Keeping Tabs: What I've Done
Darkness to smoking hearts
This weekend, I was at Wembley to see Linkin Park, which had a phenomenal atmosphere - clearly, I had found somewhere I belong and a place for my head. Thankfully, I didn’t faint in the heat. So, no Saturday rounds this week, but I did see loads of art during the week, and I have a bumper newsletter for you:
My July and August preview of the top exhibitions to see for Londonist.
An interview with Ken Paranada, the Sainsbury Centre’s first director of art and climate change.
Darkness, visible differences, smoking hearts, paper and illusory art in my top five exhibitions.
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.
July is around the corner, and I’ve written my July and August preview of the top exhibitions to see for Londonist.
I’ve interviewed Ken Paranada, who is the Sainsbury Centre’s and the UK’s first director of art and climate change, for Spaghetti Boost.
There’s darkness, visible differences, smoking hearts, paper and illusory art in my top five exhibitions to see this week for FAD.
Plus, catch up on my recent diary entries, interviews and more:
London and Paris combine in my latest diary entry, which spans two capital cities.
Daniel Preece is the latest interview of an artist inspired by London.
Read about Hannah Gibson’s joyful art made from recycled glass.
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!
I’ve summarised May’s highlights from the visual arts and architecture members of the Critic’s Circle, of which I’m a member.
Tab’s Weeks Ahead
Highlighting my top events for the weeks ahead. Let me know if you'd like to join me!
ArtCan is back with its annual postcard fundraiser, where all works sell for £40. I’ve bought multiple works from previous editions and will be at this one. Wednesday 2nd July, 6-8pm - free, ticketed.
I’m on a panel discussing rejection, what it feels like and how to deal with it at a pop-up exhibition in Stoke Newington. Thursday 10th July, 6.30-8.30pm. £15.
My Saturday plans aren't fixed yet, but I’m planning to visit the post-graduate show at Central Saint Martins (free). 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.
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.
NOSTALGIC SEQUEL (FILM): Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice has all the manic energy and surreal visuals of the original. It’s helped by having a lot of the original cast back and Tim Burton directing. It’s clear that everyone in it had a lot of fun making it, and it takes me back to my youth and watching the original. On Now TV.
POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY (BOOK): Politics on the Edge by Rory Stewart is an eye-opening account of how little a minister could accomplish in a constantly reshuffled cabinet and his failed attempt to become leader of the Conservative Party. He writes well, and it highlights the mess we ended up in after Brexit. The links go to my online bookshop, and you can follow me on Goodreads here.
NATURE DOCUMENTARY SERIES: I’m always in awe of the magnificent footage shot for nature documentaries, and The Americas does this in spades across North, Central, and South America in a series narrated by Tom Hanks. It's on BBC iPlayer.
Articles I’m Reading
I recommend interesting stories largely from outside the art world. If you fancy reading offline at another time, I recommend the app Instapaper.
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.
MEDICAL STORIES: ‘Eat what you kill’ charts the investigation of a doctor who unnecessarily treated patients for a cancer they didn’t have - a 47 minute read via Montana Free Press. ‘I Have Cancer,’ the TikTok Star Said. Then Came the Torrent of Hate, The New York Times shows us the darkest parts of the Internet (18 mins) and Vox advises don’t get surgery on a Friday (3 mins). Der Spiegel shows How Germans Buy New Kidneys in Kenya (21 mins) and Slate asks How Bad Could Measles Get This Year? (8 mins). Medically assisted dying is a hot topic given possible law changes in the UK. Here are a few articles on the topic, but please don’t read on if it’s a sensitive topic for you. The Guardian writes about how a young Dutch woman’s life began when she was allowed to die (24 mins), Undark looks into The Pursuit of Death on Psychiatric Grounds (12 mins) and Common Reader has a personal take with My Friend Chooses How and When to Die (32 mins). An artist has decided to die. Strangers are sending him prayers — and dinner invitations, reports USA Today (8 mins) and on the other side of the debate, BBC says 'I could live 30 years but plan to die': How assisted dying law is dividing Canadians (8 mins). The Londoner reports on The lonely death of Dr Jagdip Sidhu (15 mins), and to finish on a positive note, The New York Times reveals A Baby Is Healed With World’s First Personalised Gene-Editing Treatment.
LONDON LIFE: The Londoner looks into the last gas lamps in ‘the dying of the light’ (12 mins), covers mudlarking in ‘unstuck in the mud’ (7 mins), looks at what it’s like to catch a hooligan (13 mins), asks a government advisor wrote a libel against London. Why did we believe it? (15 mins), and reports 15 penguins are trapped in a Southbank basement. This is the plan to free them (13 mins). The New Yorker writes London Is a Local-News Desert. What Comes Next? (12 mins) and BBC recalls the driver who 'jumped' his bus over the Tower Bridge gap (5 mins).
EXERCISE & HEALTH: The Washington Post writes that at 77, she’s as fit as a 25-year-old. What her body tells us about aging, The Guardian asks Athletes and fitness influencers use creatine, but what is it? And does it work? (6 mins). GQ asks Are the Benefits of Going Barefoot Worth, Well, Going Barefoot? (6 mins). Bustle says Here’s How Long You Should Hold A Plank For A Stronger Core (4 mins) and T3 reports forget pull-ups – I tried a 60-second dead hang for two weeks and it changed my body for the better (4 mins). The Guardian sets out simple, everyday moves you need for a healthier and happier life (4 mins) and Popular Science asks Are ice baths good for you? The benefits and risks of a cold plunge (4 mins).