Culture

Culture

Steve McCurry: Four Decades of Conflict and Hope

The Legendary Photojournalist Behind “Afghan Girl” Reflects on War, Compassion and the Future of Humanity

Humans possess an extraordinary range: the capacity for cruelty, yes, but also compassion, courage and deep devotion. For over four decades, Steve McCurry has captured the full spectrum of this experience through his lens. One of the most celebrated photojournalists of our time, McCurry's images have borne witness to the best and worst of what we are. In an age of deepfakes, disinformation and digital excess, McCurry stands apart as one who has seen the truth with his own eyes. His work has taken him across continents and through conflict zones, capturing moments of quiet dignity and seismic suffering. Now in his seventies, McCurry remains as driven as ever by the instinct that first drew him to photography: "From an early age I wanted to travel, and it seemed to me that photography would allow me to do so freely." Born in Philadelphia, McCurry studied cinematography and filmmaking at Penn State in the early 1970s. It was a class in still photography that changed everything. "I found photography simpler and more immediate, more spontaneous," he says. "I always loved art, I always loved...

Culture

Shorelines in Motion: Charles March’s “Sandscript” at Hamiltons

An Elegant Meditation on Light, Tide and Transience

In the newly unveiled body of work entitled Sandscript, the photographer-artist Charles March (better known in aristocratic circles as the Duke of Richmond) invites us to observe what normally goes unnoticed: the ephemeral marks left by wind, wave and seagrass on the sand. His fine-tuned eye turns these transient inscriptions into understated, almost calligraphic, visual […]

Culture

Reveries: Marco Sanges Returns to Film at Robertaebasta

Analogue Surrealism in a Dreamlike World

Marco Sanges, the Rome-born photographer now based in London, brings his latest exhibition Reveries to the elegant surrounds of Robertaebasta’s Pimlico Road gallery on 20th November, marking a significant homecoming for an artist who has spent his career straddling the line between fashion and fine art, between the digital and the resolutely analogue. For those […]

Culture

Cecil Beaton’s Fashionable World

The National Portrait Gallery Honours the British Pioneering Fashion Photographer

The National Portrait Gallery has a long and distinguished history with Cecil Beaton. In 1968, it showcased its first dedicated photography exhibition of Beaton’s work, made in collaboration with the photographer himself. It was also the first solo survey accorded to any living photographer in any national museum in Britain. Cecil Beaton’s Fashionable World, which recently opened at the gallery, is the first exhibition to explore Beaton’s pioneering contributions to fashion photography.

Cecil Beaton needs little introduction. His unique approach to fashion photography was the core of his illustrious career and laid the foundation for his later successes. His signature artistic style married Edwardian stage glamour with the elegance of a new age, revolutionising fashion photography and leading him to the pinnacles of creative achievement.

Known as the ‘King of Vogue’ and photographer to the stars, high society and royalty, this exhibition takes you on a fashion journey from London to Paris and New York. It features portraits of iconic 20th-century figures including Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Marlon Brando, Edith Sitwell, Salvador Dali, Lucien Freud and the royals, Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret.

Elizabeth Taylor ins Cecil Beaton's Fashionable World exhibition

Left: Elizabeth Taylor (actress Elizabeth Taylor at the Dorchester Hotel, London), 1955. © The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive, London.
Middle: Self-Portrait, c.1935, Gelatin silver print. @ The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive, London.
Right: Venus Unmasked (Marilyn Monroe at the Ambassador Hotel, New York), 1956. © National Portrait Gallery, London

Beaton was almost entirely self-taught. He established a singular photographic style combining Edwardian stage portraiture, emerging European surrealism and the modernist approach of great American photographers, all filtered through a determinedly English sensibility. He was also a talented fashion illustrator, Oscar-winning costume designer (winning two Academy Awards in 1964 for My Fair Lady), social caricaturist and perceptive writer.

However, his first love was designing for the stage. Beaton was an extraordinary force in 20th-century British and American creative scenes, elevating fashion and portrait photography to an art form with his era-defining photographs capturing beauty, glamour and star power in the interwar and early post-war years.

Curated by photographic historian and Contributing Editor to Vogue, Robin Muir, the show charts Beaton’s meteoric rise and distinguished legacy. With around 250 items on display, including photographs, letters, sketches and costumes, the exhibition showcases his work at its most triumphant.

