Weekly arts agenda: International Museum Day, Yves Klein

During the week of May 17 museums across the world will celebrate International Museum Day, extending their opening hours and putting on spectacular events to celebrate art and culture. In the USA the Hirshhom Museum and Sculpture Garden will honor influential French artist Yves Klein with a large-scale retrospective.

Nuit des Musées, International Museum Day
May 15- 18
Worldwide

During the week of May 15, museums and art institutions will be hosting various events in celebration of Nuit des Musées (Long Night of Museums), and International Museum Day across the globe. The Long Night of Museums will be held on May 15 this year. The event originated as a trend in Berlin in 1997 and has since spread throughout Europe, with more than 120 cities now participating. International Museum Day is typically held each year around May 18 in galleries across the world. Generally, museums will open their doors to the public for free on these days (and nights) and extend their opening hours late into the night.
http://nuitdesmusees.culture.fr/index.php?l=FRA&fl=GBR
http://icom.museum/imd.html

Yves Klein: With the Void, Full Powers
May 20-September 12
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Washington, DC, USA

A major retrospective of works by influential French artist Yves Klein will go on show at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden this May. The museum will be adorned with Klein's distinctive works in ultramarine "Klein Blue", as well as his fire paintings, sponge reliefs, "air architecture" projects, Cosmogonies, planetary reliefs and many works that have rarely been seen in public. The 200 works on show provide an insight into the short but intense career of one of the 20th century's most influential artists.
http://www.hirshhorn.org/exhibitions/view.asp?key=21&subkey=252

ART HK 10 - Hong Kong International Art Fair
May 27-30
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
Hong Kong

ART HK is still in its infancy, with just two editions under its belt but the art fair has already cut out its mark, drawing almost 50,000 visitors since its inception. It is quickly becoming one of the leading contemporary arts fair in Asia with an interesting mix of international collectors, curators and museum directors travelling to the event. In 2010 ART HK will be host to more than 140 galleries from almost 30 countries. A strong lineup of Asian artists will complement a leading mix of high-calibre international galleries from London's White Cube to Australia's Mori Gallery to Hong Kong's Gagosian Gallery.
http://www.hongkongartfair.com/

Affordable Art Fair
May 27-30
Halle Freyssinet
Paris, France

The AAF (Affordable Art Fair) is an international event designed to bring contemporary art to art lovers and collectors at affordable prices. Launched in London in 1999, the fair is now held twice a year in London and annually in Bristol, Amsterdam, Paris and New York. There are also affiliate Fairs in Sydney, Melbourne, Brussels, and Singapore. For the third time, the fair will visit Paris and showcase a selection of art priced from between €100 to €5000.
http://www.affordableartfair.fr

Hellenic Festival: Athens Festival & Epidaurus Festival
June 1-August 31
Multiple venues in Athens and Epidaurus
Greece

Greece buzzes with art, culture and music during the summer as the Athens Festival, the Epidaurus Festival (theatre) and "Musical July" (in Epidaurus) - considered to be among the most significant art festivals on the European continent - are held under the auspices of the Hellenic Festival. A rich program of art installations, concerts and special events has been planned for the 2010 edition. Highlights in the field of art include works by William Kentridge, Christof Buchel, Louise Bourgeois and Sarah Lucas.
http://www.greekfestival.gr/

PHotoEspaña
June 9 - July 25
Madrid, Spain

PHotoEspaña is a major international annual photography and visual arts festival that attracts more than 650,000 visitors per year. In 2010, 70 up-and-coming photographers will be selected and offered the opportunity to showcase their work to curators, gallery owners and editors as part of the 2010 Descubrimientos (discoveries) PHE portfolio review program.
http://www.phe.es/festival/

Art Basel
June 16 - 20
Basel, Switzerland

Art Basel is heralded as the world's premier international art show for modern and contemporary art. Works from more than 2,500 artists - from the great masters of modern art to fresh-faced contemporaries creating the trends of tomorrow - will be shown at the 41st edition of Art Basel. In 2009 around 61,000 people attended the "favorite rendezvous of the global art world." Basel turns into an international art hub during the week of June 14, with a huge array of art fairs taking place in the city including the Hot Art Fair Basel, VOLTAshow, Design Miami/Basel, LISTE, PrintBasel, Verge Art Fair Basel, and Red Dot Basel.
http://www.artbasel.com