What: RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Where: Royal Hospital, Chelsea
When: May 2014
From the perspective of someone who writes about art, it was intriguing to consider a suggestion made by one of the contributors to the BBC's coverage of this year's Chelsea Flower Show that a more curatorial approach should be taken to the display of the show gardens. Having visited the show and watched the television coverage, it is clear that the garden designers consider their gardens in the same way that artists consider their paintings or sculptures, and that there is legitimately a case for conceiving of these show gardens as installation pieces, of a kind. The word 'curate' is currently notoriously overused and overly fashionable, but in the context of the Chelsea Flower Show, it might just have its uses.
The show gardens - ranging from the stunning Telegraph garden, to my personal favourite and Best In Show, the Laurent-Perrier garden - are beautifully portrayed on television, with sweeping camera angles and close-ups of the exquisite detailing that earned them their golds. The 'Fresh' gardens are similarly beautifully televised. But in the flesh, these tranquil and intriguing spaces seem shoehorned by camera crews, thronging visitors, and commercial stands. Organising the show so as to display them to their full potential - perhaps with heightened walkways allowing visitors to gain a view from on high, or by spacing them further apart - might be just thing to allow these true works of art to be fully appreciated by those who flock to see them.
Wednesday, 28 May 2014
Tuesday, 20 May 2014
By George! Handel's Music for Royal Occasions
What: Exhibition
Where: The Foundling Museum
When: 7th February - 18th May 2014
2014 marks the tercentenary of the accession of the Hanoverian kings to the throne of England, and a whole range of exhibitions have begun or are in the pipeline to commemorate this anniversary.
The Foundling Museum's temporary exhibition on the royal patronage of the famous and well-loved composer Handel, which closed last weekend, showcased an exciting example of where the eighteenth-century monarchy led the way in terms of cultural patronage. The music written for fireworks shows and boat trips down the Thames has stayed with us until this day. This exhibition gave a great insight into the royal commissions, including a wide range of exhibits and also allowing visitors to hear Handel's music play as they perused them. Sadly, several exhibits - which looked like real original documents - were only digital reproductions, framed to look like the real thing. Although this might be a good way to see things that, maybe for conservation reasons, could otherwise not be displayed, it feels a bit of a disappointment to the exhibition-goer who delights in the experience of engaging with real objects from the past.
The exhibition is now closed, but the Foundling is also well worth a visit for their newly refurbished permanent gallery and reopened cafe.
Find out more: http://www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk/events/view/By-George-exhibition/
Where: The Foundling Museum
When: 7th February - 18th May 2014
2014 marks the tercentenary of the accession of the Hanoverian kings to the throne of England, and a whole range of exhibitions have begun or are in the pipeline to commemorate this anniversary.
The Foundling Museum's temporary exhibition on the royal patronage of the famous and well-loved composer Handel, which closed last weekend, showcased an exciting example of where the eighteenth-century monarchy led the way in terms of cultural patronage. The music written for fireworks shows and boat trips down the Thames has stayed with us until this day. This exhibition gave a great insight into the royal commissions, including a wide range of exhibits and also allowing visitors to hear Handel's music play as they perused them. Sadly, several exhibits - which looked like real original documents - were only digital reproductions, framed to look like the real thing. Although this might be a good way to see things that, maybe for conservation reasons, could otherwise not be displayed, it feels a bit of a disappointment to the exhibition-goer who delights in the experience of engaging with real objects from the past.
The exhibition is now closed, but the Foundling is also well worth a visit for their newly refurbished permanent gallery and reopened cafe.
Find out more: http://www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk/events/view/By-George-exhibition/
Friday, 2 May 2014
The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945-2014
What: Exhibition
Where: Victoria and Albert Museum
When: 5th April - 27th July 2014
This exhibition is not only a visual delight, but tells a captivating story of the rise of the Italian fashion industry in the wake of the Second World War to the present day. Beautifully and spaciously displayed pieces are accompanied by good succinct text and brilliantly evocative videos showcasing the designs and the contexts in which they were worn. The world of 1950s filmstars shooting on location in Italy is wonderfully captured through these videos, and brings vibrancy and movement to the exhibition. This is a welcome addition, as the static mannequins, whilst showing off the clothes to perfection, inevitably do not capture the garments' true essence as pieces designed to be worn and lived in.
Particular highlights not to be missed include the section on tailoring, and the final room showcasing pieces from contemporary Italian collections. For any lover of the Gucci Museum in Florence, this exhibition will not fail to disappoint.
Find out more: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/exhibition-the-glamour-of-italian-fashion-1945-2014/about-the-exhibition/
Where: Victoria and Albert Museum
When: 5th April - 27th July 2014
This exhibition is not only a visual delight, but tells a captivating story of the rise of the Italian fashion industry in the wake of the Second World War to the present day. Beautifully and spaciously displayed pieces are accompanied by good succinct text and brilliantly evocative videos showcasing the designs and the contexts in which they were worn. The world of 1950s filmstars shooting on location in Italy is wonderfully captured through these videos, and brings vibrancy and movement to the exhibition. This is a welcome addition, as the static mannequins, whilst showing off the clothes to perfection, inevitably do not capture the garments' true essence as pieces designed to be worn and lived in.
Particular highlights not to be missed include the section on tailoring, and the final room showcasing pieces from contemporary Italian collections. For any lover of the Gucci Museum in Florence, this exhibition will not fail to disappoint.
Find out more: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/exhibition-the-glamour-of-italian-fashion-1945-2014/about-the-exhibition/
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