Nina de Voe - Cecil Beaton's Fashionable World

Cecil Beaton's Fashionable World show at National Portrait Gallery

Left: Best Invitation of the Season (Nina De Voe in Ballgown by Balmain), 1951. © The Conde Nast Archive, New York.
Middle: The Second Age of Beauty is Glamour (suit by Hartnell), 1946. © The Conde Nast Archive, London.
Right: Worldly Colour (Charles James evening dresses), 1948. © The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive, London.

The exhibition charts his career from its inception as an Edwardian child experimenting with his first camera on his earliest subjects (his mother and sister c.1910), through his years of invention and creativity as a Cambridge University student, to his first images of high society patrons. It continues through 1920s and 1930s London, the era of ‘Bright Young Things’ and his first commissions for Vogue, and his travels to New York and Paris in the Jazz Age. Drawn to Hollywood’s glamour, he photographed the legends of its Golden Age.

To celebrate the exhibition, the National Portrait Gallery has collaborated with artists and designers Luke Edward Hall, Amelia Graham and Harriet Anstruther to release exclusive merchandise inspired by Beaton’s career. A coffee table book of the exhibition by Robin Muir is also available.

Cecil Beaton’s Fashionable World
National Portrait Gallery
9th October 2025 – 11th January 2026
More information and tickets, HERE.

Author: Linda Hunting

Culture

Indira Varma

Female Empowerment is Sexy

Since graduating at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 1995, Olivier Award winner Indira Varma hasn’t stopped working, be that in theatre, television or film. Outspoken and passionate, in this interview with Julia Pasarón, she speaks about her most recent projects and next releases, which include shows as diverse as Coldwater, The Capture, The Other Bennet Sister and the new season of The Night Manager.

Born in Bath to an Indian father and Swiss mother, Indira felt attracted to acting from a very early age; she loved dressing up and telling stories. With her mixed heritage, she felt intrigued by the different ways of expressing oneself, of being ‘other’. Acting offered a way to explore these concerns and RADA became the vehicle to get there. At the academy, she learnt to believe she could do anything – a belief she very much still holds. “I’ve always felt that everybody should go to drama school, because you learn a lot about who you are as a person, and that kind of empowers you.”

By her own admittance, her real passion is theatre – a passion rewarded with an Olivier award in 2020. However, international recognition came with the controversial 1996 film by Mira Nair, Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love. For Indira, it was “a baptism of fire. I was very young and naïve. I got very angry. I didn’t want to conform to the beauty standard they wanted and I didn’t want to be typecast, which happened for a while after the film.” It was a tough experience but as she says, “also formative”. Still, she feels a deep admiration for the director Mira Nair. “She has done stunning films, prior and post Kama Sutra. And she has been at the forefront of filmmaking for decades. As a woman of colour, that is quite incredible.”

Indira Varma photographed by David Reiss

She went back to theatre, which she prefers to film as it gives actors “much more autonomy. Theatre is the best place to practise your craft.” As the strong woman she is, Indira pushed through and steadily started to get interesting jobs on television and film, in roles that were not associated with how she looks.

For three decades, Indira has worked untiringly and, if her current shows and line-up of releases are any indication, she has no intention to slow down. In the first quarter of 2025, she played Jocasta in Oedipus at the Old Vic opposite Oscar-winner Rami Malek. Her performance was praised by critics across the board, described as powerful and captivating. It earned her an Olivier nomination for Best Actress.

On television, Indira was just recently seen in the unsettling ITV thriller Coldwater, in which a middle-class man, John (played by Andrew Lincoln) and wife Fiona (Varma) move to Scotland after a violent episode in London only to get involved with a dangerous neighbour, Tommy (Ewen Bremmer) married to a rather unusual vicar (Eve Myles).

Writer David Ireland explores trust turning toxic and the complex dynamics of long-term marriage. Jon is the weak character in the show, whose weaknesses are at the root of all the trouble that unravels. Fiona is a strong and determined woman who ultimately gets them out of the entanglement. “I think it’s interesting how David wrote Jon’s character,” Indira comments. “It is a different take on masculinity and on how insecure men can be.”

Indira is warm and makes you feel instantly at ease when talking to her. At the same time, she exudes confidence and power. Usually cast to play very strong women, she thinks this may be due to “the energy you give off”.

