Above and Beyond

This month, galleries around the world shine a spotlight on art that pushes the envelope

SKYWHALES: EVERY HEART SINGS National Gallery of Australia, Canberra Until July 25

For the next instalment of The Balnaves Contemporary Series—a programme of events since 2018 that focus on disruptive, transformative art taking place since 2018— the sky is literally the limit. Commissioned especially for the series, Skywhalepapa by hyperrealist Australian artist Patricia Piccinini is a 34-metre-long hot-air balloon sculpture that joins Skywhale, a similar work she created in 2013. The sculptures will soar over Canberra multiple times during this show, after which they’ll traverse Australia as part of a travelling exhibition. nga.gov.au

STARS: SIX CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS FROM JAPAN TO THE WORLD Mori Art Museum, Tokyo April 23—September 6

This exhibition highlights six Japanese or Japanbased artists who have risen to international fame since the end of WWII: Yayoi Kusama, Lee Ufan, Tatsuo Miyajima, Takashi Murakami, Yoshitomo Nara and Hiroshi Sugimoto. Alongside their works, the exhibition features archival material that explores the impact of major contemporary Japanese art shows from the 1950s onwards that introduced the country’s art scene to the global stage. mori.art.museum

YOSHITOMO NARA Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles April 5—August 23

This exhibition examines the work of one of Japan’s best-known artists through a new lens—his love of music. Since Yoshitomo Nara was young, music ranging from western punk rock to folk music has been a major source of inspiration. The exhibition includes work dating from 1987 to the present, including paintings, drawings, sculpture, ceramics, installations, sketches and a selection of covers of albums Nara collected when he was a teenager. lacma.org

ARTEMISIA The National Gallery, London April 4—July 26

In 17th-century Europe, art was primarily a male pursuit. But the female artist Artemisia Gentileschi defied convention with her paintings, which often featured heroines from history and the Bible. This first major exhibition dedicated to Artemisia in the UK showcases paintings she made all over Europe, including self-portraits and her famous Judith Beheading Holofernes, as well as a series of recently discovered personal letters. nationalgallery.org.uk