The art of dance at a London exhibition, Luca Guadagnino’s tantalising portrait of repressed desire in ‘Queer’ and more galactic-adventures far, far away in the Star Wars universe – here’s what to see, do and listen to in Europe this week.
Advent calendars have been opened and Christmas lights switched on – there’s no escaping it, we’re in December.
For those fully embracing the festive spirit, there’s the annual Fête des Lumières (Festival of Lights) in Lyon, where 32 haunting and hubristic light installations decorate the city and some of its historical monuments until 8 December.
The European Film Awards also take place this weekend (7 December) in Lucerne, Switzerland, with Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez and Pedro Almodóvar’s Golden Lion-winning The Room Next Door leading nominations. We’ll be on the ground covering the event, so stay tuned for more updates – and in the meantime, check out our predictions for the winners.
If you need a reprieve from all the tinsel and terrible weather, there’s always art. From thinking ahead to the Helsinki Biennial that makes plants its protagonists, to a new exhibition at Rome’s National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art taking visitors back to the Futurism art movement – these are Santa-free spaces.
And if all else fails, there’s always The Architecture for Dogs exhibition at the ADI Design Museum in Milan – how could staring at cool kennels not bring a great sense of relief and/or joy?
In the weekend that will see Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour reach an end and Notre Dame cathedral re-open, let us treat you to some early gifts in the form of handpicked cultural recommendations around the continent.
Exhibitions
EUmies Awards 2024 Photographic Exhibition at the Croatian Museum of Natural History (Zagreb, Croatia)
The EUmies Awards, also known as the Mies van der Rohe Awards (after the famous German-American architect), honour the very best of European architecture. Every two years, they host an exhibition dedicated to Europe’s Best Buildings, with this year’s award going to the Study Pavilion on the Technical University of Braunschweig campus by Gustav Düsing and Max Hacke. 362 projects across 38 countries were nominated for the award in total and can be viewed at this extensive photographic exhibition, providing a fascinating overview of its competing excellence. Open for a short time only until 12 December 2024, it’s a must-see for all architecture enthusiasts.
‘Motion in Stillness: Dance and the Human Body in Movement’ at Victoria Miro’s London gallery (London, UK)
How do you capture human movement in still pieces? For centuries, artists have tried, using the textures of a brushstroke or skittish graphite of a sketch to trap kineticism: a moment in motion that’s both flexible and free, yet still and cradled like a tiny bird in your hands, fluttering its wings.
An exhibition at London’s Victoria Miro Gallery turns its focus to this, showcasing works by a range of artists that have explored dance and bodily movement, their techniques taking the form of choreography. Examples include performance artist Florence Peake, who makes imprints of her own body then draws around it as she moves, and Glasgow-based artist France-Lise McGurn’s infusions of cultural phenomena like music and nightclubs to colour her works with a vibrant bodily metamorphosis. On until 18 January 2025, the exhibition can also be viewed virtually on VR platform Vortic for those unable to attend in person.
Events
‘Fête des Lumières’ (‘Festival of Lights’) (Lyon, France)
One of Lyon’s biggest events, the annual Festival of Lights sees the city embellished in an elaborate display of innovative illuminations. Taking place until 8 December, it’s a tradition that dates all the way back to 1852, when locals displayed candles in coloured glasses on their window sills in celebration of a newly installed statue of the Virgin Mary on the Fourvière Hill. There are over 30 light installations in total, with huge abstract light projections animating historic buildings like the Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste.
Other highlights include a 360-degree video projected reproduction of marine ecosystems called ‘Coral Ghosts’ in the Republic Square, and the return of Les Anooki, two playful glowing Inuits peeking out from behind the trees of Golden Head Park. C’est magique!
Movies
Queer
A mesmerising portrait of heartbreak and hedonism, Luca Guadagnino’s William S. Burroughs adaptation starring Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey encapsulates with tender tactility the unruliness of repressed desire. It was one of our favourite watches at the Venice Film Festival (and will make our ‘Best of 2024’ movies list – stay tuned). Set in 1950, William Lee (Craig) is an American expat living in Mexico City, wandering its streets alone in a crumpled white suit, smoking and drinking in bars. After meeting Eugene Allerton (Starkey), he develops an infatuation that unravels his self-identity, the ghosts of unspoken truths, fears and yearnings reaching for the surface.
Aesthetically beautiful and elevated by a perfectly attuned anachronistic soundtrack and career-best performance from Craig, it’s a cinematic gem that begins its rollout across European big screens this month from 13 December.
Conclave
The sudden death of the Pope leaves the throne of the Holy See vacant – and a whole lot of catty cardinals scheming. It’s basically the closest thing to a ‘Real Housewives of Vatican City’ we’re ever going to get. Poor old Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is put in charge of organising the conclave (assembly of cardinals to elect a new Pope), caught up in an increasingly dark world of petty plotting, lies, rumours and sealed away secrets that threaten to ruin the reputation of the Roman Catholic Church. Bolstered by an incredible cast that includes John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci, and Isabella Rossellini, it’s a fun and pompous papal drama with hints of Mean Girls heightened by Fiennes fantastic ability for theatricalism, which toes the line between high tension and ridiculousness. This film also gave us quite possibly the best new reaction GIF of 2024: Cardinal Tedesco’s vape hit.
Television
Black Doves (Netflix)
Affairs, espionage, swearing and taut trench coats – it’s all there in Netflix’s new spy series ‘Black Doves’, starring Keira Knightley as Helen Webb, wife to a prodigious politician (but also an undercover member of the slippery ‘Black Doves’ who trade top secret state information). Webb’s precarious personal and professional lives come to a head when her affair partner Jason (Andrew Koji) is assassinated by a dark underworld of London criminals, leading no-nonsense spymaster Reed (Sarah Lancashire) to send in Sam (Ben Whishaw) for protective assistance. It’s cliche, Christmassy and clever in parts with some quick-witted British humour and shock moments too. For fans of the genre and/or cast members, it’s an enjoyable binge – and a good way to put into perspective the pang of guilt felt after consuming an entire chocolate advent calendar on day 1. At least we didn’t trade state secrets…
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (Disney+)
Yes, it’s yet another Star Wars spin-off series! For added context, this one is part of The Mandalorian (AKA Baby Yoda) timeline, although don’t worry – it doesn’t require you to have seen it to make sense, with a plot that still stands alone. The focus is on four children that make a dark discovery on their home planet of At Attin (very like Earth), which leads them on a galactic adventure with the charming but perplexing Jedi Jod Na Nawood (Jude Law). So, essentially, a classic space-adventure story told in eight parts with a fun Spielberg-esque feel. Perfect for kids – and adults that need some easy escapism.
Music
Shabaka: ‘Possession’ EP
Fresh off the back of his recent album ‘Perceive its Beauty, Acknowledge its Grace’ (which, spoiler alert, will feature in our best music of 2024 list), British jazz musician Shabaka has released a new EP titled ‘Possession’. Featuring five tracks, it includes big name collaborators and talents from the worlds of jazz and hip-hop like Billy Woods, Elucid, Esperanza Spalding, Nduduzo Makhathini and André 3000.
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