VELOCITY CULTURE
The exhibitions and productions at the top of Europe's cultural agenda.

EYES, LIES AND ILLUSIONS
Until 2 January 2005
Hayward Gallery, London

It could be said that the Ancient
Greeks invented the optical illusion, designing the massive pillars on their buildings with a slight bulge in the middle so they looked straight from a distance (this technique has also been used on Nelson's Column in London – just look carefully). From exquisite 19th-century picture puzzles to works by modern artists such as Christian Boltanski and Marcel Duchamp, this collection has been divided into six themes: Shadowplay, Tricks of the Light, Perspective, Enhancing the Eye, Deceiving the Mind and Moving in Time. You will find yourself haunted by shadowy angels and devils, distorted in mirror rooms and amazed at the ingenious ways illusion was created centuries before the advent of film. A wonderfully confusing experience. www.hayward.org.uk Tel. +44 (0)8703 800 400

HIDDEN: THE SECRET OF LOWRY'S ART

Lawrence Lowry's paintings are some of the most desolate and barren landscapes you will ever see, yet he endures because of his ability to extract a strange beauty and dignity from the industrial scenes of Manchester that were so often his subject. He was always an enigma though, and since his death all we have are his paintings. Or do we? The Secret of Lowry's Art uses x-rays to find the hidden layers in his work. The technique is often used to clean and restore paintings, but here it is being used for the benefit of the viewer. The works are hung so that you can view them from both sides, and see which paintings he chose not to finish. This is a fascinating insight into the working process of one of the most enigmatic artists of recent years. www.thelowry.com Tel. +44 (0)870 787 5780

TURNER PRIZE EXHIBITION
Until 23 December Tate Britain, London

Whatever you think of the artworks usually shortlisted for the Turner Prize, their ability to engage people in debate and encourage them to question their perception of art is undeniable. This year's four shortlisted artists are Turkish-born video installation artist Kutlug Ataman, mixed-media artist Jeremy Deller, London-based multimedia duo Langlands & Bell and sculptor Yinka Shonibare. Sponsor Gordon's has doubled the prize money this year to £40,000 (€58,000), increasing the financial incentive to win what is already one of the most prestigious art awards in Europe. Conceived in 1984, the award goes to the best British visual artist under 50, and has never failed to cause controversy. The best example was in 1993, when Rachel Whiteread won the £20,000 (€29,000) prize for House, a concrete cast of the inside of a house, standing where the original once stood. Mere hours later, she was awarded £40,000 by the K Foundation (former chart-topping band The KLF) for the “worst artist in Britain”, an act that was considered to be of equal artistic merit to the work that was shortlisted. Controversy or not, this is the polestar of British modern art, so it's well worth investigation. www.tate.org.uk Tel. +44 (0)20 7887 8000

DA DA DALÍ
Until 16 January 2005
Kunsthal, Rotterdam

There are no swans turning into elephants or melting clocks in this exhibition, but it is nonetheless fascinatingly strange. On the centenary of the surrealist's birth, Rotterdam's Kunsthal is giving an insight into eight days of Dalí's life. Journalist Walther Hermann Schünermann and photographer Werner Bokelberg were invited to Dalí's residence in Port Lligat in Spain to do a photo shoot for German magazine Stern, under the condition that they bring a beautiful blonde with them. Danish beauty Lotte Tarp was the exotic guest and the eight-day photo shoot began. It featured the artist himself, his wife Gala Eluard, Lotte, and Dalí's tame ocelot. The photos were later cut into collages by Dalí, and are now on display in all their surreal splendour. www.kunsthal.nl Tel. +31 (0)10 44 00 300

ANTWERPEN, WERF VAN DE EEUW
Until 5 January 2005
Fotomuseum, Antwerp

Werf Van de Eeuw (building- site of the century) examines Antwerp's organic nature, investigating the effect of constant construction and demolition to gradually change the face and orientation of the urban environment. Extensive development over the last 100 years and the city's history of avid photographers combine to make Antwerp an ideal subject. www.fotomuseum.beTel. +32 (0)3 24 29 300

TATU-TATTOO!
Until 27 February 2005
Koninklijke Musea voor Kunst & Geschiedenis / Musées Royaux d'Art & d'Histoire, Brussels

Once considered a strange ritual carried out by distant peoples, body art is now common as a form of self-expression. This exhibition has divided the history of tattoos into 12 sections, underlining the diversity of implications and social significance. It makes use of sculptures, photos, engravings, ceramics, materials and even samples of tattooed human skin. www.kmkg-mrah.be
Tel. +32 (0)2 741 72 65

PARCOURS: DIE RÜCKEN DER BILDER
Until 17 April 2005
Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg

Parcours: Die Rücken der Bilder (behind the pictures) is a new series of exhibitions that gives a glimpse into the history of a painting. Featuring early drafts, notes, in-depth explanations and, of course, the finished works. A rare and comprehensive insight into the creative process. www.hamburger-kunsthalle.deTel. +49 (0)40 428 131 200

BURIED CHILD
Until 15 December
National Theatre, London

Pulitzer Prize-winning Buried Child was written by Sam Shepard, and is brought to the National Theatre's Lyttleton under the direction of Matthew Warchus. Set in heartland America, this black comedy deftly combines domestic drama with a nostalgic yearning for home. www.nationaltheatre.org.ukTel. +44 (0)207 452 3000

THE STUCKISTS PUNK VICTORIAN
Until 20 February 2005
The Walker and Lady Lever Art Gallery, Liverpool

The Stuckist movement was founded in 1999 by Charles Thomson and Billy Childish, and immediately made clear its disdain for modern art's tendency to move away from painting. Famously opposed to the concurrent Turner Prize, the Stuckists' show is a worthy argument for painting as the fundamental medium of artistic expression, and brings a refreshing willingness to be understood in today's world of oblique messages. www.liverpoolmuseums.org.ukTel. +44 (0)151 478 4199