In the Studio James Lewis, Vienna

James Lewis works with the things that remain when certainty disappears — data, photographs, scent, fragments of memory. Born in London, based in Vienna, he builds installations that ask how we construct knowledge, turning a statistic into a sculpture, a memory into a scent.

In the Studio Cecilia Vicuña, New York

Cecilia Vicuña’s practice moves fluidly between poetry, sculpture, textile, and performance, always returning to what she calls arte precario: an art built from debris, unspun wool, feathers, and stone that she has been making since 1966. Rooted in Indigenous Andean knowledge systems, and above all in the khipu—the knotted cord long dismissed as a mere accounting device—her work reframes precariousness and fragility as forms of consciousness rather than loss.

Person with long wavy hair sits on a stool in a gallery, looking at the camera, wearing a navy jacket; left wall covered in blue Life posters.

In the Studio Robin Kid, Rambouillet, France

Robin Kid works with images that feel less made than encountered. Cowboys, cops, fragments of cartoon Americana: images that existed long before he picked them up, suspended somewhere between memory and mass culture. Raised in the south of the Netherlands by his grandparents, in a former mining neighbourhood bordering an American army base, he grew up with the idea of the U.S. glowing faintly from the other side of the fence.

Young adult in navy V-neck sweater stands with hands in pockets in a bright minimalist room, with wall photo, card display, and orange book on table.

Collector Stories Lukas Jakob, Gundelfingen, Germany

Lukas Jakob started his private collection of Contemporary Art in 2016 by buying a tie by Katharina Grosse. His last acquisitions, however, are incomparably larger: he now concentrates on expansive installations. His residence in the tri-border area between Germany, Switzerland and France gives him a regional and international outlook on art.

Culture Briefing

Where to meet art, culture and creativity

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ART COLOGNE is the world's oldest and one of the most important fairs for modern and contemporary art. Every year, renowned galleries, artists, collectors and art lovers meet in Cologne to discover high-calibre paintings, sculptures, photographs, installations and digital artworks. As an international art fair, ART COLOGNE sets standards in the art market and offers a unique platform for dialogue between artists and investors. Visit ART COLOGNE and experience high-quality works of art, exciting special exhibitions and exclusive vernissages in an inspiring atmosphere.

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Iranian-born artist Soli Kiani creates a body of work in which fabric becomes both a formative substance and a carrier of social meaning. Themes such as origin, physicality, and negotiating patriarchal structures are combined in her work with a distinctive, sculptural language. For the Dominikanerkirche Krems, she has conceived a spatial installation in which textile materials serve as the central artistic medium.

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Swab Barcelona will celebrate its 19th edition from October 8 to 11 at the Victoria Eugenia Palace (located at the Fira Barcelona-Montjuic site, in the city of Barcelona, Spain) in a space of more than 3,150 m2 that will use reusable elements such as wood to minimize the event's ecological footprint and reduce waste. Under the metaphor of the eclipse as a change of perspective, the international independent art platform, which will feature more than 180 artists from 22 different countries, debuts the OFF-SITE program and commits to decentralizing artistic practice and strengthening community ties. This will respond to the need to rethink exhibition and market structures in the face of the current climate and socio-political crisis.

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For the 22nd time, VIENNA ART WEEK puts Vienna’s vibrant art scene in the spotlight. Under this year’s theme, “Navigating Angst,” the festival explores the fears and uncertainties of our time. Together with around 70 programme partners, the festival offers a full week of inspiring art – from contemporary to Baroque – with free admission.

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With Elisabeth von Samsonow, the Heidi Horten Collection is dedicating a major solo exhibition to an artistic and philosophical perspective that transcends narrow disciplinary boundaries. This is the first time that Elisabeth von Samsonow’s multifaceted body of work has been presented on this scale, showcasing its artistic breadth and intellectual depth.

Nordic Notes

Male artist leaning on a wooden cabinet in an art studio, with paint jars and an abstract painting in the background.

Johannes Hägglund, Stockholm
Swedish painter Johannes Hägglund belongs to a fortunate few within his generation of artists who have had the good fortune to be represented by a reputable gallery while still at art school. In this interview, Johannes elaborates on how decisions and choices in his practice relate to the continuous striving to evolve his craft as a painter. While neither a purely abstract nor figurative painter, the artist says he is less interested in the motif than in the associated painterly process.
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