Find out what’s in the diary this week.
The skin speaks a language not its own, 2006 Bindis on fiberglass Life size, 142 x 456.2 x 195 cm (56 x 179½ x 76¾ in) Private collection, Switzerland Photography: Bartholomew/Netphotograph © Bharti Kher
Art: Bharti Kher, Parasol Unit Foundation for Contemporary Art
Indian artist Bharti Kher’s recent works will be on display at Parasol Unit through Nov. 11. Works include Solarum Series I, 2007-2010 and Home maker, 2011. Kher’s works often turn the everyday into the ethereal, using everything from teacups to bindis to force viewers to confront the ordinary in an entirely new way. One highlight of this exhibition will certainly be 2006’s The skin speaks a language not its own, a life-size fiberglass elephant covered in serpent-shaped bindis.
Bharti Kher, Parasol Unit Foundation for Contemporary Art, London, U.K. Through Nov. 11.
Fashion: London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week kicks off tomorrow, with Spring/Summer 2013 collections from Christopher Kane, Burberry Prorsum and Boticca favorite Zoë Jordan expected to make a splash. Many LFW shows are live streamed, so you can still get in on the action even if you can’t get to the shows. Boticca designers Imogen Belfield and Renaissance Life are showing at Somerset House – if you make it to the Exhibition, stop by and say hi!
London Fashion Week, Sept. 14-18, London, U.K.
TV: Downton Abbey
The hit U.K. drama Downton Abbey returns this Sunday evening, with a new nemesis for the Dowager Countess. Shirley MacLaine plays the Countess of Grantham’s mother, who arrives from America to shake up the Abbey. Meanwhile, there’s a wedding in the works and a very tall addition to the staff. Sadly, U.S. fans will have to wait until January 2013 for the new season.
Downton Abbey airs on ITV this Sunday at 9 pm.
Film: The Master
“That Scientology movie” is finally hitting theaters. It is assumed that Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master is based on L. Ron Hubbard and the founding of the Church of Scientology, though the film’s star, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, has been quick to deny it. The film tells the story of a listless WWII naval veteran named Freddy Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) who falls in with the charismatic Lancaster Dodd (Hoffman) and his faith-based organization, known as The Cause. Early reviews have been positive, but the hype alone has us sold on this film.
In select theaters from Sept. 14; check your local listings for show times.
Design: London Design Festival
The annual London Design Festival kicks off tomorrow, with events popping up across the city. The Victoria & Albert Museum has prepared a series of interactive events, and Transport For London’s pop-up, 1950s transport canteen is not to be missed. Landmark Projects are planned all over the city; a highlight is the BE OPEN Sound Portal, set in Trafalgar Square, which will allow visitors to test different “soundscapes” each day.
London Design Festival, London, U.K. Sept. 14-23. See site for details.
