From the Spirit of Rio to Alex Katz: Your July Culture Guide

Go: Kew Gardens, The Hive – Beauty and science come together at Kew’s exploration of the British Bee. The Hive is an open-air structure standing at 17 meters high and weighing 40 tonnes. The Hive captures the story of the honeybee and the valuable role of pollination in feeding the planet. Visit to discover the secret life of bees.  

See: Alex Katz until 11th September 2016, The Serpentine Gallery. To top off an already pleasant day in Hyde Park, drop into the Alex Katz exhibition at The Serpentine Gallery. Don’t miss this chance to see paintings by a modern American master. 

Alex Katz at The Serpentine Gallery

Visit: Alex Eagle, Lexington Street. The newly opened Alex Eagle store on Soho’s Lexington Street offers a carefully curated selection of home ware and fashion. Go to see the Luke Edward Hall x Alex Eagle collaboration and the exquisite Le Monde Beryl shoes. 

Eat: The Continental Pantry, W11. The Continental Pantry offers a delightful blend of European cuisine and wine.  Perfect for after work on a Friday, indulge in the hand sliced 42 month aged Iberico ham and an impeccably chilled glass of Rose. 

Read: In the Spirit of Rio, Assouline. Ahead of this summer's Olympics, In the Spirit of Rio outlines a guide to the best hotels, restaurants, shopping, art galleries and attractions.  Bursting with dazzling imagery celebrating this lively city.

Bruno Astuto's In the Spirit of Rio, Assouline 2016

Handpicked Food For Soul: June Culture Guide

Spending your summer 2016 in London? Before heading overseas for true outdoor adventures, follow our handpicked ABC of the month's go-to destinations, hidden gems, flavours and entertainment for the ultimately satisfying culture boost in the city. 

Yayoi Kusama at the Victoria Miro Gallery

Go – With the Summer upon us, Hyde Park will soon become the place to see and be seen. Don’t miss this year’s futuristic Serpentine Pavilion. This year we will see work by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels who has designed the pavilion to resemble an unzipped wall.

See – Yayoi Kusama’s retrospective comes to the Victoria Miro Gallery in North London. Get lost in the surreal sea of pumpkins, polka-dots and magical mirror room. Until July 30th.  

Yayoi Kusama at the Victoria Miro Gallery

Visit – Be sure to swing by The Switch House, the new staggering 10 story building at the Tate Modern. Opens on 17th June. 

Eat – Ostuni.  Our favorite Italian haunt in Queen’s Park launches their sister venue on June 13th in Hampstead Road, the perfect treat after a long walk around the Heath. Don’t leave without trying the slow-cooked octopus. 

Read - Anne Sijmonsbergen’s debut cookbook Eivissa (Ibiza), packed full of inspiring Mediterranean recipes for every season, start on a hot summer evening and recreate the white island delicacies in your own home. 

'The Ibiza Cookbook' by Anne Sijmonsbergen

Magnified Flowers and Mexican Landscapes: Georgia O'Keeffe

Magnified flowers and Mexican landscapes will soon land in our capital. Don’t miss a rare chance to see Georgia O’Keeffe’s truly gorgeous (in every way) body of work, primarily because none of her work is on display in public collections in the UK.  She was best known for her abstract paintings and depictions of natural forms. 

This will be the first exhibition of O’Keeffe’s work in 20 years. Come first and foremost to challenge the female vs male divide, a topic O’Keeffe’s paintings so naturally conjure up.

“Men put me down as the best woman painter…
…I think I’m one of the best painters.”

Georgia O’Keeffe

Jimson Weed / White Flower No. 1

The highlight of the show for us will be Jimson Weed / White Flower No. 1 (pictured), the most expensive painting by a woman ever sold at auction (not a small feat Georgia). The exhibition will open with her charcoals that were first exhibited in 1915 and will end on more conceptual river scenes from the early 1960s, an unfeigned journey through her life and career. 

From July 6th at The Tate Modern’s Eyal Ofer Galleries, this is really a show not to be missed.  Head over on a Summer afternoon in your very best attire to get lost in the ethereal landscape of O’Keeffe’s New Mexico. 

July 6th – 30th October 2016

Tate Modern

   

Exhibitionism: Rolling Stones

What’s not to love about the Rolling Stones? Well, nothing really. The first international Rolling Stones exhibition recently opened at London’s Saatchi Gallery. The exhibition takes over nine rooms across two floors in true rock star fashion. You will find an astounding 500 Rolling Stones artifacts from the band’s personal archives, incorporating 50 years of fashion, film, art and sound. 

Go go go.

The Rolling Stones

April 5th 2016 – September 4th 2016

Saatchi Gallery, Kings Road, SW3 4RY

Chelsea, London

Will the Allure of Frida Kahlo Ever Fade Away?

Frida Kahlo: Fashion As the Art of Being
Assouline

“Feet, what do I need them for. If I have wings to fly.”
– Frida Kahlo

If you are seeking some inspiration look no further. The latest Assouline beauty is packed full of bright and beautiful pictures of the one and only Frida Kahlo. The book is a tribute to her amazing style and character, hosting a stunning selection of images mirroring her signature style.  Pour over bright Mexican landscapes and see how her inimitable individuality has influenced so many over the years.  Frida’s free spirit has us planning outfits and adventures in equal measure.  If you’re a fan of art, fashion and a great coffee table book – this needs to be your next investment. 

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Frida Kahlo: Fashion As The Art of Being

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Frida Kahlo: Fashion As The Art of Being

On sale in Assouline stores or Amazon UK.

Meet Miss Martin

Agnes Martin’s subtle pencil lines and light colour washes will be welcomed this summer to London’s Tate Modern. The exhibition will display three decades of Martin’s work, from her early beginnings in New York to her escape from fame in Taos, New Mexico.  Agnes Martin was born in Canada and considered herself an abstract expressionist, like her male peers Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. 

Agnes Martin. 

Martin once remarked that ‘Without awareness of beauty, innocence and happiness, one cannot make works of art’, which suggests her reasoning for moving away from the competitive New York art scene and to seek creative comfort in New Mexico’s foreign lands. Martin believed in the power of the emotional over the physical and also believed that her most recent work of art was always her best.  Somewhat controversially, Martin wished for all of her early works to be destroyed, a collection of which will be on show to the public this summer.  We must feel privileged to have the opportunity to witness the growth of a successful female artist, in an arena that was monopolized by men. Women artists are gaining more and more attention in the current climate, with Georgia O’Keefe recently setting a new record for the highest female auction price for her White Flower Number One. Expect to be soothed and meditative in front of Martin’s paintings, their striped linen canvases will hold your attention with their ever so slight details.  

"I often paint tranquility. If you stop thinking and rest, then a little happiness comes into your mind. At perfect rest you are comfortable."

– Agnes Martin

Agnes Martin, artist portrait. 

Agnes Martin at The Tate Modern 3rd June – 11th October 2015.