Monocle Weekend
Edition: Saturday

Bangkok is getting a lot of design love this weekend as both the Thailand International Furniture Fair (Tiff) and the Bangkok International Fashion Fair and Bangkok International Leather Fair (Biff&Bil) open to the public today. Tiff is the biggest annual event of its kind in the country so expect a strong turn out from the best and brightest in Thai furniture design, including regulars such as Thinkk Studio, Atelier 2+ and Thai wunderkind Anon Pairot. There’s a growing confidence among Thai designers and manufacturers alike, despite competition from concurrent design shows vying for the attention of Bangkok’s in-crowd. Charit Mauleekulphairoj, founder of local manufacturer Podium, says, “The fair may be a little smaller but the quality is better than ever, especially when it comes to the young designers.”

Japan’s love affair with all things Nordic shows no sign of abating. This weekend there is a Scandinavian addition to the regular farmers’ market that is held most weekends at the UN University in Aoyama. The second Nordic Lifestyle Market –the first successful edition was in December – features 50 pop-up shops selling furniture, homeware, pastries, beer, organic skincare, books, records and plants. Vintage furniture will come from well-known Tokyo shops such as Lewis and Kontrast, while coffee will come from Shibuya’s popular Norwegian coffee shop Fuglen. There will also be craft beer and aquavit for anyone looking for something stronger. The market runs today and tomorrow from 10.00 to 16.00 in the UNU Courtyard.

Come 2018, the Queen will no longer be the only woman featured on Canadian bank notes. Earlier this week the Bank of Canada called for citizens to nominate a prominent Canadian woman to front a bill. The denomination was not specified and residents have until 15 April to suggest the iconic figure, who must not be fictional and must have died before April 1991. Already two names have been bandied around a fair bit; Nellie McClung, who advocated for women's suffrage at the turn of the 20th century, is the first. The second is Laura Secord who, back in 1813 when the US and Canada were at war, is said to have walked more than 31km to warn the British of an imminent incursion by the Yankees. The currency announcement follows the Bank of Canada’s 2014 decision to allow the public to have more say when it comes to the design of the country’s banknotes.

There are a number of reasons to enjoy radio and now is the time to revel in it: the Brooklyn Academy of Music (Bam) is hosting the third edition of the multi-event RadioLoveFest this weekend. In collaboration with public radio station WNYC, Bam is hosting some of the network’s most beloved shows live, including Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, Death, Sex & Money and The Moth, as well as music and live talks. Today’s agenda has WNYC radio host Anna Sale presenting a live staging of her incisive interview show, Garrison Keillor reminiscing about his days performing the much-acclaimed radio show A Prairie Home Companion and a performance by modern vocalist-harpist duo Addi & Jacq at the BamCafé Live.

As the spectacular 21er Haus museum in Vienna unveils what might be the world’s first road movie shot inside an art studio, we meet its creator Edgar Honetschläger. Meanwhile, we rediscover the pleasures of 35mm projection at London’s Close-Up film centre. Plus: we talk to ‘Our Nixon’ director Penny Lane and the 1975 Australian classic ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’ steps off the screen and onto the stage.

Berlin’s vibrant arts scene is getting serious and growing up. Kimberly Bradley highlights a cluster of unusual spaces that have been turned into art galleries.