Fashion and Textile Museum
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 5:25 PM

The Fashion and Textile Museum is a cutting edge centre for contemporary fashion, textiles and jewellery in London. Founded by iconic British designer Zandra Rhodes, the centre houses permanent and changing exhibitions exploring elements of fashion, textile and jewellery and an academy which runs courses for creative students and businesses.

83 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3XF - +44 (0)20 7403 0222
 
Class/Workshop - 19 Aug 2010 to 26 Aug 2010

A number of interesting activities for a range of ages to inspire and entertain budding young designers. Drawing inspiration from Horrockses Fashions this workshop provides an introduction to developing fashion prints and surface decoration. Children develop their own patterns to apply to 50s fashion plates, using a variety of media and techniques.

Art Class/Workshop - 5 Aug 2010 to 12 Aug 2010

Fashion and textile museum curator Dennis Nothdruft with inspirational workshops for aspiring designers and illustrators. The workshop covers retro-style fashion drawing techniques. Participants create original designs and develop their own 50s fashion plates. For 12-16 year olds.

 

Gauguin: Maker of Myth - Tate Modern
Wednesday, July 07, 2010 1:33 PM

30 Sep 2010 - 16 Jan 2011 Mon - Thu, Sun 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Fri, Sat 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Tate Modern, Bankside, London. SE1 9TG - +44 (0)20 7887 8888

Gauguin: Maker of Myth displays more than 100 works by the influential late-19th century artist from worldwide public and private collections.

The exhibition delves into the artist's unique storytelling style, which has made him one of modern art's greats

Alongside paintings, you'll also see some of Gauguin's lesser-known work in journalism, ceramics and carvings.

Exhibition highlights include:

  • Vision of the Sermon 1888
  • Teha'amana has Many Parents 1893
  • Self-portrait as Christ in the Garden of Olives 1889
  • Self-portrait with Manau tu papau 1893
RA Summer Exhibition 2010: Interview with Co-ordinator
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 2:29 PM

An interview with one of the co-ordinators of the 2010 Summer Exhibition, Stephen Chambers, at the Royal Academy of Arts.

Royal Academy of Arts
Burlington House
London
W1J 0BD
+44 (0)20 7300 8000
 
The Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition is one of London's longest-running art shows, now in its 242nd year.

It's also the world's largest open-submission contemporary art exhibition with around 11,000 works submitted annually. 

Each year, the Summer Exhibition features work by Royal Academy artists (Academicians). This year, you'll be able to see new work by artists such as Ed Ruscha, Gillian Ayres and Tracey Emin.

Guest curators in 2010 include Fiona Rae, who will take over a room within the exhibition, and David Chipperfield, who will curate the Architecture Gallery.

 

Ernesto Neto: The Edges of the World
Monday, June 14, 2010 2:01 PM

19 Jun - 05 Sep 2010 Mon - Thu, Sat, Sun 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Fri 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Hayward Gallery, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XZ - +44 (0)20 7921 0887

This summer, renowned Brazilian artist Ernesto Neto is transforming the Hayward Gallery with a series of spectacular installations.

Neto is known for his immersive artworks, often made from stretched lycra, which give the impression of being inside a body. Spices, plastic balls and cushions are used to provide different textures and scents.

Recently, Neto has been exploring a new direction in his work, using steel to produce large-scale structures, one of which will be shown for the first time at the Hayward Gallery.

Neto was born in 1964 and lives and works in Rio de Janeiro. Last year, he created his largest work to date, called anthropodino, at the Park Avenue Armory in New York.

Rude Britannia: British Comic Art
Thursday, June 10, 2010 11:33 AM

09 Jun - 05 Sep 2010 Every Ist Fri Of the Month 10:00 AM - 9:40 PM; Daily 10:00 AM - 5:40 PM; 30 Aug 2010 , Summer Bank Holiday 10:00 AM - 5:40 PM

Tate Britain, Millbank, London. SW1P 4RG - +44 (0)20 7887 8888

British Comic Art at Tate Britain

Some of the country's best-known cartoonists, comedy writers and artists offer their take on British humour at Tate Britain this summer.

The groundbreaking Rude Britannia: British Comic Art exhibition looks at comic traditions from the 1600s to the present day, and explores the role of humour in British life.

You'll see the work of top British artists past and present at Rude Britannia, including:

  • Sarah Lucas
  • Aubrey Beardsley
  • Donald McGill
  • Edward Lear
  • David Shrigley
  • Hogarth
  • Gerald Scarfe
  • Rebecca Warren
  • Gillray
  • Cruikshank

http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/7015401

Free Range 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010 5:40 PM

04 Jun - 26 Jul 2010 Mon, Fri - Sun 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM Closed Tue - Thu

Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, Whitechapel, London. E1 6QL

Free Range 2010 is a unique opportunity to meet thousands of graduate artists and buy their work. 

Entry is free and the show is open to everyone.

  

You can see a huge variety of work over eight weeks at Free Range.

  • Week one is dedicated to design, including art, graphics, advertising and fashion shows
  • Weeks two and three feature photography
  • Week four is devoted to New Blood, the creative talent show from D&AD
  • Weeks five and six are focused on art, including photography, illustration, interdisciplinary design, creative arts, fashion with textiles, and image and communications
  • Week seven is devoted to interiors, including furniture and product design, textiles and interior educators
  • Week eight features mixed media, including photography and design for interaction

http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/7678472 

 www.free-range.org.uk

 

Art Exhibition for the Guide Dogs Association
Friday, May 07, 2010 4:48 PM

The FSA (Farringdon Society of Arts), created an art exhibition for the Guide Dogs Association to raise awareness and funds for the charity including the portrait of Emma Donnelly, a blind artist's muse.

 

 

Grace Kelly: Style Icon - Victoria & Albert Museum London, April - Sep 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010 5:27 PM

17 April 2010 to 26 September 2010

Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London. SW7 2RL - +44 (0)20 7942 2000

London's Victoria and Albert Museum displays items from Grace Kelly's spectacular wardrobe. 