“When I was starting in the business, I was often told that I didn’t have enough vulnerability, which was very upsetting,” she shares. “Of course I am a vulnerable person.” Reflecting Indira adds, “Maybe this happened because television and film at the time were dominated by men, who wrote stories where the female characters were skinny, small and either victims or man-dependent.” At 5’8”, with her long neck and commanding presence, Indira has a statuesque elegance that could be perceived by men as verging on intimidating. “The truth is that there are many petite feisty women, but the stereotype is still there,” she adds.

Not that she is complaining. She gets to play really interesting women, such as Khadija Khan in the disturbing BBC show, The Capture, alongside Holiday Grainger, Lia Williams and Ben Miles. Khadija is a sharp, formidable BBC Newsnight presenter and journalist who becomes a key figure in uncovering the truth within the shadowy world of misinformation and surveillance central to the show.

[…]

Read much more about Indira Varma, her forthcoming projects and her opinions on female empowerment, wars, racism, identity, and breaking industry stereotypes in the winter issue of I-M Inquisitive Minds, now available to pre-order at an early bird price, HERE.

Photographer: David Reiss
Stylist: Natalie Brewster
Makeup: Nohelia Reyes
Hair: Paul Donovan
Indira is wearing a GALVAN Leather funnel neck jacket.

Culture

Michael F. Rumsby

An Artist’s Life in Colour

Michael Rumsby is an artist whose history, philosophy and creativity are inextricably linked. I had the pleasure of interviewing Michael, staying at his home and studio in Southwest France, and writing about his work in the winter 2024 issue of I-M Inquisitive Minds. One year on, and it is truly amazing to witness the growth and professional recognition his work continues to bring. His latest project, a stunning coffee table book, A Life in Colour, published by Clarendon Fine Art, delivers nothing less.

Lavishly produced in rich visual detail and developed by two creatives from Clarendon, Kath Halford and Laura Acton, alongside Michael, it brings together personal and professional photography, reflective narrative and showcases his life, inspiration and creative journey.

At its heart, the book unveils Michael’s always-present curiosity with life and his sense of identity and belonging. It is a deeply personal tale, and through its carefully constructed chapters with titles such as ‘Pushing Back’ and ‘A Sense of Adventure’, the reader gets a true sense of how art has long been Michael’s way of making sense of the world and his place within it. He says about it, “I threw myself into my painting, which ultimately saved me”.

“I threw myself into my painting, which ultimately saved me”.
– Michael F. Rumsby

The creatively displayed pages show the beauty and tranquillity that he finds in his daily life. Michael’s knack is to store these visual images in his memory for later use in the studio. His extensive travels – where he has also gathered many inspirations from the fresh colours and varying light conditions are also evident throughout the pages. Michael loves colour, filtered through memory and imagination until it becomes something altogether more magical and symbolic. His constant exploration of the world around us, portrayed in the book, is described as his “artistic life source”.

Having spent time with Michael (and his husband, Lee) and getting to know him, and as a great admirer of his work, I truly appreciate how beautifully this book offers an insight into a rich, fully lived life and the story behind it all. Helpfully set out like a diary of his personal and creative journeys, it explores the depth and nuance of his work. Layered, expressive, rich with colour and light, his paintings are vessels of memory, experience and emotion; the art of a life well lived.

Pages from A Life in Colour, by Michael F. Rumsby, showing one of the artist’s main sources of inspiration, nature (left); and one of his finished paintings, Sway (2020), which has never been part of a gallery show (right).

My signed copy now has pride of place in my sitting room, and it will be through its pages that I will continue to bask in Michael’s wonderful use of colour, his intuitive approach to objects and the beauty that he sees in the world, and the uplifting feeling it bestows when you look at it.

Congratulations, Michael and Clarendon.

Michael F. Rumsby is represented by Clarendon Fine Art. Based in Saussignac, France, Le 1500, his work is highly textured using a vibrant array of mixed media, including acrylic, oil, pencil, charcoal, pastels and ink, composed of multiple layers and expressive brushwork.

Author: Linda Hunting

All images courtesy of the artist and Clarendon Fine Art.
Lead image: I-M Magazine’s own design from images provided by Clarendon Fine Art.
Portrait of Michael F. Rumsby (b/w) © Julia Liebisch.

