Exhibition of the week
Keith Tyson
Wall drawings in which the Turner prize-winning creator of the Art Machine works out his ideas.
• Jerwood Gallery, Hastings, 28 January–4 June.
Also showing
Disappearance at Sea – Mare Nostrum
Wolfgang Tillmans, Tomo Brody, Aikaterini Gegisian, Jackie Karuti and other artists protest against the callous betrayal of refugees on the Mediterranean sea.
• Baltic, Gateshead, to 14 May.
Tim Noble and Sue Webster
Graphic anatomical sculptures from the artist duo renowned for ingenious shadow projections.
• Blain Southern Gallery, London, 3 February–25 March.
Fernanda Gomes
White paintings by this leading Brazilian artist of concrete abstractions.
• Alison Jacques Gallery, London, 1 February–1 March.
Graham Fink
Photographic art that explores illusion and its place in the origin of religious belief.
• Riflemaker, London, 2 February–2 March.
Masterpiece of the week
Jacob van Ruisdael: A Landscape With a Ruined Castle and a Church (c 1665-70)
The immense dark shadow of the sky gives this tranquil painting a sudden shocking power. Ruisdael is one of most subtle and atmospheric of all landscape artists and a mesmerising observer of nature.
• National Gallery, London.
Image of the week
An Instagram image of curator Maess Anand, next to work by artist Lapo Simeoni, at the world’s smallest art biennale. The Biennale de la Biche is on a spit of land off Guadeloupe, where a single shack rests submerged in water. Anand and her fellow organisers aren’t sure if anyone will visit, and the art is made never to return from its tropical gallery. As a parable for global warming, and the emptiness of the elite art world, it’s a pretty neat one.
What we learned this week
... Christo cancelled an artwork in Colorado in protest
... street artists are pumped up by the new president’s arrival
... and to understand Donald Trump, perhaps we should look to ancient Rome’s tyrants
Sydney Dance Company is doing naked performances in the Art Gallery of New South Wales
Michael Andrews’ Gagosian show is a five-star wonder
Van Gogh is in danger of becoming a pop culture cliche
Rowan Moore appraised the work of overlooked brutalist architect Peter Womersley
A series of ancient artefacts, including an Ottoman tombstone, have been recovered by Europol
$250m will buy you the most expensive house in the US
The Museum of London is getting £180m towards its new home
Adrian Searle reviewed Amie Siegal’s Strata show at South London Gallery
The Observer’s Laura Cumming reviewed Lubaina Himid and Tschabalala Self’s new shows
The Saatchi Gallery is preparing a selfie exhibition. (Well, self portraits)
A new exhibition unpacks the relationship Rex Whistler had with his final patron
Get involved
Book now for Guardian members’ events: a private view of the Australia’s Impressionists exhibition at the Royal Academy in London, and a private view of the Robots exhibition at the Science Museum in London.
Our A-Z of Readers’ Art series continues, looking at your artworks with the theme O is for Oracle – check out the best entries here.
The next theme is P is for Portraiture. Send in your artworks with that theme, and the best will be exhibited in next month’s gallery.
Don’t forget
To follow us on Twitter: @GdnArtandDesign.
