Last week it was great to celebrate 20 years of Londonist, I’ve been there for over half of that time. And my weekend was spent checking out some art school graduate shows (more to come), and visiting some open studios. This week I have:
The latest episode of the podcast on the Venice Biennale is live
Interviewing a photographer who snaps people on the Tube
The first entry in Diary of a London Art Critic
Thanks as always for keeping tabs on me, and have a great week ahead.
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Tab’s World
My latest articles and events for your reading pleasure.
There’s walking, dancing, aliens, granite and lenticulars all in Mayfair, in this week’s top 5 to see on FAD.
The latest episode of The Good, The Bad and The Arty is live where we chat about the Venice Biennale - what it is and why it matters.
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Plus, catch up on editions of my bonus newsletter for paid subscribers, including:
A look at a work so controversial it was attacked twice
Exhibition review: Fragile Beauty at V&A
The Top Art Podcasts to Listen To - We’ve got your commute covered
Click below to see all the subscription options, and a big thank you to everybody who’s supporting the newsletter already - couldn’t do it without you!
Tab’s Weeks Ahead
Highlighting my top events for the weeks ahead. Let me know if you'd like to join me!
Of all the graduate exhibitions coming up the one to see is City & Guilds London Art School, though I may be biased as a trustee. 22-28 June, free.
My Saturday plans aren't fixed yet, but I’ll be starting at the RCA graduate show in Battersea and then on to West End galleries (Mayfair & Fitzrovia) including a visit to the Lina Iris Viktor exhibition at Pilar Corrias (pictured above). All are welcome to join me, just drop me a line (or DM me on Substack) and I'll share the full itinerary with you so you can drop in at any point throughout the day. Saturday 22 June, 11am-2pm.
The Wider Arts
Here are my top picks of culture that may be enjoyed from the comfort of your home. Paid subscribers have access to my full back catalogue of recommendations.
POST-APOCALYPTIC SERIES: Based on the video game, Fallout is an excellent post-apocalyptic drama with both Ella Purnell and Walton Goggins brilliant as two of the leads in a crazy world of haves, have nots and mutants. On Prime Video.
HISTORICAL FILM: The Zone of Interest hides the horrors of a concentration camp in the background of a film that focuses on the family life of the camp’s commandant and his family. It’s a film whose distressing ideas linger with you for days and it deserves all the praise it’s been given. On Prime Video.
SCIENCE BOOK: Using rigorous evidence, Bad Science by Ben Goldacre, debunks the so-called research behind homoeopathy, nutritional science and the campaign against the MMR vaccine. It's a compelling read on how scientific subjects should be reported on and sadly how publications often sensationalise and report on science inaccurately. I also recommend his other similarly themed book Bad Pharma. The links go through to my online bookshop and you can follow me on Goodreads here.
Articles I’m Reading
Interesting stories that I recommend, largely from beyond the art world. If you fancy reading offline at another time, I recommend the app Pocket.
This is a selection of articles I found thought-provoking in one way or another; opinions expressed in the articles don’t necessarily reflect my own views or those of Londonist. Paid subscribers have access to my full back catalogue of recommendations.
PHONES: Could this be the future of smartphones? The Verge reviews the Humane AI pin (16 minute read) and Wired asks if we’ve come to the end of the iPhone (9 minutes). While at the other end of the spectrum, The New Yorker says the dumbphone boom is real (6 minutes). Gizmodo says Your Phone Is Not Listening to You - I’m not convinced (4 minutes), and Quartz unlocks the myth of your phone's airplane mode (4 minutes) - I knew it. Your phone is the key to your digital life. Make sure you know what to do if you lose it as Vox explains in a 13 minute read.
STAYING HEALTHY: With the advent of new weight loss drugs Time asks Should We End Obesity? (14 minute read) and Intelligencer suggests The Moral Panic Over Ozempic Misses the Point (14 minutes). While The New Yorker looks at how to die in good health (21 minutes) and NPR looks at how body composition tests are on the rise (6 minutes). GQ asks How Fit Can You Get From Just Walking? (4 minutes), Time sets out Why Walking Isn’t Enough When It Comes to Exercise (5 minutes), according to an expert ‘everyone is walking wrong’ (4 minutes on TechRadar), NPR looks at how circadian rhythms affect your workout and your health (8 minutes) and The Telegraph sets out why ‘exercise snacking’ could extend your life by 2 years (7 minutes).
ACTING: Texas Monthly explains How Jesse Plemons Came to Star in, Well, Pretty Much Everything (26 minute read) and Dan Aykroyd shares what he’s learned with Esquire (6 minutes). Vulture asks Who’s the Most Overdue for an Oscar Right Now? (23 minutes) and Mental Floss looks at 11 Actors Who Asked for Their Characters to Be Killed Off (7 minutes). Finally, Vanity Fair shares An Oral History of ‘Superbad’ - a truly hilarious film (28 minutes).