exhibitions – The Cultural Exposé

What we’ve been up to (in Paris)… The Centre Pompidou

Matilda — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 12:30:27 +0000

I love pop art, so hitting up this show at the uber-modern The Centre Pompidou was a no-brainer. Jeff Koon is considered to be one of the world’s most expensive artists (his work can fetch for $25 million upwards) an he’s produced a collection of iconic and controversial pieces in the last 40 years, many which feature in this small retrospective. There’s the 1989 Made in Heaven piece of him and his wife, tha MJ and Bubbles sculpture and of course, the Balloon Dog (Magenta), which appears to be the show’s centrepiece and clearly a favourite amongst the visitors. It’s unbelievably metallic, but such is the incredible level of detail that you’ll be tempted to touch it to find out. While the show features plenty of fun stuff to take selfies with, one of my friends who came with me found it all a bit “meh”, and I could understand why – without

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the Koon backstory, the work here is just a pick and mix of kitsch and quirky artwork without the meaning that comes from a more meticulously curated (or larger) show. Still, it’s a whistle-stop education in a contemporary American artist who, though a bit Marmite, does what he does quite well. Had we stayed a bit longer for our €13, it might have been worth checking out some of the other Pompidou exhibitions, including a Hervé Télémaque retrospective (on until 18th May) and the What Is Photography? exhibition, an exploration of the medium in modern times (on until 1st June). www.centrepompidou.fr/en/The-Centre-Pompidou (Nearest Metros: Rambuteau)

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TCé picks: A selection of things to do and places to go – October 2013

Matilda — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 10:52:45 +0000

October, October, October – the month where we’re not only reminded of how close we are to the end of the year, but which also offers the last of the worthy happenings around town before everything starts to take a certain red and green tinge (with a whiff mixed spice). So here’s your chance to join forces with fellow bike enthusiasts, catch a flick at the LFF or salute Nelson Mandela, amongst other top things we’ve picked out. Enjoy!

Alternative

London Bicycle Film Festival at Barbican, October 3-6th – It’s officially a decade since the Bicycle Film Festival was created to celebrate urban cycling around the world, so this year’s events are quite the milestone. The London leg kicks off with a party at Hackney Downs Studio followed by a symposium and a selection of insightful short film screenings at the Barbican – all worth checking out, especially if you’re a lover of bike culture.

Arts & Culture

We Love Mandela: Art Inspired by Madiba exhibition, October 3rd – 16th – The touring exhibition of paintings, photographs, sculptures and artefacts were created to celebrate the milestone birthdays of the South African leader and comes to London following a stint at Johannesburg’s Peacemakers museum. It makes a brief visit, so catch it if you can.

Arts & Culture

BFI London Film Festival, October 9-20th – After a run-of-the-mill summer movie season, autumn really needs to start with a bang. Thankfully, the 57th BFI London Film Festival is more than up to the task. The LFF has assembled its strongest line-up in years and there is something for every film lover in this twelve days celebration of the magic of cinema.

Music

Bilal at Islington Assembly Hall, October 24th – This Philly soul singer has collaborated with some of the best in the biz (Jay-Z, Erykah Badu, Q-Tip, Robert Glasper), but has always put on a heck of a show when rolling solo. We’re looking forward to seeing him in action when he hits North London at the end of the month.

Eat & Drink

PipsDish, 15 Exeter Street Covent Garden – The Islington pop-up makes a permanent home on Exeter Street in Covent Garden this month, promising to bring something new to the table. They’ll be serving brekkie for starters, and will continue their “no-menu” tradition of offering a variety of seasonal dishes made with quality, locally-sourced ingredients.

Best bits from last month

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Somewhere you should go… SLAM Last Fridays

Florence Ritter — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 10:10:27 +0000

SLAM Last Fridays, the fresh naughty little sister of the monthly late night openings, will be coming around again at the end of the month. Compared with East London’s well-established First Thursdays and Fitzrovia’s well-heeled Lates on every last Thursday, South London’s offering to the mix is more diverse and widespread, and is an important fixture for your art diaries. Galleries and studios in Bankside, Peckham, Deptford and Bermondsey open their doors into the evening and welcome those who want to kick off the weekend with a good hit of culture, and maybe a cheeky beer or two. So print off a map, round up some pals and hit those buzzing cultural seedbeds south of the river. SLAM organisers recommend sticking to one district but the more adventurous can zip between galleries by bus, bike or rollerblades, whatever you fancy. South London Art Tours are organised across each of the areas, on a strictly pay-what-you-can (or -like) basis. Follow one of their specialist tour guides to a selection of art hotspots, wander freestyle, or have a gander at these shows handpicked by your beloved TCé: • Bankside’s CUL DE SAC Gallery will be exploring misrepresentation, authority and the individual in contemporary China in a series of parodic and absurd works in performance and video. • Exhibiting artist Melanie Jackson will be giving a talk in Peckham’s Flat Time House on her weird and wonderful futuristic botanicals, in a recently opened display of ceramic and video work. (April 26th) • Over in Bermondsey, a brilliant show at The Drawing Room interrogates the blurred boundaries of media categorisation with a showcase of artists working between drawing and sculpture. If all this art gets you in the mood for cheap drinks and dancing don’t forget the official after parties held in each of the different areas – slammin’! (Words: Florence Ritter) For more info, visit www.southlondonartmap.com

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TCé picks: A selection of things to do and places to go – April 2013

The Cultural Exposé — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:00:39 +0000

The fourth month of 2013 promises aplenty in the way of festivals, parties, exhibitions and food glorious food – so forgive us if we’re feeling a little giddy about what we’ll be getting up to this April…

Cinema

Bird’s Eye View Film Festival: Celebrating Arab Women Filmmakers, April 3-10th – This year’s BEV will be honouring the work of women in the Arab world, offering insightful docs, film shorts, Q&As, live music and a special Fashion Loves Films programme, offering a host of parties and galas.

