The Mechanical Animal Corporation

Review by Regina Papachlimitzou The Mechanical Animal Corporation, a new Bristol-based theatre company dedicated to creating site-responsive theatre, have chosen an abandoned warehouse in the…

The Subversive Force of Images

Review by David Gunn, Director of www.theincidental.com “I didn’t want to be involved with the currency of images in any way … I was interested…

Rosemarie Trockel’s New Modes of Operation @ Talbot Rice, Edinburgh

Review by Colin Herd At the heart of this extensive survey of Rosemarie Trockel’s works on paper is a corner-wall of the central gallery devoted…

Kiki Smith on Nancy Spero – opening at The Serpentine, London in March

Opening on 3 March, The Serpentine Gallery presents the first major exhibition of Nancy Spero’s work since her death in 2009. Nancy Spero (1926–2009) was…

Technologically Augmented Theatre @ Tenderpixel

Preview by Bethany Rex Scapes opens next week at Tenderpixel in London. A new project part commissioned by Tenderpixel, Scapes is a new installation by…

Leap Year

Leap Year delivers an emotional and graphic examination of loneliness through the listless life of journalist Laura.

Bella

Bella is a beautifully shot film, and has a narrative that viewers will relate to, easy to watch because of its deep exploration of personal choice.

Slingshot

Slingshot follows a group of petty criminals or “tiradors” (in local slang), in a slum neighbourhood in Manila.

Catfish

By turns sinister and tragic, Catfish makes use of the various social mediums and communications that replace face-to-face contact in the modern world.

Open House

When Alice is imprisoned in her own house by the psychotic David, it isn’t long before David develops a misguided relationship with his prisoner.

I’m Still Here

I’m Still Here is the directorial debut of Oscar-nominated actor Casey Affleck, a bizarre portrayal of a year in the life of acclaimed actor Joaquin Phoenix.

Birds Eye View

Birds Eye View’s Rachel Millward talks about how their popular film festival applauds the creativity and brilliance of women in film.

Patagonia

Marc Evans’ latest film, Patagonia, looks at the idea of homeland, history and belonging through a parallel narrative.

Simon Oldfield

Simon Oldfield is the director of Simon Oldfield Gallery. Over the past few years he has established the gallery as one of London’s most exciting new spaces. Aesthetica speaks to the gallerist.

The Epstein

Oxford five-piece The Epstein’s, debut I Held You Once is a mesmerising mix of warm American West Coast-style folk rock, with a spectral cinematic sound.

Music Packaging

Plastic jewel case? Boring. Although it’s been part of the scene for years, indie artists are waking up to the potential of unique album packaging.

Dustin O’Halloran

Lumiere is a departure from O’Halloran’s previous work, adding strings and subtle electronics to his piano work and using ensembles to develop a deeper texture.

Telekinesis

Telekinesis is Michael Benjamin Lerner, coupled with guitarist Chris Walla. 12 Desperate Straight Lines follows up their debut album, Telekinesis!

Esben and the Witch

Taking their name from a Dutch folk story, Brighton trio Ebsen and the Witch has been building an almost spectral image of themselves since releasing 33 in 2009.

Daniel Martin Moore

Daniel Martin Moore’s In The Cool of the Day is quiet and subtle. Encompassing serene vocals with emotive piano, it’s an album that grows on you.

Joan As Policewoman

Listening to Joan Wasser’s (aka Joan as Police Woman) voice it is hard not to be enchanted by her sheer effusion.

Wild Palms

What’s immediately striking from the first belt of Lou Hills’ soaring vocals is the rising momentum in this album.

Improvised Theatre

Improvisational theatre and performance has experienced widespread popularity on TV and radio, but to what extent do props and visuals inform performance?

Elaine di Rollo

Elaine di Rollo is the author of Bleakly Hall. Set at a hydropathic in post-WWI Britain, we see values change, and meet characters dealing with war’s aftermath.

Metafiction with a 21st Century Twist

In The Afterparty, Leo Benedictus combines reality and fiction to present a funny, but ultimately moving account of the ups and downs of being a celebrity.

Hella Jongerius: Misfit

Hella Jongerius explores the boundaries between design, craft, art and technology in an eclectic practice that combines traditional and contemporary influences.

Robert Rauschenberg

Robert Rauschenberg is one of the most influential post-war American artists, and this chronology offers a record of the artist’s oeuvre spanning nearly 60 years.

