Arts & Culture
Originally published on Tuesday, 31st January 2012
The Culturist: February
After a brief artistic break for the New Year (spent mostly feigning detox while boozing through the month at various bar, restaurant and product launches), it’s time to get back on the Culture Wagon… And with both Valentine’s and the Chinese New Year rearing their heads, February holds lots to please in that department – along with a tonne of theatrical, artistic and musical distractions to round the month out nicely.
ART: David Shrigley
Feb 1-May 13, £8
Hayward Gallery, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XZ
A stuffed dog holding an “I’m dead” placard may not scream art but Shrigley’s witty and wry observations on everyday life are at once deliberately crude and immediately accessible. His first major show in London will cover the full range of his diverse practice: his deadpan, off-kilter drawings, books and animations, and his polymath work as painter, sculptor, ceramicist, taxidermist, photographer, and opera librettist. Stifle the giggles – you’re in an art gallery don’t you know.
EAT: HIX Belgravia
Open Feb 1
Thomson Belgraves Hotel, 20 Chesham Place, SW1X 8HQ
Renowned for creating good ol’ English grub for London’s hungry elite, Mark Hix’s food empire has steadily conquered London with the allure of simple, down-to-earth dishes where the ingredients don’t just shine through, they practically get up and do a little song and dance. Hix’s latest venture combines the best of Soho (Mark’s Bar) with a new menu - a collection of Mark’s favourite dishes from around the world. Turns out he’s not so patriotic after all.
SHOP: Beyond the Valley
Until Feb 29
2 Newburgh St, W1F 7RD
Talk about end of an era! Beyond the Valley, the iconic interiors and fashion store which (in our books at least) pretty much put the Newburgh Quarter back on our retail map, is shutting up shop. Yep, that’s right: sad days indeed. So with the final date set, now’s your last chance to both snap up the continued sale prices on their closing stock, and (more importantly) drop by to bid a fond farewell to such a consistently inspirational store. So long BTV. You’ll be missed.
DANCE: The Dream/Song Of Earth
Feb 1-March 5, £4-£83
Royal Opera House, Bow Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 9DD
This dancing double bill at the Royal Opera House showcases Frederick Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan in their respective elements: two defining styles of The Royal Ballet in a single programme. A one-act rendering of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream is followed by an interpretation of Mahler's song-cycle – a perfect combo for first-timers and ballet buffs alike.
FESTIVAL: Vault
Feb 9-26, £8
The Old Vic Tunnels, Leake Street, SE1 8SW
It was Minotaur that first sparked our love of subterranean vaults and twisting tunnels – a labyrinthine culture-fest to lose yourself in – and we’re hoping the Vault festival will continue to hit the spot. Three weeks of kaleidoscopically varied entertainment ranging from theatrical gigs and immersive opera to late night parties and horror-exclusive cinema will keep us returning to their Leake Street door. It’s a culture-hit hole in one.
DRINK: Extreme Grape & Grain
Feb 28, 7-10pm, £35
The Draft House, 206-208 Tower Bridge Rd, SE1 2UP
Beer versus wine. Grain versus grape. Who will emerge victorious in this heated slapdown that has plagued mankind for centuries? Head on over to SE1’s Draft House for the latest instalment of Grape & Grain as UJ’s much loved Wine Chap and Draft House’s own Charlie McVeigh stand kidney-to-kidney in defence of their respective tipples. Tickets obviously include an abundance of booze, together with an apparently vital spot of poetry, arm wrestling and drinkable prizes.
STORY: Bedtime Stories
Feb 8, £25
40 Winks, 109 Mile End Road, E1 4UJ
Swap cocoa and fluffy hot water bottles for gin and cashmere blankets at 40 Winks’ sophisticated bedtime soirée. Held in the private home of endearingly eccentric interior designer David Carter, you’ll be treated to readings and performances from professional storytellers, actors and musicians. Dress code is strictly pjs and nightgowns – good thing there's never been more nightwear as daywear then. So get ye self to Stella or Lanvin and strut your pjs with style.
MUSIC: Justice at Brixton Academy
Feb 10. Tickets now only available at seatwave from £50
O2 Academy Brixton, 211 Stockwell Road, SW9 9SL
As part of the NME Awards 2012 series, Brixton Academy welcomes Parisian electronic heavyweights Justice (pronounce it right, please) to their bill. Expect Daft Punk-reminiscent house mash ups from 2007 (everyone remembers how happy D.A.N.C.E. made you feel), and more rocky influences from their newest offerings. Do the D A N C E, 1234 fight!
EAT: A La Cruz Winter Supperclub
Feb 1, £40
A La Cruz, 42 Northampton Road, EC1R 0HU
There’s something decidedly Argentine in the London air at the moment: De La Panza, Galante, and now a winter supper club at A La Cruz centering around the ceremonial carving of cordero entero (whole lamb) slow cooked for hours on metal crosses. The menu couldn’t be more authentic: empanadas and provoleta, chimichurri, a taster of beef fillet for your steak fix and, most importantly, pancakes con dulce de leche, the nectar of Argentine cuisine.
LAST CHANCE: Dale Chihuly
Until Feb 29, Free
Halcyon Gallery, 144-146 New Bond St, W1S 2PF
Ever gazed in wonder at the monumental glass ‘chandelier’ in the V&A atrium? The beautiful beast that looks a little like an exploded octopus in translucent blue and pink? Well now you can view the artist Dale Chihuly’s work without getting a crick in your neck as he takes over all three floors of the spanking new Halcyon Gallery on New Bond Street. Internationally known for his ambitious architectural installations and intricate sprawling creations, Chihuly’s latest work pushes the boundaries of glass, his freeform technique and vibrant colours seemingly defying gravity and the basic laws of physics. It ends this month so catch it before it’s gone.
