Newsletter London for fun

Welcome to the London For Fun regular newsletter keeping you up to date with what's new in London`s events.

LONDON FOR FUN Newsletter: 02 June 2009 Issue No.173

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http://www.londonforfun.com
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1.) Top 10 London events
2.) Other Events, Theatre listings, Museums and Galleries
3.) How to unsubscribe

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1. Top 10 London events
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1 - Constable portraits: The Painter and his circle - This is the first exhibition dedicated to Constable's portraits and the insights they bring to Constable's art, life and relationships. Exhibited works will be on loan from institutions such as Tate, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, V & A, Royal Academy and Yale Center for British Art, alongside works from private collections, many of which have not been on public display for many years. Remarkably, considering Constable's reputation and output of approximately 100 portraits, this body of work is not well-known. Constable Portraits will offer the opportunity to re-evaluate and rediscover the previously marginalised work of this important artist. Until 14 June. www.npg.org.uk

2 - Diane Arbus - One of the most original and influential photographers of the twentieth century, Arbus's subject matter is people; adolescent couples, young children, sophisticated socialites, circus performers, nudists, eccentrics and transvestites. In each instance, the subjects are simply documented, captured in their own context. The exhibition comprises sixty photographs, many not seen before in the UK, and which span the period from 1957 to 1971. Until 27 June. www.timothytaylorgallery.com

3 - The King and I - The timeless classic, Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King and I, has captured the hearts and minds of millions with its charming story of the British governess brought into the court of Siam to tutor the King's many children. Once within the splendour of the Royal Palace, beautifully recreated within the magical setting of the Royal Albert Hall, Anna and the King grow to understand one another and learn about each other's cultures. From 12 June until 28 June. www.royalalberthall.com

4 - Matt Stokes - The exhibition includes the newly commissioned song and film The Gainsborough Packet, a social interaction project entitled Club Ponderosa and the UK premiere of these are the days, a two-channel film made during his residency at Arthouse in Austin, Texas, as well as works from the Zabludowicz Collection. Stokes’s research-based practice is frequently concerned with musical subcultures. He proceeds by acquainting himself with particular groups, their histories and values, then producing films, installations and event-based works related to his findings. Collaboration and shared authorship are central to his practice, as is an enthusiasm for DIY approaches. Until 28 June. www.projectspace176.com

5 - Matthew Bourne`s Dorian Gray - Set in the image-obsessed world of contemporary art and politics, this 'black fairy tale' tells the story of an exceptionally alluring young man who makes a pact with the devil. Amongst London's beautiful people, Dorian Gray is the 'It Boy' - an icon of beauty and truth in an increasingly ugly world. The destructive power of beauty, the blind pursuit of pleasure and the darkness and corruption that lie beneath the charming façade; the themes behind Wilde's cautionary tale have never been more timely. From 7 July until 19 July. www.sadlerswells.com

6 - Baroque 1620-1800: Style in the Age of Magnificence - The magnificence and splendour of Baroque, one of the most opulent styles of the 17th and 18th centuries, will be the subject of the V&A’s spring exhibition. The exhibition will reflect the complexity and grandeur of the Baroque style, from the Rome of Borromini and Bernini to the magnificence of Louis XIV's Versailles and the lavishness of Baroque theatre and performance. On display will be religious paintings by Rubens and Tiepolo while silver furniture, portraits, sculpture, a regal bed and court tapestries will conjure up the rooms of a Baroque palace. Until 19 July. www.vam.ac.uk

7 - Parades and Processions: Here comes everybody - The exhibition features works by twelve UK-based and international artists who take their inspiration from the traditional meanings of ‘parades’ and ‘processions’, creating works that epitomise the social and political context of our time. The resulting works, ranging from sculpture to installation, films and videos, are powerful forms of expression that address issues of history, culture, identity and politics. They also highlight the recent and increasing phenomenon in our society of holding parades and processions. Until 24 July. www.parasol-unit.org

8 - Andrea Bocelli - In possession of one of the finest voices of all time, Bocelli emerged as a vocal phenomenon in the 1990s and has since gone on to become one of the most successful artists of all time, selling over 65 million albums. Bocelli is the singular, superb voice that opera had been waiting for, a real breath of fresh air in a world - that of the opera - which risked forgetting its own popular origins, so fiercely attached was it to its elitist, somewhat shaky pedestal. By marrying the glorious tradition of operatic singing to the sensibilities and aesthetics of modern music, Bocelli has captured the hearts of audiences across the globe without ever sacrificing the integrity of his art for the sake of popularity. 24 September at the O2 Arena. Buy tickets

9 - Wallace & Gromit present A World of Cracking Ideas - The £2m exhibition is a fun, family-oriented, interactive show which aims to appeal to all ages by telling the story of innovation and to inspire people’s creativity and flair. The exhibition looks at how people can protect their ideas using intellectual property. The exhibition takes visitors on a tour of 62 West Wallaby Street, the famous home of Wallace & Gromit, where they can take in objects from the Science Museum’s collections, which reflect the spirit of innovation, whilst interacting with some of Wallace’s own cracking contraptions such as the Tellyscope II, the Piella Propellor and the Blend-o-Matic. Visitors are encouraged to come up with their own creative ideas, which they can jot down and leave at ‘Ideas Stations’ located in the Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, Bathroom, Workshop and Garden. Until 1 November. www.sciencemuseum.org.uk

10 - Turner and the Masters - Turner and the Masters will present a selection of magnificent paintings by JMW Turner (1775-1851) alongside related works by the old masters and contemporaries he hoped to imitate, rival and surpass. Bringing together around one hundred works of supreme historical significance from collections around the world this will be the first exhibition to look at Turner’s work in the company of the greatest painters in the preceding history of western art. It will reveal his debts and rivalries in exciting, even unpredictable, ways, and explore his reputation as one of the greatest painters of landscape in the European tradition. The exhibition will pair Turner’s works with major paintings by his predecessors, many brought together for the first time, including works by Canaletto, Claude, Cuyp, Poussin, Rembrandt, Rubens, Ruisdael, and van de Velde. There will also be pairings with paintings by Turner’s most important contemporaries such as Constable and Bonington. From 23 September until 24 January. www.tate.org.uk

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2. Other Events, Theatre listings, Museums and Galleries:

Events listing:
http://www.londonforfun.com/events-in-London.htm

Theatre listings:
http://www.londonforfun.com/London-theatres.htm

Museum listing:
http://www.londonforfun.com/London-museums.htm

Galleries listings:
http://www.londonforfun.com/galleries-in-London.htm

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