See more than 50 outfits worn by Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco and one of the most popular Hollywood actresses of all time.

Grace Kelly: Style Icon traces the evolution of Kelly's wardrobe from her time in Hollywood in the 1950s through to her tragic death in 1982.

Grace Kelly, one of the most popular Hollywood stars of her day, was renowned for style, beauty and acting talent.

 n 1956 at the age of 26, Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier of Monaco and retired from her successful Hollywood career to become Princess Grace. 

Princess Grace and Prince Rainier had three children: Caroline, Albert (current ruler of the Principality of Monaco) and Stéphanie. Grace died in 1982 when she had a stroke at the wheel of her car and drove it off the edge of a cliff in Monaco.

The V&A exhibition shows more than 50 of Grace Kelly's outfits, as well as hats, jewellery and the original Hermès Kelly bag, which was named after her. 

 

The Enchanted Palace at Kensington Palace
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 2:53 PM

26 March 2010 to 30 June 2012

Kensington Palace State Apartments
Kensington Gardens
London
W8 4PX
 
0844 4827777
 
The Enchanted Palace is a unique exhibition at Kensington Palace, featuring the work of top fashion designers Vivienne Westwood, William Tempest and Stephen Jones.
 

The designer exhibits at Kensington Palace include:

  • A dress of tears by Aminaka Wilmont, based on the ancient tradition of collecting tears at times of mourning
  • An installation of hats by milliner Stephen Jones, inspired by 18th-century busts of great philosophers and scientists
  • A Vivienne Westwood dress inspired by the spirited Princess Charlotte (1796-1817)
  • A "wishing throne" where you can record your desires
  • A soundscape of ticking and chiming clocks by Boudicca, accompanied by "dresses the colour of time" circling the room
  • An origami dress by William Tempest, which appears to vanish into its surroundings

 

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot at the Barbican
Friday, March 05, 2010 4:48 PM

27 February 2010 to 23 May 2010

Open daily 11:00 - 20:00 , Open late every Thursday until 22:00

Barbican The Curve, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London. EC2Y 8DS

+44 (0)20 7638 8891

Contemporary French artist Céleste Boursier-Mougenot has created a walk-through aviary with 40 zebra finches for this free exhibition at the Barbican.

The birds' perches are made from guitars, and they feed from cymbals filled with seeds and water.

As the birds go about their daily lives, they make music by plucking the guitar strings and pecking at the cymbals.

Boursier-Mougenot trained as a musician and began his career as a theatre composer. He started making installations in the early 1990s.

Working in a variety of media, including sculpture, video and sound, Boursier-Mougenot creates installations that bring together sound and visual art.

The Barbican show is Boursier-Mougenot's first solo exhibition in the UK.

Henry Moore - Tate Britain
Friday, February 19, 2010 5:30 PM

24 February 2010 to 15 August 2010

Tate Britain, Millbank, London. SW1P 4RG - (0)20 7887 8888

Henry Moore (1898-1986) was one of Britain's greatest artists.

This new exhibition at Tate Britain will demonstrate Moore's position at the forefront of progressive 20th century sculpture, with the most comprehensive selection of his works shown together for a generation.

Among the fantastic range and quality of Moore's art, the new Tate show examines three themes: war, women and world culture.

Henry Moore first emerged as an artist in the wake of the First World War, during which he served on the Western Front. This exhibition looks at the impact this had on his art.

The recurring motif of the mother and child is explored throughout Tate Britain's exhibition.

Moore called it his "fundamental obsession", and presented a complex vision of the maternal relationship, ranging from the nurturing bond of Mother and Child 1930-3, to Suckling Child 1930.

Other highlights of this show include sculptures influenced by world cultures:

  • Moore's primitive masks and works such as Girl with Clasped Hands 1930
  • abstract sculptures from the 1930s such as Composition 1931
  • threatening and sexualised works influenced by Freud and psychoanalysis such as Reclining Figure 1939
  • sculptures capturing the political tension and anxiety of the Spanish Civil War and the approach to the Second World War, such as The Helmet 1939-40 and Three Points 1939-40
Art Bin
Friday, February 05, 2010 6:03 PM

29 January 2010 to 14 March 2010

South London Gallery, 65 Peckham Road, London. SE5 8UH

+44 (0)20 7703 6120

London artist Michael Landy is proving modern art is indeed rubbish with his new show, Art Bin, at South London Gallery.

Landy appealed to artists to donate their unwanted works, to be thrown into a giant, see-through bin, which he calls "a monument to creative failure".

Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and Gillian Wearing are among the high-profile artists who’ve contributed work.

But you don’t have to be famous to have your art binned: anyone can take a work to the gallery, where Landy or one of his assistants will decide whether to add it to the bin.

Céleste Boursier-Mougenot at Barbican Centre, London
Tuesday, January 26, 2010 5:57 PM

New commission for The Curve, Barbican, London http://www.barbican.org.uk/artgallery

French artist Céleste Boursier-Mougenot creates works by drawing on the rhythms of daily life to produce sound in unexpected ways.

For his installation in The Curve, Boursier-Mougenot creates a walk-though aviary for a flock of zebra finches, furnished with electric guitars and other musical instruments. As the birds go about their routine activities, perching on or feeding from the various pieces of equipment, they create a captivating, live soundscape.

The Art of Giving: Gallery Benefactors (Bath)
Thursday, January 21, 2010 5:31 PM

09/01/2010 to 31/03/2010

Focusing on the cream of the Art Gallery's collections, this is a celebration of the quality and range of objects generously donated by local people. The exhibits will include sparkling Georgian glass, prints by Whistler and our most recent and exciting donation, a painting by Paul Klee, never previously on public display.


Exhibition tour with the curators
Wednesday 27 January, 12.00-12.45, free

Victoria Art Gallery
Bridge Street
Bath
BA2 4AT

Tel: +44 (0) 1225 477232

Lions of Bath 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010 4:45 PM

01/05/2010 to 30/10/2010

A giant pride of 100 individually decorated, life-size lion sculptures, will be taking up residence in and around the World Heritage City of Bath from May to October 2010 in a unique cultural event to raise funds for local charities and bring a smile to the faces of residents and visitors alike.

