A battle of wills: a gruelling contest of endurance and sheer determination whose lone victor will finish physically and mentally exhausted, having outlasted all challengers. Defeated rivals will literally stumble away, collapsing into chairs or leaving in a dazed state, some seemingly unaware of where or even who they are. The victor will be too [...]
Geoffrey Farmer’s The Surgeon and the Photographer is being shown in its completed form for the first time in the UK at the Barbican’s Curve gallery. The Curve is a unique 90-metre exhibition space that wraps around the back of the Barbican concert hall. Open since 2006, contemporary artists have been commissioned to respond to [...]
It seems that what could be construed as two artistically distinct domains are in fact more closely related and compatible than we can imagine… Ryoji Ikeda, on the 27th and 28th March, demonstrated the extraordinary unity of science and art in his recent UK premiere of Superposition at the Barbican, through a stunning and thought-provoking [...]
Musician and composer John Parish, best known for his work with PJ Harvey, is, on the 16th April, releasing Screenplay, an album of a selection of his film music. Feature writer, Claire Hazelton, had a chat with John to find out more about the album and his involvement with the Filmic 2013 Festival in Bristol, [...]
“The order so often heard – ‘Be a man’ – implies that it does not go without saying that manliness may not be as natural as one would think… Being a man implies a labour, an effort that does not seem to be demanded of women. It is rare to hear the words ‘be a [...]
Features and ideas on the UK and international zeitgeist
We do like unique magazine concepts here at Flux and Swallow Magazine is very much in that category. As the name implies it’s all about food but is nothing like your usual mainstream high street title. The magazine was founded in 2009 by James Casey and the love for all things food leaps out at [...]
On Tuesday, I spoke with two Matthews. Darbyshire, the artist who will be collaborating with emerging arts students to produce work for his exhibition, ‘Big Dinner’ at Margate’s most edgy and experimental arts’ venue, and de Pulford, one of LIMBO’s directors who, in the final preparation stages will be “running around looking for electric cables [...]
Michael Nyman’s brand of broad-strokes baroque is almost as tiring to listen to as it is to play, but there was just enough variation in this unique programme dedicated entirely to his ‘rewritings’ of works by Purcell, Handel and Monteverdi, to make for an entertaining and surprising evening. Michael Nyman is a deeply divisive figure. [...]
A battle of wills: a gruelling contest of endurance and sheer determination whose lone victor will finish physically and mentally exhausted, having outlasted all challengers. Defeated rivals will literally stumble away, collapsing into chairs or leaving in a dazed state, some seemingly unaware of where or even who they are. The victor will be too [...]
Geoffrey Farmer’s The Surgeon and the Photographer is being shown in its completed form for the first time in the UK at the Barbican’s Curve gallery. The Curve is a unique 90-metre exhibition space that wraps around the back of the Barbican concert hall. Open since 2006, contemporary artists have been commissioned to respond to [...]
FLUX meets with Hormazd Narielwalla – one of the exhibiting artists at COLLECT: The International Art Fair for Contemporary Objects Hormazd Narielwalla is one of the artists exhibiting in the Project Space at the COLLECT show at the Saatchi Gallery, London between 10 and 13 May. Narielwalla is currently artist in residence at Margaret Street [...]
It seems that what could be construed as two artistically distinct domains are in fact more closely related and compatible than we can imagine… Ryoji Ikeda, on the 27th and 28th March, demonstrated the extraordinary unity of science and art in his recent UK premiere of Superposition at the Barbican, through a stunning and thought-provoking [...]
Musician and composer John Parish, best known for his work with PJ Harvey, is, on the 16th April, releasing Screenplay, an album of a selection of his film music. Feature writer, Claire Hazelton, had a chat with John to find out more about the album and his involvement with the Filmic 2013 Festival in Bristol, [...]
