The V&A present an exhibition on Tropical Modernism, a subject with a lot more to unpack than may meet the eye in terms of colonial and anti-/de-/postcolonial politics; internationalism and nationalism; past, present and future. Tropical Modernism As a person with interests in architecture, postcolonialism, and complex historical narratives, I have had Tropical Modernism: Architecture […]
Young V&A is the latest incarnation of the V&A’s East London branch dedicated to childhood. After a three-year renovation project, this new version is very much a museum for children rather than about them. A History Of Young V&A Young V&A is the latest incarnation of a museum which goes back to the Great Exhibition […]
A wonderful selection of works in a modern, spacious exhibition space – Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance feels like a very special moment indeed. Bringing Donatello To South Kensington I didn’t realise what a special exhibition this one was until I saw it. I had some time before a theatre press night to go to the […]
A last minute dash to two very different exhibitions. Charlotte Perriand: The Modern Life reveals just how big a debt we owe to this influential mid-century designer. While Epic Iran is a sweeping survey of millennia of history, from earliest archaeology to contemporary art. The Luxury Of Being Busy I am counting my blessings right […]
A review of the V&A’s Alice in Wonderland-themed summer exhibition. A blockbuster without the crowds (at least when I visited)! Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser This exhibition at the V&A has been highly anticipated. Including by me, who had tickets earlier in the year which I had to reschedule when dates kept shifting. So it was […]
A description of my trip to the V&A, including the exhibition Filthy Lucre. In which I enjoy a peaceful evening visit to the Cast Courts, and a wonderful Whistler-themed installation. A Late Summer Evening at the V&A The V&A is a wonderful place to wander. Even better, the lower visitor numbers during Covid-19 are a […]
For once I’m not going to subject this exhibition to my museological musings. No scrutiny here, it was too sweet and nice and reminiscent of childhood. I would recommend going to see Winnie-the-Pooh at the V&A though: it’s fun, playful, far less boring than many exhibitions of drawings I’ve seen, and really well set up […]
Horst P. Horst. What a name. What a photographer. And according to most accounts in the exhibition, what a guy. The V&A’s retrospective of his work is well-crafted, diverse and interesting, and if it doesn’t shed much light on Horst as a person rather than as a photographer, it seems that this may have been […]
My recent trip to Hull allowed me to visit one of the UK’s best regional art collections at the Ferens Art Gallery. Join me to learn more about this institution, its origins, and what you can see and do there today. A Little Background First: Thomas Ferens and the Ferens Art Gallery On my recent […]
If you can’t get to Chandigarh, the Gallery of Everything’s current exhibition A Summer of Gods and Goddesses is the next best place to discover the work of Nek Chand Saini. Nek Chand Saini and the Rock Garden of Chandigarh When I visited the V&A’s exhibition on Tropical Modernism recently, one story stood out. Sure, […]