The lion sculptures, sponsored by businesses, local communities and individuals, will be decorated by artists and craftspeople using their skill and imagination to produce eye-catching artworks from the beautiful to the bizarre. At the end of the summer all of the lions will be auctioned for charity to end their days as fabulous works of art in offices, homes and gardens.

Grace Kelly: Style Icon
Tuesday, January 05, 2010 5:34 PM

17 April 2010 to 26 September 2010

Victoria and Albert Museum
Cromwell Road
London, SW7 2RL

+44 (0)20 7942 2000

London's Victoria and Albert Museum displays items from Grace Kelly's spectacular wardrobe. 

See more than 50 outfits worn by Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco and one of the most popular Hollywood actresses of all time.

Grace Kelly: Style Icon traces the evolution of Kelly's wardrobe from her time in Hollywood in the 1950s through to her tragic death in 1982.

Grace Kelly, one of the most popular Hollywood stars of her day, was renowned for style, beauty and acting talent.

In 1956 at the age of 26, Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier of Monaco and retired from her successful Hollywood career to become Princess Grace. 

Princess Grace and Prince Rainier had three children: Caroline, Albert (current ruler of the Principality of Monaco) and Stéphanie. Grace died in 1982 when she had a stroke at the wheel of her car and drove it off the edge of a cliff in Monaco. 

Outfits on display include: 

  • Dresses from her films, including High Society and Rear Window
  • The gown she wore to accept her Oscar in 1955
  • The lace ensemble worn for her civil marriage ceremony to Prince Rainier in 1956 
  • 35 haute couture gowns from the 1960s and 70s by her favourite designers: Dior, Balenciaga, Givenchy, and Yves St Laurent
Astronomy Photographer of the Year until 10th Jan 2010
Monday, December 21, 2009 3:22 PM

10 September 2009 to 10 January 2010

The Royal Observatory presents a free display of beautiful astronomy photos from around the world.

There were hundreds of entries for the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition, which is divided into four categories:

  • Earth and Space
  • Our Solar System
  • Deep Space
  • Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year

The exhibition features 20 of the best photos, including the winning image in each category.

Royal Observatory Greenwich, (Flamsteed House), Greenwich Park, London. SE10 9NF

(0)20 8312 6565

Decode: Digital Design Sensations
Friday, December 11, 2009 3:38 PM

8 December 2009 to 11 April 2010

Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London. SW7 2RL

(0)20 7942 2000

Be amazed by digitally growing plants, a mechanical eye and much more besides. The Victoria and Albert Museum's cutting-edge exhibition of digital and interactive design is coming to London later this year.

Discover the latest developments in digital and interactive design in a fascinating new exhibition at London's Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A).

Works range from small screen-based graphics to large-scale installations, created by established and up-and-coming artists and designers from around the world, including:

  • Daniel Brown
  • Golan Levin
  • Daniel Rozin
  • Troika
  • Simon Heijdens

Decode is presented in collaboration with London-based moving image and digital arts organisation OneDotZero.

The main event takes place in the V&A's Porter Gallery, but you can discover elements of the exhibition scattered throughout the museum and garden.

Decode: Digital Design Sensations explores three main themes in digital and interactive design:

  • Code as a Raw Material: a new work from Daniel Brown's On Growth and Form series that creates organic digital images of plants that keep growing
  • Interactivity: displays include Golan Levin's Opto-Isolator, a human-sized mechanical eye that follows your gaze and blinks after you do
  • The Network: focusing on works that reuse or reinterpret everyday digital data, such as blogs, mobile communications and satellite-tracked GPS systems

 

Seizure
Wednesday, December 02, 2009 3:56 PM

3 November 2009 to 3 January 2010

151 – 189 Harper Road,  SE1 6AE -  (0)20 7713 1402

Turner Prize-nominated artist Roger Hiorns has transformed a derelict London council flat by covering the interior with copper sulphate crystals.

The work is commissioned by Artangel, which has a long tradition of transforming urban housing into large-scale works of art.

Artangel's legacy stretches back to Rachel Whiteread's landmark House in 1993, in which the artist made a concrete cast of the interior of an East London terraced house.

Hiorns filled three rooms of a derelict London flat near Elephant and Castle station with 90,000 litres of concentrated copper sulphate solution. 

Two and a half weeks later he drained it out, to reveal a glittering interior encrusted with deep blue crystals.

At once eerily pure and deeply industrial, a visit to Seizure involves pulling on wellington boots and protective gloves.

Inside, light from bare bulbs bounces off the jagged edges of crystal-encrusted walls, heightening the sense of wonder inside what, from the outside, appears to be just a boarded-up London flat.

Ergonomics – Design for the Real World
Thursday, November 19, 2009 10:41 AM

04 Nov 2009 - 07 Mar 2010 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Design Museum, 28 Shad Thames, London, SE1 2YD.

 

Ergonomics – Design for the Real World at London's Design Museum

Every time you sit down, turn on a tap or use a TV remote, you're reaping the benefits of good design.

To celebrate the importance of ergonomics in design, the Design Museum is hosting a captivating new exhibition.

Design for the Real World examines the benefits of ergonomics in the design of so many of the products and services we use every day.

The exhibition is a joint collaboration between the Design Museum and Brunel University, made possible with a grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

Known as the science of everyday life, ergonomics uses scientific data, design and engineering to make products and systems that are safe, efficient and enjoyable to use.

From medicine and transport systems down to the humble tape measure, designers use ergonomic studies to help them create the best possible result.

The exhibition explores bad design too, showing how lack of ergonomic input can cause design errors – even leading to an air traffic disaster or power station meltdown.

Turner Prize 2009 - Tate Britain
Friday, November 13, 2009 4:04 PM

6 October 2009 to 16 January 2010

Tate Britain, Millbank, London. SW1P 4RG

The annual Turner Prize exhibition features work by the artists shortlisted for one of Europe’s most prestigious art awards.