“The order so often heard – ‘Be a man’ – implies that it does not go without saying that manliness may not be as natural as one would think… Being a man implies a labour, an effort that does not seem to be demanded of women. It is rare to hear the words ‘be a [...]
In the deepest, darkest, shadiest corner of pop is the world of painter Nathan James. This is a world like no other: a world in which you can expect to be offered pills by a tripped out Mickey Mouse, in which you can expect to meet perverts, groping, freaks and repulsiveness; this is a place [...]
Pae White’s installation at South London Gallery opened on the 12th of March. Prior to the exhibition opening, she led an artist talk in the Clore Studio that provided an insight into the history and inspirations behind her experimental practise. Pae White is a multi-media artist who lives and works in Los Angeles and has [...]
Ramis Cizer picks out his highlights of the Turkish Film Festival in London and views some crackling cinema due for imminent release… It’s not the teeth of the big bad wolf that Little Red Riding Hood should fear but the sharp crackle of an assault rifle and overhead birds of war; this is Grimm’s well-known [...]
Amidst the glass fronted buildings of Sloane Square with their clean cut interiors, you will find the Mari Vanna restaurant, tucked in, like a little piece of old Russia that has time-travelled into 20th Century west London. I follow a smartly dressed couple up the stairs into the entrance hall to have my coat taken [...]
José Mourinho said ‘the world would stop’ to watch Real Madrid play Manchester United in the Champions League. At the Southbank Centre, however, life went on regardless as we witnessed the newest chapter in the extraordinary career of ‘America’s greatest living composer’, Steve Reich. And whilst the sporting contest was ruined by an attention-seeking referee, [...]
In the Jewish faith for eleven months after a person dies the mourner’s Kaddish is recited for them. The prayer is a sanctification of God’s name, a statement of rock solid belief spoken at a moment of intense emotional and personal crisis. “May His great Name be blessed for ever and ever. Blessed, praised, glorified, [...]
“I suppose I’m a performance artist, but I fucking hate that word”, says Jeremy Hutchinson grinning. He looks stubbly and slightly cheeky as he sips his tea. “It’s the connotations of performance artist, like noone wants to be a performance artist because…” he pauses thoughtfully. “They all sound like nobs.” Jeremy is a Slade graduate [...]
It can be a bit of an obstacle course trying to navigate your way into the creative industries. Those who have already made it onto the next levels often make it look easy and newcomers often find it very hard to get good advice from these more successful creatives who are understandably very busy themselves. [...]
In a campaign inspired by one of the most famous paintings in the world, Visit Norway is asking us to scream to win a visit to the northern most Scandinavian state. Today sees the launch of official Edvard Munch year in Norway, so it’s rather a good thing that the artist’s most famous painting, The [...]
“Say something rude,” I said into her breast. She paused. “…You’re fat?” We can’t help being fascinated by the sex lives of others – of the ordinary looking next door neighbour or fellow worker who you just can’t imagine ‘doing it’ – so you sort of try. Sex is so personal we can’t help wanting [...]
In This Land explores the mindset of contemporary Israel, investigating the psyche of a population living with, and seemingly trapped by, a collective siege mentality. The series reflects on Israel’s fiercely unwavering beliefs that its identity is embedded in the very fabric of the land, with its past, present and future inextricably linked to the [...]
Cult art group BANK was active between 1991-2003, when I was holed up at school/university in the provinces and so heard nothing about London culture except ubiquitous YBAs, Britpoppers and later Blair’s champagne socialists, which all seemed tres sexy and escapist. In retrospect, I still love the era’s hedonism- bratty, self-conscious and ludicrously louche- but [...]
They say you get the politicians you deserve. I hope that’s not true as ours are a sorry bunch. They are so painfully conscious of their own self image and the media that it guides or should I say warps their thinking and thus sometimes their policies. This is clear to see when it comes [...]
