Kettle’s Yard has become a bolt-hole for me over last few years. Today I visited their latest show which although small [ish - they have the builders in] is well worth a look. And in any case, I much prefer small exhibitions. The Photographer’s Gallery was a favourite before they improved it [split as it was over 2 small locations a couple of doors apart]. Read More >

I’m on the last chapter of Christopher Hitchens’ memoir Hitch-22. Hitchens died in December. Look him up on Wikipedia. A smart-arse critic of religion, Machiavellian politicians, dictators and bad writers. It is very easy to adopt a prescribed position against a person or an organisation and their ideology – much more difficult, laborious and risky to build an intelligent and specific argument and to then test those convictions against your opponents. Read More >

Collisions is a great 6-track album by Simon Pyke/Freeform (brother of Universal Everything’s Matt Pyke) – he also makes music for brands including SONY, Nike, MTV, Nokia, WARP, London 2012 and the BBC. More information is on the Freefarm website http://www.freefarm.co.uk …Buy/Download here >

Evening at The Junction with Richard Legge to see The Fall perform their new album Ersatz G.B. Read More >

This is genuinely amazing – a computer for $25! The Raspberry Pi Foundation have developed, and are soon to launch, an ultra-low cost computer, for use in teaching computer programming to children. Read More >

Earlier this year Wallpaper* magazine gave Reebok a design award for their ZigTech trainer – a new shoe with a distinctive graphic zig-zag sole that transfers energy back to the wearer. This lead to the curation of a show in which designers, architects and artists were invited to create works inspired by Reebok’s ZigTech, Toning and Flex technologies. Read More >

On way to the Reebok / Wallpaper* show I nipped round the corner to Channel 4 offices on Horseferry Road to see their latest “Big 4″. “Time to Breathe” was designed by fashion graduate and competition winner Hannah Gourlay – silver metalic fabric stretched over sub-frame which gently inhales and exhales in the breeze.

Treated Sam the work-experiencer to a gallery day in London. First stop the Barbican for Watch Me Move covering the 150 year history of animation. The show “brings together for the first time, over one hundred films by contemporary artists, cut-out, collage, puppet, clay and stop-motion animators, auteur filmmakers and exponents of experimental film alongside the creative output of the commercial studios. “ Read More >

Evening performance by Andy Holden, held in the mezzanine extension of the house at Kettle’s Yard:
“The culmination of series of pieces investigating the relationship between sculptural objects and duration, Six Short Works in Time incorporates projected film, a live camera feed, spoken word, and a string quartet performing music by Johnny Parry and The Grubby Mitts. Read More >

Made it to Andy Holden’s lunch time talk with Tyler Woolcott on the laws that exist in the animated world (part of his “Chewy Cosmos Thingly Time” show at Kettle’s Yard). With examples from Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Road Runner, Wile E Coyote, Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, Betty Boop, Charlie Brown and Itchy & Scratchy. Read More >