The London Scene

Turner Exhibition Opens At The Turner Contemporary Gallery in Margate

An exhibition celebrating the works of JMW Turner has opened at the new Turner Contemporary Gallery at The Rendezvous location in Margate and will run to May 13. The exhibition brings together 88 works; 76 watercolors and 12 late oil paintings, many from the Tate collection. Turner’s innovative painting technique and the influence of scientific and technological developments during his lifetime were to revolutionize landscape painting. Turner created new and unusual combinations of earth, water, air and fire and closely examined their interactions. The show explores the important role that the depiction of the elements played in his landscape watercolors and paintings.

Works on display include Snow Storm – Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth exhibited 1842 and The New Moon; or ‘I’ve lost My Boat, You shan’t have Your Hoop’ exhibited 1840 (photo above). Turner’s frequent visits to Margate and the Kent coast are vividly portrayed, with particular works chosen especially for the exhibition’s time at Turner Contemporary.

Positioned on Margate’s seafront, the new Turner Contemporary gallery opened in 2011. It is situated on the same site as the guest house, where Turner stayed when he visited the town. Visitors can now experience the same views and unique Thanet light that Turner saw when visiting—one that inspired much of his work.

Gallery admission is free. Margate lies 70 miles east of London and is accessible by train. Website: http://www.turnercontemporary.org/

Potter Fans Can Now Visit The Studio Where It All Started

People the world-over have been enchanted by the Harry Potter films for nearly a decade. The wonderful special effects and amazing creatures have made this iconic series beloved to both young and old – and now, for the first time, the doors are going to be opened for everyone at the studio where it first began. As of March 31, fans will have the chance to go behind-the-scenes and see many things the camera never showed. From breathtakingly detailed sets to stunning costumes, props and animatronics, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London provides a unique showcase of the extraordinary British artistry, technology and talent that went into making the most successful film series of all time.

This unique walking tour takes you behind-the-scenes and showcases a huge array of beautiful sets, costumes and props. It also reveals some closely guarded secrets, including facts about the special effects and animatronics that made these films so hugely popular all over the world.

Located just 20 miles from the heart of London at Warner Brothers Studios in suburban Leavesden, the very place where it all began and where all eight of the Harry Potter films were brought to life. The Studio Tour is accessible to everyone and promises to be a truly memorable experience - whether an avid Harry Potter fan, an all-round movie buff or those who just want to try something that’s a little bit different.

The tour is estimated to take approximately three hours; however, as the tour is mostly self-guided, visitors are free to explore the attraction at your own pace. Besides seeing many of the best-loved sets and exhibits from the films, unique items from the films will also be on display, along with hands-on interactive exhibits that will transport you into the world of Harry Potter. Website: http://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk

Cecil Beaton’s Photographs Of The Royal Family Now At The V&A

As part of The Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, The Victoria and Albert Museum

is currently presenting an exhibition of photographer Cecil Beaton’s Royal Family photographs. The Queen’s favorite photographer for more than four decades, from 1939 to 1979, Beaton, who died in 1980, captures some of the most personal images of Queen Elizabeth. He was chosen to take the first pictures of Prince Charles as a baby, and covered The Queen’s coronation in 1953.

The V&A exhibition also includes some of Beaton's rarely seen photographs, as well as his personal scrapbooks and diaries, giving visitors a rare glimpse into the Queen’s public and private life. On view until April 22. Website: http://www.vam.ac.uk

Unique View Of Mecca Now On Display At The British Museum

The earliest known accurate panoramic view of Mecca is one of over forty-five important objects to be loaned by the Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art to the British Museum for the exhibition Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam which is on view in the Round Reading Room until April 15, 2012. The Khalili Collection is the biggest single lender to this landmark exhibition, the first devoted to the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca which is central to the Muslim faith.

The view of Mecca dates from circa 1845 and is remarkable for its comprehensiveness and accuracy. Executed in ink and opaque watercolor by Muhammad ‘Abdullah, the Delhi cartographer commissioned by the Sharif of Mecca to depict the sacred monuments of his realm, the work brilliantly combines a plan of the city with a bird’s eye view of about 60 degrees. Other views appear on Hajj certificates (photo left) issued to attest that pilgrims had completed the prescribed rites. Among those in the exhibition will be diagrammatic views of the holy sanctuaries at Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem executed in opaque watercolors, gold, silver and ink. A view of the Prophet’s mosque at Medina showing both the tomb of the Prophet under the green dome, his cenotaph draped with the characteristic zigzag cover, and the tomb of his daughter Fatimah dates from the 17th or 18th century as does a view of the sanctuary at Mecca. A view of the sanctuary at Jerusalem from the 18th or early 19th century is quite unusual on a Hajj certificate and one dating from the same period depicts the Masjid al-Aqsa, built on the site of the second oldest mosque in Islam, above a depiction of a domed building probably representing the Dome of the Rock which was built to commemorate the Prophet’s miraculous night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and his ascension to heaven.

The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art comprises some 20,000 works and is the largest and most comprehensive in the world, encompassing the entire history of Islamic art from its beginnings in the 7th century to the present day.