Art & Culture

Gaia: A Show of Hands at Nelly Duff, April 11th – One of the most thought-provoking street artists of our time will be presenting his first UK exhibition for one week only. The New York-born, Baltimore-based artist has built an international rep for his street murals, and this show will demonstrate his continuous fascination with hands through his unique style.

Eat & Drink

Dante Fried Chicken at Death by Burrito April 11-14th – We happily chowed down at Mr Dante’s finger-lickin’ pop-up last year so pleased to hear he’s back on our shores, this time with a cookbook and an exhibition. He’ll also be joining forces with Death by Burrito for a guest chef residency, where he’ll be serving up an exclusive dinner menu and all day brunch on April 14th, to mark the final day of the show.

Nightlife

The Doctor’s Orders Presents The Doctor’s Orders 250 Featuring DJ Jazzy Jeff, The Nextmen And Rich Medina At Scala, April 13th – To mark their 250th event, the Doctor’s Orders guys are going all out to bring together some of the most celebrated DJs in hip-hop – and this is one party that won’t stop until the sun comes up.

Art & Culture

Pick Me Up 2013: Graphic Arts Festival at Somerset House, April 18-28th – Feast your eyes on an incredible array of illustrations and designs at this 11-day celebration of all things graphic. Highlights include workshops, creative forums and lively events every evening.

Eat & Drink

The Lab at Tobacco Docks, April 25-27th – The creators of the Taste of London fest are debuting a new experimental foodie weekend, featuring some of the most innovative chefs from around the world and masterclasses in experiencing food like never before.

Best bits from last month

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Something you should see… Somerset House June exhibitions

Laura Thornley — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 10:00:09 +0000

The spectacular Somerset House is awash with events this month, so we’ve have decided to give you our highlights which should keep you busy! First up, and a real ‘art’ warmer, is Kokoro: The Art of Horiyoshi III exhibition. Kokoro means heart or feeling and describes a theme central to Japanese philosophy. Here it is represented by a selection of paintings by this acclaimed tattoo artist so cue dragons, samurai and lots of symbolism. On until July 1st.

If you prefer to see a more design-orientated exhibtion then don’t miss Wendy Ramshaw’s Room of Dreams. She is one of Britain’s leading contemporary designers, working in jewellery and large public art pieces; her inspired metal work can be found protecting the entrance of Hyde Park in the form of gates. The exhibitions includes maquettes of that piece as well as the central piece Room of Dreams: an out of this world “environment” which draws inspiration from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. And if that’s not enough, running alongside the exhibition will be an exciting week-long event where all the biggest names in body adornment will be showcasing their latest jewellery pieces. Until June 24th.

And if you still have time, there ‘s an exhibition of five handcrafted Omega Workshop rugs from 1913-1916 in the Great Arch Gallery, also on until June 24th. Visitors can enjoy reproductions of the originals from an outstanding period of UK design so regularly forgotten. (Words: Laura Thornley)

For more info, visit www.somersethouse.org.uk/visual-arts

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Somewhere you should go…London Design Festival 2011

Rachel Segal Hamilton — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 09:00:29 +0000

The capital’s creatives have had it scrawled in their diaries (in red Sharpie marker, naturally) for months. It’s a biggie, the London Design Festival – and now in its 9th year, it promises to be vaster and more exciting than ever. But, with a dizzying 250 events and exhibitions to choose from over nine days, it’s hard to know where to begin. We recommend kicking off at the festival’s core venue, the V&A, where you can grab a copy of the LDF guide before hitting the streets to explore what else is on offer. Then head down to ‘Cut it Out’ at Outline Editions, to check out new work by illustrator Noma Bar and bag your own limited edition artwork made with a giant, dog-shaped hole punch (no lies). Also, don’t miss ‘My London’ at Established & Sons, a series of collaborative installations by designers, artists and architects, paying homage to the big smoke, or ‘Mermaids‘ by Marcel Wanders, a watery re-imagining of Dutch design company Moooi’s London showroom. Finally, indulge your wildest foodie fantasies at a ‘secret sensory supper’ in the dramatic masonic temple room at Andaz Liverpool Street Hotel. And if that’s not enough, you can always get up the next day and start all over again. (Words: Rachel Segal Hamilton)

[stextbox id=”custom”]London Design Festival runs from 17 – 25 September 2011 at the V&A and other locations around London. For more info, visit londondesignfestival.com[/stextbox]

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