Culture

Radical Harmony: Helene Kröller-Müller’s Neo-Impressionists

Seurat and his circle bring a riot of colour and light to the National Gallery

When Georges Seurat first exhibited his iconic Neo-Impressionist masterpiece A Sunday on La Grande Jatte in 1886, the artist was met with a storm of criticism. Reviewer Joris-Karl Huysmans fumed: “Strip his figures of the coloured fleas that cover them, and underneath there is nothing, no thought, no soul, nothing.”

Seurat’s pointillist technique – painting regular dots of pure colour – was so radical that critics believed it marked the death of painting itself. They argued that this scientific method eliminated the expressive individuality of the artist’s brushstroke. Even Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir refused to exhibit alongside him.

Yet history has proved Seurat right. Today, his works are hailed as masterpieces, and his legacy shines in Radical Harmony: Helene Kröller-Müller’s Neo-Impressionists, a captivating new exhibition at London’s National Gallery.

The first National Gallery show devoted to Neo-Impressionism, it features a rare highlight: Seurat’s celebrated Le Chahut (1889–90), on display in the UK for the first time.

Left: Georges Seurat, Le Chahut (1889-1890). Right: Théo van Rysselberghe, Woman Reading (1900).
Both Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, The Netherlands. Collection Kröller-Müller Museum. Photographer: Rik Klein Gotink.

Drawn largely from the outstanding collection of German art patron Helene Kröller-Müller (1869–1939), the exhibition showcases revolutionary works by French, Belgian and Dutch artists active between 1886 and the early 20th century. Among them are Anna Boch (1848–1936), Jan Toorop (1858–1928), Théo van Rysselberghe (1862–1926), Paul Signac (1863–1935) and Seurat himself (1859–1891).

The paintings on view were radical not only in their technique but also in their political philosophy. The Neo-Impressionists rebelled against the mechanisation of the industrial age, seeking to reimagine society by portraying the dignity and struggles of the working class. Their aim was to create art that transcended realism – capturing the very essence of existence through harmony of colour, light and geometry.

Visitors will likely leave Radical Harmony deeply moved, contemplating the truth of Seurat’s enduring belief that “colour is not just pigment on a canvas, but emotions made visible.”

Radical Harmony: Helen Kröller-Müller’s Neo-Impressionists
13 September 2025 – 8 February 2026
The National Gallery
Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN
More information and tickets, HERE.

Author: James Rampton

Lead image: Georges Lemmen, Factories on the Thames (c. 1892). Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, The Netherlands.
© Collection Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, The Netherlands. Photographer: Rik Klein Gotink.

Culture

The David Bowie Centre – V&A East Storehouse

The Starman Who Transformed the Face of Art

As we approach the 10th anniversary of David Bowie’s death in January, 2026 his power as an artist endures. He is, if anything, more popular and influential today than he was when he was alive. So the time chosen to open the eagerly awaited David Bowie Centre at the V&A East Storehouse in Stratford last month couldn’t have been better chosen. As “Life on Mars?” would have it, he’s in the best-selling show.

This highly significant new permanent collection houses an astonishing 90,000 pieces from Bowie’s personal archive which he collated meticulously over several decades. The collection features myriad extraordinary items. For instance, you can see: the one-legged, knitted jumpsuit designed by Kansai Yamamoto that Bowie wore on stage during the Ziggy Stardust period; the hand-written lyrics for Win from the Young Americans album; and the Freddie Burretti suit Bowie sported in the “Life on Mars?” video.

A really exciting aspect of the David Bowie Centre is that fans can pick five artefacts from the vast archive that they wish to see when they visit. The most requested item is the frockcoat designed by Alexander McQueen and Bowie for his 50th Birthday Concert in 1997.

Left: David Bowie performing as Ziggy Stardust in 1973 wearing the asymmetric catsuit designed by Kansai Yamamoto. © Mick Rock.
Middle: Lyrics for “Win” from the album Young Americans. Written by David Bowie in 1974. Image courtesy of the V&A.
Right: Replica of the “Tokyo Pop” jumpsuit made by Kansai Yamamoto and worn by David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust. Image courtesy of the V&A.

Bowie still exerts a remarkable hold on our culture. He has inspired everyone from Madonna, Radiohead, Spandau Ballet, Nirvana, Prince and Talking Heads to The Cure, Lady Gaga, Charli XCX, Janelle Monae, and Kendrick Lamar.