21st Century Britain: Like a Ray Harryhausen fantasy, the Coalition Gods are playing chess. Through the thick fug of entitlement, they watch corresponding mortals marching against each other; bristling police with batons raised, scruffy protesters lobbing street furniture. It’s an unwinnable war, fought by the wrong people for the right reasons. Both sides and middle [...]
Unknown Heroine is the first solo exhibition in the UK of Croatian artist, Sanja Iveković. Iveković’s artistic strategy ranges from collage, film and photography to performance and installation. The exhibition spans two venues, Calvert 22 in Shoreditch and the South London Gallery in Camberwell, and features work made against a background of political change and [...]
“I’ve seen how democracy is under duress, But I’ve never seen a nipple in the Daily Express.” (John Cooper Clarke) Tabloids’ indiscriminate muckraking produces a telling mash-up of porn and politics. Both embody the workings of power, and power requires a dynamic between have/have not.The problem of porn is its insistence on a retro-futurism of [...]
Voices seem amplified when sight fails you. The feel of wood under the hand too becomes exaggerated, every grain rubbing against your fingertips. The subtle scents of a glass of red hit you hard in the sinuses. When your eyes aren’t seeing, your body sends out other feelers to try to identify the things around [...]
“Ars longa, vita brevis” – Life is short, Art eternal. ‘Death: A Self Portrait’ at the Wellcome Collection in London exhibits an array of around 300 diverse works devoted to the iconography and aesthetic that surrounds the theme of death. Richard Harris, a former antique print dealer based in Chicago, has assembled the exhibition out [...]
review by Robert Leeming If you research the history of the right wing in the UK and the US all you will find is binders full of bastards. That’s just a cheep and idle point of view there, and it’s easy to tout. To paraphrase, possibly even plagiarize, Woody Allen: “Saying you’re right wing is not [...]
FOLD Gallery is currently showing a solo exhibition by Tim Davies until 22nd of December. Davies lives and works in Swansea and was chosen to represent Wales at the 54th Venice Biennale in 2011. As a researcher, artist and curator, his work is often conceptual and site responsive, using an array of mediums to examine [...]
Releasing this video is a bold move and rather clever idea by Amnesty International and Anish Kapoor that we support wholeheartedly. It’s also very funny. Watch as Anish and a whole host of famous and not so famous artists strut their stuff in fine form in similar Gangman style to the now legendary video. Those [...]
We’re really love the work of Reed + Rader here at Flux. We first came across the duo a few years back and were so taken with their cute and clever style that we asked them to contribute one of their inimitable fashion shoots. We went onto include more of their work and they even [...]
The Dominant – Short film by Emir Hasanpor Devil’s Desires to Doctrinal Death List Religion, Rape, Political Prisoners and Execution are the subject of The Dominant, a short film by Iranian Director & independent film maker Emir Hasanpor. The film has caused Hasanpor gun shots and knife attack and placed his life under threat. So [...]
We’re looking forward to our event on Tuesday 16th October, and hope you can make it down. Lee and Claire will be heading a workshop which we hope will turn into a lively discussion for anyone interested in setting up a creative blog, magazine or website or getting their work published. We’ll reveal all on [...]
So…Soap! Is the collaborative creation of Hong Kong’s SLOW and CoLAB, featuring at the Liverpool Biennial this year. They are a social venture who have come up with a 100% organic range of soaps, recognising that both our skin and our planet are commonly delicate. But possibly the most important and impressive factor of the [...]
Illum Sphere is gaining much respect for the brand of experimental sonic wizardry that he brings to his own music and his productions for others. He also has a bespoke club night called Hoya:Hoya that is on the lips of those in the know in his native Manchester. His singular style, with influences from hip hop, techno, [...]
The Birmingham Book Festival is about to hit the city with an outstanding array of events and sessions from some of our most respected writers including Caitlin Moran, Simon Armitage, Jackie Kay, Patrick Gale, Liz Lochead and Stuart Maconie. The festival, now in its 14th year, is due to pack in a serious amount of [...]
