For mains, I had the curry goat, which wasn’t the best I’ve ever had (I might give that accolade to Bamboula, just 10 minutes away near the town hall), but I thought the accompanying rice and gunga peas was lovely enough, while I could have had refills of that homemade lemonade all night.  Pricewise, they’re a tiny bit steepish unless you get a jerk-chicken with two sides combo for just over a tenner, but they do offer BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle), which makes a refreshing change. Overall, a rare gem of a restaurant that’s off the beaten track – and great choice for the locals.

For more info on Negril, visit: www.negrilbrixton.com

Mirza, winner of the Silver Lion Award for a promising young artist two years ago at the Venice Biennale, is known for his ambitious and ground-breaking work with sound, sculpture, space and light. His sensory immersive sonic environments reverberate through the rooms at Lisson Gallery: ‘it’s weird – you can feel it right through your body’ one visitor commented whilst standing in the ‘LED surround sound sequencer’ upstairs at the gallery. Another: ‘this is how my brain works’.

The ‘LED surround sound sequencer’ (another of the bullet points) can be found in an airless and grey soundproofed room, where a ring of speakers are linked up to a small ring of LEDs. The interlinking wires are pulled taut and precisely arranged in a kind of elegant 3-D line drawing, and the lights flash on and off in an unknown automated sequence, communicating with their opposite speakers which pulsate in tandem.

Downstairs, the spotless floor of the gallery is dotted with turntables, wires, pieces of vinyl and great wads of violently angular soundproofing foam mounted at different points on the walls. Crackling, scratching, whomp-whomping sounds pick their way across the room.

Mirzas’s work is not confined to the series of spaces at Lisson Gallery. This week will see the opening of a second audio composition and light installation at the Hepworth Wakefield, where Mirza works with the architecture to distort and change the displays of objects from the Hepworth’s collection of modern British painting and sculpture. His work also expands into the internet sphere, on Vinyl Factory‘s interactive website, where all of Mirza’s samples are available to play with. If you’re nifty with an MP4 and fancy yourself as a potential collaborator, there is also the chance to put together a track  - which might even stand the chance of being released by the record label. (Words: Florence Ritter)

On until June 29th. For more info, visit: www.lissongallery.com/#/artists/haroon-mirza

In its new life, 150 years later, Heaton Butler and Bayne has been resurrected (from the ashes of The Forge) by the owners of La Deuxieme. At the helm is head chef Jonas Karlsson – who allegedly left his native Sweden after its economic rating was downgraded (let’s hope he doesn’t get wind of the UK’s recent lapse). He has previously graced the kitchen in Harvey Nichols. But this is a far cry from a department store. The surroundings are classy, a bar area graces the entrance and the spacious dining room is simply furnished. The friendly staff seat us and quickly advise on the best cocktail to try, Ceci’s Dream. We weren’t disappointed, and you could also go for the Bayne bloody Mary served with an oyster on the side.

The menu is not extensive but has seasonal written all over it. I opt for asparagus, hollandaise and poached egg – a classic that was creamy, rich and accompanied by an utterly delicious dill salad. My companion tried the fresh seafood salad, which was only slightly tainted by the flavourless prawns. For mains, we chose saddle of rabbit and dared to put the chefs through the risotto test. The rabbit saddle was cooked well and accompanied by soft polenta – not the most complimentary pairing but both cooked well. The pea and mint risotto was tasty and cooked as an Italian would expect.

For dessert, our elderflower mouse with shortbread and almond crumble was excellent, creamy and not overpowered by the fragrant flower. Doughnuts with caramel cream were not enough like the fairground variety for my taste, but made for a good sharing dessert all the same.

The main courses hover around the £17 mark – which isn’t unusual for central London. The surroundings and good quality food make this an intimate and actually quite romantic place to dine. There is even a ‘Madmen’ style drinks lounge in the basement, where you can be stylish and alluring, until you have one too many of those delicious cocktails that is… (Words: Laura Thornley)

For more info, visit: www.hbbrestaurant.co.uk

Tate Britain has now revealed the products of its labours, and to a resoundingly positive critical reception. The walls of the beautiful, top-lit galleries have been repainted a paradisiacal egg-shell blue, the floors waxed and the dark marble detailing polished to a high shine. It’s a brilliant setting for the history of British art, which is represented by display which have been re-organised to hang chronologically, according to the year the works were made.

This re-hang moves away from the application of ‘movements’ or broad cultural terms which, when retrospectively applied, can be misleading or restrictive of individual interpretation. There are no information panels, only a single date heading up each room. Instead of spending most of the visit peering at the writing on the wall, we are encouraged to look at the objects of art themselves, consider their means of production and kind of the British society for which they were made.

One of the greatest things about Tate’s big re-vamped re-hang is that there is no rush to take it all in at once. There isn’t any pending last weekend or last-chance-to-see, no waiting for that long bank holiday to come around. Take an old school British picnic down to the river before a wander around the collection, pop in on your lunch break, or complete the British experience with an early evening pint of locally brewed ale at a nearby pub. The collection is open all day and every day and, as always, admission is free. (Words: Florence Ritter)

For more info, visit: www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-britain

The Holborn branch isn’t an obvious find, but I liked that it was quite cosy with only four lanes and you can play off-peak for just £7 a person. The food was also a major plus – so after playing a quick game (where I remarkably came in 3rd place!), we sat down to a varied American menu, and ordered everything from a full rack of BBQ baby back ribs with coleslaw and fries (£18) and mac & cheese (£10.50) to a veggie burger (£11) and an 8 oz rib eye steak (£18).  The mains are obviously not cheap, but sandwiches like the fish finger with fries (£8) are generous enough and there’s the option of tucking in on small plates such as chicken wings, popcorn squid & aioli or mac and cheese croquettes which are all well under a tenner.  I also loved the fact that you can order floats – sprite, root beer or coke with ice cream – cream sodas, deluxe milkshakes and mixed juices – and for afters, there was cherry pie on the dessert menu (and I love cherry pie!)

