The Gallery

Ethelburga Tower: At Home In A High-Rise

charlotte — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:46:00 GMT

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

charlotte — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:40:00 GMT

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

Corot to Monet

charlotte — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:34:00 GMT

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

charlotte — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:57:00 GMT

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

Tracey Emin: Those Who Suffer Love

charlotte — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:16:00 GMT

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

charlotte — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:09:00 GMT

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

charlotte — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 10:50:00 GMT

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

charlotte — Tue, 19 May 2009 14:30:00 GMT

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

charlotte — Mon, 11 May 2009 10:32:00 GMT

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

charlotte — Fri, 08 May 2009 09:13:00 GMT

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

charlotte — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:47:00 GMT

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

charlotte — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:25:00 GMT

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

charlotte — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 09:08:00 GMT

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

charlotte — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:05:00 GMT

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

charlotte — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:22:00 GMT

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

charlotte — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 10:24:00 GMT

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

charlotte — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:01:00 GMT

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.

Constable Portraits: The Painter and His Circle

charlotte — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 13:35:00 GMT

05 Mar - 14 Jun 2009 Mon - Wed, Sat, Sun 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Thu, Fri 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM

National Portrait Gallery St Martin's Place, WC2H 0HE

Tel: 020 7306 0055

Seventeenth century artist John Constable is renowned for his landscapes but, as this exhibition shows, he was also a skilled portrait painter.

Constable's paintings of himself, his wife and family give a delightful insight into upper middle class England in the Jane Austen era.

Nearly 50 works including oil portraits, watercolours and sketches are on display, some of which were only recently recovered, while others are previously unseen.

Broadly chronological, the exhibition opens with sketches of the artist himself alongside portraits of his friends and family created when he was a young man.

Annette Messager: The Messengers

charlotte — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:42:00 GMT

4 March 2009 to 25 May 2009

The Hayward, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XZ.

020 7960 4242

See the first UK retrospective of Annette Messager, one of France's leading artists, at The Hayward.

Annette Messager takes everyday materials, such as soft toys, fabrics and photographs, and transforms them into extraordinary artworks.

The exhibition presents four decades of the artist's work, from intimate pieces of the 1970s to visually stunning installations produced over the last 15 years.

The Messengers begins with Annette Messager's Collection Album series from the early 1970s.

The series is displayed in "The Secret Room of the Collector". The room is filled with albums made by the artist while assuming the identity of fictional characters.

The work is signed by identities such as Annette Messager Artist, Annette Messager Trickster and Annette Messager Practical Woman.

Over the last 15 years, Annette Messager's work has expanded from two-dimensional works to large-scale installations, many of which have moving elements.

The exhibition includes Casino, 2005, a sumptuous red and black silk spectacle in three parts, which was inspired by Pinocchio.

The work won Annette Messager the Golden Lion award at the 2005 Venice Biennale, where she was the first woman artist invited to represent France.

Roni Horn aka Roni Horn

charlotte — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:02:00 GMT

26 February 2009 to 25 May 2009

Tate Modern

Bankside,

SE1 9TG

+44 (0)20 7887 8888

Roni Horn's artistic endeavours began in the 1970s and have since taken the American artist through concepts of minimalism, memory, identity and duality.

Her work has a timeless beauty and sensuality, and often features water and the natural world. In the exhibition, photographs analysing the nature of water complement cast-glass sculptures that appear to have a liquid surface.

Roni Horn aka Roni Horn brings together sculpture, photography and drawing. Although based in New York, Horn is fascinated by Iceland, where many of her photographic work is shot.

Stephen Jones: Hats - An Anthology

charlotte — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 10:33:00 GMT

24 February 2009 to 31 May 2009

Victoria and Albert Museum

Cromwell Road,

SW7 2RL

+44 (0)20 7942 2000

This London exhibition is brimming with celebrity hats and historical hats. You'll see everything from an 11th century Coptic fez to a hat worn by Madonna.

Check out the royal hats from the V&A's collection; Queen Victoria's bonnet will be on display next to Prince Albert's top hat.

