Cardboard, print-outs and packaging tape aid the transitions with gleeful, lo-fi charm, whilst Goudal’s muted hues and decaying backdrops lend her works an uneasy, chilling quality. Sinister they may be, but there’s an effortless beauty to Goudal’s work – fantasy meets reality, physical existence meets your melancholic daydreams. There’s countless stories to be told by each photograph, your imagination is really the only limitation to just how powerful they can be…

Lollypop Lollypop
C-Type photograph
150 x 114 cm
2011

Until 9 March

Sarah Maple, It’s a Girl

Toying provocatively with culture, feminism and religion, Sarah Maple – brought up as a Muslim by parents of mixed cultures and religions – fearlessly explores the circumstances of living as a Muslim woman in modern British society. Showcasing a selection of her feisty and often brilliant works over the next month, It’s a Girl opens at Shoreditch’s Aubin Gallery today.

Sarah Maple, It’s a Girl at The Aubin Gallery, 64-66 Redchurch Street, London, E2 7DP; Running until 9th March.

Until Mid March

The Cosmopolitan’s Pop-Up Wedding Chapel, Las Vegas

OK, we tried, and we failed. Here’s ‘token Valentine’s Day feature #1′… One of The Strip’s more stylish residences, The Cosmopolitan, are celebrating the season of love with a very Vegas kinda pop-up. Say hello to the pop-up wedding chapel. Offering a tongue-in-cheek twist to the traditional Sin City nuptials – The Cosmopolitan welcome faux-weddings, and even pet-weddings. We’re really hoping that’s two pets getting married, but then this is Vegas…

Pop-Up Wedding Chapel at The Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Boulevard South; Running until Mid March. Open Sunday to Wednesday 12:00pm – 10:00pm and Thursday to Saturday 12:00pm – 12:00am

11 February – 14 February

Pop-Up Cannoli Counter, The Foundry

Cannoli – “irresistibly crunchy pastry curls filled with a rich and airy ricotta cream filling” – are a classic Sicilian Carnival delicacy that date back to the 17th-century. Camden’s very stylish The Foundry are bucking the traditional Valentine’s schmaltz and declaring their own love for these traditional pastries with the Pop-Up Cannoli Counter. Chocolate Chilli cannolo – made with fresh chilli peppers, grown at the venue – sound delightful enough for us to fall in love at first bite.

Pop-Up Cannoli Counter at The Foundry, 3-7 Delancey Street, London, NW1 7N; Running 11th – 14th February. Book now to experience their Valentine’s Day spectacle and enjoy a three course Sicilian feast featuring the Cannoli menu and live jazz

Image courtesy of The Third Line and The Artist

Until 8 March

Elsewhen by Ala Ebtekar

Born in the US to Persian-Iranian parents, Ala Ebtekar explores the ancient mysticism of his culture’s history – fusing it with concepts of time travel, science fiction and the future. His otherworldly imaginations of the present day, clashing with mythology, comprise this solo show at Dubai’s The Third Line gallery.

Elsewhen by Ala Ebtekar at The Third Line Gallery, Al Quaz 3, PO Box 72036, Dubai, UAE; Running until 8th March. Open Saturday to Thursday 10:00am – 7:00pm

Limited Period

The Verbena Spa at Feversham Arms Hotel

‘Cupid’s Retreat’, ‘Valentine’s Package’, blah, blah… Yep, it’s the same as usual – repackaged with a shiny non-anatomical heart and a cherub with a crossbow. But, if you want to treat Mrs, or Mr (or Mistress, for that matter), then pure, heavenly bliss – at a get-away-from-it-all retreat – doesn’t come much better than at this swanky North Yorkshire spa hotel.

Cupid’s Retreat Valentines Package at The Verbena Spa, Feversham Arms Hotel, Helmsley, North Yorkshire, YO62 5AG; Available for a limited period although there are alternative packages available at all times

Kris (Graffiti Map),
graphite and ink on cut handmade paper,
44×58″, 2011

Until 17 March

Ben Durham, Found Graffiti

LA’s Country Club present their 2nd Chicago exhibition – in collaboration with Andrew Rafacz Gallery – a curious body of work from American artist Ben Durham. Turning very low-brow street art – the graffiti in public toilets, for example – into very high-brow pieces of conceptual art, Durham uses stained glass and graphite and pen, on handmade paper, for his series of artworks and installations. Creating elegant and beautiful works from such primitive – almost tribal – forms of self-expression, Ben Durham’s Found Graffiti is an interesting study in art, but also psychology and society.

