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Ghost Forest Comes To Trafalgar Square

Ghost Forest in Trafalgar Square

Yesterday, a Ghost Forest arrived in Trafalgar Square, in the form of several gigantic, root-covered tree stumps.

The vision of artist Angela Palmer,  the installation carries a serious message about deforestation and climate change.

The tree stumps have all been transported to London from Ghana, which has lost 90% of its primary rainforests over the last 50 years.

Angela PalmerWhen I visited today, Trafalgar Square was bathed in sunlight and full of curious passers-by.

The artist was standing in the middle of the square, fascinated by people’s reactions to her work.

“There was a lady who said she works in a concrete environment, and she never sees the natural environment anymore.  Here she feels as though she’s walking in a forest,” said Palmer.

“Yesterday two ladies were in tears, they were so moved by the rainforest being transplanted here. Other people just see them as sculptural objects, like a Henry Moore sculpture.”

Ghost Forest is in Trafalgar Square until 22 November. The installation then heads to Copenhagen, where it will be on display during the UN Climate Change Conference.

Have you seen the Ghost Forest? Tell us what you thought, or add your photos to the Visit London Flickr pool.

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The Foundling Musuem

The Committee Room

I would definitely count the Foundling Museum in Bloomsbury as one of London’s hidden treasures.

The Foundling Museum is worth visiting for its splendid interior, fascinating collections, changing exhibitions – and it’s an absolute must see for Hogarth enthusiasts.

The philanthropic sea captain Thomas Coram founded the hospital in 1739 for the “education and maintenance of exposed and deserted babies and young children”. Bear in mind that then the word “hospital” was not used in the sense it is today; then, it indicated an institution for those less fortunate.

The first stone was laid in 1742. At the time, the hospital was described as “the most imposing single monument erected by 18th century benevolence” and became London’s most popular charity. Estimations suggest Thomas Coram’s good work benefitted more than 27,000 youngsters.

The Foundling Museum

The museum, now housed in the only remaining hospital building (the administration building) tells the story of Thomas Coram’s amazing work and really does appeal to all ages.  In addition, the glorious Rococo interior houses works donated by artists including Louis-Francois Roubiliac, Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough.

The museum also explores the work of the composer George Frideric Handel and artist William Hogarth, both governors and major benefactors of the institution. The works donated by the artists made the Foundling Hospital the nation’s first art gallery open to the general public.

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Super K Sonic Booooum at the Shunt Lounge

Super K Sonic Booooum by Nelly Ben Hayoun

Last night I dressed in a white boiler suit, hard hat and wellies. Accompanied by a scientist, I boarded a dinghy and floated through a dark tunnel lined with 600 silver balloons.

It was all part of Shunt Lounge’s current installation, Super K Sonic Booooum by Royal College of Art graduate Nelly Ben Hayoun.

Sonic Booooum is a recreation of the Super K underground science centre in Japan, where scientists study tiny particles called neutrinos.

During the boat trip, your on-board expert (a scientist from Imperial College or Queen Mary University) explains the concept of neutrinos, and why they’re important.

And if you want more info, you can pop into one of the “drop in, drop out” lectures, where remarkably friendly scientists tell you more about neutrinos and answer all your questions.

Super K Sonic Booooum is at the Shunt Lounge until Saturday 14 Novmeber.

If you’ve never been to this amazing dark and cavernous venue, make sure you check it out soon, as it’s due to close this weekend.

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Visit London Asks: What’s Your Favourite Smaller London Art Gallery?

Camden Arts CentreLast week, we brought you news about exciting forthcoming exhibitions at the Courtauld, the Wallace Collection, and the Dulwich Picture Gallery.

London is packed with smaller art galleries: the choice is fantastic.

From the Wapping Project in East London to the South London Gallery, to the Camden Arts Centre, London’s art offerings are many and varied. There’s the Serpentine in Kensington Gardens, the Gagosian on Britannia Street, the brilliantly named Haunch of Venison, and the Parasol Unit, to name but a few. In East London alone, you can tour more than 100 galleries for free as part of Time Out’s First Thursdays campaign.

We want your recommendations.

