EXPLORE VIEWS February 2007
Out and about The latest views from bmi destinations including Edinburgh, Riyadh, Amsterdam and Las Vegas. Plus romantic ideas for Valentine’s Day
For art’s sake
“WE DON’T HAVE anything to say, except with our pictures,” proclaimed Gilbert Proesch, one half of the besuited artistic duo Gilbert & George. So listen up, as the first major retrospective of these controversial artists’ works opens at London’s Tate Modern, 15 February – 7 May (www.tate.org.uk). The show’s curator, Jan Debbaut, says that the exhibition is “long overdue”, but Gilbert reflects that “everybody used to say: ‘Gilbert and George – very interesting, but will it last?’”. This is the biggest show the Tate Modern has ever dedicated to a “single” artist. The two work together as one, and they have over 200 pictures spanning a career of 35 years. Love ’em or hate ’em, they will certainly give you something to talk about.
For those who prefer something a bit more conventional, Chicago or Venice is the place to be.
At the Art Institute of Chicago is Cézanne to Picasso: Ambroise Vollard, Patron of the Avant-Garde, 17 February – 13 May (www.artic.edu). Vollard launched the artistic careers of many of the world’s favourite 19th-century artists as this spectacular collection testifies. Meanwhile, Picasso brings his own joie de vivre to Venice with an exhibition of his post-war-years’ work. Until 11 March in the spectacular Palazzo Grassi (www.palazzograssi.it).
CARTOON MAGIC
BELGIUM IS HOME
to some of the most famous cartoon characters in the world, including the intrepid reporter Tintin and his loyal hound Snowy, and those blue creatures that so captivated the hearts and minds of children and adults, the Smurfs. This art form is considered to be one of the country’s finest legacies and is a great inspiration for artists today. You can see the next generation in action at the Brussels Animation and Cartoon Festival, 16-25 February (www.folioscope. awn.com). From traditional penand-ink drawings to the latest designs from high-tech storyboards, this is a must – not only for the cartoon buff, but for the art lover as well.
NUMBER CRUNCHER 99th
EDITION OF THE Chicago Auto Show, the largest one in North America (www..chicagoautoshow.com), 9-18 February. From Fords to Aston Martins, new designs to classic collectors’ cars, this is a car lover’s heaven.
Night rider
TWO-WHEELED ADVENTURES IN THE DARK
IF YOU GO into the woods today in the Tweed Valley, outside Edinburgh, you are sure of a well-lit and fast-moving surprise. No longer content with racing down tracks through the trees in dull old daylight, mountain bike riders can meet at the Hub in the Forest Café in Glentress Forest for an energy bar before pedalling off into the pines after dark.
Using powerful headlights attached to the handlebars, enthusiasts can race down some of Europe’s most exhilarating mountain bike tracks. The wooden ramps of Ewok Village are up to
1.8m off the ground and Spooky Wood has berms (ramped corners) and jumps. But be warned; getting muddy and shouting excitable gibberish can be a pleasant side-effect.
“It’s like getting back in touch with your childhood,” says Emma Guy, an ex-downhill mountain bike champion who knows the thrill first-hand. Voted best UK mountain bike centre in 2004 by Singletrack magazine, Glentress attracts over 1,000 bikers a week. Their monthly themed night rides include bike guides in kilts, a piper or an invigorating alternative on Valentine’s night.
Glentress is part of the 7stanes project, with seven unique mountain bike venues across Scotland. Guided night rides are from approximately 7pm to 9pm and cost £25 per person including uplifts, lights and dinner. www.7stanes.gov.uk; www.thehubintheforest.co.uk
Off the cuff
VIBRANT COLOURS AND psychedelic designs are usually the domain of fashion types rather than a traditional English men’s accessories label. But that is precisely what the Duchamp house is bravely forging ahead with. Launched by Mitchell Jacobs after he discovered a cache of vintage cufflinks, the new man at the helm, Marc Psarolis, has just opened a flagship store in London’s Regent Street. Interior design agency Four IV have made the boutique a man’s boudoir with leather-clad panels and black glass – ideal for Duchamp’s stylish following (which numbers Sir Bob Geldof). www.duchamplondon.com
Super Ted
YOU’RE NEVER TOO OLD TO ENJOY A TEDDY BEARS’ PICNIC
WHEN US PRESIDENT Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt spared a bear on a hunting trip in November 1902, little did he know it would be the inspiration for one the most popular children’s toys of all time. “Teddy’s Bear” was made to honour Roosevelt’s actions in 1903 and over 100 years later “Teddy Girl”, a cinnamon Steiff teddy bear, was sold for £110,000 at Christie’s in London.
“There is no antique quite so huggable as the teddy bear,” says Daniel Agnew, a specialist in Christie’s Teddy Bear Department, which holds auctions twice a year. The popularity of our cuddly friends has soared in the last 10 years and they are no longer confined to the nursery, but displayed proudly around the home.
The teddy bear can found on various picnics across London this month, so join him at The Winter Bearfest on the 25 February (www.hugglets.co.uk) or at the newly refurbished Museum of Childhood (www.vam.ac.uk/moc/), which is home to many old favourites.