Ben Durham, Found Graffiti at Country Club, 835 W. Washington Boulevard, 2nd Floor, Chicago, 60607; Running until March 17th

Images © David Pearson

Until 15 April

Louis Ghost Chair, Bath

Iconic designs rarely deserve the tag ‘iconic’. In fact, ‘iconic’ – and we’re certainly guilty of this – is one of the most overused adjectives of our times. One such design that does warrant this misused label, however, is the unquestionably ‘iconic’ Louis XV armchair. From quintessential period-piece to modern design object (in the form of Philippe Starck’s ‘iconic’ Louis Ghost Chair), the 18th-century Rococo classic has a genuinely intriguing past. And it’s exactly this past that Simon Martin explores in this 17-minute homage, showing now at Bath’s Holburne Museum.

Louis Ghost Chair, The Holburne Museum, Great Putney Street, Bath, BA2 4DB; Running until 15th April. Open Monday to Saturday 10:00am – 5:00pm and Sunday 11:00am – 5:00pm.
Free Admission

Ongoing

The Lounge at Odeon Whiteleys

Forget the romanticism of dry-humping on the back seats at your local movie house this Valentine’s, the Odeon at London’s Whiteleys Shopping Centre have upped the luxe-cinema ante; introducing a “Finger, Fork and Spoon” menu, courtesy of top chef Rowley Leigh. So, if you fancy flirting with red mullet and prawn risotto, or hot dog popcorn – whilst watching some big-budget codswallop like War House – this February 14th, this is the gig for you.

Odeon Whiteleys – The Lounge, Whiteleys of Bayswater, Queensway, London; Open Daily

Last week we featured StudioXAG’s turquoise explosion for Future Map’s window at Selfridges’ annual Bright Young Things showcase. Well, we’ve had pictures through for all of the windows that were dressed by the cream of the country’s young creatives – and, quite frankly, we could do a detailed feature on pretty much every one. They’re mind-bogglingly good.

From Tinker and Tailor‘s full on recreated studio to Oliver Ruuger‘s elegantly surreal scene; the acute detail, creativity and sheer artistry on display, is enough to put most major retailers to a great deal of shame. Bright young things? They sure as hell are…

Alex Mattsson

Sorcha O’Raghallaigh

T.Lipop

Tinker and Tailor

Archie McLeish

Astrid Anderson

Becky Sloan

Nuha Razik

Future Map

Oliver Ruuger

Jack Coleman

Maarten van der Horst

MASC

Shaun Samson

William Richard Green

Adam Andrascik

Alice Lee

Group Window

Dirty Dishes are just that. Smut on a plate. This is as far from the traditional ornamental plate as your granny could dare to imagine. Quite where the idea to place soft-porn on a plate came from we can only wonder, but the outcome is as witty, brave and – dare we say – stylish as you could possibly imagine. Of course this is no triple X-grade imported in a brown paper bag malarkey from deepest, darkest Amsterdam; it’s a splendidly soft focus throw back to the sort of thing, gulp, your dad may have enjoyed as a young teen, and with names like Roxy and Ingrid, Mel and Steve and Leslie and Denise, they’e actually every bit as kitsch as the aforementioned Charles and Di commemoration plates. But so, so much more cool…

© Véronique Huyghe / ENSCI

© Véronique Huyghe / ENSCI

Visages is a group exhibition and publication curated by Joseph Ghosn; with drawings by Charles Berberian, Theo Ellsworth, Charles Burns, Philippe Dupuy, Sammy Harkham, Frederic Fleury, Blutch, Frédérique Rusch, Paul Hornschemeier, Caroline Andrieu, Antico Nine, Serge Clerc Frederick Poincelet, Antoine Marquis, Julien Carreyn, Emmanuelle Pidoux, Fanny Michaelis, Ludovic Debeurme and Michael Deforge. It runs at Red Bull’s 12Mail, Paris until 30th March.

Accompanying publication designed by Laurent Fetis, courtesy of Manystuff

Accompanying publication designed by Laurent Fetis, courtesy of Manystuff

Accompanying publication designed by Laurent Fetis, courtesy of Manystuff

East London gallery Tony’s are presenting crochet street-artist (yes, crochet street-artist) Olek‘s debut UK solo show, and – much like her work – it looks set to be utterly enthralling. From guerrilla knitting a lovely warm jumper onto New York’s famous Wall Street Bull, to being listed as one of “the 25 most important artists of 2011”, Polish-born, New York-based artist Olek is undoubtably one of the art-world’s hottest properties; and certainly one of its most original.

