From goddesses and deities to demons and witches, women’s spirituality has always been fraught and the instigator of both awe-inspiring respect and immense anxieties. An exhibition on view now at Caixa Forum in Madrid brings 5,000 years of these complicated feelings together through 166 historical and contemporary artworks.

A collaboration between La Caixa Foundation and the British Museum, Revered and Feared: Feminine Power in Art and Belief considers how spirituality has informed notions of gender since time immemorial. The exhibition is global in scale, featuring ancient Greek monsters like Medusa, the Hindu goddess Kali, and depictions of the Christian icon, Our Lady of Guadalupe. Alongside these historical statutes and objects are works from contemporary artists like Zanele Muholi, Marina Abramović, Ana Mendieta, and Niki de Saint Phalle that contextualize these legacies within today’s cultural and political landscape.

Given the long history of fear over women’s power and independence, the imagery in the exhibition “speak(s) of the human desire to feel safe and find direction, of the natural cycles of fertility and the continuity of life,” a statement says. “They personify desire and passion, chaos and harmony. They are associated with witchcraft and evil spells. They represent female independence and are either central to society or on the fringes of it.”

Revered and Feared is on view through January 14. (via artnet)

Zanele Muholi, “Somnyama IV” Oslo (2015). Image courtesy of the artist and Yancey Richardson, New York

Cycladic figure, about 2400–2500 BCE, marble, Greece. Image © The Trustees of the British Museum

Contrasting portrayals, about 500 BC, painted terracotta, Italy. Image © The Trustees of the British Museum

Dance mask of Taraka, 1994, from the workshop of Sri Kajal Datta (born 1973), papier mâché, clay, fibre and silk, West Bengal, India. Image © The Trustees of the British Museum

Egyptian amulet, 1069–664 BCE, glazed composition, Egypt. Image © The Trustees of the British Museum

Queen of the Night, about 1750 BCE, painted clay, Iraq. Image © The Trustees of the British Museum

Exhibition view of the Venus statute

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article 5,000 Years of Feminine Power and Prestige Are On Display in ‘Revered and Feared’ appeared first on Colossal.

The French cultural investment fund ArtNova has acquired Art Market Minds, the company behind the Art Business Conference, a series of annual one-day conferences that take place across the globe. This year, the organization will celebrate one decade since its first event in London in 2014.

The conference’s founder Louise Hamlin will keep a minority stake in the company and continue to oversee the events program. Last year, the conference’s scope expanded to include inaugural events in Cape Town, at Art Dubai, and at TEFAF Maastricht, where the next conference is planned for March 8.

The acquisition will also see the Art Business Conference merge with a different conference in Paris called the Art Market Day. This event is organized by Beaux Arts & Cie, a company owned by ArtNova that oversees several businesses, including the publications Beaux Arts Magazine and Le Quotidien de l’Art. It will now become the Art Business Conference Paris and is expected to take place in November.

“The return back to events after the lockdowns and changes in how and where we work has meant the in-person experience of meeting peers at the conferences has boomed,” said Hamlin. “As a single entrepreneur, I realized I needed help to expand the growing global portfolio of conferences and finding the right partner became a priority.”

“The acquisition means I have the mentorship of ArtNova’s executive team, including Frédéric Jousset and Jean-Baptiste Costa de Beauregard,” she added, “plus the ability to grow the conference team with new hires.” She also revealed that the company is hoping to continue growing in Asia in the near future.

Launched in 2020 by the French tech entrepreneur turned arts patron Frédéric Jousset, ArtNova is a €100 million ($119 million) impact investment fund created specifically to support the cultural industries. One branch of the fund, ArtNova Capital, oversees venture and private equity investments, while a second branch, ArtNova Patrimoine, donates money to important cultural heritage projects.

Jousset began sponsoring the arts in 2005, when he donated $1.09 million (€1 million) to the Louvre. He is now known for encouraging more experimental, imaginative approaches to boosting engagement with the arts through his foundation Art Explora, also supported by the fund.