This year's Turner Prize winner will be announced on 7 December. In the meantime you can view the finalists' work at Tate Britain and judge for yourself.

You'll see work by all four artists shortlisted for the Turner Prize at Tate Britain, including:

  • Enrico David, a contemporary surrealist who creates highly original paintings, drawings and sculptures
  • Roger Hiorns, whose unusual installations include Seizure, in which a derelict flat in South London was filled with liquid copper sulphate, covering every surface with blue crystals
  • Lucy Skaer, who makes drawings, sculptures and films based on photos
  • Richard Wright, nominated for his intricate wall paintings, which feature images and patterns from various sources including medieval paintings, graphics and typography

Established in 1984, the Turner Prize is awarded each year to a British artist under 50.

Each artist is judged on exhibitions of his or her work over the past year.

The winner receives a prize of £25,000, while the remaining three finalists get £5,000 each.

 

Ed Ruscha: 50 Years of Painting
Thursday, November 05, 2009 4:10 PM

14 Oct 2009 - 10 Jan 2010 Daily

Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, London. SE1 8XX

(0)20 7921 0887

 

The Hayward Gallery unveils a major new exhibition celebrating five decades of work by Ed Ruscha, one of the world’s most influential artists still at work today.

The Los Angeles-born painter, born in 1937, is known for his witty and experimental work in a variety of media.

However, this retrospective concentrates on his contribution to and influence on painting. In fact, it is the largest-ever UK survey of Ruscha’s paintings.

There are 78 paintings on show, including Ruscha's Pop Art from the 1960s, explorations of iconic American emblems and landscapes, and paintings using words and phrases.

You can also see canvases never before displayed in the UK, plus works lent by public and private collections from around the world.

Memorable works to look out for include:

  • Standard Station (1966)
  • Annie (1962)
  • Trademark with Eight Spotlights (1962)

Much of Ruscha’s work draws on and portrays American culture, for example classic Hollywood logos, petrol stations and suburban landscapes.

Staffordshire Hoard Exhibition
Friday, October 23, 2009 2:48 PM

 

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery was at the centre of a gold-rush as hundreds of people jostled for a first view of the now world famous Staffordshire Hoard.

http://www.bmag.org.uk/about/staffordshire-hoard

 

 

Beatles to Bowie: The 60s Exposed
Friday, October 09, 2009 10:17 AM

15 Oct 2009 - 24 Jan 2010 Thu, Fri 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM; Mon - Wed, Sat, Sun 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

National Portrait Gallery, St Martins Place, London, WC2H 0HE - 020 7306 0055.

An unmissable exhibition of photos from the 1960s at London's National Portrait Gallery, with rare portraits of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix.

 

The swinging 60s are back in London as the National Portrait Gallery presents more than 150 photographs of the 1960s – with 100 exhibited for the first time.

The exhibition includes rare portraits of legendary bands and iconic figures of the era, including:

  • The Beatles
  • The Kinks
  • The Who
  • Rolling Stones
  • David Bowie
  • Jimi Hendrix
  • Cliff Richard
  • Billy Fury
  • Marianne Faithfull
  • Lulu

The photographs are the work of both younger and established photographers of the 1960s, such as Fiona Adams, Philip Townsend, Cecil Beaton and Norman Parkinson.

As well as photographic exhibits, there are 150 mementoes of the 1960s to see, including record sleeves, illustrated sheet music and pop magazines.

The whole exhibition is arranged chronologically to show how image, performance, music and fashion changed and merged throughout the 60s.

Discover how just one decade transformed the cultural landscape, created music icons, and turned London into the cultural hub it remains today.

Michael Jackson: The Official Exhibition
Monday, September 28, 2009 3:15 PM

28 October 2009 to 31 January 2010

O2 bubble Millenium Way, Greenwich, London, SE10 0DX - (0)20 8463 2000

The exhibition will celebrate Jackson's rise to fame in Motown through his record-breaking solo career and end with the spectacular shows he had planned for The O2 arena before his untimely death. 

Celebrating specific milestones in Jackson's life the exhibition will be divided into galleries including:

  • Motown
  • Solo Career
  • Dancing
  • Costumes
  • Humanitarian
  • Celebration

 

Michael Jackson's estate has opened up extensive archives from his homes, Neverland Ranch, concert collections and video vault to present more than 250 items including awards, clothing and a wide range of personal belongings. These include an original Jackson 5 contract, personally-commissioned portraits, the largest publicly displayed collection of his iconic concert and video costumes, his personal Rolls Royce and the famous sequined glove.

 

 

 

SHOWstudio: Fashion Revolution
Tuesday, September 22, 2009 6:10 PM

17 Sep - 22 Dec 2009 Mon - Wed, Sat, Sun 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Thu, Fri 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Somerset House Trust, South Building, Somerset House, London. WC2R 1LA - (0)20 7845 4600

www.somersethouse.org.uk/showstudio

As London Fashion Week kicks off, Somerset House showcases a new, cutting-edge exhibition from SHOWstudio.

SHOWstudio is an award-winning fashion website founded by Nick Knight, one of the world's most influential fashion image-makers.

Go behind the scenes and discover how fashion images are made, through films, interactive installations and live fashion shoots.

SHOWstudio has revolutionised the way fashion is communicated.

The buzz around the website attracts many collaborators, including high-profile photographers, artists, writers, designers, stylists and cultural figures.

The exhibition alone displays contributions from some of the most influential figures in the world of fashion, such as:

  • Nick Knight
  • Alexander McQueen
  • John Galliano
  • Naomi Campbell
  • Gareth Pugh
  • Commes des Garcons
  • Kate Moss
  • Bjork
  • Peter Saville
  • Liberty Ross
  • Heston Blumenthal
  • Simon Foxton
  • Julie Verhoeven

  

Eco Home
Friday, September 18, 2009 5:39 PM

13 Oct 2009 - 07 Feb 2010 Tue - Sat 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM; Sun 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM Closed Boxing Day,Christmas Day, Fri

The Geffrye Museum
Kingsland Road, London, E2 8EA

(0)20 7739 9893

How green is your home? Find out how you can make your life more eco-friendly in a inspiring new exhibition at the Geffrye Museum. 