When the queue snakes around the corner at the Royal Academy, and you don’t feel like pushing through the crowds at the V&A, Tate Modern or the National Portrait Gallery, which are the smaller London galleries that get your vote?

Let us know!

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Coming Up at London’s Small Galleries: Michelangelo, Cezanne and Paul Nash

Antonio Montauti, Diana, c.1720-40Yesterday, three of London’s smaller galleries, The Wallace Collection, The Courtauld Gallery and Dulwich Picture Gallery announced their exhibition programmes for 2010.

Less well-known than many of London’s bigger galleries, these galleries have their work cut out attracting visitors in the difficult economic climate. Happily, they’ve responded to the challenge with gusto, and these exciting exhibitions should attract plenty of attention and visitors:

The Wallace Collection
The Wallace Collection has been busy refurbishing, creating new galleries, and generally having a bit of a refresh. It’s holding four contemporary exhibitions next year:

  • Beauty and Power: Renaissance and Baroque Bronzes from the Collection of Peter Marino, 29 Apr-25 Jul 2010
    Exploring the powerful world of bronze sculpture, through the collection of distinguished New York architect Peter Marino
  • Poussin to Seurat: French Drawings from the National Gallery of Scotland, 23 Sep-19 Dec 2010
    Magnificent examples of French drawings including many of the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists
  • Shhh, it’s a Secret, 4 Feb-28 Mar
    Curated by twelve local school children, an interactive exhibition, unlocking the secrets behind some of the pieces from the permanent collection
  • Delaroche Paintings, 24 Feb-23 May
    A special display of Paul Delaroche paintings to complement the new major exhibition at the National Gallery, Painting History: Delaroche and Lady Jane Grey.

The Courtauld Gallery
The Courtauld Gallery also have some big names in their upcoming exhibitions:

  • Michelangelo’s Dream, 18 Feb-16 May 2010
    Examining Michelangelo’s celebrated drawing, The Dream of Human Life, this exhibition also looks at closely related drawings by Michelangelo, as well as letters and poems by the artist
  • The Courtauld Collects: 20 Years of Acquisitions, 17 Jun-19 Sep 2010
    A celebration of the rich selection of works acquired by The Courtauld over the last 20 years
  • Cézanne’s Card Players, 21 Oct-16 Jan 2010
    The first exhibition to bring together the majority of Cézanne’s beautiful paintings of peasants playing cards. It also explores closely related paintings by Cézanne

Dulwich Picture Gallery
Paul Nash, Landscape from a Dream, 1936-8, Oil on canvas, 67.9 x 101.6cm, Tate, London. © Tate, London, 2009.jpgSituated in leafy Dulwich, take the chance to get out of Central London and visit this historic building. It’s only 12 minutes from Victoria by train!

  • Paul Nash, the Elements, 10 Feb-9 May 2010
    Examining Paul Nash’s work by theme, including landscapes as well as classic images of both World Wars
  • The Wyeths: Three Generations of American Art, 9 Jun-22 Aug
    Andrew Wyeth was loved by the American public, but less well received by the critics. See his work, alongside that of his father, son and sister in this exhibition
  • Salvator Rosa: Bandits, Wilderness and Magic, 15 Sep-28 Nov
    Brooding, dark and expressive paintings by rebellious artist and poet Salvator Rosa

Dulwich Picture Gallery is celebrating its bicentenary next year – so watch this space for news of how they’ll be marking the occasion.

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Portrait of Aspiring Paralympian Wins Photography Prize

Rosie Bancroft, 2008 by Paul Floyd BlakeThe winner of the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize was announced last night.

Paul Floyd Blake took the top prize for his portrait of 13-year-old swimmer Rosie Bancroft, who hopes to compete in the 2012 Paralympic Games.

Blake says, “She had just swum a personal best in her event and I think that’s why she has such a confident, self-assured look in the portrait.”

You can see Blake’s photo and the best of the other entries in a free exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from tomorrow.

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Points of View: 19th-Century Photos at the British Library

Don Juan Carlos, Duke of Montizon, The hippopotamus at the Zoological Gardens, Regent’s Park, London, 1852

This happy hippo is just one of the photos on display in the British Library’s new exhibition, Points of View: Capturing the 19th Century in Photographs.