Covet some hats worn by famous heads. The exhibition includes a hat worn by Dita Von Teese who knows hats are the height of chic.

You'll want to dance all night after you've seen Audrey Hepburn's hat from My Fair Lady.

If you're a dedicated fashionista, you'll recognise the names of some of the celebrity designers too! Check out hats by:

Philip Treacy
Mitxa Bricard for Christian Dior
Vladzio d'Attainville for Balenciaga.

Stephen Jones is one of the world's top milliners. His creations have swanned down the catwalks and graced the world's most stylish heads.

Funds secured for Titian painting

charlotte — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 11:17:00 GMT

Campaigners have secured the £50m they need to buy a 16th Century painting by Titian for the nation.

The Scottish Government has pledged £12.5m, £7.4m has come from public donations and £12.5m has come from National Galleries in London.

The National Galleries of Scotland and London's National Gallery were jointly trying to raise the money.

The painting - Diana and Actaeon - was offered for sale by its owner, the Duke of Sutherland, last summer.

The rest of the money has come from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, which has given £10m; the Monument Trust has pledged £2m; £4.6m has come from the National Galleries of Scotland and £1m was secured from the Art Fund.

The deadline for the sale was 31 December but that was extended to allow funds to be raised.

Turner landscape sells for £9.1m

charlotte — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 11:27:00 GMT

A Turner landscape has fetched £9.1m ($12.9m) in an auction at Sotheby's in New York.

For the past 25 years it has remained in the private collection of fine art dealer Richard Feigen.

It toured Paris, London and Los Angeles before being sold at Sotheby's in New York as part of its Important Old Masters Paintings sale.

The painting was secured by an anonymous telephone bidder.

It is one of only three made by Joseph Mallord William Turner which depict ancient Greece and was first exhibited in 1816.

It features an ancient Greek scene of figures dancing a national dance with a temple in the background.

Crimes of Passion- Street Art in Bristol Exhibition

charlotte — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:40:00 GMT

22/03/2009 - 02/05/2009

Royal West of England Academy
Queens Road
Clifton
Bristol
BS8 1PX

Tel: 0117 973 5129

Bristol has been a big player on the global graffiti scene since the early eighties, spawning many of its most notorious and talented protagonists. This spring the RWA invites some of the most prominent artists in the city to adorn its galleries in their own inimitable way. This milestone event will showcase the depth of creativity on the Bristol scene, pushing the boundaries and challenging expectations of this ubiquitous and often misunderstood art form.

American Beauty – Art from Craft in 19th Century America at The American Museum

charlotte — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:01:00 GMT

Claverton Manor
Claverton Down
Bath
BA2 7BD
Tel: +44 (0) 1225 460503

Following the success of Dollar Princesses and Titanic, the 2009 exhibition will be American Beauty – Art from Craft in 19th Century America. The exhibition will Showcast the museum’s world-renowned folk art collection, bringing ‘centre stage’ to over one hundred star pieces.

In preparation for American Beauty, many of the paintings and sculptures have been cleaned and consolidated. These treasures have never looked better during their time at the museum – especially the child portraits by William Matthew Prior and his brother-in-law, Sturtevant Hamblen. Now that the discoloured varnish has been removed, these magnificent pictures have been revealed in all their delicate glory.

Saatchi to front art talent show

charlotte — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:12:00 GMT

A new X Factor style television talent show will attempt to discover the next British art sensation.

The BBC Two show, presented by advertising boss and art collector Charles Saatchi, is open to all aspiring artists.

Finalists will be tutored by leading contemporary artists before exhibiting their work in St Petersburg, Russia.

Aspiring artists are being invited to apply for Saatchi's Best of British from 2 February.

The BBC said its talent search will be open to all artistic genres including installation art, painting, digital media, sculpture, printmaking, and performance art.

Artists aged 18 and over can apply to www.submityourart.com

Time Out First Thursdays

charlotte — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:48:00 GMT

5 March 2009 - 6-9pm

Canary Wharf

Concrete Hermit

Pure Evil Gallery

Geffrye Museum

Have a sophisticated evening at the some of the coolest and most cutting-edge galleries in East London.