As Dr Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A, puts it: “One of the greatest performers, musicians, artists and innovators of all time, David Bowie’s impact continues to reverberate nearly a decade after his death – while his influence on design and visual culture and his inspiration on creatives today is unmatched.”

The David Bowie Centre is a spellbinding reminder that art was not merely his day job; it was his entire existence. It infused his every waking minute and shaped every decision he made.

David Bowie’s whole life was a work of art.

The David Bowie Centre
V&A East Storehouse,
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park,
London E20 3AX
Secure your tickets, HERE.

Author: James Rampton

Lead image: David Bowie at a recording studio in 1973. © Mick Rock.

Culture

Echoes Through Time

Hotel Eden Rome and Galleria Russo present a year-long exploration of art and identity

Since it first opened its doors in 1889, Hotel Eden Rome has been synonymous with elegance and sophistication, but this autumn it becomes something more than a luxury retreat. In collaboration with the historic Galleria Russo, the Dorchester Collection property has launched Echoes Through Time, a cultural initiative that turns the hotel into an immersive exhibition space. Guests are invited to wander from La Libreria to the Sala Borghese and up to the sixth floor, encountering artworks that explore memory, identity and the passage of time.

The programme opens with the Milanese artist Manuel Felisi, whose practice is rooted in layering. He combines engraved decorative patterns, vintage fabrics, rubbery pigments and solarised photographic silhouettes to create canvases that feel both delicate and complex. Pieces such as Vertigine (2017, 2020, 2024), Lupo (2025) and Alberi (2025) illustrate his fascination with the cycles of life, producing images that invite viewers to reflect on the fragile equilibrium between permanence and change. Felisi’s work will remain on display until 20th November, setting the tone for the year-long cycle.

Manuel Felisi, Leone (2020), part of the Echoes Through Time exhibition, Hotel Eden Rome.

Manuel Felisi, Leone (2020), Mixed media on wood, 220 × 330 cm.

From spring 2026, the spotlight shifts to Giorgio Tentolini, an artist celebrated for ethereal constructions in tulle, mesh and PVC. His portraits and figures seem to hover in space, their ghostly presence suggesting the ephemeral nature of memory. Having represented Cameroon at the Venice Biennale last year with a project exploring the origins of humanity, Tentolini brings an international perspective to the programme. His works will transform the hotel’s interiors into luminous meditations on identity and time.

Summer belongs to Chiara Sorgato, one of the most interesting voices in Italian contemporary art. Drawing on science, anthropology and a strong social awareness, she creates paintings that confront the realities of modern society. Women often occupy a central role in her work, which seeks to expose overlooked narratives while questioning the structures that shape our present. Her contribution to Echoes Through Time will ground the exhibition in the concerns of today, counterbalancing the more poetic or metaphysical approaches of her peers.

Giorgio Tentoline - Echoes Through Time - Hotel Eden Rome

Left: Giorgio Tentolini, who has built his artistic research on the extrapolation of photographic images reworked through unconventional media, such a s wire mesh, Plexiglas or paper.
Right: Chiara Sorgato depicts a dreamlike world, where the true protagonist is colour, which the artist applies across the entire canvas with boldness and intensity.

The final chapter arrives in winter with Enrico Benetta, known for blending typography and sculpture through his use of the Bodoni font. His large-scale works in Cor-Ten steel embody both strength and elegance, reimagining letters as sculptural forms that endure like monuments. By giving language a material presence, Benetta closes the programme with a reminder that words themselves carry histories, capable of bridging past, present and future.

What distinguishes Echoes Through Time is not simply the quality of the artists but the way Hotel Eden has embraced its role as a cultural venue. As general manager Mirko Cattini observes, this is intended as “a lively dialogue between past and present, and between art and hospitality”. The collaboration with Galleria Russo – a gallery founded in 1898 that once represented Giorgio de Chirico – anchors the project in Rome’s artistic lineage while keeping its gaze firmly on the contemporary.

Enrico Benetta’s work blends different artistic styles into a unified vision. His strong personality and desire to communicate bring together contrasting elements in his art.

In a city where every corner holds traces of centuries gone by, Echoes Through Time feels perfectly at home. It is an exhibition that refuses to remain static, unfolding over four seasons and encouraging guests to return, revisit and re-engage. By weaving art into the daily rhythm of luxury hospitality, Hotel Eden offers not only a memorable stay but also a cultural experience that lingers long after departure.

Find out more, HERE.

