Your monthly cultural crib sheet compiled by Citizen Femme.
Designed for cosmopolitan globetrotters – based anywhere from London to New York – we’ve rounded up the best exhibitions to see, the films to watch and the events to catch in your chosen city this month.
Raven Leilani, The Southbank Centre, London
As part of the Southbank Centre’s Inside Out festival, author Raven Leilani will be discussing her debut novel, Luster. ‘Heralded as one of the most exciting literary talents to emerge from the US in recent years’, Leilani’s Luster has people buzzing. A painfully funny debut, in short, Luster follows Edie, a ‘young black artist who is messing up her office job, sleeping with all the wrong men, and has failed at the only thing that meant anything to her: painting’. Then she meets white, middle-aged archivist Eric, who is in an open marriage. This special talk, hosted by novelist Diana Evans, will be available to watch on demand until Thursday 4 March, with tickets costing £7.50.
Yayoi Kusama: A Retrospective, Gropius Bau, Berlin
Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama put polka dots on the map. Now, a major retrospective, spanning Kusama’s seven-decade career, is offering an overview of the key periods of her life’s work. The exhibition, curated by Stephanie Rosenthal, will feature a number of current works as well as a newly realised Infinity Mirror Room. Cameras at the ready.
Madeline and More: The Whimsical World of Ludwig Bemelmans, Sotheby’s, New York
Those who loved reading Madeline as a child and have enjoyed the beguiling surrounds of Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle, New York, as an adult, should pay particular notice to this entry. Sotheby’s, New York, auction Madeline and More: The Whimsical World of Ludwig Bemelmans presents a charming group of paintings, illustrations, and sketches by the beloved artist Ludwig Bemelmans, and is live for bidding until 3 March 2021. The lot includes “a selection of works related to the artist’s timeless Madeline series, along with illustrations for some of his lesser–known publications including The High World, Marina, and Parsley.
Hymn, Almeida Theatre, London
Directed by Blanche McIntyre, Hymn features Adrian Lester (Red Velvet, Hustle) and Danny Sapani (Killing Eve, Les Blancs). They play two men – “Benny, a loner anchored by his wife and children, and Gil, a man longing to fulfil his potential” – who meet at a funeral. Gil knew the deceased. Benny didn’t. Before long their families become close, with the pair forming a deep bond. However, as “cracks begin to appear in their fragile lives they start to realise that true courage comes in different forms.” Featuring music from Gil and Benny’s lives, Lolita Chakrabarti’s new play “asks what it takes to be a good father, brother, or son”. Don’t miss your (second) chance to catch this impacting two-hander.
Alexander Calder: Modern from the Start, MoMA, New York
Championing Calder’s work since the 1930s, now, this MoMa show highlights the artist’s connection to the exhibit space. From Calder’s simple wire and wood figures through to his XL abstract sculptures, this is a marvellous introduction to a creative who was ‘modern from the start’.
Simply Brilliant: Artist Jewellers of the 1960s and 1970s, Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim, Germany
Germany’s Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim forthcoming exhibition, in collaboration with the Cincinnati Art Museum, showcases the trailblazing jewellery designers, houses, and makers of the 1960s and 1970s. A period of great self-expression and impeccable craftsmanship, the exhibit includes key pieces from private collector Kimberly Klosterman – we’re obsessed with this impacting gold-cast scorpion necklace by Elsa Peretti.
Feature image: Courtesy Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle
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