Category Archives: Art

Sponsored Video: Institute of Sexology … Chris, Should We Talk?

Posted on 2015-02-25 by tikichris

So here’s something funny. Invited to publish this promotional video on my blog to help raise awareness of the Wellcome Collection’s The Institute of Sexology exhibition, I was sitting in bed viewing it when something came up and I had to step away from my laptop, pausing the clip at about 50 seconds into it. Then Kemey came to bed, inadvertently giving my screen a glance. Continue reading →

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The Republic of Užupis & Its Strange Constitution (OneTravel)

Posted on 2015-02-23 by tikichris

  Oddball? Poignant? An uniquely Lithuanian blend of both? The Constitution of the Republic of Užupis, listed in its entirety below, has got to be one of the quirkiest founding documents to ever be penned. The Republic of whatzit? Yeah, … Continue reading →

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The Whitworth Reopens: It’s a Happy Valentine’s Day for Manchester’s Art Lovers

Posted on 2015-02-13 by tikichris

Following a £15 million development that doubled its size and created new spaces for celebrating art and “embracing the park it calls home,” The Whitworth in Manchester will reopen its doors to the public on February the 14th. After checking out the gallery’s new digs and all the ace art on view there earlier this week at a press preview, I reckon Mancunian art lovers should prepare for a very happy Valentine’s weekend! Continue reading →

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New Afternoon Tea at the Intercontinental London Park Lane? It’s a Guiltless Pleasure.

Posted on 2015-02-03 by tikichris

Yes, the folks at the Park Lane Intercontinental have done it again: wowed my senses in one of London’s most elegantly comfortable public settings … and with gracious and polite service to boot! This new vegetarian (without ever stating so) afternoon tea was a delight and yet another point to be added to a now rather lengthy set of reasons to recommend the hotel as an ideal destination for making the most of your time in the West End. Continue reading →

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Spotlight on Wat Pho: Bangkok’s Temple of the Reclining Buddha (OneTravel)

Posted on 2015-01-28 by tikichris

Wat Pho is one of the largest and oldest temples in Bangkok and home to the city’s beloved Reclining Buddha. The expansive grounds of the temple complex – with thousands of Buddhas on display, a working monastery and one of Thailand’s best massage schools – is well worth a visit. Of course, the main draw here is the massive and awe inspiring Reclining Buddha Continue reading →

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Fem Graff Group Show at Lollipop Gallery

Posted on 2015-01-24 by Madison Salters

Fem Graff at Commercial Street’s Lollipop Gallery, has one mission: to bring the best of London’s female street artists indoors for a transformative experience. The collection of work sits right on the cutting edge, with stimulating, colourful imagery that contests traditional ideas of art and pushes boundaries, all the while bringing the best of East London’s graffiti culture indoors. Continue reading →

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Mark Jenkins | Moment of Impact | Lazarides Rathbone

Posted on 2015-01-16 by tikichris

Moment of Impact at Lazarides Rathbone is (to the best of my knowledge) the first solo show in London by DC-based artist Mark Jenkins in a quite a few years. Although his trademark life-sized sculptures and three-dimensional canvases actually lose a bit of their impact in a gallery setting as opposed to on the street for the unsuspecting public to encounter, the show is nonetheless a winner and well worth checking out. Continue reading →

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A Victorian Obsession: The Perez Simon Collection at Leighton House Museum

Posted on 2014-12-04 by tikichris

Recently opened with a run of more than four months, A Victorian Obsession: The Perez Simon Collection at Leighton House Museum brings rarely seen masterpieces of Victorian art belonging to the Mexican collector Juan Antonio Perez Simon – the largest Victorian private art collection outside Britain – to the lavish home of one of the late Victorian era’s most celebrated artists. Continue reading →

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Jerusalem City Break: Israel Museum

Posted on 2014-11-24 by tikichris

I loved so much of what I got to view at the Israel Museum. Especially amazing was the free Archaeology Tour (volunteer guide Bernice Fogel was brilliant!) I joined. It really made the exhibits come alive with relevance and meaning and helped me get to some of the key items on display most expeditiously. Continue reading →

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Celebrate Claude Monet’s Birthday (OneTravel)

Posted on 2014-11-14 by tikichris

Claude Monet was born November 14, 1840 in Paris and died December 5, 1926 about 75 kilometres from Paris in his home at Giverny, Normandy. During his prolific career as an artist, he painted hundreds of works of art with a passion to capture his impressions of the French countryside and beyond. With works by the beloved artist and founder of French Impressionism on view across the globe (literally there are numerous “Monets” in museums and galleries on every continent except Antarctica) what better way to celebrate the painters 174th birthday than enjoying the many gifts he left to art lovers? Continue reading →

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Remembrance Day in London (OneTravel)

Posted on 2014-11-11 by tikichris

Today, Tuesday November 11th, is Remembrance Day, the day to remember the men and women who lost their lives serving in World Wars One and Two and later conflicts. Also known as Armistice Day or Poppy Day, many official commemorations … Continue reading →

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Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red at the Tower of London #TowerPoppies

