Tuesday 12 June 2018

Today, Shonibare, other Royal Academicians open 250th show in London

A section of the Royal Academy's 250th Summer Art Exhibition.

When the 250th edition of Royal Academy Summer Art Exhibition opens today, ending August 19, over 1, 300 artworks will be on display for the yearly show.

Among top artists showing paintings and installations are Yinka Shonibare, Tracey Emin,
David Hockney, Bob and Roberta Smith, Antony Gormley and Sir Michael Craig-Martin. On its website, RA says the galleries "are jam-packed with contemporary art made by internationally renowned artists and exciting new talents".

For the 2018 edition,  Grayson Perry, a RA is the curator assisted by his committee made up of fellow artists.
 In its preview, the organisers discloses of "a monumental sculpture by Anish Kapoor RA in our courtyard, and within the galleries another vast new works by David Hockney RA and Joana Vasconcelos". Also, artists Mona Hatoum and Tal R, the statement adds, are shown alongside Royal Academicians including Wolfgang Tillmans, Mike Nelson, Tracey Emin and Rose Wylie, and Honorary Academicians Bruce Nauman and Ed Ruscha.

Elsewhere, standard.co.uk describes Shonibare's installation as "pure delight". Jessie Thompson writes: "Yinka Shonibare’s Young Academician (which can be found upstairs in the Sackler Galleries) is pure delight".

But some of the artworks, according to her, are very provocative. She cites examples of "Banksy’s Vote to Love canvas alongside a print of Donald Trump having sex with Miss Mexico".

However, the size of the exhibition is captured in RA's statement that it extends across the academy's "newly-expanded cultural campus, with prints on display in The Sackler Wing of Galleries and a “room of humour” in the new Ronald and Rita McAulay Gallery featuring David Shrigley and Martin Parr". In fact, RA says the summer show "spills out into the streets of London’s West End, with an installation of over 200 flags designed by Royal Academicians".
Indeed, the expansion has link to RA's £56 million redevelopment work.

Two and half century old, the RA consists of artists and architects known as the Royal Academicians. The RAs are elected by peers in recognition of their exceptional work. The RA prides its legacy as home to Britain’s longest established art schools.  Since 1768, RA has held a yearly Summer Exhibition, described as "the largest open-submission art show in the world".  The Academicians say: "We present our collection of art and architecture in free displays throughout our home on Piccadilly. And we put on world-class exhibitions of art from around the world, welcoming hundreds of thousands of people to our galleries each year".



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