Eco Home looks at how concerns around climate change are increasingly affecting both building design and our lifestyles – whether it's using sustainable materials or recycling.

The exhibition, supported by John Lewis, is accompanied by a packed programme of events, including debates, workshops, talks and a study day.

 

 

Eco Home explores different debates, ideas and developments surrounding green design and living.

See some of the best and most stylish eco-friendly products in the marketplace and discover exciting futuristic prototypes.

With the help of eco designer and TV presenter Oliver Heath, the exhibition also looks at:

  • The resurgence of recycling and the "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" ethos
  • Energy-saving ideas
  • Renewable energy
  • Industrial production methods
  • Responsible sourcing

 

Art on the Hill - Bristol
Friday, September 11, 2009 3:16 PM

 

Art on the Hill returns for a third year in the vibrant, artistically rich and compact areas of Windmill Hill and Victoria Park, South Bristol with lots to attract and entertain visitors.

This is a free community event which is open to everyone. You will be welcomed into over 40 venues to view the work of over 80 artists. Paintings, sculpture, drawings, installation and film will be on show, representing a hugely diverse group of artists.

You will be able to meet artists in their own homes, view and buy the work directly from the artist, much of it at affordable prices.


There will be a variety of free arts-based workshops open to children and adults. The Children’s section of this site highlights art that may be of particular interest to children so do bring along the whole family. There will also be ‘The Shape of Things to Come’, a major new temporary pavilion in Victoria Park created by world renowned artists Heather and Ivan Morison.

The London Design Festival 2009
Thursday, September 03, 2009 11:31 AM

19 September 2009 to 27 September 2009

 www.londondesignfestival.com

Whether you're a designer, manufacturer, student, shopper or businessperson, you can find something to fascinate you at the 7th London Design Festival.

This year, there are more than 200 events and activities, from international exhibitions, talks and seminars to product launches, private views and parties.

Highlights at the V&A include:

  • The 4th London Design Embassy, an exclusive business hub
  • A London-inspired poster exhibition by 25 leading graphic designers
  • In Praise of Shadows: an exhibition marking the EU directive to phase out low-efficiency light bulbs by 2012 (19-27 Sep)
  • The Business of Design Talks, in association with The Financial Times
  • Design tours within the V&A, led by key London designers
  • The Wallpaper* Chair Arch: a dramatic outdoor installation
  • A new installation, created from reclaimed waste, in the V&A's tunnel entrance
  • The London Design Festival party
  • A collection showcasing the best UK graduate design talent
  • Biennial Design Symposium, examining the growing interest in furniture as an expression of contemporary culture (18 Sep)

As part of the festival, a number of installations have been commissioned from top international designers.

Look out for these giant creations at London's Trafalgar Square and Southbank Centre:

  • The Tournament: a collection of giant ceramic chess pieces arranged on a huge, interactive chessboard in Trafalgar Square, by Spanish designer Jaime Hayón
  • Size + Matter: temporary installations by Shigeru Ban and another leading designer outside the Royal Festival Hall

 

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion
Friday, August 28, 2009 3:35 PM

12 July 2009 to 18 October 2009

Serpentine Gallery
Kensington Gardens, London. W2 3XA

+44 (0)20 7402 6075

Each summer, top architects build an exciting new pavilion near the Serpentine Gallery in London's Hyde Park. 

While pop-up shops, galleries and bars may be all the rage right now, the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion is possibly the first, and certainly the most prestigious "pop up" in the world. 

Each year, a different big-name architect designs and builds the temporary Pavilion in one of London's most popular parks. The Pavilion then stands next-door to the gallery in Hyde Park throughout summer. 

This year's open-plan style Pavilion is designed by Japanese architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa and their firm, SANAA. 

The 2009 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion by Sejima and Nishizawa sits on the Serpentine Gallery lawn in London's Hyde Park. It houses a café and will be used for the acclaimed Park Nights programme of public talks and events, which attract up to 250,000 visitors each year.

 

Banksy vs Bristol Museum
Tuesday, August 18, 2009 11:34 AM

 

Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery
Queens Road
West End
Bristol
BS8 1RL

(0)117 922 3571

Bristol's City Museum & Art Gallery is proud to present a unique collaboration between the city's foremost cultural institution and one of the region's most infamous artists.

Banksy, the world-renowned graffiti artist made famous by his controversial street art paintings, has returned to his hometown of Bristol to hold an official exhibition of his work, titled Banksy vs Bristol Museum.

This exclusive show features his famous stencil street art along with installations, animatronics, sculptures and an impressive sensory display. The exhibition was planned in secret, with only a handful of museum staff and event organisers kept in the loop, and features over 70 pieces of new and previously unseen art.

Banksy vs Bristol Museum will run from 13 June until 31 August 2009 and is free to the public. Be sure not to miss what could be the largest official public display of Banksy's work ever held.

Exhibition is open daily 10am - 5pm (last entry 4pm). Please note, because of long queues last entry to the museum is 4pm. Queuing times are currently up to an hour, so we recommend joining the queue by 3pm. Please note that there are no advance bookings or timed tickets available, and there are no special arrangements for groups.

Suburbia
Friday, August 14, 2009 5:43 PM

15 October 2009 to 31 March 2010

Suburbia has long provoked heated debate: praised by some as offering greater living space and derided by others as boring and bourgeois.

Now you can decide for yourself as London Transport Museum unveils a major new exhibition dedicated to suburban living in London and Britain over the last 100 years.

But what does transport have to do with suburbia? Well, it was developments in public transport that helped make commuting and living outside of cities possible.