This special late night art event is organised by The Whitechapel Gallery as part of East festival.

Expect a buzzy festival atmosphere as galleries in trendy areas such as Hoxton Square and Vyner Street open their doors for a late night session.

Not only can you see some fantastic art, but you can also pay a visit to one of the many hip bars and restaurants in the area.

Also, look out for free art tours, including bus tours with leading academics and artists. These tours are popular, so make sure you sign up in advance.

Major art collection to tour UK

charlotte — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:21:00 GMT

A contemporary art collection including works by Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst and Gilbert and George is to tour the UK.

Eighteen galleries will show a selection of works from the collection, under the heading Artist Rooms.

The collection, put together by art dealer Anthony d'Offay, was valued at £125m by Sothebys in 2008.

The Artist Rooms exhibitions will feature 50 separate rooms, each featuring work by a particular artist.

Artists in the collection include Diane Arbus, Joseph Beuys, Alex Katz, Anselm Kiefer, Jeff Koons, Jannis Kounellis, Sol LeWitt, Gerhard Richter, Bill Viola, Lawrence Weiner and Francesca Woodman.

Around 60% of the collection will be on display in galleries and museums from Orkney to St Ives during 2009.

The Street: Minerva Cuevas - S•COOP

charlotte — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:18:00 GMT

5 March 2009 to 7 March 2009

The Shop - The Street Headquarters

26-28 Toynbee Street

E1 7NE

020 7522 7888

Minerva Cuevas is creating works for The Whitechapel Gallery and Wentworth Street as part of The Street project. The exhibition takes place in one of two new galleries at The Whitechapel from 5 April-21 June.

Minerva Cuevas lives and works in Mexico City and has had her work displayed all over the world. She has also created posters, billboards and performances.

This interactive art project involves a new currency, the S•COOP, being circulated among traders in Petticoat Lane Market.

Market traders will give out the coins as change for purchases. You can then use S•COOP to buy ice cream in The Shop (the headquarters of The Street), which will be turned into an ice cream parlour!

By bringing a new currency into everyday life, the project explores themes of value and different types of economies.

The Street is a year-long series of new artists' commissions focusing on and around Wentworth Street in East London.

Hussein Chalayan

charlotte — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 10:37:00 GMT

22 January 2009 to 17 May 2009

Design Museum

Shad Thames

Bermondsey

SE1 2YD

This show at the Design Museum is the first comprehensive exhibition of Chalayan's work in the UK, covering 15 years of experimental projects.

Hussein Chalayan is known for his innovative use of materials and creative use of new technologies.

Famous as a fashion designer, Chalayan's work also spans architecture, design, philosophy, anthropology, science and technology.

See outlandish fashion designs ranging from a sparkling dress of LED lights and furniture that transforms into clothing.

Nude Madonna could fetch $15,000

charlotte — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:25:00 GMT

A nude photograph of pop star Madonna taken in 1979 could fetch up to $15,000 when it is sold next month, auction house Christie's has said.

The explicit black and white picture was taken when Madonna was a dancer struggling to make ends meet.

She replied to a newspaper advert by celebrated American photographer Lee Friedlander, who shot her for a series of nudes he was working on.

Matthieu Humery, head of Christie's photography department, said the picture was "probably the most explicit" shot Friedlander took of the future pop icon.

Constable portrait show to open

charlotte — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 09:21:00 GMT

An exhibition exploring some of John Constable's seldom seen works is to open at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Constable Portraits: The Painter and His Circle will open on 5 March. The collection of almost 50 portraits will feature oil paintings, sketches and watercolours.

Rediscovered and previously unseen paintings will be among those on show a along with self portraits and pictures of the artist's family and friends.

Tate curator Anne Lyles said "In the past some critics have not rated them," the collection would give people the opportunity to assess the portraits properly for the first time.

They are full of honesty, integrity, and rather intense characterisations.

