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Go shoppingThis weekend (like every weekend in London), there is a whole range of activities on offer. Here are a few that we like the look of:
South Asian Literature Festival
The South Asian Literature Festival, which runs until November 11, celebrates South Asian writing and culture from venues across London, acting as a platform for generating interest and discussion about the themes and literary heritage of the subcontinent. This weekend, join a panel discussion on the history of the English language as it travelled through India, and another on the extent to which the Grimms were inspired by the ancient Indian animal fables found in the Panchatantra. You can also catch the haunting and enigmatic musical and poetry collaboration between Tishani Doshi and Max Ablitzer, and hear an exclusive reading from Nadeem Aslam‘s new novel, The Blind Man’s Garden. The festival also hosts the launch of new and dynamic writing by women from Bangladesh. For tickets and more information, visit www.southasianlitfest.com.
Richmond Literature Festival
If you are seeking literary enrichment and entertainment for the kids on a Saturday afternoon, perhaps this festival is for you. The bestselling children’s author, Nicholas Allan, will be at Twickenham Library from 2:30pm. Be prepared to see magic, have a go at decorating a pair of paper knickers for the Queen, win prizes, or listen to readings from some of Nicholas Allan’s best-loved books. There will also be a craft fair for those looking for more grown-up attractions, or perhaps a few Christmas presents.
Art of Change: New Directions from China
The Hayward Gallery‘s survey of contemporary art from China has received a lot of critical attention. Here at Litro we have been preoccupied with all things China in the past month. Join in the conversation and debate by checking out this show that brings together engaging installations and performances dealing with ideas of transformation, instability and discontinuity.
Someday All the Adults Will Die!
If Chinese contemporary art isn’t your thing, the Hayward also offers you the last chance to catch a unique display overviewing punk graphic design, produced before, during and after the punk years. The show in the Project Space features work by Jamie Reid, Richard Pettibon, Linder Sterling and others, much of which is from public and private archives and has never been seen previously.
Film London Jarman Award 2012
This year has been a fascinating year for film artists in the UK. This Saturday evening, the Whitechapel Gallery hosts screenings and discussion with the ten shortlisted artists for the Jarman Awards, including Brad Butler & Karen Mirza, Marcus Coates, Shezad Dawood, Benedict Drew, Nathaniel Mellors, James Richards, Ben Rivers, Aura Satz, Matt Stokes and Thomson & Craighead. More details here.
Heiner Goebels: Stifter’s Dinge
This utterly unique and atmospheric multimedia installation by Heiner Goebels (originally commissioned by Art Angel in 2008) returns to London on Sunday for only two weeks in a new form, as durational installation work at Ambika P3. Five pianos hang stripped and bared above steaming pools of water. Mist settles over a ghostly scene: a living, breathing subterranean world. As the light changes and darkens, the pianos wake. Water drips and machines tick and suddenly, the pianos begin to play themselves, advancing menacingly through fog and rain, through the creaking and crunching of machinery and the strange disembodied voices of William S Burroughs, Malcolm X and Claude Lévi-Strauss. Free “unguided tours” run from Sunday at noon; paid performances are scheduled throughout the next two weeks.
Chris Marker: Selected Works 1957–2011
Finally, tomorrow is the last day to catch this show commemorating the death, earlier this year, of Chris Marker, the filmmaker and photographer with a cult following. The Louise Blouin Foundation hosts this survey show of photographs and video installations. If you’re a fan, or if you are new to Chris Marker, be sure to take a look.
And have a great weekend!