Posted on 2014-11-09 by tikichris

I dropped by the Tower of London late this afternoon to check out the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red installation comprised of hundreds of thousands of ceramic poppies “planted” to mark the centenary of World War One. There are only a few days left to view the installation by ceramicist Paul Cummins of Derbyshire at the Tower. After Remembrance Day (Wednesday 11 November), all 888,246 poppies will be picked by volunteers and sent to poppy purchasers. Continue reading →

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The Hunt London Features Some of My Favourite Independent Businesses in London

Posted on 2014-11-01 by tikichris

The HUNT Guides are city guidebooks highlighting “authentic eating, shopping and lifestyle experiences” in a range of popular destinations with listings that are all independently owned. I contributed to The Hunt London, Third Edition which came out earlier this year. It was a delight to write about some of my favourite indie enterprises in London. Continue reading →

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Frieze Art Fair 2014 Highlights

Posted on 2014-10-17 by tikichris

Planning a visit to Frieze this weekend? Here’s some pieces I reckon you should be on the lookout for. Continue reading →

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5 Big Exhibitions in London Now (OneTravel)

Posted on 2014-10-14 by tikichris

This week sees the annual Frieze Art Fair descend upon London. With it comes a scope of art related activities and satellite events across town with some of London’s best known galleries taking advantage of this time of heightened buzz … Continue reading →

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Steve McQueen at Thomas Dane Gallery: Ashes

Posted on 2014-10-12 by tikichris

Two new works by Steve McQueen go on view soon at Thomas Dane Gallery in St James’s. One is an immersive projection with sound entitled Ashes which was shot on Super8 film in Granada with much of the footage dating from 2002 and taken by cinematographer Robbie Müller with recently recorded soundtrack about the sad fate of the subject in the film. The other work is Broken Column, a sculptural installation which “acts as a pendant to Ashes.” Continue reading →

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Marvin Gaye Chetwynd at Studio Voltaire: Hermitos Children 2 

Posted on 2014-10-11 by tikichris

Hermitos Children 2 is the largest film commission to date by Glasgow based artist Marvin Gaye Chetwynd (known as Spartacus Chetwynd a couple years back when she was a Turner Prize nominee) and is on view now at Studio Voltaire. The film is part of an ongoing series of “experimental television crime drama” following telepathic detective Joan Shipman as “she uncovers and solves sex crimes” and is screened within a large scale gallery installation incorporating a number of props and interiors. Continue reading →

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Athens, Greece: Street Art City (OneTravel)

Posted on 2014-09-30 by tikichris

Athens, Greece is probably best known for its ancient sites like the Acropolis and for being a starting point for any number of island hopping excursions. But there’s another more current and vibrant reason to pay this age old city … Continue reading →

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Lizzie Fitch/Ryan Trecartin: Priority Innfield at Zabludowicz Collection

Posted on 2014-09-29 by tikichris

The evening after I checked out the preview of Lizzie Fitch and Ryan Trecartin’s Priority Innfield – a series of sculptural theatres where four interconnected films “that touch upon our changing relationship to the camera and its influence on conceptions of history, evolution and selfhood” are continually screened – I tried to explain the experience of watching the films and negotiating the fabricated space between them to my girlfriend. Despite my enthusiastic attempt, I’m pretty sure I failed. Continue reading →

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Yoshitomo Nara at Dairy Art Centre

Posted on 2014-09-27 by tikichris

Yoshitomo Nara: Greeting from a Place in My Heart at Dairy Art Centre in Bloomsbury presents a great opportunity to get a good long look at art that’s as adorable as it is dastardly: like cooing over a cute cuddly kitten tearing apart a toy mouse or jotting down a nightmare on a pastel notepad. Continue reading →

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Yayoi Kusama | Pumpkins at Victoria Miro

Posted on 2014-09-17 by tikichris

Victoria Miro gallery has opened a new Pumpkins exhibition of works by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. Comprising of two elements – a new body of paintings and large scale mosaic pumpkins which will be on show only until 4 October plus major new series of bronze sculptures will be on display in the gallery’s outdoor water garden until 20 December. I got a gander of it all last night at the private view – and wow! If you can take the time simply to mill about Kusama’s bold and pleasing sculptures and to have a close up peek at meticulous efforts of her paintings and mosaics, you will be glad to have done so. Continue reading →

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Did Madrid: Too Hot? Not!

