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VELOCITY CULTURE
The exhibitions and productions at the top of Europe's cultural agenda.
FUTURE FACE
Until 13 February
Science Museum, London
What's in a face? We give away an enormous amount of subconscious information through facial features alone, and simultaneously make snap judgements about others from insignificant aspects of their face: how large the forehead is, how big the ears are. Are we shallow, or is sizing someone up in this way a fundamental part of the mental mechanics that keep us alive? This exhibition explores the way we perceive faces and their expressions, encompassing notions of beauty, race and disfigurement, looking at the things that are only skin deep, and resulting in a fascinating exploration of the way we perceive each other and ourselves. Be prepared to examine yourself carefully in the mirror afterwards. www.sciencemuseum.org.uk
Tel. +44 (0) 870 870 4868
 L'ART NOUVEAU -THE BING EMPIRE
Until 27 February
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
Siegfried 'Samuel' Bing was very much responsible for bringing Asian art to Europe and, most importantly, into the consciousness of the likes of Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec. The resulting movement, l'Art Nouveau (or Jugendstil), which was named after Bing's studio in Paris, is explored here in meticulous detail. Over 400 works which passed through Bing's gallery are on display, including paintings, glassware, sculpture, ceramics and even furniture. The exhibition also includes works by Van Gogh that were influenced by Japanese pieces. www.vangoghmuseum.nl Tel. +31 (0)20 570 5200
(IM)PERFECT BY DESIGN
Until 27 February
Koninklijk Museum voor Kunst en Geschiedenis, Brussels
Since 1995, the Design triennial has been organised by VIZO (Vlaams Instituut voor het Zelfstandig Ondernemen), and has covered industrial design, design trends from the '80s, and the correlation between design and communication. This year the focus is on industrial design and non-industrial research, and whether they inadvertently influence one another. www.imperfectbydesign.be Tel. +32 (0)2 741 7211
 SLEEPING BEAUTY
Until 11 January
Barbican Theatre, London
The fairy tale gets the Young Vic treatment courtesy of director Rufus Norris, who brings back to the story what Disney left out: the fear, courage, greed, wonder and darkness. Norris has already won considerable acclaim for his previous productions, and this colourful and moving show will only be in London until 11 January, before later being taken across the Atlantic to impress audiences over there. www.barbican.org.uk Tel. +44 (0)20 7638 4141
RÉTROSPECTIVE ELLIOT ERWITT
Until 16 January
Am Tunnel Gallery, Luxembourg
After a youth spent in France and Italy, Elliot Erwitt moved to the United States, and while at Hollywood High School developed an interest in photography. After his skill was noticed he moved on to writing, advertising and filmmaking, in a career that saw him photograph Marilyn Monroe, Che Guevara and Jack Kerouac among others. This exhibition is a collection of some of his most distinctive works, and is well worth a look in this interesting venue. www.bcee.lu Tel. +352 40 15 24 50
 THE DEMON SHÛTENDÔJI
Until 27 February
Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg
This collection of woodcuts by the 17th-century Japanese artist Hishikawa Moronobu and others depicts the legend of the Demon Shûtenôji, who lives in the mountains, assumes the form of a man by day and abducts women from the local town, who he subsequently eats. This eerie story is wonderfully retold through the exquisite woodwork, with subtle usage of pictorial techniques that are still used today in cartoons and comics. www.mkg-hamburg.de Tel. +49 (0)40 428 134 27 32
 ART ROTTERDAM
23-28 February
Cruise Terminal, Rotterdam
The sixth annual show of the premier modern art fair in the Netherlands has gathered artists from Holland, France, Belgium, Germany, England and New York at Rotterdam's funky Cruise Terminal, for an exhibition of cutting-edge and exciting art. It's not all about the pieces themselves though. The event aims to bring together gallery owners, art connoisseurs and critics for discussions, presentations and films to better understand and appreciate current trends in art and design. www.artrotterdam.com Tel. +31 (0)10 202 50 07
SUPERCITY
20 January-10 April
Urbis Centre, Manchester
From Metropolis to Futurama, the most respected cinematic visions of the future tend to lean towards the dystopian: bleak views of soulless regulation and over-reliance on technology and convenience. But any pessimism is washed clean away at the sight of controversial and award-winning architect Will Alsop's conception of a Liverpool-Manchester-Leeds-Hull super-city dominating England's north. Alsop suggests fascinating ways that people may want to live and work in this urban hypothesis. www.urbis.org.uk Tel. +44 (0)161 605 8200
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