The Tote Bag

As tote bags have progressed from basic canvas to a myriad of designs and messages, they have ultimately become an extension of the carrier’s wardrobe.

A Surrey State of Affairs

Ceri Radford is the author of a popular Telegraph character blog, which helped to inform her debut featuring quintessential Home Counties wife, mother and village bell-ringer, Constance Harding.

The Lake of Dreams

The Lake of Dreams is a delicate exploration of family dynamics. Lucy Jarrett returns home after many years absence to a changed place.

Great House

Great House is from the author of The History of Love; incorporating the same disconnected threads of narrative and combining to forge connections between seemingly different lives.

Beyond the Visual: The New Role of Noise

Haroon Mirza challenges the boundaries of sound, noise, music and art in one of his latest offerings which opened in February 2011 at Lisson Gallery.

Two Emerging Photographers You Should Know

Isa Silva and Lottie Davies are two very different emerging female photographers, each demonstrating both concept and aesthetics, drawing a surprising parallel.

The Collective Conscience

The artist who needs no introduction takes over London with a massive retrospective at Tate Modern and new works at the Timothy Taylor Gallery.

Redefining Visual Culture

In recent years, photography has become the most accessible and affordable art form. With this in mind, photographers must drive the medium forward.

Just an observation? Review – Duchy Gallery, Glasgow

Review by Alistair Q As you come off High Street and enter the beginnings of the bedraggled East End, across from a noisy new construction…

Gareth Cadwallader’s Tangible Reality

Review by Paul Hardman Window Paintings: Gareth Cadwallader The new Gareth Cadwallader exhibition at the Hannah Barry Gallery, Peckham gathers much of its resonance not…

Review: Gerard Byrne at MK Gallery

Review by Nicola Mann Case Study: Loch Ness (Some possibilities and problems), 2001-2011. Gerard Byrne grew up in Dublin in the 1970s. It was a…

Northern Art Prize- It’s not the winning…

Review by Bethany Rex The Northern Art Prize celebrates and rewards contemporary visual artists based in the North of England. Now in its 4th year…

London Art Fair 2011 – The Round-Up

Review by Bethany Rex Presenting over 100 galleries and featuring some exceptional contemporary work from leading figures and emerging talent, this year’s London Art Fair…

Filmmaker Series – Part 3 Q&A with Shaun Hughes

We continue our Q&A with the Aesthetica Short Film Competition winners with some insights from filmmaker Shaun Hughes. Shaun’s film, Mother, is an intense and…

Review: What Next For The Body at Arnolfini, Bristol

Review by Regina Papachlimitzou Unon entering What Next For The Body, you are greeted by a warm and comfy lounge, complete with inviting brocade sofa…

Review: Uamh/Cave – Gill Russell at the Royal Scottish Academy

Review by Colin Herd Every year, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the centre for Gaelic language and culture on the Isle of Skye, hosts an artist residency…

Review: Marcel Dinahet at Domobaal, London

Review by Emma Cummins In a world saturated with images; with photographs, films, videos and video art; Marcel Dinahet’s work is a welcome reprieve. Now…

Visual and Performance Art for All

Q&A with Alice Lobb, Gallery Programmer at artsdepot. Artsdepot an exciting and vibrant arts venue in North London, committed to providing a diverse range of…

Journey through the Afterlife: Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead at the British Museum

Review by Robert J. Wallis & Tiffany Jow Dr Robert J. Wallis is Professor of Visual Culture and Director of the MA in Art History…

Review DAVID MALJKOVIC at Sprüth Magers, London

Review by Charles Danby From Grafton Street there was little to see. The large glazed exterior of London’s Sprüth Magers offered a near empty room…

Nam June Paik at Tate Liverpool and FACT

Review by Kenn Taylor As we move into the second decade of the 21st century, it appears as if “media art” is finally being accepted…

Consumerism & Desire at Sullivan+Strumpf Fine Art, Sydney

Review by Isabella Andronos Sherrie Knipe’s work in Bootiful, at Sullivan+Strumpf Fine Art in Sydney explores the tensions between consumerism and desire. Knipe has created…

Camera-less Photography at Ingleby Gallery, Edinburgh

Review by Colin Herd As processes go, few are more mysterious and fascinating than the seemingly paradoxical art of camera-less photography. With its roots in…