Posted on 2014-09-12 by tikichris

We were in town for the Fiestas de la Paloma (part of Kemey’s planning – I can take no credit). As one of Europe’s biggest street parties, lots of people reckon it’s the most important festival in Madrid, if not the whole of Spain. We had a blast wriggling our wee hours way through the neighbourhood of La Latin – nexus of the celebrations – and being part of the festivities. Continue reading →

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2014 Folkestone Triennial: A Gold Rush of Great Art by the Sea

Posted on 2014-09-03 by tikichris

The 2014 Folkestone Triennial is on for a third edition, this year with a “Lookout” theme to its many ambitious arts set within the quaint town and on its scenic stretch of coastline along the English Channel. I thoroughly enjoyed my artsy meander round Folkestone and reckon it offers an ideal day out for Londoners (or anybody) seeking a day out with intriguing sights and a fresh sea breeze. Continue reading →

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Aberlour and the World’s First Outdoor Whisky Art Gallery (OneTravel)

Posted on 2014-08-14 by tikichris

Back in May, single malt whisky makers Aberlour launched the world’s first outdoor whisky art gallery. A few weeks ago, I got the chance to check the exhibition when I paid a visit to the distillery. Set on an idyllic stretch of babbling brook winding its way to Aberlour’s historic distillery, the exhibition aims to capture “the individual elements that together result in one of Scotland’s most famous exports.” And I reckon it certainly succeeds in doing so. Continue reading →

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Royal Childhood Exhibition at Buckingham Palace (OneTravel)

Posted on 2014-07-29 by tikichris

Buckingham Palace has now opened its State Rooms to visitors for the 2014 summer season. An annual occurrence, the opening presents an excellent opportunity to tour one of the world’s few royal palaces that’s still in use as a royal … Continue reading →

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Sickboy: Make It Last Forever at The Outsiders London, Greek Street

Posted on 2014-07-25 by tikichris

Maybe it had just been awhile since I had enjoyed the pleasure of viewing much work by street artist Sickboy, but his latest offering, Make It Last Forever on view now at The Outsiders London in Soho, seemed to pop with vibrancy while providing plenty of personal symbolism to ponder. Continue reading →

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Hyper Japan 2014, 25-27 July at Earls Court Exhibition Centre

Posted on 2014-07-25 by tikichris

Returning to London today through Sunday 27 July is Hyper Japan, the UK’s “biggest celebration of Japanese culture, cuisine and cool.” I popped round for a quickie investigation earlier this afternoon. Here are some highlights from my visit to this annual bonanza of banzai. Continue reading →

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Dorothea Tanning: Web of Dreams, Alison Jacques Gallery

Posted on 2014-07-14 by tikichris

American artist Dorothea Tanning, who died in 2012 at the age of 101, was a prodigious master of figurative art. Web of Dreams on show at Alison Jacques Gallery on Berners Street in Fitzrovia shares her raw talent and often playful approach in a delightfully presented exhibition presented in close collaboration with The Dorothea Tanning Foundation. Continue reading →

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6 Exceptional Museums in Basel (OneTravel)

Posted on 2014-07-10 by tikichris

For a city of only about 200,000 people, Basel boasts more museums than cities with more than ten times its population. From the Anatomical Museum of the University of Basel (which was founded by Professor Carl Jung – yes, the … Continue reading →

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See Basel: A City Artfully Designed to Please

Posted on 2014-07-04 by tikichris

Keen to take a city break that’s chock full of eye candy treats by some of the world’s greatest modern architects, designers, and artists? Go to Basel. I was blown away by all the fascinating stuff I got to behold during my few days there. Continue reading →

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My Basel: Taking the Make My Switzerland App for a Spin

Posted on 2014-07-01 by tikichris

Obviously you’ve heard about Switzerland’s stunning panoramas of and from its mighty Alps. But for my first of hopefully many more visits to this friendly little Alpine nation, I found the views shared via a handy Swiss app to be a real wonder to behold as well. The free to download app, called Make My Switzerland, is available via Google Play and Apple’s App Store and offers a wealth of insider knowledge about the things that savvy locals love best in seven Swiss cities – Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, Lugano, and Zurich. I gave the app a whirl over an especially fun weekend in Basel, and I’m more than happy to recommend the city and the app to anybody keen to explore a delightful and compact destination that’s big on culture. Continue reading →

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Grecotel Pallas Athena: Great Boutique Hotel in the Heart of Athens, Greece (OneTravel)

Posted on 2014-06-12 by tikichris

I’ve just returned from a long weekend in Athens, Greece where I had a fantastic time exploring this ancient and buzzing city full of all sorts of contemporary charm. In fact, I’ve been raving about the trip almost non-stop since … Continue reading →

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‘Make My Switzerland’ App Helps You Discover Top Tips from Locals (OneTravel)

Posted on 2014-06-05 by tikichris

“Choose a city, pick your mood, discover top tips from our locals.” That’s what a relatively new Make My Switzerland app offers visitors hoping to achieve maximum Swiss delight – whether aiming for alpine heights, lounging by the lake or … Continue reading →

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Discovering Athens … #blogtrottersgr

Posted on 2014-06-02 by tikichris

Whether on its own as a cheer and cheerful city break or as a pivotal component to an extended Greek vacation, Athens is wonderful place to discover and one that I’ll be raving about for awhile. Continue reading →

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Ai Weiwei at Lisson Gallery

Posted on 2014-05-26 by tikichris

Just opened at Lisson Gallery is its third solo exhibition of works by Ai Weiwei. Featuring a “monumental new installation of bicycles” alongside a number of “hand-carved, domestic-scale copies” of highly personal objects, the show offers some of the best contemporary art I’ve seen in quite awhile and was a real inspiration for me to view during last week’s private view. Continue reading →

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