Bowling tends to be put on the back burner in Spring but we all had a really great time – so I can’t recommend it enough!

For more info, visit: www.allstarlanes.co.uk

Each of the works on show at both Ayyam Gallery and Edge of Arabia are entitled Dream, and together they form a strange portrait of the artist’s subconscious mind. Working from memories of his own dreams, Dahoul transforms their transitory and uncontrolled narratives into smoothly executed and compositionally well-balanced works of art. Painted in a range of greys, black and white, they have a sobering and stilling effect on the viewer.
Although the works are open to interpretation, it is interesting to read them with reference to Dahoul’s own biographical history. He began numbering his Dream paintings after the passing of his wife, from which time his works became more contemplative and darker, in both spirit and palette. The checkerboard grid patterns, with their stifling repetition and restrictive structure, appeared as a motif after Dahoul was forced to move from his native Syria to live in Dubai.

Although Dahoul uses painting as a conduit for self-expression, there is a surprising regularity, order and logical pattern to his work. The paintings contain visual references to Insular metalwork, Egyptian and Roman art, as well as Arabic calligraphy. Although he is a Syrian artist first and foremost, this widespread range of influences confirms that it isn’t possible to reduce Dahoul’s work to its area of origin. Ayyam Gallery, who raise awareness for and promote art from the Middle East, have this month chosen to show the work of an artist who matches their own broadening scope of influence on the international art scene. And one who, in spite of his initial reluctance to come to see us, quietly admitted that he has loved London. (Words: Florence Ritter)

Safwan Dahoul’s Repetitive Dreams is on at the Ayyam Gallery until June 8th. For more info, visit: www.ayyamgallery.com/exhibitions/safwan-dahoul_2/press-release

Keep
Calm
and
head to
the British Library

…to find out why there is a million and one things emblazoned with this much-bastardised saying.

The British Library’s summer exhibition presents the first retrospective of the persuasive imagery of the twentieth and 21st century. Artworks on show will range from the nostalgic British factory recruitment of women, to the horrific imagery employed by the Nazi’s and Chinese Red Army party-lines.

The definition of propaganda is often difficult to pin down, powerful in its message and utterly one-sided in its view; if it’s on your side of the fence it can be viewed as fun, but if it comes from behind enemy lines, it takes on a very different shade. The exhibition attempts to demonstrate that the power of propaganda is all around us and whilst we can easily identify the rallying slogans of yesteryear, today’s ‘party lines’ are less easy to spot.

Since the British Library is a hub of intellectual life, the collateral events accompanying the exhibition are as long as my arm, diverse and interesting. The ultimate spin-doctor Alistair Campbell will be in conversation discussing the ‘Politics, the People and the Press’ and a late night event, ‘The Party Rules’ will see Hot Chip and Public Service Broadcasting perform their music amidst information films, archive propaganda and wartime broadcasts. There will also numerous talks about how Britain was ‘sold’ during the Olympics, the propaganda of the Iron Curtain and if citizen journalism has disrupted the status quo of power and influence. This exhibition should be a fascinating look at this brazen political tool. Needless to say, your library needs you! See you there. (Words: Laura Thornley)

Propaganda: Power and Persuasion is on from May 17th to September 17th. For more info, visit: http://www.bl.uk/whatson/exhibitions/propaganda/index.html

The work comes from the research and artist group Model Court, who specialise in the interrogation, dissemination and transmission of the law. The focal point of this particular show is the recent trial of Francois Bazramba, a Rwandan national convicted of genocide by a small court in the Finnish town of Porvoo. The trial was remarkable in its use of modern technologies, video telephone calls and displacement of bodies across continents: the Finnish jury journeyed to Rwanda whilst Bazramba was present only through Skype in Finland.

In a bid to understand this international trial, Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Sidsel Meineche Hansen, Lorenzo Pezzani and Oliver Rees have assumed the semi-fictional perspective of the AV technician employed to operate equipment during the trial. Refusing to enter into judgement calls – the members of Model Court do not discuss the political debates surrounding the genocide in Rwanda – but rather highlight how technologies have broken down spatial divides and, consequently the boundaries of national laws. The resulting mythologies are an exhibition of video, sound, drawing and installation, working together to scrutinize themes such as neo-colonialism, what constitutes aid and how history, itself, is produced. This fascinating exhibition will certainly get the brain cogs moving! (Words: Laura Thornley)

On until  July 7th at Gasworks. For more info, visit: www.gasworks.org.uk/exhibitions

Image by Patrick White

The Museum’s collection includes pieces from the 1490s to the late twentieth century and features exquisite early drawings by established masters Dürer and Rembrandt alongside recent painting and digital work. Many of the works relate to teaching at Slade School of Fine Art, which, since its foundation in 1871 has built its reputation to become the art school to go to in London, if you make the cut. Alumni include John Stezaker and sculptors Rachel Whiteread and Anthony Gormley; the ubiquitous Ed Atkins is a recent graduate as is Katie Paterson, whose work was recently part of the widely-celebrated Light Show over at the Hayward.

There is less scope for the usual graduate show naval gazing in this historically conscious exhibition, which will see the students set themselves in the linage of great art and artists as represented by the Museum’s collection . Go, see, and take a guess at which of the artists will be lucky enough to have their own work interpreted by students a century from now. There are sure to be some surprises. (Words: Florence Ritter)

On until June 9th.  For more info, visit: www.ucl.ac.uk/museums/uclart/exhibitions