SPRING
Collect
The next edition of Collect art fair will take place online, on artsy.net, with global collectors and buyers being able to purchase from exhibiting galleries over the course of a month. In addition, a programme of free digital and virtual events, talks and tours from gallerists, artists, and leading figures across art, fashion and culture will take place on the Crafts Council’s own channels.
From 26 February; craftscouncil.org.uk
Maker’s Eye
Does craft need to be functional; can it be funny; does it have to be beautiful and should it tackle the big topics of the day? The Crafts Council asked leading craft makers this question. Each one has created a ‘visual answer’ by picking objects from the Crafts Council Collection. The result is Maker’s Eye, an exhibition that will feature 150 objects including a pink knitted ‘pussy hat’ worn at the 2017 Women’s March; one of the first chairs made using recycled plastics by Jane Atfield; and an industrial toilet mould by Stoke-on-Trent manufacturers Armitage Shanks.
17 March – 26 June; Crafts Council, 44a Pentonville Road, London N1 9BY; craftscouncil.org.uk
Liverpool Biennial
Liverpool Biennial 2021 will look to non-western ways of thinking and notions of the body, seeing it as a ‘fluid organism that is continuously shaped by and shaping its environment’. Liverpool’s maritime history also inspires the biennial’s latest edition, and artists will respond accordingly in a range of mediums through a series of exhibitions taking place in participating galleries across the city.
20 March – 6 June; various locations, Liverpool; biennial.com
London Craft Week
London Craft Week returns to the city in May, bringing with it a celebration of British and international creativity. Across various venues, the festival showcases works by over 250 artists, galleries and brands – using a selection process ‘based not on price or fame, but underlying substance’.
10-16 May; various locations, London; londoncraftweek.com
Erika Verzutti at Nottingham Contemporary
Nottingham Contemporary presents the first solo show in a UK institution of Erika Verzutti. The Brazilian artist, whose sensual works are made from a combination of bronze, cement and papier-mâché, will present pieces from the past 15 years alongside a body of new work and a site-specific commission.
15 May – 31 October; Nottingham Contemporary, Weekday Cross, Nottingham, NG1 2GB; nottinghamcontemporary.org