 

To explore how transport shaped the suburbs, a huge collection of previously unseen memorabilia and information is on display, including:

  • Posters
  • Photographs
  • Early publicity material
  • Signs
  • Maps
  • Film and interviews with past and present suburbanites

There is also more to discover in the museum's permanent gallery, which explores the growth of the early 20th century "Suburban Dream".

Rankin Live
Thursday, August 06, 2009 2:33 PM

31 Jul - 18 Sep 2009 Mon - Wed, Fri - Sun 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM; Thu 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, Whitechapel, London. E1 6QL

(0)20 7247 3959

Rankin Live features two events in one:

  • Rankin's first ever UK retrospective – a chance to see 600 images from the photographer's vast portfolio
  • a live photo shoot of 1000 people, whose portraits will be included in the exhibition

Rankin is photographing 1000 people at a live photo shoot as part of the show – and it could be you! All portraits from the photo shoot will be immediately included in the exhibition.

Rankin (real name John Rankin Waddell) first came to prominence in the mid-90s, when he co-founded the cult magazine Dazed & Confused with Jefferson Hack.

Rankin rose to fame shooting his Brit-scene contemporaries such as Pulp and Blur.

He went on to photograph a wide range of subjects, from Tony Blair to the Queen, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Kate Moss and Helen Mirren.

Ethelburga Tower: At Home In A High-Rise
Friday, July 17, 2009 5:46 PM

07 Apr - 31 Aug 2009 Sun 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM; Tue - Sat 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

The Geffrye Museum, Kingsland Road, London. E2 8EA

(0)20 7739 9893

 

Mark Cowper's photographs give us a glimpse into life in the high-rise Ethelburga Tower in Battersea, South London.

Mark Cowper has lived in Ethelburga Tower for the past 20 years.

He approached his neighbours and asked if he could photograph their living rooms just as they were, with no tidying up.

Over the period of a year, he shot 46 of the 98 apartments in the block.

Although the architectural shells of the flats are virtually identical, the exhibition shows how each home has been shaped by the tastes and lifestyles of individual residents.

 

Antony Gormley's One & Other: The Fourth Plinth
Friday, July 10, 2009 5:40 PM

6 July 2009 to 14 October 2009

Trafalgar Square, London. WC2N 5DN

http://www.oneandother.co.uk/

 

 

If you've got a head for heights and love being the centre of attention, Antony Gormley's central London artwork One & Other could be just the thing for you!

The radical artist has created a unique living monument on the Fourth Plinth in London's Trafalgar Square, featuring 2,400 participants from across the UK.

Providing a fascinating social portrait of the UK, the ambitious project features a different person every hour, 24 hours a day, for 100 days.

  • David Rosenberg, a designer from London, who plans to pedal his pink folding bicycle to generate energy to light up a suit he'll be wearing
  • Gwynneth Pedler, an 83-year-old retiree from Oxford, who plans to signal with semaphore flags from the plinth
  • Oliver Parsons-Baker, an aquatic scientist from Birmingham, who plans to highlight the importance of clean water by dressing up as a poo, and then illustrate the dangers of overfishing by wearing a fish costume
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    Corot to Monet
    Friday, July 03, 2009 10:34 AM

    08 Jul - 20 Sep 2009 Mon, Tue, Thu - Sun 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Wed 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM

    National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5DN

    +44 (0)20 7747 2885

     

    Corot to Monet traces the development of landscape painting from the late 18th century, and looks at the influence of this style on later impressionism.

    The exhibition includes 90 paintings by leading artists of this genre, including Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes and Simon Denis.

    Painted on small-scale wooden panels or paper, landscapes from the late 18th and early 19th century were largely ignored until generations later.

    This fascinating exhibition celebrates the rediscovery of these beautiful works of art and examines their legacy on more popular styles of painting.

    Highlights of the exhibition include:

    • Corot: The Roman Campagna, with the Claudian Aqueduct
    • Théodore Rousseau: The Valley of Saint-Vincent
    • Richard Parkes Bonington: La Ferté
    • Narcisse-Virgile Diaz de la Peña: Sunny Days in the Forest
    • Claude Oscar Monet: The Beach at Trouville
    Walking in My Mind
    Monday, June 22, 2009 3:57 PM

    23 Jun - 06 Sep 2009 Mon - Thu, Sat, Sun 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Fri 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM

    Hayward Gallery
    Southbank Centre, London

    (0)20 7921 0887

    Walking in My Mind transforms the Hayward Gallery – inside and out – into a bizarre world of interactive, large-scale installations.

    Each mindscape explores the inner workings of one of 10 artists' imaginations, blurring the personal and public and revealing their deepest thoughts, fears and dreams.

     

  • Dots Obsession, a new work by Yayoi Kusama. The Japanese artist is also behind the 25 red polka-dot covered trees placed along Queen's Walk for the duration of the exhibition
  • Charles Avery's tardis-like Eternity Chamber, plus his imaginary island
  • Thomas Hirschhorn presents Cavemanman, a sprawling complex of caves and linking tunnels made from cardboard and brown parcel tape
  • Pipilotti Rist (Switzerland) is best known for her lush, multimedia installations, which blend fantasy and reality. Here she presents Extremities (smooth, smooth) (1999) in which images of body parts – a gigantic foot, hand, breast, mouth and ear – float and dance in space
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    Tracey Emin: Those Who Suffer Love
    Monday, June 15, 2009 4:16 PM

    29 May 2009 - 04 Jul 2009 Tue - Sat 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

    White Cube - Masons Yard
    25-26 Masons Yard, St. James's, London. SW1Y 6BU

    (0)20 7930 5373

    In her fourth exhibition for White Cube, Tracey Emin returns to London with a display of new work that is sure to provoke both controversy and acclaim.

     

    With a collection of explicit drawings and an erotic animation at the centre of the exhibition, the show promises to be a powerful and intense experience.

    Describing the exhibition, Emin says, "This show is essentially a drawings show. Everything is simple and linear, straight to the point"

    "I'm constantly fighting with the notion of love and passion. Love, sex, lust – in my heart and mind there is always some battle, some kind of conflict."

