Jonathan Yeo
“October is art month in London. Frieze art fair brings an annual influx of the international art crowd and means many galleries hold back their best shows to coincide. Even if you’re not one of the billionaire collectors on a shopping trip, for whom the event is traditionally aimed, it’s still enjoyable to wander around and people watch, plus a useful way of tracking current trends in the contemporary art world. If you do go, it’s also worth taking a stroll across the park to Frieze Masters which focuses on 20th Century and earlier works, often of museum quality, via the free Sculpture show en route.
As a trustee of the National Portrait Gallery, you’d expect me to mention the blockbuster Francis Bacon exhibition which opens next week, but it’s a genuinely good one, and I’m keen to see how Hew Locke uses objects from the British Museum collection to tell stories in his new show there. Being an interiors obsessive, the PAD fair which showcases very high end design is another favourite, even though the price tags are usually way out of my league (so I resort to trawling Alfie’s Antique Market and The Old Cinema for similarly styled pieces).
If you weren’t one of the 500,000+ visitors who saw The King’s portrait at Buckingham Palace this summer, you can now make your own version using a specially created Snapchat “lens” on your phone. This AI-powered collaboration was launched last week and captures you in a similar style with an animated butterfly landing on your shoulder. It’s currently available to anyone using the app and if you don’t know how Snapchat works then just find a teenager and ask them to show you. Clever as the technology is, I’m still uncertain whether it was a great idea or a terrible one making it so easy for anyone to DIY one of my portraits for free. Either way, the question of how AI will shape art in future is the one I seem to get asked most these days (closely followed by “Why did you paint the King’s background so red?”) and I’m guessing a few of the newer works at Frieze may be attempting to shed light on this riddle too”.
Jonathan Yeo, Artist
Food & Drink: Tamila
Credit: Instagram
The team behind Islington favourite, The Tamil Prince, are heading south of the river to the Northcote Road to launch Tamila. With plans to ‘redefine the curry house’ with a roti and curry focused menu, South Londoners need to be booking NOW for this brand new hot spot. Tamila will be a casual, standalone place, with seating for 50 (limited space for walk-ins) alongside some alfresco options when the weather is nay so bad…. whenever that may be. The menu will feature the tried-and-true flaky rotis and South-Indian-inspired curries from co-founder and executive chef Prince Durairaj alongside regular specials and new offerings from the tandoor. Dishes will include an expanded bread offering: garlic coriander naan, peshwari, kulcha naan, Dosas: masala, mutton uttapam, or chilli cheese and Masala Poori: wheat flour fried bread served with potato masala and coconut chutney. As an accompaniment, you can choose from Indian-spiced cocktails such as the Tamil Negroni, Gunpowder Margarita or Charcoal Old-Fashioned as well as your classic wines and the house Tamila lager. Tamila launches TODAY so get on to the website sharpish and make your reservation.
Drinks: Guinness at Old Brewer’s YaRD
Credit: Guiness.com
Opening this month in Old Brewer’s Yard in Covent Garden is the latest city-centre distillery from Guinness, following in the footsteps of Dublin and Edinburgh. A cool £73 million has reportedly been ploughed into the enormous 50,000 square foot venue, to bring us some pints of the good stuff…and more. Its site isn’t just a random choice but rather the former home of a brewery as far back as 1722 so history and nostalgia run deep. So what can we expect? Well obviously there will be a microbrewery, which you can tour around, producing limited edition beers as well as a beautiful central covered courtyard that will host a ‘host’ of events throughout the year. And of course… a gift shop. Because this wouldn’t be the real deal unless we can all leave with some branded merch. Unsurprisingly, because us Londoners do so love a rooftop, there will be a rooftop bar and restaurant with an open-fire kitchen and a 360-degree glass rooftop. For the devout stout fans out there then you should also bear in mind that this will be the flagship site for Guinness's London training programme. Sláinte.
Musical: The Devil Wears Prada
Credit: Devil Wears Prada
“Strutting into London’s Dominion Theatre…” is a brand new musical based on the blockbuster film and bestselling novel, The Devil Wears Prada, featuring an original score by none other than Elton John! The cast is led by Tony Award nominee Vanessa Williams, best known for her celebrated TV roles in Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives in the role of Miranda Priestly, Editor-in-Chief of Runway Magazine. For those who haven’t seen the film or read the book then allow us to set the scene… as it were. “Fresh out of college, aspiring journalist Andy scores a job at the prestigious Runway magazine working for fashion’s most powerful and terrifying icon — editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly. Sacrificing her personal life to meet Miranda’s impossible demands, Andy finds herself seduced by the glamorous world she once despised. How far will she go to succeed... and will it be worth selling her soul to get what she’s always wanted?” This production has been billed as hilariously fun and fabulously stylish. And with a stellar cast and THE Elton John behind the music, you know it’s going to be fantastic.
Art: The World of Tim Burton
Credit: timburton.com
The Design Museum in Kensington exhibits product, industrial, graphic, fashion, and architectural design and this month it opens a brand new exhibition on one of the world's most recognisable creators, designers, animators and directors- Tim Burton. Burton is the genius behind some of the most celebrated films of the last four decades and is a master of his craft and in particular, the comically grotesque and the endearingly misfit. We are invited into his world through an exploration of the design of his unique aesthetic. While most well-known for his cinematic work, this show will display the full extent of his production as an illustrator, painter, photographer and author, as well as exploring key collaborations with designers. As a multi-disciplinary artist, his creations extend beyond the limits of mediums and formats. Drawn from Tim Burton’s personal archive and representing the artist’s creative output from childhood to the present day, this collection of drawings, paintings, photographs, sketchbooks, moving-image works, sculptural installations, set and costume design focuses on the recurrent visual themes and motifs found in the distinctive characters and worlds found in Burton’s art and films. This will be the final stop in a decade-long world tour for this exhibition and will be its only ever showing in the UK. The World of Tim Burton opens on the 25th of the month and runs until January. Tickets are priced from £14.
