Arts & Culture
Originally published on Tuesday, 14th January 2014
The Culturist: February
It's all happening this January. From the Brooklyn Bowl to Deep Southern cuisine, Timo Maas to Oslo, there's something for everyone. With fashionable football helmets, a Damien Hirst Mickey Mouse painting, and an escape to Zanzibar for underwater fun, this month's full of cultural spoils…just the way we like it.
DRINK: OSLO
Opens January 17 1a Amhurst Road, E8 1LL
This time it's for real: Oslo is finally throwing open its doors. Taking up residence in an old Hackney railway station, the Nordic-inspired supersized venue is going for the drinking, eating and dancing trifecta. The bar has a focus on locally sourced ales from Redemption, Five Point and more, plus there's an extensive wine cellar, a restaurant all about smoking, curing and pickling, and live music (this month's line up includes Charles Hayward and Dry The River). Best of all? It's open 'til 3am.
SHOP: CFDA X NFL HELMET AUCTION
Auction from January 15- February 4
Sports chic has been dominating the runways for the past few seasons, so it was only a matter of time before this happened: fashion and football have joined forces. With Superbowl XLVIII on the horizon, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, the NFL and Bloomingdales have teamed up to create haute helmets for charity. Everyone from Rag & Bone to Diane von Furstenberg has given gridiron gear a makeover and you can bid on the leopard print, mohawk and other embellished numbers from January 15.
OFFER: 20% DISCOUNT ON TICKETS TO ISABELLA BLOW: FASHION GALORE! AT SOMERSET HOUSE
Offer valid until 2 March 2014, excluding Mondays. Exhibition open daily 10am-6pm (until 9pm on Thursdays) at Somerset House, Strand, WC2R 1LA
If you haven't been down to Somerset House to check out Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore!, now's your chance. This major fashion exhibition celebrates the extraordinary life and wardrobe of British style icon Isabella Blow, and it is heading into its final weeks. The must-see show includes garments from the designer talents that Blow discovered and launched, including Alexander McQueen, Philip Treacy, Hussein Chalayan and Julien Macdonald. See it before its gone- book now! To redeem the 20% discount, simply enter the promo code BLOW20 here when booking full price tickets.
PARTY: TIMO MAAS
Electric Brixton, January 18 Town Hall Parade, SW2 1RJ
Head south of the river to catch DC-10 and Circoloco legend Timo Maas in action at Electric Brixton. The percussive house master will be joined on decks by a roster of up and comers including Krankbrother, the Art of Dark boys Jack & I, Saoirse and more. Tickets are selling fast, so book now.
DO: BROOKLYN BOWL
Opens January 17 O2 Arena, Peninsula Square, SE10 0DX
Lace up your bowling shoes, it's time to hit the lanes, NYC style. The iconic Brooklyn Bowl opens its first European outpost at the O2 this month. It's about much more than bowling (although there's 12 lanes for that, including an elevated 3-lane private party area). The venue will also act as an 800 capacity gig space (Haim, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Kanye have all played at the Williamsburg original), with food by the inimitable Blue Ribbon (we still have dreams about their sushi in New York). Here, Oyster Po' Bos, Cajun Catfish and the famous fried chicken are all on the menu, with a bar supplied by Meantime Brewing Company. Now, who's up for a game?
SEE: RED VELVET
From January 23- March 15 269 Kilburn High Road, NW6 7JR
Now for a bit of theatre. If you missed it last time, catch Lolita Chakrabarti's acclaimed play Red Velvet before it hops across the pond to NYC. The brief London run will see Adrian Lester reprise the role of Ira Aldridge, the pioneering African-American stage star who made his name playing Othello in the 19th century.
EAT: THE LOCKHART
Open now 22-24 Seymour Place, London, W1H 7NL
Give up on your January detox and make a beeline to The Lockhart for some devilishly indulgent soul food (you know you want to). The newly relaunched Marylebone restaurant now has Mississippi-born chef Brad McDonald at the helm, serving up traditional Deep South fare like crawfish jambalaya, fried green tomatoes and (our pick) shrimp and grits. Yum.
UJ LOVES: MICKEY MOUSE BY DAMIEN HIRST
Thursday 13 February at 7pm Christie's, 8 King Street, SW1Y 6QT
What do you get when you mix Damien Hirst's signature spots with Walt Disney's most famous creation? This adorable Mickey Mouse painting the renowned British artist has created for youth charity, Kids Company. Mickey will be auctioned off next month, so mark it in your diaries. We have a blank wall in the UJ office that would be perfect for it…just sayin'.
