ART
Compiled by Daisy Gaunt and Sam Pryce
ARTES MUNDI 9
The Artes Mundi prize is now one of Wales’ most established art awards. Aiming to support and recognise contemporary art, Artes Mundi provides the opportunity for us to get a glimpse of the global scene while also introducing us to a broad range of artistic styles. The shortlist, announced in September, includes artists from the Dominican Republic, South Africa, Japan, Puerto Rico and the USA, their work encompassing the mediums of painting, object-making and film. The exhibition will be held at National Museum Cardiff in late 2020, with the chosen winner receiving a £40,000 cash prize and international acclaim.
Oct 2020-Feb 2021. Info: www.artesmundi.org
CULTVR LAB
2019 saw the opening of a new arts hub in the capital, aiming to provide a venue for new ventures in technology, music and visual art. If their opening event is anything to go by (which included immersive dance films, a visual arts exhibition, live VR experiences and DJs), the venue looks like it might become one of our most exciting champions and curators of unique cultural events.
327 Penarth Road, Cardiff. Info: www.cultvr.cymru
KETNIPZ
The young Instagram artist, known for his cute and humorous cartoons featuring a ‘bean’ character, has taken the world by storm over the past few years. With audiences growing in Asia and the States, plus over a million followers on social media, Harry Hambley, from Cardiff, has turned his modest, positive cartoons into big business, with a range of merchandise now available from his website.
Info: www.ketnipz.com
NICK ELPHICK
Taking cues from Rodin, Francis Bacon and Edvard Munch for his explorations of anatomy and form, the Welsh sculptor has become a fascinating figure in contemporary art in recent years. He’s worked with the likes of Damien Hirst, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Ryan Gander. In his interview with Buzz earlier this year, Elphick spoke of his plans to explore different materials and new techniques, as well as his love of animals and his memorial statue of Tom Pryce, the only Welshman to win a Formula 1 race.
Info: www.nickelphicksculpture.co.uk