A WHOLE BUILDING FOR ONE MAN: CALDER AT THE FONDATION LOUIS VUITTON

Some artists you admire for years, before you ever get the chance to see their full range.

Calder has been one of my faves for a long time. I caught some of his work at MoMA in New York a few years back, and again in the South of France, Copenhagen and Madrid, where his shapes always seem to belong outdoors, in the light. So when I heard the Fondation Louis Vuitton was giving him acomprehensive show, I did not need much convincing. I had been meaning to visit the building itself for ages anyway. Two birds...

The show is called Calder. Rêver en équilibre, which means Dreaming in Balance. It runs until August and marks two anniversaries at once. A hundred years since Calder first arrived in France in 1926, and fifty years since he died. The Fondation has done something it has never done before. It has handed over its entire space, and for the first time the lawn outside, to a single artist. Almost three hundred works across more than three thousand square meters.

I thought I knew what to expect. I did not expect the scale.

What impressed me most was how complete it felt. The show moves through everything. The early wire pieces, the famous circus, the moment in the early thirties when he invented the mobile and a whole new kind of sculpture came into being, the big still stabiles, the huge late public works. There is jewelry and there are paintings too. It is the whole arc of a life, laid out in order, and you understand him better for seeing it all in one room after another.

We spent a few hours and did not rush.

My favourites were the mobiles, of course, the way they turn so slowly you are not sure they are moving until they already have. But what I really loved was the wire sculptures. The faces especially. Each one gives you two things at once, the actual wire and its shadow thrown on the wall behind it. The line and its reflection. The thing and its echo. I was really drawn to them.

Calder spent much of his later life in France and always called it his second home. Standing inside Gehry's glass sails, watching his shapes turn in the light, that made complete sense to me.

If you are in Paris before 16 August, give it an afternoon. Not an hour. An afternoon.

Fondation Louis Vuitton, Bois de Boulogne, Paris. Calder. Rêver en équilibre, until 16 August 2026.

TRACES OF LUDI

Alzbeta Jungrova’s terrific new photography show (curated by the Trafo Gallery team) at the Vila Volman is officially titled “Bez konce a začátku” but in my mind, it could also be called “Traces of Ludi” given its strong focus on Mr. Volman’s daughter Ludi and the energy she left behind after the family had to give up their still-new residence and leave the country.

Jungrova was clearly drawn to the story and Ludi’s energy is now felt throughout all the photographs that are brilliantly sprinkled throughout the iconic building. Whether it’s a subtle veil with a female face imprint flowing in the gentle breeze of the living room, a blurred image of a woman seemingly in flight, greeting you at the top of the stairs, a woman leaning against the window or relaxing on one of the villa’s many verandas, or a powerful portrait of a woman, a packed car behind her, taking a look at the villa one last time… the story is there. And, together with the striking architecture of Karel Janů a Jiří Štursa it is bound to pull you in as well. I loved it all.

I was not new to Jungrova’s magic. A few years ago I first stumbled on her personal work in the dilapidated washroom of an old hospital at Karlovo náměstí in Prague. A raw place about as depressing as they come, came alive with her installation. Large images printed on metal mesh screens, film foils glued to the windows to filter in the afternoon light, neon projection giving the photograph negatives a slightly spooky appearance. A life-long lover of contemporary art, I had not seen anything like it in Prague until then. I was hooked. So much so that I actually went ahead and bought not only the exhibition catalog (a work of art in its own right) but got a large size print of one of the key pieces as well. You can read about my impressions here.

So, this time, as soon as I learned Jungrova was at it again, I marked the opening date on my calendar and booked my timed ticket. The show did not disappoint. Through now somewhat familiar collages and atypical printing techniques, Jungrova once again tells a captivating story, rich in powerful female energy, beautiful in execution, and with just a hint of how destructive some forces in the Czech Republic’s past had been. And how lucky we are now that a few dedicated souls restored this architectural gem back to its former beauty.