‘I’ve had quite a lot of luck with drawing’, says Illustrator Brian Grimwood as we sit down to talk about his new book and retrospective. We are sat by the window whilst the finishing touches are being added to the exhibition around us at WORK Gallery. I have a quick look around before the interview [...]
Kopparberg ün-establishment is a series of creative events taking place in October in Manchester and London. It has a genuine creative focus, is free to attend and has a great line up of guests from art, music, fashion, publishing, invention and design. We were excited to be invited to get involved ourselves, and you can [...]
What are you into? Do your interests include cinema, faux drag queens, caravans or bioengineered footballs grown from living cells? If so, I hope you got down to AND festival of culture last week. “Abandon Normal Devices” took place in Manchester and around the North West with a unique partnership between Cornerhouse, FACT and loads [...]
Chinese Art has been making an increasingly significant impact on the international arts scene for the last few years now. We all know of Ai Weiwei’s legendary artwork of an Olympic stadium now known as the Bird’s Nest and we’ve covered Chen Man’s inspired photography recently here in Flux. The West’s dominance of international culture is being [...]
Words Robert Leeming I guess I would class myself as something of a modern Mancunian expert. I’ve lived in the city just about twenty five years and witnessed its transformation from decaying post-war, post-industrial relic, to modern swaggering metropolis. It is a revolution which is both joyful and gut-wrenching, gut-wrenching because the change has been so total, [...]
Wondering where our all new, Olympic inspired background has come from? Well, we’ve been getting ready for the Olympics at FLUX with a few toe-touches and a lot of remote flicking. And for an alternative Olympic celebration, we’d like to point you in the direction of East London’s LIK+NEON who have commissioned illustrator, Tom Edwards, to bring [...]
Audi City is an exciting new venture from the carmaker that uses technology to create space in the our urban centres. Currently over 50% of the earth’s human population live in cities, a percentage that is rising all the time. The idea is to bridge the gap between real and virtual space and encourage new [...]
Who can forget when The Orb and Little Fluffy Clouds made their mark back in 1990? I can remember working in a drab Civil Service office back then. The work was mind numbingly dull and the atmosphere quite depressed. Every now and then people were allowed to bring in a CD and play it through [...]
Fashion Article by Fiona Shaw Fashion Photography is a tough old craft to get right. It’s more of an ensemble effort in reality involving models, stylists, make up, lighting as well as the photography itself. And after all that meticulous planning and attention to detail you have to somehow make the final image look effortless. [...]
The 24:7 Theatre Festival has now established itself as an integral part of Manchester’s cultural life. Now in its ninth year it’s proving to be a real breeding ground for new talent from across the world of theatre. Most of the work is brand new and premiered at the festival. Young up and coming writers [...]
Showing as part of the London Festival of Photography ‘The Gaddafi Archive – Libya before the Arab Spring’ takes a long hard look at the recent history of Libya. ‘The photography exhibition begins with the reign of King Idris and spans the cruel and despotic regime of Colonel Gaddafi. It includes a thought provoking collection [...]
Photography & Music Article by Nick Hagan Madchester “defined a generation’s lives”: An interview with Kevin Cummins, veteran music photographer Kevin Cummins comes from the age of the photographic thunderbolt in music. Cutting his teeth on Manchester’s punk scene in the mid-70s, he went on to capture watershed images of numerous era-defining bands, at a [...]
Animated Fashion Film from Havaianas Come into the Havaianas summer! Jump in and discover the Brazilian spirit, so full of color, joy, fun…This year you’ll become addicted to Havaianas! Animated Fashion Film from Havaianas
Artist Feature by Thomas Browne If you happen to find a dollar bill with a love-heart stamped on it with the words ‘Buy Some Love’ well hold onto it. You’re in possession of an artwork that could be worth a lot of money. Imagine the scene. The artist Skye Nicolas, and a wealthy Russian Art [...]
Our favourite new sneakers from fashion to sportsfield!