Features
Arty films to look out for in 2024
New features by Steve McQueen, Kelly Reichardt and Joshua Oppenheimer will give art lovers plenty to get excited about
The festive geese of Christmas past
The festive bird has often been served up by artists and writers including J.M.W. Turner and Charles Dickens
At the Kennel Club: the world’s largest collection of doggy art
The Mayfair institution contains scores of paintings of dogs who had jobs and some rather more pampered pets
The magnificent art of Marisol
The Pop sculptor shot to fame in the 1960s, but her determination not to be pigeonholed confounded many critics
The designers getting creative with restaurant posters
Poster art has become a crucial part of the experience provided by more creative eateries
Not so much a doll’s house, more a practical guide to running a great house
Far from being a toy, the Uppark doll’s house was designed as an instruction manual in three-dimensional form
Acquisitions of the Month: November 2023
A terracotta relief by Donatello and a vanishingly rare set of 16th-century silverware are among this month’s highlights
Chiharu Shiota weaves her magic for Mouton Rothschild
The Japanese artist is the latest to take on the prestigious commission to design the vineyard’s label, it was announced today
The rise of the Renaissance woman
The flurry of exhibitions focusing on women artists is very welcome – as long as they avoid reinforcing tired old narratives
The best wines of 2023
Apollo’s wine columnist tasted many excellent wines this year, but half a dozen were outstanding
The arrested adolescence of Mike Kelley
The artist found freedom in a form of DIY making that teeters on the edge of self-indulgence
The city of Nantes has really pushed out the boat for culture
Ambitious arts programming has transformed the fortunes of the French city since it experienced tough times in the 1980s
The London museum that is putting on its war paint
The new art, film and photography galleries at the Imperial War Museum contain many welcome surprises
Acquisitions of the Month: October 2023
A conversation portrait by Johann Zoffany and a marble sculpture by Giovanni Bandini are among the most significant works to enter public collections
Extended reality may still be in its infancy – but it’s certainly growing up fast
The use of virtual, augmented and mixed technology in film-making hasn’t produced a masterpiece yet, but it’s only a matter of time
Around the galleries – ambitions are high at Asian Art in London
The return of the event shows that the capital remains a global hub for the market
Taking Philip Guston on his own terms
Hettie Judah stops her ears to the endless chatter to find a painter whose work is full of flaws and self-doubt – and all the better for it
The Venetian family that brought glass-making into the modern age
The founders of the firm Nason Moretti revolutionised the making of glass without compromising on its quality
‘Ideas about nation, territory and identity are thrown into disarray’
At the Steirischer Herbst festival in Graz, the spectre of nationalism and anxiety about borders haunted this year’s programme
Is Uzbekistan poised to become a major cultural player?
The country is keen to rebrand by promoting its art and architecture – and the modernist buildings of its capital Tashkent are part of the plan
Unscrolling China’s historic urban fabric
A 30m-long painting presents the Kiangxi Emperor touring southern China, says Clarissa von Spee of the Cleveland Museum of Art
Grapes of froth – making the thinking man’s ‘champagne’
A vineyard-meets-sculpture park in Franciacorta makes wine truly a multisensory affair
Money matters – the problem museums have with philanthropy
As museums face rising costs and lower grants, fundraising is more important than ever – but they have to be very careful where the money comes from
Is Denmark Street really London’s Tin Pan Alley?
Once famous as the home of music publishers and recording studios, Denmark Street has adapted to a changing city but never lost its soul
Are the art market’s problems being blown out of proportion?