New Cultural Openings Across Europe for 2019

European cultural openings that we’re flocking to see in 2019.

These warrant enough excitement to pack your bags and make a weekend of it.

New Cultural Openings Across Europe for 2019

Doisneau et la musique
Philharmonie de Paris

Equipped with and inseparable from his camera, Robert Doisneau furrowed Paris and its suburbs in every sense. From popular dances to fanfares, to cabarets, he came across jazz musicians and stars of his time. The photographs of these moments, often unpublished, are gathered for the first time in this exhibition.  Designed by Clémentine Deroudille, this joyous stroll is set to music by the Moriarty and staged by Stephan Zimmerli, musician and graphic designer of the group. 4 December 2018 – 28 April 2019

Leonardo da Vinci
Louvre Museum, Paris

An exceptional exhibition on Leonardo da Vinci will be presented at the Musée du Louvre in the fall of 2019. A unique group of artworks that only the Louvre could bring together, in addition to its outstanding collection of paintings and drawings by the Italian master. Autumn 2019

Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
V&A, London

Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams will be the largest and most comprehensive exhibition ever staged in the UK on the House of Dior. The show offers an in-depth and wide-ranging study of the unique Haute Couture garments since 1947, with a particular focus on Dior’s love of Britain. Across 11 theatrical sections, the exhibition showcases the exquisite skill and craftsmanship of the ateliers and successive artistic directors of the House of Dior. 2 February 2019 –  14 July 2019

Giacometti
Guggenheim, Bilbao

This exhibition surveys four decades of production by Alberto Giacometti (b. 1901; d. 1966), one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. More than 200 sculptures, paintings, and drawings make up a show that offers a unique perspective on the artist’s work, highlighting the extraordinary holdings of artworks and archive material gathered by Giacometti’s wife, Annette, now in the Fondation Giacometti in Paris. 17 December – 31 December 2019

Rosso, Klee, Sonnier & more: Works from the Hilti Art Foundation
Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein

This exhibition concludes the three-part series of introductions to the collection of the Hilti Art Foundation that has been running since the opening of the exhibition building in May 2015. By explicitly mentioning specific artists in the course of this introductory series – Medardo Rosso, Paul Klee, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Pablo Picasso, Fernand Léger, Max Beckmann, Alberto Giacometti, Keith Sonnier and Sean Scully – attention is drawn to individual highlights within the art historical scope of the collection, ranging from the late 19th century to the present day. 9 November – 17 March 2019. 

The Story of a Life by Grayson Perry
Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Cumbria

Turner Prize winner Grayson Perry’s tapestries come to Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal, Cumbria. Julie Cope’s Grand Tour: The Story of a Life by Grayson Perry, a Crafts Council touring exhibition supported by Art Fund. Born in Chelmsford, Essex, in 1960, Perry is a chronicler of contemporary life, drawing us in with affecting sentiment and nostalgia as well as, at times, fear and anger. His work tackles subjects that are universally human: gender, social status, sexuality, religion. 9 November 2018 – 16 February 2019

Wolfgang Tillmans: Rebuilding the Future
Irish Museum of Modern Art

Wolfgang Tillmans (b. 1968, Remscheid, Germany) is one of the most accomplished and widely celebrated artists working today, recognised for major contributions to the development of contemporary photography in terms of subject matter, production, scale, presentation and methodology. Rebuilding the Future comprises over 100 works and captures Tillmans’ unique way of working. This new exhibition for IMMA mixes works from throughout his career and in numerous formats, installed in IMMA’s galleries in direct relation to the physical spaces and atmosphere of the museum. 18 December – 17 February

Exhibition: ‘Una Collezione Veneziana’ rediscovered Treasures
Fondazione Querini Stampalia, Venice

The collections at the Querini Stampalia Foundation have been enhanced by the addition of several new treasures. The important collection of the Cassa di Risparmio di Venezia is hosted on the third floor of the house museum, specifically transformed into an elegant exhibition space by archistar Michele De Lucchi. The rooms feature a collection of several artworks set in Venice that date from the 16th to 20th centuries, including two paintings by Canaletto, a preparatory sketch of Tintoretto’s huge Paradise, and one of the Universal Judgment by Tiepolo. 21 Nov 2018 – 30 Jun 2019

The Rape of Polyxena by Pio Fedi
Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Entitled “The Rape of Polyxena – Pio Fedi, classical sculptor in the years of Florence as Capital”, the exhibition is curated by Simonella Condemi and Elena Marconi, and aims at evoking the captivating setting arranged by the artist in his studio. Hence, in the refined and cozy ambiance of the “Sala del Camino”, models in clay will be on display along with some of the marble group’s preparatory drawings. The aim is to reconstruct the stages of a difficult and complex work in progress leading up to the final version of the monumental group, which made Pio Fedi famous in Italy and abroad. 24 November – 10 March 2019

All About Eve
Noel Coward Theatre, London

The much acclaimed film, based on Mary Orr’s original play “The Wisdom of Eve”, remains the only film to receive four female acting nominations. The Emmy Award-winning Gillian Anderson (X-Files, The Fall, A Streetcar Named Desire) will return to the stage alongside Lily James (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Downton Abbey, Romeo and Juliet). BAFTA Award-winner Monica Dolan will join the cast in the role of Karen, alongside Sheila Reid as Birdie and Rhashan Stone as Lloyd with performances running from 2nd February at the West End’s Noël Coward Theatre. Further casting to be announced soon. 2 Feb – 11 May 2019

Nelson Mandela: The Official Exhibition
Noel Coward Theatre, London

A major exhibition about the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela will be making its world debut in London’s 26 Leake Street this February. Visitors will have the opportunity to get up close to artefacts that have never been seen outside his native South Africa before, alongside immersive presentations and scenic re-creations. Items on show include the suit worn for the opening of the South African parliament in 1996, his presidential desk and chair, his iconic beige trench coat, and the traditional head dress gifted to him by The King of Xhosa people. Visitors will be taken on a journey through Mandela’s life, from his beginnings in rural Mvezo, through years of struggle against the apartheid regime, to his final years as South Africa’s first black president. The exhibition marks 100 years since his birth, and five years since his passing. 8 February-1 April 2019

READ MORE: Best Exhibitions in London / What’s On At The Theatre?