Creating one of her distinctive domestic scenes, engulfed in crocheted objects, “I do not expect to be a mother but I do expect to die alone” – complete with eerie, crochet suit wearing, performers – presents a frantic, psychedelic and seemingly lighthearted façade to a work that carries strong subversive undertones of sexism, privacy and modern culture. Powerful, overwhelming and deeply personal, Olek’s installation is an assault on the senses that has to be seen to be believed.

“I do not expect to be a mother but I do expect to die alone” runs at Tony’s Gallery, 68 Sclater Street, London until 23rd March.

Gallery Installation,
“Knitting is for Pus****”,
Christopher Henry Gallery 2010-2011

Crocheted London Taxi,
Tony’s Gallery,
London, 2011

“I do not expect to be a mother but I do expect to die alone”
Tony’s Gallery, London 2012

Project B (Wall Street Bull),
guerrilla action on Dec 25th 2010,
crocheted acrylic yarn over sculpture by Arturo di Modica

“I do not expect to be a mother but I do expect to die alone”
Tony’s Gallery, London 2012

“I do not expect to be a mother but I do expect to die alone”
Tony’s Gallery, London 2012

Crocheted bike nr 2 (Poland),
crocheted acrylic yarn over a bike,
Poland 2011

“I do not expect to be a mother but I do expect to die alone”
Tony’s Gallery, London 2012

Project C (Astor Place Cube),
guerrilla action on October 3rd 2011,
crocheted acrylic yarn on sculpture by Tony Rosenthal

“I do not expect to be a mother but I do expect to die alone”
Tony’s Gallery, London 2012

“If a visitor to the caves were to accidentally stumble upon my performance” says Bischoff, “they would only see a mass of crumbled coloured paper draped awkwardly over a man moving/dancing to a camera positioned on a tripod”. That mental image offers a decidedly more light-hearted view to these works; without the insider knowledge Bischoff’s images are unsettling, intriguing and thoroughly spellbinding…

The Bronson Caves show at Culver City’s Kopeikin Gallery through March and April, 2012

Until 5 February

The Photocopy Club, Shoreditch

One of the many art projects taking things back offline and keeping it strictly lo-fi, The Photocopy Club was born in November last year, and has already seen photographers from all over the world submitting photocopied images via snail mail. The subsequent submissions then comprise bi-monthly exhibitions such as this, at Shoreditch’s Beach Gallery. Challenging art elitism, and generally just reintroducing a bit of that magical punk DIY, the club’s founder – self-published photographer Matt Martin – plans to fund a book, that celebrates the best works of the first 6 shows, with the proceeds of the exhibitions; where photocopies are sold for as little as £2 to £5. Just brilliant…

The Photocopy Club at Beach London, 20 Cheshire Street, London, E2 6EH; Running until 5th February and then again at Create in Brighton on 18th April

Reprinted by arrangement with Penguin,
A member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
from Paris versus New York by Vahram Muratyan
Copyright (c) 2011 by Vahram Muratyan.

Tonight; 6pm – 8pm EST

Paris Versus New York at The Standard

Homesick during a long trip to New York, Paris-based illustrator Vahram Muratyan set about creating a series of brilliantly understated visual comparisons between the two iconic cities. The resulting body of work has found its way into a quite wonderful publication and, following a launch at Paris’ capital of cool Colette, the New York launch takes place tonight at the ever-hip The Standard…

Paris Versus New York, A Tally of Two Cities book signing at The Shop at The Standard, 442 West 13th Street, New York City; Tonight 6:00pm – 8:00pm EST

Third prize
Christina and Mark, 14 months,
2011 by Dona Schwartz
© Dona Schwartz

Until 12 February

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize, National Portrait Gallery

With some 60 works by some of the world’s most talented portrait photographers – amateurs, gifted students and celebrated professionals alike – it’s your last chance to see this year’s National Portrait Gallery prize show, including utterly compelling works like this melancholic 3rd place winner from stupidly talented American photographer, Dona Schwartz…

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize, National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place, London, WC2H 0HE; Running until 12th February. Open daily 10:00am – 6:00pm, Thursday and Friday 10:00am – 9:00pm; free entrance

3 February – 5 February

International Student Film Festival

With a judging panel that includes Jan Harlan (producer of The Shining and Eyes Wide Shut), Lord of the Rings editor Jabez Olsen and Simon Pegg, the first annual International Student Film Festival looks set to be a rewarding experience for the international students who are travelling from some 38 countries for the event. Organised by young people, for young people, this fledgling filmmakers showcase looks set to be an interesting addition to the international cinephile’s calendar…