Author: Lina Ress

Leading image: collage of Manuel Felisi’s Vertigine, (2024) and facade of the Hotel Eden Rome.

Culture

Mr Blake At Your Service

A Second Chance at Living with John Malkovich and Fanny Ardant

There are films that entertain, and then there are films that quietly restore your faith in the possibility of new beginnings and the intrinsic goodness of human nature. Mr Blake at Your Service belongs firmly in the latter category, offering a tender meditation on grief, hope, and the subtle ways life can surprise us when we least expect it.

John Malkovich delivers what may be one of his most moving and surprising performances as Andrew Blake, a widowed British businessman who abandons his luxurious but emotionally barren life in London to work – by accident – as a butler in the French countryside. It’s a bold career pivot for both character and actor. Malkovich, known for his intensity and often unsettling screen presence, here reveals a gentle vulnerability that feels both surprising and completely authentic. His Blake is a man hollowed out by loss, seeking connection to his deceased French wife through the landscapes and language she once loved.

WATCH THE TRAILER: Mr Blake At Your Service

The genius of director Gilles Legardinier’s adaptation of his own novel lies in how it avoids the obvious pitfalls of such material. This could have easily been a saccharine tale of healing, but instead it’s grounded in genuine human messiness. Malkovich is mesmerising, and both he and Ardant are, of course, a joy to watch. It’s definitely a feel-good film, but a smart well-written feel-good film, as one reviewer aptly noted.

Fanny Ardant brings her characteristic elegance and complexity to the role of the manor’s lady, creating a compelling dynamic with Malkovich’s understated butler. Malkovich brings a droll, understated warmth to the role as a man capable of dry acerbic witticisms substitute with empathetic tenderness. Fanny Ardant, luminous and regal, is a compelling foil, guarded yet gradually revealing her own vulnerabilities.

The supporting characters are brilliant too. The work of Émilie Dequenne as Odile – the initially grumpy housekeeper, Philippe Bas as Magnier – neighbour, and Eugénie Anselin – maid, provides the scaffolding on which both the story and the portrayals of Ardant and Malkovich rest. Even Odile’s cat, Mephisto, adds a touch of mischievous spirit that mirrors the household’s gradual transformation from rigid formality to genuine affection.

From the left, Fanny Ardant, Émilie Dequenne, Philippe Bas and Eugénie Anselin in Mr Blake At Your Service

From the left, Fanny Ardant as Nathalie Beauvillier – Lady of the Manor, Émilie Dequenne – houskeeper Odile, Philippe Bas – neighbour, and Eugénie Anselin – the maid.

What strikes me most about this film is how it embodies the two principles that Legardinier himself highlighted: “It’s never too late” and “Problems are always less weighty when shared.” Blake’s journey isn’t about dramatic transformation but about the small, daily acts of connection that slowly rebuild a life worth living. The French countryside serves as more than mere backdrop –it becomes a character itself, offering both the beauty and stability that Blake’s soul desperately needs.

The film succeeds because it trusts its audience to find meaning in quiet moments. There’s something profoundly comforting about watching Blake navigate the peculiarities of household staff dynamics, slowly learning that purpose can be found in service to others. It’s a reminder that sometimes the most radical act is simply showing up, day after day, for people who need you.

In an era of cynical entertainment, Mr Blake at Your Service offers something increasingly rare: genuine warmth without manipulation, hope without naivety. It’s a film that lingers, quietly insisting that our stories aren’t over until we decide they are.

Author: Julia Pasarón

Mr Blake At Your Service will be in UK Cinemas from 3rd October
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Culture

Theatre Picasso

The Master from a Fresh Perspective

Tate Modern’s latest exhibition, Theatre Picasso attempts to reframe one of the most familiar names of twentieth-century art through the lens of performance. Curated by contemporary artist Wu Tsang and writer and curator Enrique Fuenteblanca, it focuses on Picasso’s fascination with theatre, masquerade, eroticism and spectacle.

Forty-one of the forty-two Picassos from Tate’s own collection are presented alongside significant loans from French museums, spanning painting, sculpture, textiles, drawings and collage. Some are on view in Britain for the first time.