    Born in London in 1963, Emin studied at the Royal College of Art in London, and along with Damien Hirst, became a leading figure in the Britart movement of the 1990s.

    No stranger to controversy, Emin is one of Britain's most influential artists. She shot to fame in 1999 when she was shortlisted for the Turner Prize for My Bed.

    Owned and run by the art dealer Jay Jopling, White Cube was established in 1993 as a project room for contemporary art.

    Jeff Koons: Popeye Series
    Friday, June 12, 2009 5:09 PM

    02 Jul 2009 - 13 Sep 2009 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

    Serpentine Gallery
    Kensington Gardens
    London
    W2 3XA
    (0)20 7402 6075
     

    This summer, the Serpentine Gallery presents the first-ever major survey of Jeff Koons's work in a public space in England.

    The exhibition centres round Koons' Popeye series. Started in 2002, the Popeye series includes surreal combinations of everyday objects, cartoon imagery, art-historical references and children's toys.

     

     

    The iconic American cartoon figures of Popeye and Olive Oyl are central to Koons' new series. Appropriately, given the current economic climate, Popeye was conceived in 1929 during the Great Depression. In its early years, the Popeye cartoon addressed the hardships and injustices at the time. Koons' long-running interest in inflatables is also evident in the exhibition. Sculptures include inflatable swimming pool toys cast in aluminium and painted to resemble their original look.

    Koons was born in Pennsylvania in 1955. Since the early 1980s, he has worked in themed series that explore concepts of consumerism, taste, banality and childhood. His manipulation of the everyday has become Koons' signature and he is known for meticulously constructed works that bring together objects and images from American and consumer culture.

    Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition
    Tuesday, June 02, 2009 11:50 AM

    8 June 2009 to 16 August 2009

    Royal Academy of Arts, Piccadilly, Burlington House, London

    (0)20 7300 8000
     
    The Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition is one of London's longest-running art shows, now in its 241st year!

    It's also the world's largest open-submission contemporary art exhibition with around 10,000 works submitted annually. It covers painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture and architecture.

     

    "Making Space" is the theme of this year's exhibition, whose works will be chosen by directors Ann Christopher, Eileen Cooper and Will Alsop.

    Tracey Emin, Lucian Freud, Julian Opie and Gavin Turk were all featured last year, as well as a range of up-and-coming artists.

    Awards are given to artists of exceptional merit, with the prize money for 2009 totalling £70,000.

    The majority of pieces are for sale, so it's also a great chance to purchase some original artwork.

     

    Thomas Becket paintings unveiled in Spain
    Tuesday, May 19, 2009 3:30 PM

     

    For the first time in 30 years, wooden protective boards and a glass panel have been taken away to fully reveal a rare medieval artwork.

    The paintings in the ruined church of St Nicolas in the Spanish town of Soria tell the story of the murder of the English Archbishop Thomas Becket.

    The story of Becket is told in most British classrooms as part of medieval history lessons. He is remembered as the Archbishop of Canterbury who stood up to a king and for his trouble was murdered by the king's knights while he was praying.

    Today the church of Saint Nicolas is a complete wreck near Soria's main square, but three decades ago, builders were stabilising the ruin when they re-discovered these medieval paintings in excellent condition.

    Great Bridges of the World
    Monday, May 11, 2009 11:32 AM

    27 March 2009 to 30 June 2009

    Tower Bridge Exhibition - Tower Bridge Road, London. SE1 2UP

     020 7403 3761

     

     

     

    The exhibition includes 22 colour photographs, with the images rotated so 12 iconic bridges are on display at any one time.

    Highlights of Bridges of the World include:

    • The Pont du Gard aqueduct at Nimes, built between 40 and 60AD
    • The Millau Viaduct on the Paris / Barcelona highway, completed in 2005
    • The Brooklyn Bridge
    • Japan's Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the world
    • Shanghai's 16th-century Zig-Zag Bridge

     

    French Porcelain for English Palaces: Sèvres from the Royal Collection
    Friday, May 08, 2009 10:13 AM

    23 May - 31 Jul 2009 10:00 AM - 5:30 PM; 01 Aug - 27 Sep 2009 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM; 28 Sep - 11 Oct 2009 10:00 AM - 5:30 PM

    The Queen's Gallery

    Buckingham Palace, Buckingham Palace Road, London. SW1A 1AA

    020 7766 7301

     

    The Sèvres factory in France represents the height of 18th-century porcelain production. It was loved by royalty, aristocrats, connoisseurs and collectors.

    England's King George IV began collecting Sèvres porcelain in his youth as the Prince of Wales, and continued during his period as Regent and King.

    The tradition has continued, with Sèvres pieces still being acquired and used for State Visits and ceremonial occasions by the present Queen of England.

    • A garniture (set) of three vases once owned by Marie Antoinette and only recently reunited through an acquisition by The Queen
    • A vase thought to have been owned by Louis XVI's mistress Madame du Barry featuring a portrait of the young king
    • The Table of the Grand Commanders, made for Napoleon
    • Pieces from the most expensive 18th century Sèvres dinner service ever made
    • Vases from Louis XVI's private chambers in Versailles
    Collect: the International Art Fair for Contemporary Objects
    Monday, April 27, 2009 11:47 AM

    15 May 2009 to 17 May 2009

    The Saatchi Gallery

    Duke of Yorks's Building,
    Kings Road,
    SW3 4SQ
     
    020 7823 2363
     
     

     

     

    At Collect, you can view and buy the best in international contemporary crafts.

    Organised by the Crafts Council, the show brings together work by more than 300 artists.

    Expect to see a huge variety of objects, from ceramics and glass to jewellery, silver, fine metalwork, textiles, wood and furniture.

    Galleries from all over the world exhibit at Collect. As well as top dealers from the UK and Ireland, you'll meet exhibitors from Europe, Scandinavia, the United States, Japan and Australia.

