The AnOther team compile their top things to see and do this May
Boys by Tyler Udall at The Little Black Gallery – May 26
In light of the release of his new book Auguries of Innocence, Vancouver-based fashion photographer and former member of the Dazed family Tyler Udall unveils his new project to his London fans in a new exhibition at The Little Black Gallery. His work has been compared to that of Juergen Teller and Ryan McGinley, and his latest, testosterone-charged portraits of Boys explore the fine line between innocence and corruption.
Katrien De Blauwer: Jouez Avec Elle at Tique Art Space – Until May 23
Old pictures and magazine cut-outs are given new life and significance in Katrien De Blauwer's wonderful collages. From pain to death, love and desire, the Belgian artist turns human emotion into tactile objects, using elimination as a technique to determine what is visually essential.
London Art Studies - May 5
Now in its fourth edition, London Art Studies aims to make arts education accessible and engaging. From the Venice Biennale to Frieze, modern photography and jewellery design, this year’s events at London’s Bulgari Hotel and The Berkeley Hotel will cover anything from art exhibitions, trends and collecting.
The best of film
It’s an exciting month for cinema with the arrival of a number of hotly anticipated releases. The new adaptation of Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd hits screens today with Carey Mulligan in the role of Bathsheba Everdene, the proud beauty who discovers love through passion and hard choices. Don't miss the chance to see Fellini's semi-autobiogaphical masterpiece 8 ½, also out today in a newly restored version. Powerful French coming-of age drama Girlhood arrives on the 8th, putting a fresh spin on the teenage search for freedom and acceptance. Meanwhile Juliette Binoche and Kristen Stewart star in Clouds of Sils Maria, the acclaimed exploration of a famous actress’ uncomfortable return to the play that launched her career 20 years before.
A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, the brilliant debut from Ana Lily Amirpour, is out on the 22nd. Dubbed "the first Iranian vampire western" and stylishly shot in black and white, it is an experience you don't want to forgo. Similarly extraordinary is Ukrainian drama The Tribe which sees a deaf mute teenager enter a specialised boarding school with a twisted hierarchal system in place – sign language and no subtitles makes for strangely compulsive viewing. Finally, we can’t wait for Susan Sarandon’s comeback in We Are Many (out May 21), a cinematic account of the 2003 global demonstration against the impending war on Iraq.
Becoming Marni at the Venice Biennale – May 9
Drawing on an ideal world of happy, brightly-coloured wooden figures, Becoming Marni at the Venice Biennale comprises one hundred mysterious sculptures by Brazilian artist Véio. Developed in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Italian fashion house, Véio’s installation reflects the chromatic, ever transforming identity of the brand, in a dialogue between opposite places and cultures.
Andy Warhol’s drawings at Artsation
Before becoming a pop-art guru, Andy Warhol worked as a graphic designer and illustrator who fiddled around drawing pictures of cats and women with flowers. Today, over 60 years after they were created, Warhol’s early drawings go on sale at Artsation in Munich.
On Light at the Wellcome Collection – May 1-4
To celebrate the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies, Wellcome Collection in partnership with UCL will host a weekend-long programme of dazzling events dedicated to the importance of light in human life, with the collaboration of 60 contributors between artists, architects, engineers and lecturers.
Harrods’ Fragrance Garden & Pop Up Flowers - May 19
An unmissable stop-over for flower lovers this May, Harrods’ Fragrance Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show is themed around the concept of cross-fertilisation between nature and science. Combining digital technology with 19th century artisanal traditions, the garden will feature enfleuraged flowers and maxi screens. To mark the opening of the garden and the start of the flower season, the storewide, month-long Pop Up Flowers campaign will present a range of floral fragrances and in-store masterclasses.
Food & Drink – Pret a diner at the Club at Café Royal & Shake Rattle and Stir's Gin Voyage
The Café Royal is injected with colourful splendour as the creatives of Pret a Diner arrive with their month-long pop-up supper club, The Bohemians – a culinary and visual explosion to unsettle the history-burdened walls. Expect masterful cocktails, a tantalising four-course menu whipped up by Café Royal head chef Andrew Turner and Michelin-starred New Yorkers Patti Jackson and Ryan Tate, alongside perfectly complementary wines and an exciting array of art and music in what is an all-round sensory delight. While for gin enthusiasts, this month sees the return of Stir's Gin Voyage – an expedition aboard the world’s first legal floating distillery. Setting sail from Kings Cross every Thursday, the Disco Volante’s gin crew will teach you how to distill your very own gin, while taking you through the history of the popular Dutch liquor.
The Alice Look – May 2
Opening to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Britain’s best-known children’s book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Alice Look exhibition at the V&A Museum of Childhood shows how Lewis Carroll’s most famous character has inspired the world of fashion and popular culture as a whole. From Annie Leibovitz to Vivienne Westwood and Gwen Stefani, the exhibition will show how Alice’s style has always been contemporary.
Alan Edwards at the V&A – Until May 9
PR guru Alan Edwards examines the role of public relations in today's society in a unique three-week event at the V&A. Featuring leading figures from across the industry, including GQ Editor Dylan Jones and Bob Marley’s personal photographer Dennis Morris, discussion ranges from the relationship between polititians and rock stars to the way PR influences the fashion world.
Kevin Cummins at Proud Camden – until June 7
New Order fans can enjoy an unparalleled insight into the lives of their music heroes through the eyes of long-time friend and trusted collaborator of the band Kevin Cummins in a new exhibition at Proud Galleries this month. Opening in conjunction with the launch of the book of the same name, New Order represents a comprehensive and unconstrained view of the legendary cult group.
, oil on canvas, 2015)
Delirious Picasso at the Academy Mansion – May 12
Surrealist canvases meet Japanese prints in Wolfe von Lenkiewicz’s new show. The London-based artist marks his New York City debut with a modern-day reinterpretation of the oeuvre by the Spanish master and the Japanese painter Kikugawa Eizan, in an attempt to harmonize 19th century Western and Eastern art.
Fully Fashioned: The Pringle of Scotland Story – until August 16
One of the world’s oldest fashion houses, Pringle of Scotland celebrates its bicentenary with an exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland. Showcasing garments worn by royalty and celebrities alongside the brand’s most classical knitwear designs, the display will analyse the central role the company has played in crafting contemporary fashion.
Shopping – Acne Studios x Peter Schlesinger; SHOWstudio x Machine-A; Idea x Collier Schorr at DSMNY; First Impossible shop at The Glasshouse
This month is filled with new shopping opportunities. It sees the launch of Acne Studios’ new collaboration with renowned artist Peter Schlesinger in an exclusive collection of luxury pyjamas to accompany the release of the book Peter Schlesinger Sculpture, with photographs by Schlesinger’s long-time partner Eric Boman. Produced using the finest silk, the loungewear line is based on prints drawn by the American artist. Meanwhile Machine-A has launched their brand-new online store, in collaboration with SHOWstudio, stocking standout brands like Gosha Rubchinskiy, Tigran Avetisyan and Cottweiler. They have celebrated the launch with a special lookbook shot by Nick Knight.
Dover Street Market New York has announced the opening of Idea x Collier Schorr new mini-store, which will stock an exclusive Collier baseball cap alongside a limited edition fanzine made and signed by photographer and AnOther's collaborator Collier Schorr. Finally, model Lily Cole’s altruism-based social thinking translates into a more practical vision in her new store Not Impossible. Located at The Glasshouse, the innovators and designers’ hub in London Bridge, and designed by Yair Neuman, the store stocks knitwear, t-shirts and trainers while promoting transparency and innovation of manufacturing.