International Student Film Festival at London College of Communication, Elephant and Castle, London, SE1 6SB; 3rd February to 5th February

6 February – 12 February

Stockholm Design Week

Nobody needs to be told about Scandinavian design’s influence on global aesthetic, ergo you shouldn’t require the proverbial degree in aerospace engineering to know that Stockholm’s very own design week is one of the hottest dates on the design calendar. With high profile events, installations and pop-ups scheduled all around the city – next week will be another big one for Sweden’s capital…

Stockholm Design Week incorporating Stockholm Furniture Fair and Northern Light Fair, In and Around Stockholm; Design Week runs 6th – 12th February whilst the Furniture Fair and Northern Light Fair run 7th February – 11th February

Until 12 September

Geometry; Lighting up Brentford

Passengers flying in and out of Heathrow this year may be forgiven for thinking Jean Michel Jarre has taken up residence in West London. Watermans‘ International Festival of Digital Art gets underway with what promises to be a spectacular installation from French artist Félicie d’Estienne d’Orves. Lasers bouncing between 2 programmed mirrored masts are set to punch the night sky with their contorting geometric patterns – and all without a dull new-age synth soundtrack. Perfect…

Geometry is part of the International Festival of Digital Art 2012 in collaboration with Watermans and will be seen for miles around Brentford; Running until 12th September

7 February – 11 February

The Cinnamon Club Pops-Up at Desmond’s, Manhattan

Westminster’s swanky The Cinnamon Club has been somewhat of an institution for well-to-do fans of its modern-Indian fayre over the last decade and, next week, well-to-do New Yorkers with a penchant for said modern-Indian cuisine will be able to see what all the fuss is about at equally-swanky Upper East Side establishment Desmond’s. The former 1920s bank, with its graceful domed ceiling and open kitchen, is a thoroughly splendid setting, and those braving the interaction between society types will be rewarded with dishes of the ilk of seared breast of Long Island duck with Hyderabadi-style sesame and tamarind sauce. Pretentious? Perhaps. But don’t let the clientele put you off what will be a weekend of undoubtable gastronomic delight…

The Cinnamon Club at Desmond’s, 153 East 60th Street, between 3rd and Lexington, New York City; 7th February to 11th February

Until 11 February

The Customized Show, London

London-based sneaker brand Double Identity have let 10 designers loose on their shoes for an interesting interactive exhibition that, for once, actually does something useful with a QR code. Visitors can choose their favourites from the customised pairs by scanning the code, whilst those who can’t make it can interact via the brand’s Facebook page; which is more than worth checking out for some of the outrageously fun designs…

Double Identity present The Customized Show, 5 Kingly Court, Off Carnaby Street, London, W1B 5PW; Running until 11th February. Open Monday – Saturday 11:00am to 8:00pm and Sunday 12:00pm to 6:00pm

Photography © Tessa Angus, courtesy of All Visual Arts

Running until February 12th, “Untitled” poses American philosopher Henry David Thoreau’s question “what are we busy about?” – as artists Jeremie Maret, Lenny Staples and Christian Weber explore the concept of workers losing perspective of what exactly it is they’re doing. 337 Euro-pallets fill the courtyard – and surround the 1977 Peugeot J7, one of the b&b’s two rooms – to symbolise industry and the production process, whilst inside the main gallery the question is posed about society’s connection to these processes.

Once again it’s innovative, thought-provoking and, well, we just can’t wait for No.3…

Installation: Zukunft 2011/Future 2011
Client: Alexander Bürkle
Videoinstallation/Scenography: chezweitz&partner/Berlin + Stefan Hurtig
Realisation: kubix/Berlin
Photographer: Volker Kreidler

Until 31 January

Leeds Print Festival

Print’s dead? Don’t believe everything you read, the process that dates back 1,000s of years is just as alive as ever – and the chaps at a new print festival in Leeds are celebrating just that over the next few days. Tomorrow’s live printing event, Print Is Dead. So Are Zombies, Ghosts and Vampires. Be Afraid of Print is worth going along to for the title alone. Don’t you agree?