Art: Making a rukus!
Credit: somersethouse.com
Making a rukus! is an exhibition at Somerset House that opens on the 11th, exploring the joy, friendship, resistance and art of Black LGBTQIA+ people in Britain. Curated by artist, filmmaker and co-founder of rukus! federation, Topher Campbell we are invited to explore Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans creativity, activism, community and pride through archive materials, contemporary artworks and brand-new commissions, celebrating the work of Black LGBTQ+ pioneers and artists since the 1970s. The exhibition is a chance to see items from the award-winning rukus! archive (currently housed at the London Metropolitan Archives), including material showcasing the activism, artistic events and private lives of Black Queer Britain’s, work from UK Black Queer pioneers from the 1970’s until the present day, newly commissioned work and pieces from the ‘first out generation’ who have created greater visibility for the Black LGBTQ+ diaspora. The exhibition opening coincides with 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair and is a wonderful and rare chance to get acquainted with an intimate slice of Black queer history in the UK that’s not often seen. All this is accompanied by a public programme of talks, tours, and events, alongside a brand-new film commission. Making a rukus! opens on the 11th October and runs until 19th January.
Theatre: Oedipus
Credit: Oedipus
This limited run of a heavily adapted version of the great Ancient Greek tragedy of Oedipus, stars multi award-winning Mark Strong and Lesley Manville. From the 4th October until the 4th January at the Wyndham’s Theatre, Sophocles’ epic tragedy is transformed into an essential, explosive human thriller. “Behind every great man is a great woman. It’s election night and the polls predict a landslide victory. Everything is about to change.” This production by Robert Icke first premiered in a Dutch language version for Internationaal Theater Amsterdam way back in 2018. Then followed a tricky journey to London: it was due to arrive here in 2020 with Mark Strong in the title role and the great Helen Mirren as Oedipus’s mother-slash-wife Jocasta. However the pandemic sadly put paid to Mirren's involvement. Roll on 2024 and Strong has stayed ‘strong’ in his commitment and will be joined by the magnificent Lesley Manville instead. Under 30’s can also pick up tickets to certain performances for £30.
Drink: Wine 52
Credit: Wine52
Wine 52 is the UK's largest wine discovery club that send you an exclusive selection of wines each month. Every month, the lucky team journeys to an exciting new wine region around the globe and goes on a veritable spree of wine tastings to find each region’s best hidden gems to bring home and share with us. The themed monthly selections are designed to fuel your passion for flavour and to learn a little bit about what's in your glass along the way. They work very closely with talented winemakers to give subscribers a little peek into their wonderful world of wine, and often they create exclusive wines available only for members of Wine 52. Each monthly box of wine comes complete with snacks, as well as a copy of Glug magazine where you can discover the story behind your wines, and get expert tips to learn more about what you're drinking ensuring you get the most out of your wine delivery. Whether a self-proclaimed wine connoisseur or a beginner in the world of wine, they’ve got your back and are ready to fuel your interest… .with grapes. If wine ain’t your thing then you can also do the same but with craft beers. Both good gift ideas too!
Event: The Om Yoga Show
Credit: Om Yoga
The largest yoga gathering in Europe returns to Alexandra Palace from the 18th to 20th of this month. Yogi’s from all over the capital and further afield, gather at the Om Yoga Show that has been running for over a decade, inviting people of all levels to come and practice together over three days. If you’re a newbie or just curious to find out more about yoga there are over 120 free open classes around the venue over the course of the event that provide an opportunity to learn new poses, refine your technique, and connect with fellow yoga enthusiasts. Led by experienced instructors, these classes cover various yoga styles, ensuring there's something for everyone. It's a perfect way to experience the physical and mental benefits of yoga first-hand. Alongside the classes there will also be more than 200 exhibitor stands, offering a diverse range of yoga and wellness products. From the latest in eco-friendly yoga mats to innovative wellness technology, find everything you need to enhance your yoga practice and overall well-being. Workshops and lectures led by well-known teachers and industry experts as well as a series of fun and engaging children's yoga classes, intersperse the event schedule. For the kids, through playful and creative sessions, they engage in physical exercise but also learn valuable skills in calmness, focus, and mindfulness, essential for their overall development. Tickets are priced from a very reasonable £10. Namaste.
Charity of the Month: THE BIG DRAW
Credit: Google images
Founded in 2000 by the Guild of St George, The Big Draw is a pioneering visual literacy charity dedicated to raising the profile of drawing as a tool for wellbeing, thought, creativity, social and cultural engagement. The charity leads a diverse programme of advocacy, empowerment and engagement, and is the founder and driving force behind The Big Draw Festival – the world’s biggest celebration of drawing. The Festival is made up of a collection of thousands of creative events, activities, and workshops across the globe run by organisations big and small; from individuals to entire cities! So why not take part this month and become part of this creative feat. The 2024 Big Draw Festival theme #DrawinginMotion is a celebration of the dynamic and ever-changing nature of drawing. We are invited to explore how the act of drawing can capture the essence of movement, energy, and life. To take part and learn more about how you and your colleagues/peers can get involved, click here.