“Louise has created the ultimate reference for art market conferences. I look forward to working with her to develop and expand this network internationally,” said Jean-Baptiste Costa de Beauregard, the investment director at ArtNova and deputy CEO of Beaux Arts & Cie.

More Trending Stories:  

Artists to Watch This Month: 10 Solo Gallery Exhibitions to See In New York Before the End of the Year 

Art Dealers Christina and Emmanuel Di Donna on Their Special Holiday Rituals 

Stefanie Heinze Paints Richly Ambiguous Worlds. Collectors Are Obsessed 

Inspector Schachter Uncovers Allegations Regarding the Latest Art World Scandal—And It’s a Doozy 

Archaeologists Call Foul on the Purported Discovery of a 27,000-Year-Old Pyramid 

The Sprawling Legal Dispute Between Yves Bouvier and Dmitry Rybolovlev Is Finally Over 

Follow Artnet News on Facebook:
Want to stay ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to get the breaking news, eye-opening interviews, and incisive critical takes that drive the conversation forward.

Affordable Art Fair is an entry in our Great British Brands 2024 book. 

Main image by Shaun James Cox

Affordable Art Fair: Great British Brand 2024

‘Running art fairs all over the world, it remains really important that we retain the human touch. We do this in several ways. Our local teams are vital in connecting with the galleries at a local level. We take a “glocal” approach; we look at the business both globally and locally. We rely on the people on the ground but train them in the lessons we’ve learnt over 25 years of operating worldwide. We also have a central, global marketing team.

It’s interesting from this perspective that geography affects art. Artists in Spain and Italy will use hot colours, reds and oranges, but Cornish ones the colours of the sea. Some art travels but some doesn’t.

Photography by Dean West at ARTITLEDContemporary. Affordable Art Fair 2023. Photo by Shaun James Cox

From the point of view of making art, there are two problems with AI. One is that AI is essentially derivative; it relies on what it can find on the internet. To create worthwhile art, you need to be human, observing what is going on in the world. The other is that many people are born to be artists – not everyone can be a banker or an entrepreneur, and art is a fundamental part of the human condition.

The human element is important, too, in selling art, in the interaction between the buyer, the artist, and the gallerist. There are three strands to this: the buyer loving the artwork itself, appreciating its texture and how it’s been made; the engagement with the artist and the seller; and, thirdly, the social element. People like meeting their friends to have a drink while talking about and buying art.

AI does, of course, have its part to play in making processes more efficient, but in the end this business is about people, and I can’t see a business succeeding that has used AI too much.’

Will Ramsay, CEO and founder

Will Ramsay, CEO and founder of Affordable Art Fair. Photo by Spinach

Five Proudest Moments

1. Founding the Affordable Art Fair in 1999 to make owning art accessible. In 2025 we’ll be celebrating 25 years of fairs.

2. Helping over 3,200,000 art lovers connect with great art, generating over £495m in sales for independent galleries and artists.

3. Our charity work. It generates over £100,000 a year in the UK alone for emerging artists and local charities, through donations and in-kind support.

4. D eveloping an art-loving community where everyone is welcome. Both exhibitors and visitors return year-on-year to see what’s fresh and new at our fairs.

5. Our forthcoming expansion in 2024, as we launch the winning Affordable Art Fair concept in Austin, Berlin, and Brisbane.

A gallerist adjusts work at Affordable Art Fair Battersea. Photo by Guy Bell

What I’ve Learnt

• Asking questions of the gallerist or artist gives me a deeper understanding of the story or reasons behind an artwork.
• Artists open our eyes and help us to appreciate things we might not have noticed.
• Travelling to our art fairs abroad, I have learnt that a lot of art is place-specific, reflecting the place’s colours and character.

AFFORDABLE ART FAIR

Upcoming London Fairs:

Battersea Spring, 6-12 March;

Hampstead, 8-12 May;

Battersea Autumn, 16-20 October

affordableartfair.com

@affordableartfairuk