Late Friday afternoon we finally made it along to the Hayward Gallery on the Southbank to see British Art Show 7, subtitled rather meaninglessly, as far as I could make out anyway, 'In the Days of the Comet'. Billed as "the most ambitious and influential exhibition of contemporary British art", the experience, for me, was …
Category: art
journeys of a randonneur
This week's cultural highlight was the private view of Journeys of a Randonneur - cycling themed prints by the very talented Andrew Pavitt. Currently showing at London's pre-eminent cycling café Look Mum No Hands! until 3rd April, these linocut prints are both striking and stylish - a cool mix of nostalgia, dynamism and just a …
a smattering of culture, a modicum of nature
Finally got around to seeing (just about) Anish Kapoor's outdoor sculptures, Turning the World Upside Down, in Kensington Gardens late afternoon on Wednesday, only a few days before the show ends. It was overcast and already heading towards dusk, and then thanks to my excellent map reading skills we wandered quite a way along the …
Continue reading a smattering of culture, a modicum of nature
a week in December
A packed week, which started, startlingly and hilariously, with James Naughtie's now infamous slip-up just before 8 o'clock on Monday morning. Then the gratifying announcement that Susan Philipsz had won the Turner Prize (see my post about her installation Surround Me). Also tickled to hear about the campaign Cage Against the Machine, which aims to …
Diaghilev at the V & A
On Friday afternoon, we ventured out to see the exhibition Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballet Russes at the Victoria and Albert museum. This proved to be a thoroughly absorbing exhibition, bringing together so many different elements - theatre, music, art, choreography, strong and creative personalties - in the same way that Diaghilev …
surround me
What better way to spend a crisply cold Sunday afternoon than tracking down ethereal sound installations in obscure alleys and corners of the City of London? These temporarily deserted streets are the site for Surround Me - A Song Cycle for the City of London by Susan Philipsz. We start in Change Alley, where three …
soho sunshine
Thursday afternoon we headed into town to catch the Tacita Dean film Craneway Event at the Frith Street Gallery before it closed this weekend. A warm, rather drowsy afternoon, London teeming with tourists, and just about every pub bedecked with national flags and World Cup 2010 posters. From Piccadilly, we wandered up to Golden Square, …
On Margate Sands
From Eliot to Emin, or Emin to Eliot, is just a short stroll across the broad stretch of Margate Sands. Here we were, on our short trip out of London, the mercury rocketing into the 20s (celsius, obviously), and enjoying most of what Margate has to offer. Adorning Droit House, on Margate Harbour Arm, is …
Hilaire 