Weekend Agenda

Weekend Agenda | Inspirational January

By Rosie Furlong

january spelt out in scrabble tiles

It’s January. We’ve welcomed in 2019, Christmas has been and gone in the blink of an eye, and already we’ve settled back into hibernation mode as we look eagerly ahead to the summer…

 

But have no fear, we here at PENSON have an endless list of the best art and design events to keep you inspired until the days get longer again…So dust yourself down, get off the sofa, and leave the January blues behind!

Hackney Flea Market

With the 70’s interior design trend taking this year by storm, Hackney Flea Market is THE place to go to find eclectic inspiration amongst the costume jewellery, reclaimed furniture, vintage maps and quirky bric-a-brac…

London Art Fair 

The London Art Fair is back for 2019, and it’s an art lovers dream! A labyrinth of modern and contemporary art, a schedule crammed with tours, talks and screenings – and mind-blowing installations – you’ll need more than a day to take in everything the exhibition has to offer…

Hackney Flea Market poster
London Art Fair poster

Chiharu Shiota: ‘Me Somewhere Else’

Shiota’s first exhibition at Blain|Southern is all at once moving, and totally unnerving. The sheer scale of it takes your breath away, and HAS to be witnessed first hand, so get yourselves down to the exhibition to absorb all the stunning symbolism and poignant questions this exhibit provokes…

‘We Live in an Ocean of Air’

VR. You either love it or you hate it. But this totally immersive exhibition from Marshmallow Laser Feast is a completely unique experience – breath sensors, heart monitors and scent dispersal systems bring technology and art together, as each breath you take becomes visible in an explosion of light and colour…

red string installation with ceramic feet at the bottom
Marshmallow Laser Feast immersive exhibition figure standing against the screen

Switching Perceptions

Bethlem Gallery and museum of the mind is an extraordinary homage to mental illness, creativity, and care for the mentally ill. Its current exhibition, ‘Switching Perceptions’, explores the fragile threads of the human mind and what creates a sense of self, as well as the relationship of psychiatric conditions. This is a moving collaboration between patients from the national psychosis unit, Professor Liz Tunbridge and artist Eleanor Minney.

Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair, Battersea Park

Antiques and Textiles. A combination that’ll set any design lovers’ heart racing. This is the only antique fair catering specifically to interior design buyers – so well worth the visit to find quirky items in an interesting mix of old and new…

switching perceptions print
antique fair armchair and ceramics

Anni Albers, Tate Modern

The Anni Albers exhibition is a celebration of the extraordinary way one woman changed the way we view textiles – both as a practice, and as an art form. Her work is as empowering – in its literal sense as it is figuratively – and the exhibition takes you through her progression and exploration into the world of weave. After visiting you can’t help but see her influence in the world around us…

100 Figures: The Unseen Art of Quentin Blake, King’s Cross

Everybody knows and loves Quentin Blake’s illustrations – how could you not! He’s a childhood staple – and if you don’t know of him, you’ve quite simply been living under a rock! But what most people aren’t aware of, is that he was a prolific figurative artist too. 100 Figures is a glimpse into the lesser known art affair of one of the world’s greatest illustrators, and definitely not to be missed…

annie albers exhibition with hanging weave installation
Quentin Blake artwork in frames and on a table