If you loved her 2023 solo show, you are bound to like this one as well. The show runs at the Vila Volman in Čelákovice through the end of August.

SIGNAL FESTIVAL 2024: IMMERSIVE LIGHT INSTALLATIONS AND DIGITAL ART AT PRAGUE'S ICONIC LANDMARKS

SpY Orb, Prague Castle

There’s something truly magical about wandering the streets of Prague during Signal Festival. For twelve years now, every mid-October, the city becomes a living canvas, blending the historical grandeur of its architecture with the vibrant pulse of digital art.

This year was no different. And, since I was in Prague during this time, for the first time in years, it was only natural for me to dive into the magic on a Friday night, trying to cover as much of both festival routes as possible.

I started out in Kunsthalle, in the paid “Gallery Zone” portion of the festival. The gallery is home to the “Strange Attractions” show by United Visual Artists which was recommended by the festival founder himself. I liked it and I think you might too (it’s on display at the gallery for a few days after the official end of the festival on October 13). That said, one of my absolute highlights was the SpY ORB in the South Gardens of Prague Castle. It’s a glowing sphere that felt both otherworldly and perfectly in tune with the impressive castle surroundings. There’s something about the way it just hangs there in the dark, drawing you in with its simplicity and size. I found myself standing there mesmerized, taking in the sight (and trying to find the best angle to capture the sculpture) as the light shifted subtly across the orb’s surface.

Another standout for me was the Dimensional Sampling by Cao Yuxi at Staroměstské náměstí (Old Town Square). This LED projection installation transformed a portion of the square with its dynamic, cube-shaped light show. It felt surreal, juxtaposed with the medieval architecture of the House at the Stone Bell and the Tyn Church nearby. I was completely captivated by the interplay of light and shadow as the cube pulsed and glowed, almost like a beacon of the future in the heart of old Prague.

Of course, the Gallery Zone is a must-see if you want to dive even deeper into the festival. Besides the UVA work at Kunsthalle, I managed to see the installation by Seohyo at the Prague Castle Riding Hall and genuinely enjoyed it.

It’s one thing to see these installations, but the experience of exploring both the Hradčany and Centrum routes really lets you dive into the full spectrum of what Signal Festival offers. From digital projections on the Archbishop’s Palace to the surreal sculptures in Sternberg Palace, every turn reveals something new and unexpected. I’m glad I ventured out into the evening to take it all in.

If you’re in Prague in October, do yourself a favor and experience this festival—it’s a feast for the senses, and you won’t regret it!

If you're interested in exploring more about contemporary art and immersive travel experiences, I recommend checking out Loves Art Will Travel’s post on discovering Uhelny Mlyn, a hidden contemporary gallery just outside Prague. The blog delves into the charm of this industrial-modern space, much like Signal Festival’s own exploration of blending history and modern art. You can read more about it here

FROM LINES TO MATTER, AKA GENTLE GIANTS AT THE KAMPA MUSEUM

Late summers bring me back to Prague and invite exploration of the local cultural offerings. Today, on my stroll through town, I came across a good one: Vojtech Kovarik’s “From Lines to Matter” show at the Kampa museum.

The show, a collection of monumental paintings centers on ancient myths, gods and goddesses that this young artist shows breaking out of their sizable frames and filling the room with their commanding, colorful presence. The ancient myths re-awaken your interest in antique mythology and the artist helps you by providing an ever so brief glimpse of the story you’re seeing on the canvas. The bright, saturated colors pull you in and you find yourself mesmerized, standing in front of these gentle giants enjoying every moment in their company.

The artist studied drawing and painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Ostrava and painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw He won the Critics Prize for Young Painters in 2019 and has been exhibiting extensively abroad since then, building a presence in the international arts market.

The show runs at the Museum Kampa through early September, so if you are in Prague and looking for a late-summer cultural interlude, stop by. I truly enjoyed it.