    On the select@collect trail, you can see works selected by a panel of luminaries chosen by the Crafts Council:

    • Alasdhair Willis, CEO of Established & Sons
    • Mary Portas, retail expert, broadcaster and founder of Yellowdoor
    • Ralph Rugoff, Director of the Hayward Gallery
    • Annie Carlano, Director of Craft + Design at the Mint Museum

     

    Blake 1809
    Wednesday, April 22, 2009 11:25 AM

     

    20 April 2009 to 4 October 2009

    Tate Britain

    Millbank, London,
    SW1P 4RG
    020 7887 8888
     

    William Blake, a painter, poet and printmaker, is now considered a luminary of the Romantic age.

    During his lifetime (1757-1827) however, much of his work was derided. He was even considered mad by contemporaries for his views on religion and mysticism.

    Blake's paintings were exhibited in his brother's shop in London in 1809, but were not well-received. Only a single, damning review appeared in the newspapers of the time.

    Blake 1809 offers you a rare chance to see paintings by William Blake at Tate Britain for free.

    Two hundred years after Blake's first (and only) public art exhibition, Tate Britain has re-staged the display, with eight of the original 16 works.

    The pictures provide an insight into Blake's self-image and artistic viewpoint. They depict subjects ranging from biblical scenes to allegorical depictions of figures from English history and literature.

    Yoko Ono auctions art for autism
    Monday, April 06, 2009 10:08 AM

    The Japanese artist and widow of John Lennon unveiled a new work on the occasion of the United Nation's World Autism Awareness Day.

    Her seven-foot (2.1m) mural, entitled "Promise", currently stands in the lobby at the UN in New York, but will be auctioned for an autism charity.

    The installation depicts fluffy white clouds against a clear blue sky and is made up of 67 jigsaw-like pieces.

     

    The unveiled work is already missing two pieces. Ms Ono hopes that all 67 pieces will be reunited once a cure for autism is discovered.

    Speaking in front of a crowd at the unveiling, she said, "Once the solution for autism is discovered, we will see the sky shimmering in its original beauty, with no holes."

     

    Monsters Inked
    Friday, April 03, 2009 3:05 PM

    Idea Generation Gallery - London

    11 Chance Street, E2 7JB

    020 7749 6850

    08 Apr - 04 May 2009 Mon - Fri 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM; Sat, Sun 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
     

     

    Idea Generation Gallery examines the art of monsters in its latest exhibition, Monsters Inked.

    The free show contains more than 100 monster images, from the hideous to the humorous, and reveals the stories behind their creation.

    Monsters Inked includes the first exhibition of 20 illustrations by Rob Steen from Ricky Gervais' much-loved Flanimals book.

    The show explores the development of the illustrations from draftsman's board to the finished page.

    Another highlight of the show is the 800ft (244m) vinyl installation, Monsterism Island, by cult graphic artist Pete Fowler.

    Among the nine CIA artists exhibiting are Thunderdog, Mick Brownfield and Ray Smith

     

    Madness & Modernity
    Tuesday, March 24, 2009 4:22 PM
    01 Apr - 28 Jun 2009 Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Thu 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM; Sun 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM Closed Mon
     
    Wellcome Collection
    183-193 Euston Road,
    Somers Town,
    NW1 2BE
     
    020 7611 2222
     

     

    Madness & Modernity looks at the relationship between mental illness, the visual arts and architecture in Vienna around 1900.

    The exhibition shows how psychiatry influenced early modernism in the visual arts, and how modernism shaped the lives and images of mentally ill people.

    Madness & Modernity features around 80 works, mostly from the period 1890-1914. Artists represented include Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka.

    You will also see models and plans from modernist designers and architects Josef Hoffmann and Otto Wagner, who sought to create a new kind of environment for the care and confinement of mentally ill people.

    Visitors to the The Wellcome Collection, an art collection owned by the Wellcome Trust scientific research organisation, can see this free exhibition, split into six sections:

    • The Tower of Fools
    • The Modernist Mental Hospital
    • The Therapeutic Spectrum
    • The Pathological Patient
    • The Pathological Artist
    • The Patient Artist

     

    Snozzcumbers and Frobscottle
    Thursday, March 19, 2009 10:24 AM
    02 May 2009 - 06 Sep 2009 10:00 AM - 5:45 PM
     
    V&A Museum of Childhood
    Cambridge Heath Road,
    E2 9PA
     
    020 8983 5200
     

     

    Snozzcumbers and Frobscottle! celebrates the creative genius behind illustrator Quentin Blake and author Roald Dahl at London's V&A Museum of Childhood.

    This talented partnership was responsible for some of the world's best-loved children's books, including The BFG and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

    Dahl's imaginative and darkly humorous stories, combined with Blake's lively drawings, created a magical world for children and adults alike to explore.

    More than 80 of Blake's original illustrations are on display, alongside original manuscripts, interactive features, Dahl-related objects, plus audio and film clips.

    Highlights of the exhibition include:

    • One of Dahl's own sandals, which the BFG's footwear was based on
    • Exclusive film of Blake at work in his London studio
    • A replica BFG's cave complete with dream catchers

     

    Kuniyoshi
    Thursday, March 12, 2009 5:01 PM

     

    21 Mar - 07 Jun 2009 Mon - Thu, Sat, Sun 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Fri 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
     
    Royal Academy of Arts,
    Burlington House,
    W1J 0BD
     
    020 7300 8000
     

    Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) was one of the great masters of the "floating world" or Ukiyo-e school of art that dominated 19th-century printmaking in Japan.

    Kuniyoshi's skilled use of colour, line and graphics are displayed here in work covering a range of subjects from legendary Japanese and Chinese warriors tackling mythical beasts to beautiful women, landscapes, comic themes and erotica.

    Kuniyoshi was active in the heyday of floating world art and was a contemporary of fellow Japanese print masters Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige and Utagawa Kunisada.

    Kuniyoshi was also a bold innovator who experimented with Japanese tradition and conventions from Western art in his work. He is famed for his use of the triptych format to convey stories.

    This collection of more than 150 Kuniyoshi works is the first major exhibition of his art in the UK since the 60s.

     
     
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