Dance to Four Tet at Ally Pally, or take in the newly restored Tudor architecture of Fulham Palace
Words Cecilia Mezzi
AI: More Than Human
Prepare to meet the future with a new interactive exhibition examining the relationship between humans and technology. AI: More Than Human charts the creative and scientific development of Artificial Intelligence, from its ancient roots in Japanese Shintoism to the present day, revealing how an age-old dream of creating intelligence has become a reality. Told through immersive artworks and installations devised by some of the most prominent and cutting-edge research projects – DeepMind, Jigsaw, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology – the festival-style exhibition will give visitors the chance to experience AI’s capabilities first-hand. Get ready for some big questions: what does it mean to be human? What is consciousness? And, perhaps most divisive of all, will machines outsmart humans? From 16 May, Barbican, standard tickets £17
Luchita Hurtado
Serpentine Gallery presents the first solo exhibition of work by Luchita Hurtado. The Caracas-born artist travelled extensively in Mexico, where she developed her spiritual approach to painting. Combining experimental, surreal geometries and striking patterns, a compelling sense of colour, light and movement, with unexpected perspectives – looking straight down or across her own body, or straight up to a glimpse of the sky – she offers a view of the world that is both grounded and transcendental. After being struck by the first images of earth from space in 1946, Hurtado explored the interconnectivity between human beings, nature and the cosmos. The Serpentine exhibition will trace the trajectory of Hurtado’s prolific career; at 98, she continues to hone her vision, drawing on environmental and political issues. From 23 May, Serpentine Gallery, free entry
The Lehman Trilogy
On a cold September morning in 1844, a young man from Bavaria stands on a New York dockside. Dreaming of a new life in the new world, he is joined by his two brothers. With this scene, an American epic begins. 163 years later, the firm they establish – Lehman Brothers – spectacularly collapses into bankruptcy, and triggers the largest financial crisis in history. Transferred to the West End after a sold-out run at the National Theatre’s Lyttelton Theatre in July 2018, the play narrates the story of a family and company that changed the world. Academy Award winner Sam Mendes directs an all-star cast including Simon Russell Beale, Adam Godley and Ben Miles. 11 May, Picadilly Theatre, tickets from £35
Clerkenwell Design Week
Clerkenwell is home to more creative businesses and architects per square mile than anywhere else on the planet, making it one of the most important design hubs in the world. To celebrate this rich and diverse community, Clerkenwell Design Week, now in its 10th year, curates a lineup of leading UK and international brands and companies, who will host events, exhibitions and special installations across the Islington Borough. It’s not just showcases, though. Expect talks on the future workplaces of tomorrow, the future of sustainable design, acclaimed new podcast Material Matters from British design writer and critic Grant Gibson, and a discussion focused on the question: is technology overstimulating our senses? 21-23 May, Clerkenwell, various venues, free entry
Food: Bigger Than The Plate
A concerning survey commissioned by Asda has revealed that children today lack basic knowledge of where their food comes from. 41 per cent didn’t know eggs come from chickens, and one in 20 believed that avocados were – wait for it – laid by animals. The upshot? We’re losing contact with most important material in the world: food. In response, this new exhibition explores how innovative individuals, communities and organisations are radically re-inventing how we grow, distribute and experience food. Comprised of collaborations between artists and designers, who have worked with chefs, farmers, scientists and local communities, the featured works take visitors on a sensory journey through the food cycle, from compost to table, and ask how we can build a more sustainable (and delicious) food future. Opening 18 May, V&A, £17
Van Gogh & Britain at Tate Britain
His works are some of the most instantly recogniseable in the history of art, but how much do you know about Vincent van Gogh’s relationship with the UK? The Dutch post-Impressionist once wrote to his brother Theo, ‘I love London’, and now a new exhibition explores those feelings of affection, centring on the artist’s crucial years in the city. Arriving as a young trainee art dealer, Britain’s capital opened up an array of new avenues in life, art and love for Van Gogh. Taking in the British art, literature and culture that inspired the painter throughout his career – from John Constable to Christina Rossetti and Charles Dickens – the exhibition reveals Van Gogh’s enthusiasm and admiration for British culture, and in turn explores the Dutch painter’s influence on British artists ranging from Walter Sickert to Francis Bacon.
Until 11 August, Tate Britain, tickets £20-£22, members go free.
I, I, I, I, I, I, I, Kathy Acker
“Women need to become literary ‘criminals’, break the literary laws and reinvent their own, because the established laws prevent women from presenting the reality of their lives,” Katy Acker once stated. A fierce antagonism towards social conventions and gendered power is central to Acker’s texts, which have been labelled transgressive and at various points censored and barred from distribution. The Institute of Contemporary Arts presents the first UK exhibition dedicated to the prolific American writer (1947–1997), and her written, spoken and performed work. For a period during the 1980s, she lived in London and was a regular presence in the ICA programme. Structured around text fragments from eight of Acker’s key novels, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, Kathy Acker addresses her work as a still-unfolding cultural force whose influence on artists and writers working today – particularly those working with the written and spoken word – is undeniably present. Opening 1 May, ICA, Free entry
Four Tet at Alexandra Palace
Due to unprecedented demand, Four Tet will play a second show at Ally Pally this month. Taking over the North London institution, Kieran Hebden will transform the Great Hall with a mesmerising installation by dynamic international collective Squidsoup. Covered head-to-toe in dazzling lights for the occasion, Hebden – who is fast become one of electronic music’s most treasured minds – will immerse show-goers in an ocean of glimmering reflections and refracted beams. Having sold out live shows featuring the ambitious installation around the world last year, this will be Four Tet’s first live show of 2019. Expect a serene and unforgettable experience. 8 – 9 May, Alexandra Palace, £33.70
Fulham Palace Relaunch
One of London’s most enchanting venues reopens this month following a £3.8 million restoration project, equipped with a brand new museum, painstakingly restored Tudor courtyard and expanded collection of historically significant plants. Discover the Victorian chapel’s past, ponder who to invite for dinner at the table in Bishop Sherlock’s dining room, or get lost in the immaculately landscaped grounds. Interactive elements such as the ‘mood room’ explore the history of the building through sound and light, while a programme of activities and events, including hard hat tours, lectures, talks, and archaeological digs, bring the site to life in new and imaginative ways. 22 May, Fulham Palace, free entry