FILM: TORONTO
Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition
This retrospective of the career of one of the darkest talents of 20th-century mainstream cinema, Stanley Kubrick, at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto compiles an impressive haul of scripts, props, costumes and other artefacts from his oeuvre alongside a series of talks and – of course – a film programme. Things kick off with horror classic The Shining on Friday (just in time for Halloween): the meticulously crafted classic from 1980 is famous for its intricately layered composition that has kept film buffs guessing about its meaning for decades. And for those who just can’t wait for answers, a 2012 documentary that the film spawned – Room 237 – screens on 25 November.
TIFF Bell Lightbox, Reitman Square, 350 King Street West. Open Wednesday and Thursday, 12.00-21.00; Friday and Saturday 12.00-22.00; Sunday 12.00-18.00. Closed Monday and Tuesday. See website for screening times. Until 25 January.
tiff.net
ART: ROME
Giorgio Griffa: Dance of the Neurons
Turin-based abstract-painter Giorgio Griffa’s new collection of acrylic-on-linen and watercolour-on-paper pieces at Galleria Lorcan O’Neill in Rome revolves around the golden ratio: a mathematical rule that supposedly embodies perfect order. However, despite scribbling down numbers on many of the paintings, Griffa seems to have chosen to disregard the rule and instead the digits dance around the page in any number of pretty shapes, colours and sizes. Quite how hard Griffa may have actually thought about the golden ratio is debatable but it’s a noble concept and one that our tiny brains currently don’t have the smarts, time or resources to challenge – looking at pictures is easier.
Galleria Lorcan O’Neill, 3 Vicolo Dei Catinari. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 11.00-19.00. Until 20 December.
lorcanoneill.com
ART: HONG KONG
Cui Xinming: Journey to the East
On show now at Edouard Malingue Gallery in Hong Kong is Journey to the East, a new body of work by emerging Chinese artist Cui Xinming. The exhibition comprised of large-scale oil-on-canvas paintings is an attempt to depict the thoughts and reflections of China’s younger generation. Through his elaborate and arresting works, Cui seeks to provide a socio-economic commentary on pervasive problems that he is sensitive to including a growing break with tradition throughout the country. Although Cui’s works carry the weight of heavy themes, there is also an energetic theatricality to these images that hints at the untapped potential of a bold new generation in China.
Edouard Malingue Gallery, 1/F, 8 Queen's Road, Central. Open Monday to Saturday, 10.00-19.00. Until 15 November.
edouardmalingue.com
ART: NEW YORK
Dan Baldwin: The End of Innocence
British artist Dan Baldwin juxtaposes childlike and strangely sinister imagery in his collage-esque output that ranges from paintings to ceramics – currently on show at a pop-up space on West 14th Street in New York. The chaotic throwing together of seemingly mismatched components in his pieces pays homage to the vanitas (meaning “vanity”) tradition of still-life painting that rose to prominence in the Netherlands in the 16th and 17th centuries. The style confronted viewers with the transient, disposable nature of objects collected throughout a life. Baldwin presents artefacts from his own life for analysis – with pieces such as a bronze sculpture of a young girl being adorned by a dress once belonging to the artist’s wife.
446 West 14th Street. Open Monday to Sunday, 10.30-18.30. Until 2 November.
pmmartprojects.com
MUSIC: GLOBAL
Ultimate Painting: Ultimate Painting
London duo Ultimate Painting are a “super” group of sorts made up of James Hoare from melodic janglers Veronica Falls and Jack Cooper of increasingly experimental (but, yes, consistently jangly) trio Mazes. But don’t let the “super” (or “ultimate”) element put you off – Ultimate Painting’s self-titled debut is a miraculously restrained and delicate thing. This compact collection summons the intimate stylings of mid-period Velvet Underground, a little bit of Big Star’s slacker pop and the elusively indefinable thud of warmth found lurking in the background of old analogue recordings. Somehow that sound shuffles out to centre stage here and ends up defining this record – a faded favourite, a winter warmer – from a super group.
‘Ultimate Painting’ is out now.
ultimatepainting.tumblr.com
