Featuring a mixture of events ranging from digitally innovative displays of feminist work, to an artistic talk that aims to uncover the often uncomfortable and haunting themes that have been suppressed by our national galleries, January’s top art picks are definitely not to be missed!

Uncovering arts hidden histories: Uncomfortable Art Tour with Alice Proctor at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

Following a variety of talks in London, Alice Proctor’s ‘Uncomfortable Art Tour’ has been gaining a huge amount of popularity. In a bid to display traditionally suppressed themes, Proctor’s tour aims to display our nation’s art in ways we may have never originally considered. Her own academic work pays particular interest to post-colonialism, and she is currently writing about disruption and rule-breaking at art galleries. Proctor will be using the current ‘Women, Power, Protest’ exhibition to discover the role women have had to play throughout art history. I am personally super excited to go see this!
Sat 19 Jan, tour will begin in the Round Room at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Chamberlain Square, Birmingham, B3 3DH, Tel: 0121 348 8000, 1pm-3pm, free.
www.birminghammuseums.org.uk

Why is our society obsessed with ‘cute’? Too Cute! Sweet Is About To Get Sinister at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

Dissecting notions of cuteness, artist and filmmaker Rachel Maclean examines how depictions of cuteness can be both sweet and sinister. By curating selected pieces from the Arts Council Collection, Maclean hope to unpack the often overlooked ‘kitschy’ topic to reveal why contemporary society is so obsessed with cuteness. Cuteness is everywhere, from photo filters, to adult onesies, and Maclean wishes to understand why. Looking at art from contemporary society, right the way back to the 19th century, Maclean intends to historically unpack the history of ‘cute’, to reveal themes of content, and those which may even sicken.

Exhibition runs Sat 26 Jan – Sat 12 May 2019. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Chamberlain Square, Birmingham, B3 3DH, Tel: 0121 348 8000, Opening times vary, free.
www.birminghammuseums.org.uk

A female group show exploring notions of identity: Ways of Belonging at the Midlands Art Centre

Featuring the work by four Birmingham based female artists, Ways of Belonging aims to challenge surrounding identity, and what it means to be ‘local’. The exhibition promises to be both poignant, and exciting as all four women aim to subvert the stereotypes that mainstream media often places on them, in a bid to challenge the concept of identity. A must see!

Sat 19 Jan – Sun 17 Mar. Midlands Art Centre, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH, Tel: 0121 446 3232, Open every day, 9am-9.45pm, free.
www.macbirmingham.co.uk

An innovative exhibition fusing themes of feminism, race and gender across various digital media platforms: We Run This at Birmingham Open Media

Featuring work by women and non-binary people of colour, We Run This is a new exhibition that will explore the themes of race, gender and sexuality all through digital media. Including work by Emily Mulenga who explores the digitization of the body through the use of emojis and avatars, and Tabita Rezaire who uses digital art in a bid to critique colonialism. This exhibition promises to offer a new spin on feminist and racial discourse, as it offers an insight into identity, diaspora, and the digital.

Thurs 10 Jan – Sat 2 Mar. BOM (Birmingham Open Media), 1 Dudley Street, Birmingham, B5 4EG, Tel: 0121 643 2617, opening times vary, free.
ww.bom.org.uk

An artistic performance-come-talk-show: Fierce Presents: Moot Moot at the Midlands Art Centre

Commissioned by Fierce Festival, artists Rosana Cade and Ivor MacAskill will be taking on the role as talk show hosts ‘Barry and Barry’ who will desperately attempt to engage with the audience. As the hosts attempt to connect with us, they are fully aware that no calls are getting through. In a jointly hilarious yet devastating portrayal of modern communication, ‘Moot Moot’ hopes to be surreal and engaging. Including an unearthly score or bizarre and unusual sounds by Yas Clarke, this show promises to be an immersive, captivating and entertaining experience.

Wed 23 Jan. Midlands Art Centre, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH, 8pm-9pm, Tel: 0121 446 3232, £10.50-£13, 16+.
macbirmingham.co.uk

Image courtesy of: www.birminghammuseums.org.uk