Forget leaving your house or hopping on a plane to see some of the world’s most awe-inspiring exhibitions, galleries and art shows in person – nowadays all you need is a decent internet connection and you’re good to go.
Grab yourself a cuppa and get ready to virtually explore four of the best virtual art exhibitions happening this month – both locally and internationally.
Get ready to become immersed in culture – all from the comfort of your sofa.
Biennale of Sydney
Biennale of Sydney, an international festival of contemporary art held every two years in Australia’s Emerald City, has had a digital turbo boost for its 2020 edition. Teaming up with Google Arts & Culture, art enthusiasts from all across the globe can now take virtual tours and explore highlights from the famed arts extravaganza. Highlights include Ibrahim Mahama’s large-scale installation No Friend but the Mountains, as well as three empowering bodies of work by activist and photographer Zanele Muholi. Prepare to be inspired by these pieces.
Ongoing, artsandculture.google.com/project/biennale-of-sydney-nirin-2020.
Jean-Michel Basquiat
To see any Jean-Michel Basquiat artworks, it usually requires going to a museum, but one arts organisation is bringing the iconic artist’s work to your home. New York’s The Brant Foundation has put its major 2019 Basquiat exhibition online as an immersive virtual tour. Without leaving your sofa, you can (vitrually) wander through all four floors of the show and see some of the artist’s most influential works. The exhibition, which originally opened in March 2019, showcased about 70 of his eye-catching works and now culture fanatics from all around the world can virtually explore the exhibition for free.
Free. Ongoing, www.brantfoundation.org/exhibitions/jean-michel-basquiat-exhibition.
Louvre Abu Dhabi
The crown jewel in the capital city’s burgeoning Cultural District in Saadiyat Island is back open to the public. And alongside the permanent collection, the current exhibition at the museum has been extended until October 18 so you don’t miss out on seeing what’s on display. Not able to get along to the museum to see it yourself? A digital tour of the Furusiyya: The Art of Chivalry between East and West exhibition is now available so you can see what’s on display. The 360-degree tour takes place several times a week and costs Dhs50 per person. English tours take place on Sundays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and Arabic and Chinese language tours take place on Wednesdays. The museum has expanded its digital offerings and launched a cinematic podcast and a playlist that you can check out, too.
Dhs50. Ongoing until Sun Oct 18, www.louvreabudhabi.ae.
Ogamdo: Five Scenes of Korean Art
Manarat Al Saadiyat has teamed up with the Korean Cultural Center in the UAE and the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange for a new – and free – virtual Korean art exhibition highlighting Korean artistic spirit. Offering five different perspectives: new tradition, city montage, reconstruction of culture, everyday affair and landscape through the mind’s eye, Ogamdo: Five Scenes of Korean Art is showcasing 40 pieces of work from 14 Korean artists.
Free. Ongoing until Mon Nov 30, www.artogamdo.com.