The show documents the development of photography, from the camera obscura, to work by photography pioneer William Henry Fox Talbot, and the rise of holiday photos and celebrity snaps.

If you thought the paparazzi were a modern phenomenon, think again! Even Charles Dickens complained about being followed by photographers. You can see pictures of Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Queen Victoria and many other well-known figures.

Other highlights include fascinating portraits of everyday life in Victorian Britain, some of the first photos of overseas countries and their inhabitants, and examples of the Victorian trend for spirit photography.

I took a tour with the exhibition’s curator, John Falconer, who brought the show to life perfectly. He’ll be conducting several free gallery talks – try and catch one if you can.

Points of View is at the British Library from 30 October to 7 March. Entry is free.

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The Hammer House of Horror Festival Opening

Christopher Lee as DraculaThe Hammer House of Horror Festival opened last night at Idea Generation Gallery in Shoreditch.

Long associated with vampires, mummies and b-grade erotica, Hammer is Britain’s most successful film company. Most of the famous Hammer Horror movies were produced from the 1950s to the 1970s. Some of the company’s best-known titles include Dracula (and sequels such as Dracula: Prince of Darkness), The Mummy, The Curse of Frankenstein, and One Million Years B.C.

Bringing together movie posters, film stills and behind-the-scenes pics of the stars, the exhibition part of the festival is a blood-spattered caper through Hammer’s gory ouvre. 

Photo captions give just the right amount of info about their subjects and the films, and the exhibition contains a good mix of kitsch promotional material and interesting “asides”. However, our favourite thing was the knitted dagger, which was stabbed almost surreptitiously into the top of a staircase, with a trail of woollen blood ending in a knitted blood puddle on the ground floor.

The knitted dagger. Photo: Lettice KempIf all this whets your appetite for the undead, why not catch a late night screening of a Hammer Horror classic in London over the Halloween weekend, or one of the festival’s other parties and events. Check out Idea Generation Gallery, the Lexi Cinema and Curzon Soho for more Hammer Horror Festival happenings.

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Grayson Perry: The Walthamstow Tapestry

The Walthamstow Tapestry by GraysonPerry

If you’ve never been before, now’s an excellent time to visit the Victoria Miro gallery. A little off the beaten track, but more than worth the effort, this bright and airy space is one of the largest and most interesting commercial art galleries in London.

Designed specifically for the Victoria Miro, The Walthamstow Tapestry is maverick potter Grayson Perry’s largest work to date. Three metres high by fifteen metres long, the tapestry is shown with a number of new ceramic works – which I think are extraordinary. How anyone can pack so much information, imagery, attitude and beauty into the surface of a gentle ceramic is a total wonder.

The tapestry explores the insane, quasi-religious adoration of consumerism and is vibrant and colourful. Apparently, Grayson was inspired by antique batik fabrics from Malaysia and eastern European folk art. The work is busy with depictions of people doing ordinary things – shopping, ironing, walking the dog etc. and almost every inch of the tapestry is devoted to brands. At Victoria Miro until 7 November 2009.

Grayson Perry will be talking to Will Self about his work and influences at the British Library on 9 November. For booking details, please visit the British Library’s website.

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Bye Bye Bunny! Jeff Koons’ Rabbit Waves Goodbye to Covent Garden

Jeff Koon's Rabbit that graced the Covent Garden Market Building earlier this week

The Covent Garden Market Building waved goodbye to American artist Jeff Koons‘ Rabbit this week.

The giant, 53-ft high, floating balloon installation had made its home in the South Hall for four days, to celebrate the opening of the Tate Modern’s exhibition Pop Life: Art in Material World, delighting and surprising everyone who came down to see him.

The first class lounge at Heathrow reported that his departure passed without incident. But apparently, he was rabbitting away to his mate Warren about how deflated he felt to be leaving the UK…

Thanks to everyone who supported his stay.

Covent Garden has really stepped into the virtual world over the last couple of weeks. You can now keep up to date with the latest news from the Piazza and surrounding areas on Twitter!

Follow @CoventGardenLDN for all the latest from CG: shopping promotions, free stuff, and further amazing installations – please follow us, and we’ll follow you! 

Bye for now!

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