Andrea Palladio: His Life and Legacy

charlotte — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:31:00 GMT

31 January 2009 to 13 April 2009

Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, London. W1J 0BD

Palladio was one of the greatest Italian architects. His work continues to resonate five centuries after his birth.

Palladio's work in Vicenza, Venice and the Veneto region created a new architectural language. He used classical sources, but shaped them to meet both the practical demands and aesthetic aspirations of the 1500s.

Palladio designed fabulous public buildings and churches, but it was his town palaces and country villas that influenced subsequent generations of European and American architects.

This exhibition at the Royal Academy focuses on Palladio's life and the impact he has had on future generations, and features:

large-scale models
computer animations
original drawings
books
paintings

You can also see paintings by Titian, Veronese and El Greco to contextualise Palladio's work, as well as art by Canaletto, demonstrating the popularity of Palladio in the 18th century.

Czech EU Art Installation

charlotte — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 09:25:00 GMT

EU Members are angry at an art installation that is to be displayed at the European Council building.

The Czech Republic, thought they had commissioned work from 27 European artists, but it turned out to have been completed by Czech artist David Cerny and just two associates.

Entropa portrays Bulgaria as a toilet, Romania as a Dracula theme-park and France as a country on strike. The Netherlands is shown as series of minarets submerged by a flood, Germany is shown as a network of motorways vaguely resembling a swastika. The UK is absent from Europe altogether.

The eight-tonne mosaic is held together by snap-out plastic parts similar to those used in modelling kits.

The Washington DC gallery

charlotte — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 09:16:00 GMT

A portrait of Barack Obama will become part of the permanent collection at the US National Portrait Gallery.

Normally the gallery acquires official portraits of presidents as they are leaving office, however this will be hung on Inauguration Day on 20th January 2009.

The gallery has also acquired a stencilled image by Los Angeles-based street artist Shepard Fairey, the mixed-media work depicts Mr Obama with the word Hope.

A portrait of President George W Bush was unveiled at the gallery in December, and an official portrait of Mr Obama will be added later.

Da Vinci art put in cave in WWII

charlotte — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 09:11:00 GMT

Researchers have found that drawings by Leonardo da Vinci were previously stored at the National Library of Wales during World War II.

Officials discovered a specially built secret cave, where the masterpieces were stored, they are now on show at the National Library of Wales as part of Prince Charles 60th Birthday celebrations.

But officials discovered the drawings had been placed there for safety in a specially built secret cave of masterpieces.

Saxon Chronicles, works of Wycliffe and Chaucer and a large collection of charters including the Magna Carta were all stored in the secret cave.

Bruegel to Rubens: Masters of Flemish Painting

charlotte — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:21:00 GMT

17 Oct 2008 - 26 Apr 2009

The Queen's Gallery

Buckingham Palace Road

London

SW1A 1AA

The exhibition brings together 51 works from the golden age of Flemish painting (15th to 17th centuries), including masterpieces by:

Hans Memling
Pieter Bruegel the Elder
Jan Brueghel
Van Dyck
Rubens

Flemish portrait painting of the 16th century was admired for its extraordinary realism. Artists used a variety of visual tricks to intensify the relationship between viewer and sitter.

An exhibition highlight, Bruegel's Massacre of the Innocents is a deceptively beautiful scene of a Flemish village under snow. At once captivating and harrowing, the work is hailed as one of the most savage artistic satires of all time.

At the heart of the exhibition are paintings created during the reign of Archduke Albert and his wife, the Infanta Isabella. From this period comes a group of powerful portraits by Van Dyck and Rubens.

Le Corbusier – The Art of Architecture

charlotte — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:41:00 GMT

19 February 2009 to 24 May 2009

Barbican Art Gallery

Level G, Barbican Centre

Silk Street

London

EC2Y 8DS

The Art of Architecture spans a period of 60 years, starting with Le Corbusier's early works such as the iconic white cubic buildings of the 1920s, inspired by his native Switzerland.

The exhibition culminates in Le Corbusier's late works of the 1950s and 60s, including the Chapel of Ronchamp (1950-55) and the buildings for the Indian city of Chandigarh (1952-64).

