Keeping Tabs: Hola from Bilbao
Get ready for some Christmas quizzing
I’m writing this from Bilbao, where it’s sunny and mild. By the time you get this, I’ll be back in the UK and I will try to bring the weather with me. In the meantime, enjoy:
An interview with Gayle Chong Kwan about how the history of human waste shapes her art.
We speak to sculptor Abdollah Nafisi about his fascinating practice and background.
I’m quoted on Euronews about the Electric Dreams exhibition at Tate Modern.
It’s your last chance to join us at the festive event of the year - the ArtCan quiz.
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.
Catch up on my recent diary entries, interviews and more:
Gayle Chong Kwan and how human waste ties into London’s history
Stephen Harwood is inspired to paint the grittier side of London
The first in a new Artists Inspired by London series - kicking off with Luke Walker
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!
In the latest podcast episode, we speak to sculptor Abdollah Nafisi about his fascinating practice and background.
Tab’s Weeks Ahead
Highlighting my top events for the weeks ahead. Let me know if you'd like to join me!
Last chance to join us at the ArtCan Christmas Quiz. It’s always a fun night, with great people and prizes. If you want to be on my table just make a note in the booking and the team will make it happen. Shameless brag - we were the winning table last year. 2 December, 6.30-11pm, £27.
I’m back to my usual gallery hopping rounds on 7 December to take in some East London galleries, including Stephen Harwood’s show at Benjamin Rhodes. 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 7 December, 12-6pm.
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.
NON-FICTION BOOK: Empire of Pain by Patrick Raddan Keefe is a fascinating and horrifying look at the Sackler family and their role in the opioid crisis, including the family's origins, the relentless marketing of their drugs and the campaigns to get them to stop selling Oxycontin and have their names removed from pretty much every museum. The links go through to my online bookshop and you can follow me on Goodreads here.
ANIMATED FILM: Inside Out 2 is an excellent sequel as a whole new raft of emotions come into play as Riley hits her teenage years and has to battle with feelings of anxiety, embarrassment and ennui. On Disney+. In a related article, the New York Times reports on How ‘Inside Out’ and Its Sequel Changed Therapy (9 minute read).
POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY: The Kingdom is a two-parter that tells the story of how Mohammed Bin Salman came to rule Saudi Arabia and the impact he’s had on his country and the world stage. On BBC iPlayer. In a related read BBC reports on Power, oil and a $450m painting - insiders on the rise of Saudi's Crown Prince (12 minutes).
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 views or those of Londonist. Paid subscribers have access to my full back catalogue of recommendations.
NEW TECHNOLOGIES: Noema takes us Inside Silicon Valley’s Grand Ambitions To Control Our Planet’s Thermostat (17 minutes) and shows us the firms Making ‘Food Out Of Thin Air’ (20 minutes). Popular Science shows us the ‘Parkour’ robot dog that can leap, jump, and crawl its way through complex obstacle courses (4 minutes), The Guardian reports on the growing threat to the hidden network of cables that power the internet (6 minutes) and takes us inside the exhausting rise of orthosomnia - those obsessed with their sleep scores (10 minutes). In a flashback to some old tech, The Verge looks back at the then-revolutionary Motorola Razr (5 minutes).
MEDICINE & ILLNESSES: The New Yorker explains how ECMO is redefining death (18 minutes), Stat reveals how doctors have pressured sickle cell patients into sterilizations (32 minutes), The New York Times asks is it Time to Say Goodbye to the B.M.I.? (5 minutes), and writing for GQ one man says I Got a Sleep Study in My 30s. It Probably Saved My Life (8 minutes). Self says These Are the Most Common Colon Cancer Symptoms in Young People (7 minutes) and explains What Repeat COVID Infections Do to Your Body, According to Science (10 minutes), while Wired explains Why Women Get Migraines More Than Men (4 minutes). Time explains Why You Suddenly Have Allergies (4 minutes), Knowable asks Should you take vitamin D? Here’s the science (11 minutes), and BBC looks back on Cod liver oil: A fishy fix that had surprisingly clear health benefits - and one my mum used to give me as a child (4 minutes).
IN THE KITCHEN: There is an Extreme Dishwasher Loading Facebook Group and Wired has the details in a 5-minute read, an opinion piece for Quartz says the air fryer is a hoax (5 minutes) and Domino proposes 19 Things Your Kitchen Doesn’t Really Need (3 minutes). The Guardian sets out How to Improve Your Meals in Seconds using 12 hero foods (7 minutes), Domino explains 7 Easy Ways to Make Your Groceries Last Longer (4 minutes), and Self suggests 5 Ways to Break Out of a Food Rut and Get Excited About Your Meals Again (5 minutes). The Guardian asks can I eradicate toxic forever chemicals from my home? (14 minutes), The Atlantic suggests you Throw Out Your Black Plastic Spatula (6 minutes), and The Guardian recalls How East Germany Invented ‘Unbreakable’ Drinking Glasses (4 minutes).