids” is a documentary that starts by taking a humorous approach to this man’s exploits, before swiftly transitioning to the subsequent anger of the families and mothers and the social alarm: what would happen if these children met and unknowingly decided to have children amongst themselves? The man in question had created a significant public health risk, and the issue made it to the newspapers, with Facebook groups formed by the affected mothers.

And we caution you; this is just the beginning of a story that soon leads us to the creation of a donor website and an accomplice, who together deceived women.

An odd tale that achieved international resonance and which now comes to us in the form of a docuseries on Netflix: three episodes to understand this strange and also terrifying story.

Enjoy!

Where to Watch “The Man with 1000 Kids”

Netflix

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“Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F: A Time Travel to the 80s with Eddie Murphy… on Netflix

“Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” is a movie starring Eddie Murphy. With Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige, James Preston Rogers and Kevin Bacon.

Eddie Murphy is back to reprise one of his most iconic roles, Axel Foley, once again returning to Beverly Hills. With the same soundtrack and the same sense of humor while picking up the narrative style, this time, the story features Taylor Paige as Foley’s daughter with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Kevin Bacon.

Plot of “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F”

Axel Foley, from Detroit, returns to Beverly Hills to investigate a case involving his lawyer daughter, who is being threatened to drop the case.

About the Movie

A gift for the fans of the saga that, this time in another era, resumes the narrative style, the jokes, and some of the characters of the original trilogy to give us a movie very similar in every way to the originals; though with the constant reminder: if you are old enough to remember the first ones, you have aged a bit.

Yes, it is a film that, under the joyful eighties of action comedies, has a marked retro side and a deliberately outdated style: it was what we expected and it does not disappoint in this sense, even though what would have been a good movie in its time is, today, almost a conscious exercise in nostalgia. This being said, it is still entertaining and introduces new characters on the same narrative style.

Eddie Murphy strives to please at all times, and the film equally strives to regain its past glory. The original trilogy was one of the most emblematic of those years and created many of the clichés that were later used in action comedies. Today, from repeating those same clichés, they wore out and evolved and, precisely, “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” returns to those original clichés that, already worn out by other movies, return to our nostalgic memory to pull out a smile, but to tell us very little. Without innovation, all nostalgia.

Our Opinion

Is Eddie Murphy still funny? Yes, he still has it and knows how to play the same character in exactly the same way again, but time has passed and this is something that this movie does not hesitate to overlook and remind us. Despite all its laughs and high-spirited action, the film exudes a certain scent of sadness because, as the characters keep reminding us, we have all aged a little since those 80s.

Where to Watch “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F”

Netflix

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Gallery Selection at Gallery Koyanagi, Tokyo

Tokyo’s prestigious Gallery Koyanagi is thrilled to announce its upcoming exhibition, “Gallery selection,” which will run from July 4 to August 21, 2024. This extraordinary showcase will feature the unveiling of a breakthrough piece from Mark Manders, alongside other impressive works from Thomas Ruff, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and Ebosi Yuasa.

Mark Manders’s new sculpture bridges the gap between abstract and reality, creating a unique landscape through an ethereal green-blue tint. Manders ingeniously employs the color in innovative ways, sometimes combining it with his own Fake Newspapers. The color in his latest masterpiece might represent the color of the sky during the daytime, as suggested in the title “Day Scene.”

Alongside Manders’s work, the exhibition will feature Thomas Ruff’s “ma.r.s,” which is based on images of Mars captured by NASA’s exploration ship. The powerful images stir the imagination and make you ponder the mysteries of the vast universe.

Meanwhile, Hiroshi Sugimoto’s “Theater,” captures the essence of time in a single shot. This one-of-a-kind photograph manages to encapsulate the entirety of a movie within its frame, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in a journey through time.

Finally, abstract paintings by Ebosi Yuasa, previously exhibited at the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo, will also be on display. Yuasa’s work challenges traditional perspectives and pushes the boundaries of abstract art.

In addition to the Gallery Koyanagi exhibition, art enthusiasts will also have the opportunity to see Manders’s “Composition with Four Yellow Verticals (2017-19)” at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, from June 22 to October 14, in a show titled “Lines —Aligning your consciousness with the flow.”

Join us in experiencing these captivating works and celebrating the passion, creativity, and genius of these highly renowned artists.

Thomas Ruff, IRB_ma.r.s. 03, 2014, chromogenic print
165 x 123 x 5 cm (frame)Thomas Ruff, IRB_ma.r.s. 05, 2014, chromogenic print
165 x 123 x 5 cm (frame)Ebosi Yuasa, Abstract painting A, 2023, acrylic on canvas
194 x 130.3 cmEbosi Yuasa, Abstract painting B, 2023, acrylic on canvas
194 x 130.3 cmEbosi Yuasa, Abstract painting C, 2023, acrylic on canvas
194 x 130.3 cmHiroshi Sugimoto, Goshen, Indiana, 1980, gelatin silver print
119.4 x 149.2 cm (image),152.4 x 182.2 x 7.6 (frame)

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Gisela McDaniel’s Vivid Portraits of Identity: Arario Gallery Seoul Exhibition

Compassion
2023
Oil on canvas, object and text on paper from subject-collaborator, sound

ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL is proud to host the debut of Gisela McDaniel’s solo exhibition in Korea, “All These Parts Make Up Me,” from July 10 to August 17, 2024. McDaniel, a diasporic CHamoru artist of Guam descent currently based in New York, draws from her own identity to paint multifaceted portraits of historically marginalized communities.

The exhibition, spread across the gallery’s ground floor and basement, showcases McDaniel’s most recent work from 2023 to 2024, comprising of 11 artworks. The majority of these are assemblage paintings integrating images, objects, and sounds, with one piece designed specifically for this exhibition.

The Independence of Rejecting Othering

Each piece begins with heartfelt conversations with McDaniel’s ‘subject-collaborators.’ Their life experiences, narratives, and voices become a vital part of the art. Each painting vividly portrays the human form and presents the subject’s narrative to the world, serving as a resistant beacon against discrimination and violence faced by marginalized communities.

Synesthetic Paintings Delivering Individuality

Gisela McDaniel’s paintings weave the personal artifacts and voices of her subject-collaborators into the fabric of her art. By including personal belongings, McDaniel presents intimate narratives in a multidimensional manner that blends vibrant colors and sounds, capturing the unique identities of contemporary life.

About the Artist

Born in Bellevue, Nebraska in 1995, Gisela Charfauros McDaniel completed her BFA in Art & Design from the University of Michigan in 2019. Now based in Paris for the Art Explora Residency, she will also participate in the Hawaii Triennial 2025. With solo exhibitions across Seoul, London, Los Angeles, and Detroit, her works form part of many esteemed collections, including the Baltimore Museum of Art and Museum of Fine Arts Boston, among others.

Best Thing for Me to Do, 2023

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