Highlights include a monumental mural painting by Le Corbusier from his office in Paris Femme et coquillage IV (1948); a complete original kitchen by Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand from his famous Unité d’habitation, Marseille (1947-50); and a reconstruction of his utopian masterplan for Paris (1925).

Focusing on Le Corbusier’s unique multi-disciplinary approach, the exhibition brings together a wealth of material, including:

Original architectural models and interior settings
Paintings
Films
Sculpture and books
Vintage photographs

It also features important works by Le Corbusier's collaborators and artistic contemporaries such as furniture designers Charlotte Perriand and Jean Prouvé, and artist Fernand Léger.

Billy: Bill Gibb's Moment in Time

charlotte — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:07:00 GMT

24 October 2008 to 18 January 2009

Fashion and Textile Museum

83 Bermondsey Street

London

SE1 3XF

Crowned designer of the year by British Vogue in 1970, Bill Gibb was renowned for his flamboyant designs and visionary talent. Not one to follow trend, he created beautiful, renaissance-inspired clothes in the age of the mini skirt.

With an impressive client list that included Twiggy, Bianca Jagger and Elizabeth Taylor, Gibb quickly gained an international reputation for creating beautiful evening gowns and stunning separates.

Gibb's prolific career was sadly cut short in 1988 when he died of bowel cancer at the age of 44.

A must for fashion lovers, this exhibition provides an intriguing insight into Gibb's life and work, with a focus on his most prolific years from 1972-78.

Beside the Seaside: Snapshots of British Coastal Life, 1880-1950

charlotte — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:58:00 GMT

17 September 2008 to 13 April 2009

National Maritime Museum

Romney Road

Greenwich

SE10 9NF

This engaging new exhibition celebrates the remarkably varied history of the British seaside through a range of photographs, posters and memorabilia.

More than 45 images from the Museum's historical collection are brought together for the first time, divided into 4 geographical areas:

South East England and East Anglia
South West England
North West England
Wales

Many of the photographs in this exhibition are taken from the National Maritime Museum's Francis Frith Collection.

Francis Frith (1822-98) was an eminent Victorian photographer who travelled extensively, documenting his travels through pictures and journals.

Treasures of Shanghai: Ancient Chinese Bronzes and Jades

charlotte — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 09:53:00 GMT

29 January 2009 to 27 March 2009

British Museum

Great Russell Street

London

WC1B 3DG

Admire exquisite bronzes and stunning jades in this new display of Shanghai's treasures at the British Museum.

Sixty spectacular Chinese jades and bronzes, loaned from the Shanghai Museum, are on show in this new exhibition.

Delicate early jades carved into strange human-like figures, birds and monsters are some of the main draws.

Beautiful bronzes from the Zhou dynasty are also on display.

Bronze is highly regarded in Chinese art and even has its own separate section in the Imperial Collection.

Sacrificial vessels and wine vessels were commonly made out of bronze for ritual purposes. It was only after the Zhou dynasty (around 250BC) that they became appreciated as pieces of art in their own right.

Jade is also an important material in Chinese art and considered inherently valuable. It is often associated with human virtues such as durability and moral beauty.

Miró, Calder, Giacometti, Braque: Aimé Maeght and his artists

charlotte — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 11:39:00 GMT

4 October 2008 to 2 January 2009

04 Oct 2008 - 02 Jan 2009 Mon - Thu, Sat, Sun 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Fri 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day

Royal Academy of Arts

Burlington House

London

W1J 0BD

The Royal Academy tells the remarkable story of Aimé Maeght – a 20th century art-dealer, exhibition-maker and publisher – with this exhibition about the artists most closely associated with him.

This exhibition at the Royal Academy showcases more than 140 paintings, sculptures, ceramics, prints, and books by these four artists, as well as works by Bonnard and Matisse.

The Royal Academy has devoted an entire gallery to the work of Miró and Calder, close friends who were united by a love of colour and an exuberant approach to their work.

Expect to be dazzled by Calder's inventive mobiles and stabiles alongside Miró's bold pictorial compositions and highly original ceramics.

Another gallery brings together works by Giacometti and Braque.