Website: www.britishmuseum.co.uk

Liza Minnelli Stars At The Hampton Court Palace Festival In June

This year, Hampton Court Palace Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary, with superstar

Liza Minnelli headlining on the opening night on June 14. She will perform several show-stopping numbers including New York New York, Cabaret and Maybe This Time.

Other stars on the Hampton Court Palace Festival line-up include Jools Holland & His Rhythm and Blues Orchestra on June 15; James Morrison on June 20; Caro Emerald on June 21; Kaie Melua On June 22; and Frankie Vallie & The Four Seasons, June 23.

To mark the festival's 20th anniversary on June 16, there'll be a gala performance by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, followed by spectacular fireworks exploding over the palace.

Hampton Court was King Henry VIII's favorite royal residence situated 750 acres of tranquil royal parkland, of which some 60 acres of enchanting gardens with glorious displays of over 200,000 flowering bulbs run down to the River Thames.

To book tickets: http://www.hamptoncourtpalacefestival.com

Dickens and London Now On View At The Museum of London

February marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens. To celebrate the

occasion, the Museum of London is presenting a special exhibition that presents Dickens and his relationship with London, the first major show on the influential author since 1970.

The exhibition reveals that Dickens was the first great novelist of the modern city and the age of mass culture. Original and rarely seen manuscripts of his most famous novels, including Bleak House and David Copperfield, will be on display. The show also examines the central relationship between Dickens and London – the city that he described as his “magic lantern.” Often walking the streets at night, Dickens would build in his mind the settings, plots and characters of his novels. Evoking the atmosphere of the streets of Victorian London and the river Thames, visitors will follow in Dickens’ footsteps and be taken on a memorable and haunting journey, discovering the places and subjects which sparked his imagination. The great social questions of the 19th century will be investigated including childhood mortality, prostitution, and wealth and poverty. They will be set against the new features of the modern industrial age such as steam boats, railways, the electric telegraph and the penny post. The display will end with a specially-commissioned film, The Houseless Shadow, by William Raban, one of the UK’s leading documentary filmmakers, that explores the continuities between London after dark as it is now, compared with how it was described by Charles Dickens over 150 years ago.

To coincide with the opening of the Dickens and London exhibition, the Museum of London launched a new iPhone and iPad graphic-novel app that takes users on a journey through the darker side of Charles Dickens’ London. Drawn from a selection of his short stories, Dickens: Dark London will be published monthly throughout the run of the exhibition to echo how Dickens himself released his writings. The first edition of Dickens: Dark London is available free of charge.. Subsequent editions will be available to download monthly for £1.49 ($2.25) on iTunes.

Entry to the show, which closes June 10, is by timed ticket.

Website: http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk /

Damien Hirst Exhibition Opens At Tate Modern In April

If you missed seeing artist Damien Hirst’s dot paintings at one or all of the 11 Gaggosian Galleries worldwide, you can go to the Tate Modern for a new exhibition of his work that opens April 4 and remains on display to September 9. Some 70 iconic works, spanning two decades, represent the first substantial survey of Hirst's work ever held in the UK.

The exhibition will include iconic sculptures from his Natural History series, including The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living 1991, in which he suspended a shark in formaldehyde (photo). Also included will be vitrines such as A Thousand Years from 1990, medicine cabinets, pill cabinets and instrument cabinets in addition to seminal paintings made throughout his career using butterflies and flies as well as spots and spins. The two-part installation In and Out of Love, not shown in its entirety since its creation in 1991 and Pharmacy 1992 will be among the highlights of the exhibition. Today

The controversial British artist is known for exploring imagery associated with life and death. In 1994 he received the DAAD fellowship in Berlin, and went on to scoop the Turner Prize in 1995. Website: http://www.tate.org.uk/modern

BBC Diamond Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace

On June 4, a very special concert in front of Buckingham Palace will take place to mark

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee. This event on June 4 will be the centerpiece of the celebrations marking The Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The BBC and music maestro Gary Barlow are bringing together some of the biggest names from the worlds of music, dance and musical theatre - including Shirley Bassey, Alfie Boe, Jools Holland, Jessie J, JLS, Elton John, Tom Jones, Lang Lang, Annie Lennox, Madness, Paul McCartney, Cliff Richard and Ed Sheeran. Perhaps 2012 Grammy winner Adele will also be on hand.

Ticket holders, who are successful in the ballot, will also be able to enjoy a Jubilee picnic in the magnificent gardens of Buckingham Palace, before taking a seat in front of the Queen Victoria Memorial, where the concert will take place.

There are 5,000 pairs of free tickets that are going to be made available through a national ballot. One has to be aged 18 or over and a resident in the UK, Channel Isles, Isle of Man or have a BFPO address to be eligible. The application period closes at 23:59 hrs GMT on March 2. Tickets will not be allocated on a first-come first-served basis; they will be selected via an independently verified random ballot, which will take place after the application process has closed. The concert will be broadcast live on BBC ONE and Radio 2. Website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/diamondjubilee/concert-tickets.shtml