Leeds Print Festival at Leeds Gallery, Munro House, York Street, Leeds, LS9 8AG; Opens today and runs until 31st January

27 January – 3 February

IMPRINT – A FABELIST Festival of Local and Global Stories

Music, art, literature and gastronomy; IMPRINT – a festival presented by international arts community, FABELIST – hopes to engage adults and children alike, with a fusion of artworks, storytellers and theatrical performances. If you’re in or around NW8′s Church Street Neighbourhood then go along and show your support, be inspired by FABELIST’s troubadours, and “be whisked on your way to future stories by a magic flying balloon”. How fabulously arty…

FABELIST present IMPRINT at Serpentine Gallery Centre For Possible Studies, 21 Gloucester Place, London, W1U 8HR; 27th January to 3rd February

Photography by Jonathan Perugia

Sunday; Lunchtime

The Cornish Grill at Redhook

A British institution, but about as interesting as a night out with George Osborne; the traditional Sunday roast was in need of a shakeup. Enter Matt Chatfield of The Cornish Grill and a monthly pop-up at Farringdon’s delightful Redhook. Inviting some of the capital’s top-chefs – this Sunday they welcome Alyn Williams (formerly holding top chef positions with Ramsay and Wareing) – to conjure up fine dining goodness from the finest Cornish seafood, meat and vegetables; this is one Sunday roast we’re very excited about…

The Cornish Grill at Redhook, 89 Turnmill Street, London, EC1M 5QU; Sunday lunch on 29th January. Tickets cost £40.00 each and are expected to sell out quickly

Photography Benjamin Backhouse

Opens 27 January

The Hummingbird Bakery, Islington

Splendidly scrumptious, American-style bakery The Hummingbird Bakery are continuing their onslaught on London’s cupcake scene with a fifth branch opening tomorrow in Islington; with the first 1,000 customers bagging themselves a lip-licking cupcake shaped bundle of joy, expect somewhat of a drooling stampede come 11am…

The Hummingbird Bakery, Angel Building, St John Street, London, EC1V 4AD; Doors open 27th January at 11:00am

Until 10 February

Espacio Nomadic – Not in Transit

The Espacio Gallery Project – a 100-plus strong community of artists in quest of their own permanent London gallery space – present their second ‘Espacio Nomadic’ show at The BAR Gallery; displaying the works of 18 of their artists. Part of an ongoing travelling showcase of their artists, Espacio Nomadic will tour established galleries until they finally lay their hat; Not in Transit features the work of artists based and working in the UK but with roots spreading the entire globe…

Espacio Nomadic – Not in Transit, The BAR Gallery at Willesden Green Centre, 95 High Road, Willesden, London, NW10 2SF; Running until 10th February. Open daily including weekends, 2:00pm – 6:00pm

Until 5 February

International Film Festival, Rotterdam

One of the largest film events in the world, and one of the biggest supporters of global independent filmmaking, Rotterdam’s stonkingly colossal film festival – 1,000s of screenings over 12 days – is the only place for cinephiles this month. And with a whole host of parties, events, fringe activities – and even an Ai Weiwei café cum exhibition space – it’s a destination for more than just movie-buffs…

41st edition International Film Festival is taking place at various locations in Rotterdam’s City Centre; Running until 5th February

27 January

Flamenco Fix at Proud Brighton Ballroom

The fine folks behind London’s Proud venues have taken over Brighton’s Hanbury Ballroom – transforming it into a delightfully decadent retro supper-club. This weekend it plays host to a passionate celebration of fiery flamenco; with live performances, kitsch visuals and rare grooves. The venue alone is worth a visit, but this lavish night of Latin passion makes it a must…

Flamenco Fix at Proud Brighton Ballroom, 83 St Georges Road, Brighton, BN2 1EF; Friday 27th January from 8pm. Show only tickets £8.00

29 January

Chinese New Year Celebrations, locations throughout London

And finally…

Lion dances, Asian stalls, general drum beating havoc – it’s the Chinese New Year and this weekend’s the time to celebrate. As well as London’s famous celebrations, there’s also plenty going on at both the World Museum, Liverpool, and throughout Manchester’s Albert Square and Chinatown…

Year of the Dragon Celebrations; Parade begins 10:15am at Trafalgar Square, proceeds through China Town ending at Rupert Street 11:30am. Official opening ceremony at Trafalgar Square; 12:00pm with performances through to 5:40pm. Shaftesbury Avenue has performances 12:00pm – 6:00pm whilst Chinatown hosts a parade of Lion dancers and various traditional Asian stalls

The internationally renowned duo – who have worked for the likes of Apple, MTV and Nike – were commissioned to transform the space by the owners of the award-winning residence in Sydney’s Darling Point (designed by architects Marsh Cashman Koolloos), with the brief to leave larger wall spaces free for potential future commissions…

Photography: Katherine Lu