Sculptures by Giacometti range from his famous Surrealist piece, Spoon Woman (1926), to his iconic sculptures from the 1960s: Standing Woman and Walking Man. The sombre mood of these thin, solitary figures is echoed in Braque’s moving late canvases.

Design Cities

charlotte — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:40:00 GMT

5 September 2008 to 4 January 2009

Design Museum

Shad Thames

Bermondsey

SE1 2YD

The exhibition looks at how these cities contributed to the evolution of design and how design, in turn, shaped contemporary culture.

Design Cities tells the story of contemporary design by focusing on 7 cities at their creative heights: London, Vienna, Dessau, Paris, Los Angeles, Milan and Tokyo.

Design Cities takes you on a journey around the world, identifying particular periods that shifted the direction of design, including:

The Great Exhibition in London (1851)
Adolf Loos in Vienna (1908)
Bauhaus in Dessau (1928)
Le Corbusier in Paris (1936)
Charles and Ray Eames in LA (1949)
The Milan scene (1957)
The creative explosion in Tokyo (1987)

Design Cities features a wide range of objects, from textiles and fashion to industrial pieces, furniture and prints.

Andy Warhol: Other Voices, Other Rooms

charlotte — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:49:00 GMT

7 October 2008 to 18 January 2009

The Hayward

Belvedere Road

London

SE1 8XZ

Hayward Hosts Major Warhol Retrospective in London

Apart from his instantly recognisable paintings and screen prints, Andy Warhol produced a number of films and TV programmes, leading some commentators to brand him as the father of reality TV.

Andy Warhol: Other Voices, Other Rooms takes its lead from Warhol's films, screen-tests, videos and television programmes to give a fresh insight into the mind of the man.

Alongside Warhol's film work, the exhibition features extraordinary archive material, paintings and installations that examine Warhol's creative process and shed new light on his life's work.

The exhibition includes some of Warhol's most famous films:

Sleep (1963)
Empire (1964)
Poor Little Rich Girl (1965)
Chelsea Girls (1966)

Warhol's video diaries are also on show, alongside all 42 episodes from his 1980s TV serials entitled Fashion; Andy Warhol's TV; and Andy Warhol's Fifteen Minutes, in which he appeared with friends such as Debbie Harry and Jerry Hall.

There's also the chance to catch Warhol's rarely seen screen tests of artists and musicians including:

Marcel Duchamp
John Cale
Salvador Dali

Choosing the Chintz: Men, Women and Furnishing the Home from 1850 to the Present

charlotte — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:39:00 GMT

14 October 2008 to 22 February 2009

14 Oct 2008 - 22 Feb 2009 Tue - Sat 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM; Mon, Sun, Spring Bank Holiday, Summer Bank Holiday 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM Closed Mon, Fri, New Year's Day, Good Friday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day

The Geffrye Museum

136 Kingsland Road

London

E2 8EA

Choosing the Chintz explores how our relationship with home furnishing has developed from 1850 to the present day.

Featuring personal diaries, trade catalogues, furniture, photographs and film, the exhibition tells a surprising story about the history of home decoration.

The exhibition also explores the post war years, when the idea of "companionate marriage" was introduced, championing companionship and domestic harmony in the home.

It examines how domestic responsibilities are split between men and women, and includes interviews with couples about their roles in furnishing their homes.

At the end of this exhibition at the Geffrye Museum in London, you'll see photos of different living rooms and be invited to guess who they belong to.

Sisley in England & Wales

charlotte — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:37:00 GMT

12 November 2008 to 15 February 2009

12 Nov 2008 - 15 Feb 2009 Mon, Tue, Thu - Sun 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Wed 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day

National Gallery

Trafalgar Square, London

London

WC2N 5DN

Alfred Sisley (1839–1899) was one of the greatest landscape painters of the 19th century and a leading figure in the Impressionist movement. Yet as the only Englishman among the French Impressionists, he remains relatively unknown.

Sisley was born in Paris to English parents. While he remained a British subject throughout his life, he only went on two painting campaigns in the United Kingdom – in 1874 and 1897.

