By Steve Dinneen
We may be elbow-deep in the wettest summer in recent memory but that doesn’t mean you can’t still have some weekend fun. Here are some ideas to spice up your weekend, from art in Bermondsey to a day-trip to Margate.
Anselm Kiefer – Finnegans Wake at White Cube BermondseyThis exhibition, made up of paintings, sculptures and installations, is designed as a response to James Joyce’s inscrutable 1939 novel of the same name. You walk through fields of rubble and barbed wire, passing the dried remains of sunflowers and cabinets containing the decaying remains of unreadable books. If it sounds like the nightmare of an Irish literature student the day before an exam – that’s exactly the vibe, although it also riffs on the artist’s previous work, creating a fascinating and utterly unique exhibition.
Play video games at the Science MuseumWhether you’re into the multiplayer action of classic Halo or the solo thrill of the original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, the Power Up exhibition at the Science Museum will have something for you. There are sections for Mario, Sonic, rhythm games and even VR, as well as a potted history of home gaming consoles, making this a broad and deep cut through the recent history of a medium that’s worth more than the film and music industry combined.
Outdoor ShakespeareNothing says ‘summer in London’ like an outdoor Shakespeare show and a home-packed picnic. Whiling away a summer’s evening in the park with the Bard is certainly one of our favoural pastoral pastimes. This year Romeo & Juliet is playing at The Temple outdoor venue in Wanstead Park on 27 August at 7pm and the same show is playing in East London’s Springfield Park from 5 -7 August from the East London Shakespeare Festival. If you aren’t so into the Bard then why not go to Kew Gardens for their version of Alice in Wonderland, performed against the verdant backdrop of all those lovely gardens? Bliss.
Watch a film on the riverHow about cruising down the river with one of your favourite classic movies on in the background? Well, a new boat experience is offering just that. Film screenings of Dirty Dancing, Mamma Mia!, Top Gun, Notting Hill, Elvis, The Big Lebowski and Crazy Rich Asians are all taking place during summer, in association with Time Out. To book your cruise visit the Movies on the River page. There’s food and drink on board too, and the opportunity to sit back, relax and take in some of the capital’s finest views in a whole new way.
Enjoy a weekend in MargateMargate has attracted creative types for years now, so its hipsterisation is hardly new. But this year the town has even more reasons to visit. There are a load of new openings to check out within a stone’s throw of the seaside. New hotel Margate House has just nine seriously stylish guest rooms, eclectically designed and super close to the beach. Artisanal pizza restaurant GB-Pizza-Co has reopened. Also try Angela’s for phenomenal seafood. Historic theme park, Dreamland Margate, has also reopened for the season, and this year houses an original Banksy installation.
Celebrate queer joyGranary Square at King’s Cross has put up a striking outdoor gallery featuring 50 portraits of queer people and all examine the theme of queer joy. It’s free to view and its curators call it “unfiltered queer self-expression that is vital to the LGBTQ+ community” with the aim of highlighting “the feeling of Queer Joy.” The exhibition runs until 31 August at The Outside Art Project. Queer Britain, the UK’s first dedicated LGBTQ museum which opened in 2021, is a short walk away so visit that at the same time. Granary Square also has loads of brilliant restaurants, plenty with outdoor seating, so go and make an afternoon of it.
Go to the new SerpentineLondon’s Serpentine Pavilion’s summer show is always a good excuse to visit this gallery, tucked away in a gorgeous part of Hyde Park. For 2023 their 22nd summer show is entitled A Table. By French-Lebanese artist Lina Ghotmeh, it is about her aspiration to take what she calls humankind’s “primal” relationship with Earth and make it sustainable. Inspired also by her life having interesting conversations around a dinner table, the artwork, which you can walk around, features one big circular table at the centre. A cafe sells organic food to be eaten on site.