The exhibition design, by Lucie Rebeyrol, is striking, transforming Tate’s fourth-floor galleries into a theatre. Visitors enter through a “backstage” corridor, where sixteen paintings are displayed on a rack, as if waiting to be called, before moving into a shadowed auditorium, complete with proscenium arch, footlights and curtains. Henri-Georges Clouzot’s 1956 documentary The Mystery of Picasso plays on a large screen, placing the artist himself on centre stage. Throughout Theatre Picasso, works are lit like performers: canvases are spotlit against black walls, sculptures appear as if caught in a beam, while a soundscape of flamenco rhythms and archival film clips create an atmosphere closer to installation than conventional display.

Theatre Picasso at Tate Modern transform the exhibition space into a theatre for displaying over 45 works
by Picasso from Tate’s collection, alongside key European loans. © Tate Modern.

The effect is immersive, and yet this bold and atmospheric setting also distracts. shifting the viewer’s attention away from the works themselves. There is no chronology and little historical context; instead the exhibition is divided into thematic sections: “Theatre,” “High and Low Culture,” “The Painter and the Model,” “Animals, War and Violence.” While this framework is ambitious, it frequently results in sparse or strained interpretation. Wall texts offer little more than perfunctory notes, while some contextual claims, such as suggestions about Picasso’s supposed fascination with “nonconforming bodies,” feel overstretched. Even Weeping Woman (1937), one of Tate’s most important canvases, is introduced with only the briefest mention of its sitter, Dora Maar, leaving the painting’s complexity unexamined. Maar’s own artistic achievements, and the turbulent relationship that underpins the painting, are overlooked. The possibility that the work was an attempt to grapple with both personal and political demons is left unexamined.

Pablo Picasso, The Three Dancers 1925
Tate. © Succession Picasso/DACS, London 2025.

Left: Pablo Picasso, Weeping Woman (1937). Tate. © Succession Picasso/DACS, London 2025.
Right: Pablo Picasso, The Three Dancers (1925). Tate. © Succession Picasso/DACS, London 2025.

On the wall, however, the work dazzles. Maar’s face is fractured between profile and frontal view, her attire suggesting festivity while her expression registers catastrophe. The clash of saturated reds, blues, greens and yellows turns grief into something almost unbearable to look at, sorrow rendered in brilliant, jarring colour. Most unsettling is the jagged black void at the bridge of her nose, a wound that transforms the face into a mask of anguish. Picasso’s brushwork heightens the drama: thick strokes pull the eye to particular features; while thinner passages allow the image to recede, making the suffering both vivid and dramatic.

At the heart of Theatre Picasso stands The Three Dancers (1925). A canvas of violent contortions and haunted desire, it appears here more disturbing than ever, its skeletal figures caught between frenzy and collapse. Positioned as a climax, it anchors the exhibition’s themes of desire, jealousy and death with visceral force. Around it, drawings and sculptures echo the motif of metamorphosis, emphasising Picasso’s obsession with bodies in flux.

Despite such high points, the exhibition struggles to sustain its ambition. By flattening Picasso’s career into a handful of thematic categories, it risks glossing over the extraordinary breadth and depth of his achievement. The absence of historical grounding means the political urgency of works like Weeping Woman or Guernica studies is largely muted, their meaning bypassed by the curatorial insistence on performance.

What does come through, despite the distractions, is Picasso’s prodigious energy – the sheer outpouring of creativity, the continual reinvention of form and subject. Seen as a whole, the works testify to an artist whose innovations repeatedly upended the course of modern art. But the scope of the exhibition is too wide, the connections feel forced, and in its determination to stage Picasso as a performer, it fails to engage with Picasso the artist. Theatre Picasso is, in the end, a dramatic production that, while engaging, does not quite deliver.

Author: Louisa Treger

Louisa Treger is the author of The Paris Muse, a fictionalised retelling of the disturbing love story between Picasso and Dora Maar, the ‘Weeping Widow’ of Picasso’s paintings.

THEATRE PICASSO
17th September 2025 –12th April 2026
TATE MODERN
Bankside
London SE1 9TG
More information and tickets HERE.

Culture

Florida Keys Art Trail

Three must-visit cultural experiences

The Florida Keys have evolved into a vibrant cultural destination where tropical beauty meets artistic expression. This autumn, three exceptional art initiatives showcase the region’s thriving creative community, offering visitors and locals alike the perfect opportunity to explore world-class galleries, meet talented artists, and immerse themselves in the Keys’ unique cultural landscape.

