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: 18 November 2009 Issue No.185

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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 - Anish Kapoor - This exhibition surveys Kapoor’s career to date as well as showcasing new and previously unseen works. One of the highlights of the exhibition is the monumental work Svayambh. The work has the appearance of a vast mass of wax that moves almost imperceptibly on sunken rails leaving a residue in its wake as it traverses the breadth of Burlington House. This emblematic work reflects Kapoor’s exploration of sculptural works that actively participate in their own formation. Another highlight of the exhibition is Shooting into the Corner (2009), which will be displayed in the Large Weston and Small Weston Rooms. A cannon will shoot projectiles of red wax into a corner at regular intervals. Relentlessly repeating this action, the work will evolve over the duration of the exhibition as the build up of wax takes on its own form against the walls and the floor of the galleries. The spectacle surrounding the firing of the cannon and the accumulation of the wax produces a work of extraordinary complexity and drama. Until 11 December. www.royalacademy.org.uk

2 - Shake It: An Instant History of the Polaroid - From the lyrics of OutKast's pop anthem Hey Ya to clues laid out for the amnesiac protagonist in Christopher Nolan's film Memento, the Polaroid has had a significant impact on contemporary culture. 'Shake It: An instant History of the Polaroid' brings to light some of the more intriguing and innovative examples in the history of the Polaroid photograph, exploring its cultural significance and the diversity of its applications. Besides work by some of the most important artists working with the medium, the show will also include Polaroids from other diverse professions and disciplines such as forensics, archaeology, medicine, filmmaking and fashion, as well as those of amateurs and enthusiasts. Until 13 December. www.wandsworth.gov.uk/gallery

3 - China: Journey to the East - China: Journey to the East spans 3,000 years of Chinese history and culture, exploring themes of play and performance, technology, belief and festivals, food and drink, and language and writing. China has been a major influence on many parts of the world through trade and the movement of peoples. Chinese Diaspora communities form a vital part of the history of many other countries, including Britain. This unique exhibition features over 100 objects from the British Museum, the largest loan of Chinese material the Museum has made in the UK. Until 24 December. www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk

4 - Roger Hiorns: SEIZURE - British artist Roger Hiorns uses unusual materials to effect surprising transformations on found objects and urban situations. Fire emerges from storm drains, perfume permeates metal surfaces, and copper sulphate crystals colonise industrial objects. SEIZURE was Hiorns’ most ambitious work to date and his first major sculptural project within an urban site, and it marked a radical shift in scale and context in his work. The artist encouraged the growth of an unexpected crystal form within a low-rise late-modernist development near the Elephant & Castle in south London. 75,000 litres of copper sulphate solution were pumped into the council flat to create a strangely beautiful and somewhat menacing crystalline growth on the walls, floor, ceiling and bath of this abandoned dwelling. Until 3 January. www.artangel.org.uk

5 - John Baldessari: Pure Beauty - Based in Los Angeles since the 1960s, John Baldessari (b. 1931) is one of the most influential artists of his generation. Baldessari's lifelong interest in language, both written and visual, has been at the forefront of both his artwork and his teaching, through which, over more than thirty years, he has nurtured and influenced succeeding generations of artists. His work has had a huge influence on Cindy Sherman, David Salle, and Barbara Kruger among others. His works incorporate wit and irony, both mocking conceptual art and delivering it in his written work I Will Not Make Any More Boring Art; superimposing media images and painting with his trademark dots and over-painted figures in The Duress Series; and exploring the idea of subliminal images in advertising in his sequence of ice cubes containing the words of his name, 'U-BUY BAL DES SARI'. Until 10 January. www.tate.org.uk/modern

6 - Turner Prize - The Turner Prize is a contemporary art award that was set up in 1984 to celebrate new developments in contemporary art. The prize is awarded each year to 'a British artist under fifty for an outstanding exhibition or other presentation of their work in the twelve months preceding'. Nominations are invited each year, and the prize is judged by an independent jury that changes annually. The four shortlisted artists present works in a show normally held at Tate Britain before the winner is announced in December. Until 16 January. www.tate.org.uk

7 - The Sleeping Beauty - The current staging, by Director Monica Mason in conjunction with Christopher Newton for the Company’s 75th Anniversary in 2006, pays homage to that famous 1946 production. With its huge cast, fairytale settings and glorious Tchaikovsky score The Sleeping Beauty remains the very essence of classical grandeur. Until 23 January 2010. www.roh.org.uk

8 - La Clique - Impossible to define and impossible to resist, La Clique is an ever-changing collection of the most outrageous, hilarious, beautiful and downright bizarre acts you will ever see. The show has performed 24-sell out seasons across the globe, with each performance offering audiences a unique, inspirational and unforgettable night in the theatre. Now winner of the 2009 Best Entertainment Olivier Award, La Clique has proved itself to be a seductive, funny, dangerous and above all heart-warming sensation. From 19 November 2009 until 17 January 2010. www.roundhouse.org.uk

9 - Wild Thing: Epstein, Gaudier-Brzeska, Gill - Over a period of 10 years from 1905 to 1915, three outstanding young sculptors emerged in Britain; Jacob Epstein, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska and Eric Gill. The radical impact of their work was to transform British sculpture. This exhibition is the first time that the three artists have been shown together in this revolutionary context and many of the works have not been exhibited in London before. The exhibition contains more than 90 works featuring mainly sculptures,rawings and pastels. With rooms dedicated to the work of each sculptor the exhibition focuses on the key achievements of each artist and reveals their mpact on British sculpture. Until 24 January. www.royalacademy.org.uk

10 - No Love Lost, Blue Paintings - Damien Hirst - The Wallace Collection presents an exhibition of 25 new paintings by Damien Hirst, including two triptychs. The ‘No Love Lost’ series, created between 2006 and 2008, marks the artist’s return to the solitary practice of painting. Since the start of his career, Hirst has challenged what it means to be an artist. ‘No Love Lost’ bears witness to a bold new direction in his work: a series of paintings that, in the artist’s words are “deeply connected to the past.” Until 24 January 2010. www.wallacecollection.org

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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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