This small but enchanting exhibition brings together these two groups of paintings for the first time, showing Sisley at two of the most creative moments of his life.

This exhibition focuses on Sisley's British landscapes, offering a rare opportunity to see British landscapes rendered in an Impressionist style.

Sisley's earlier works date from the year of the first Impressionist exhibition in 1874. They include depictions of London and surrounds, focusing particularly on the Thames.

Look out for classic impressionist depictions of life and light in:

View of the Thames: Charing Cross Bridge
Regatta at Hampton Court
Molesey Weir, Hampton Court, Morning

In these radiant paintings, Sisley captures the Thames in colourful scenes of suburban sociability: boating parties, swimming, and strolling in the sunshine.

Paths to Fame: Turner Watercolours from The Courtauld

charlotte — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:53:00 GMT

Until 25 January 2009

The Courtauld Gallery

Strand, Somerset House, London

The Courtauld's amazing collection of Turner's watercolours includes work from across his career.

From a view of the Avon Gorge made when Turner was just 16 years old to his dramatic late works such as Margate Pier, the exhibition charts his success as one of Britain's most celebrated painters.

The Courtauld Gallery's own pieces are supplemented by related loans from the Tate and other private collections.

With these additional pieces, the exhibition offers a wonderful opportunity to see the full process of certain compositions, from early sketches to published prints.

Paths to Fame includes 9 magnificent Turner watercolours that were recently bequeathed to The Courtauld Gallery by the late Dorothy Scharf.

A concurrent display of selected British watercolours from this bequest will show Turner's work in the broader context of British painting from the so-called Golden Age of watercolour painting.

London Art Fair

charlotte — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 18:21:00 GMT

14 January 2009 to 18 January 2009

Business Design Centre

Business Design Centre

52 Upper Street

London

N1 0QH

This established fair offers a unique opportunity to view and buy some of the best art from the last 100 years.

Serious collectors can expect to find museum-quality pieces worth in excess of £1 million. But if your budget doesn't quite stretch to that, you can also find work by emerging artists for as little as £20.

Galleries selected for the London Art Fair 2009 include Alan Cristea, Richard Green, Bearspace and FAS Contemporary.

Together the exhibitors present a broad variety of art from the 20th and 21st centuries, from both celebrated artists and emerging talents.

Featured artists include:

Keith Coventry
Barbara Hepworth
Patrick Heron
Gavin Turk

Cold War Modern: Design 1945-1970

charlotte — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:45:00 GMT

27 September 2008 to 11 January 2009

Victoria and Albert Museum

South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London

SW7 2RL

Concentrating on the period from 1945 to 1970, this exciting exhibition at London's V&A examines how the battle between communism and capitalism shaped modern design on both sides of the Iron Curtain.

This fascinating exhibition brings together over 300 exhibits from around the world including:

An Apollo Mission space suit
Futuristic fashion by Paco Rabanne and Pierre Cardin
A Messerschmidt micro-car
Peter Ghyczy's Garden Egg Chair
Films by Stanley Kubrick
Work by Pablo Picasso

Visit the museum to check out designs of interiors for NASA spacecraft as well experimental space suits.

Contemporary Sculpture at the British Museum - Statuephilia

charlotte — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:02:00 GMT

4 October 2008 to 25 January 2009

Leading British artists Damien Hirst, Antony Gormley, Ron Mueck, Marc Quinn, and Noble and Webster pay tribute to the cultural significance of sculpture through the ages.

Each artist has created a sculpture for a different gallery of the British Museum.

Cornucopia: Damien Hirst fills the wall cases of the Enlightenment Gallery with 200 skulls, addressing his ongoing fascination with death, and commenting on the legitimacy of exhibition displays.
Siren: Marc Quinn's solid gold statue of Kate Moss is central in the Nereid Gallery, interacting with great Greek beauties surrounding it.
Case for an Angel I: Antony Gormley takes up the Front Hall of the Museum with a huge angel, linking with the Egyptian, Assyrian and Classical statuary which inspires the sculptor.