WALK ON WHITE – THIRD THURSDAY ART WALK

Walk on White is Key West’s monthly art walk in the vibrant White Street Gallery District, held every third Thursday since 1999 and featuring over 25 local businesses. This beloved community tradition transforms the historic White Street corridor between Southard and United Streets into a bustling cultural hub every month from 6 to 9 p.m.

The popular evening features exhibitions and receptions at galleries and shops, creating an intimate atmosphere where visitors can engage directly with local artists, photographers, sculptors, ceramic artists, and jewellery makers. The event showcases Key West’s mid-town gallery district, which has become a cornerstone of the island’s cultural identity.

What makes Walk on White special is its authentic community feel. Enjoy exhibition opening receptions, open artist studios, creative demonstrations, and complimentary libations while taking in the beautiful island architecture that frames each gallery. The event has grown significantly over its 26-year history, evolving from a simple gallery promotion into a comprehensive cultural celebration that benefits local organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club.

Autumn 2025 dates: 18th September, 16th October, 20th November and 18th December.
More information, HERE.

STUDIOS OF KEY WEST – FIRST THURSDAY OPEN HOUSE

The Studios of Key West represents the epitome of cultural sophistication in the Keys, offering a multi-faceted arts experience that combines visual arts, performance, and education. The Studios of Key West invited art lovers to its first Thursday of the year on the evening of 2nd January, 2025, with four bold and dynamic exhibitions, setting the tone for year-round programming that attracts both emerging and established artists.

Friends new and old are invited to join for each month’s First Thursday Open House event, when lights are kept on late and doors are thrown open to celebrate the gallery’s newest work. The experience extends beyond traditional gallery viewing, featuring the stunning Hugh’s Rooftop terrace where visitors can sip drinks under the stars while overlooking Key West’s historic landscape.

A visitor admires colourful artwork during the Studios of Key West First Thursday gallery opening.

The Studios’ third-floor artist studios offer rare behind-the-scenes access to working artists, while the on-site Books & Books provides literary discovery opportunities. The Studios brings world class artists to Key West and promotes local artists. Offering art classes, concerts, theatre, sunset happy hours, and galleries. This comprehensive approach makes each First Thursday a complete cultural immersion rather than simply an art viewing experience.

Dates: First Thursday Open House runs from February to July. In 2026, the first event will be on 5th February.
More information, HERE.

MORADA WAY ARTS & CULTURAL DISTRICT – THIRD THURSDAY ART WALK

Located in the heart of Islamorada between mile markers 81 and 82, the Morada Way Arts & Cultural District represents the Upper Keys’ premier cultural destination. The Art Walk is every third Thursday of the month. Join us from 6 to 9pm for late night gallery openings, local artists, live music, delectable food, and thirst-quenching libations.

The Morada Way galleries host a selection of artists in various mediums including painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, design and even gyotaku – the Japanese art of fish printing that reflects the Keys’ deep connection to marine life. This unique artistic focus sets Morada Way apart from other art districts, celebrating both traditional fine arts and techniques inspired by the surrounding natural environment.

Art enthusiasts stroll through the Morada Way arts district during a Third Thursday Art Walk event.

The monthly celebration creates a festival-like atmosphere where Keys-inspired fine artists, vendors, residents, and visitors converge for an evening of cultural discovery. The Morada Way ArtWalks are held every month throughout the year, offering attendees live music on three stages, performance artists and, of course, world class original art and hand-crafted jewellery. The integration of multiple performance stages ensures that visual arts are complemented by musical and theatrical presentations, creating a comprehensive cultural experience.

The district’s commitment to supporting arts throughout the Florida Keys makes it not just a local attraction but a regional cultural anchor that draws visitors from across South Florida.

Autumn 2025 dates: 18th September,16th October, 20th November and 18^th December.
More information, HERE.

Planning Your Florida Keys Art Trail Experience

Each of these cultural offerings provides a unique perspective on Keys artistry. Walk on White captures Key West’s bohemian spirit, Studios of Key West offers sophisticated metropolitan culture, and Morada Way celebrates the connection between art and the natural environment. Together, they create a comprehensive cultural trail that showcases why the Florida Keys have become a serious destination for art lovers.

Whether you’re a serious collector, casual art enthusiast, or simply looking for an engaging evening activity, these monthly celebrations offer authentic cultural experiences that reflect the creativity and community spirit that make the Florida Keys truly special.

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