Who. What. Where? No. 97

First up, we have a fresh new exhibition for all the art lovers out there. The Body Speaks – which is open at Hackney’s Guts Gallery until the start of February – is all about giving visual space to all the crazy things hidden within the vessels that we call our bodies. Trauma? Memories? Dreams and nightmares? Check. There’s also an element of metamorphosis to the artwork, showing how we’re constantly altered by our experiences. On top of that, The Body Speaks is actually a joint exhibition – featuring Shadi Al-Atallah, Vanessa Liem, Yi Liu, Georgia Semple, Elsa Rouy – meaning it’s really varied — a veritable feast for the eyes, really. Even better, you don’t need a ticket, so you’re free to wander down at your own leisure. 

Okay, we know this is the third time we’ve mentioned Takashi Murakami in the last week or so (first for his collaboration with Louis Vuitton and second for his new exhibition at the Gagosian), but it would be amiss to forget about the Louis Vuitton x Takashi Murakami pop-up store in Soho this month. Not only does it stock the new collection, but it also has stuff from the archive back when the artist and fashion house first teamed up in 2003. As well as the shop, the space includes a café where you can nab novelty items from embossed croissants to monogrammed takeaway cups, and there’s a sick vending machine packed with collectable gifts. The store is open until 9 February on Brewer Street, so go check it out.

Next, we have one for our international readers… GALA (one of Britain’s staple electronic festivals hailing from Peckham Rye Park) has just announced their Ten Years of GALA – Global Club Tour. As the name suggests, the festival is being flown across the globe to pay homage to a decade of success in various clubs. They’re hitting Newcastle – where GALA’s founders first met as student promoters back in the early 2010s – Bristol, Tokyo, Lisbon, Chicago, New York, Sao Paolo, Berlin and Melbourne, before returning to London for its usual festival slot in May. There’ll be a blend of homegrown acts from each place, as well as GALA favourites and it’s going to be bloody brilliant. You can nab a ticket for Newcastle or Bristol while waiting for the other venues to follow in due course.

Last, we have George Shaw’s exhibition, Albion Groans – Part One. Now, this one isn’t new — in fact, it’s been open at London’s Anthony Wilkinson gallery since November. The reason we’re bringing it up, though, is there’s only a few more days left, so you need to get yourself over there now. If you’re not familiar with Shaw, he’s a contemporary artist known for his suburban subjects. In this expo specifically, the paintings hark back to the streets of Shaw’s childhood. It’s all about mixing personal experience with a wider tale of national decline. For example, you’ll spot patriotic flags flying over scenes of urban neglect and suns setting on abandoned fridge freezers — you get the vibe. There’s also an antithetical suite of watercolour roses as part of the exhibition. Are they there as a symbol of hope or a marker of what’s been lost in the current messy state of our nation? We’re not sure, but it certainly gets you thinking. Oh, and you don’t need a ticket — simply turn up.