Now I realise I’m a bit late sharing my ideas for 2018, but life distracted me. Here at last are are my varied suggestions for the next few months and I’ll be updating it regularly.  As London is on my doorstep it will make a fair few appearances in the list, but there’ll be things further afield and closer at hand, even chez vous.

MARCH

LONDON

Impressionism in London at the Tate Britain, until 7 May 2018.
In the 1870s, the Franco-Prussian war and insurrection in Paris drove many artists to seek refuge over in Britain. This exhibition looks at their views of British life as expressed in their works, the impact that life in Britain had on them, and their contribution to the British art world.  The exhibition includes works by Monet, Tissot, Pissarro,  Dalou, Sisley, Derain and Legros.​

Andreas Gursky at Hayward Gallery, until 22 April.
The works of acclaimed German photographer have made their appearance in London as the opening exhibition at the renovated Hayward Gallery on the South Bank.
The display  features 60 of the his ground-breaking photographs from the early 1980s to current day.

LIVERPOOL

China’s First Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors at the World Museum, until 28 October 2018.
The exhibition of terracotta warriors includes a number of objects that have never been on show in the UK before, including material excavated over the last 40 years from the Imperial Mausoleum and selected tombs.

MANCHESTER

Four Miles from Manchester: Tony Warren’s Coronation Street Exhibition at Salford Museum and Art gallery, until 3 July 2018.
This tells the story of Tony Warren and his creation of the biggest and longest running TV soap opera, Coronation Street.

AMSTERDAM

Van Gogh and Japan at the Van Gogh Museum, 23 March – 24 June 2018.
Van Gogh never visited Japan but he was an avid collector of Japanese prints, and this exhibition demonstrates the impact the colours, style and themes had on his own creativity.
Also showing in Kyoto just prior to its appearance in Amsterdam.

MADRID

Warhol: The Mechanical Art at Caixa Forum, until 6 May 2018.
This exhibition includes some of Warhol’s most iconic works, such as the Campbell’s Soup cans and the portraits of Marilyn, and also features portraits of Warhol, taken by photographers such as Alberto Schommer, Richard Avedon or Robert Mapplethorpe.

JAPAN

If the above exhibition tweaks at your yearning to see things Japanese, and particularly if you love things pink, now is the time to visit.

Live blossom map

The Cherry Blossom Festival takes place in Spring, with timings varying across the country.
High tech tools and gadgets have now stepped in to help forecast the best time to visit and the best location for your picnic.  Current forecasts from the Japanese Met Office are for blossom appearances in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto on March 22 in Tokyo.

CHEZ VOUS – READ A BOOK

Neon in Daylight by Hermione Hoby
Published in January 2018, this a first publication for Hoby.  It’s an excellent story about a newcomer to New York City, written by an author who is herself a Londoner in New York.

APRIL

LONDON

Picasso 1932 – Love, Fame, Tragedy at the Tate Modern, until 9 September 2018.
This the first ever solo Pablo Picasso exhibition at Tate Modern.  It features over 100 paintings, sculptures and drawings, mixed with family photographs and other glimpses into his personal life.

Monet & Architecture at the National Gallery, 9 April – 29 July 2018.
This features 75 Monet paintings together for the first time, and highlighting how he used architecture to create his compositions.

LEEDS

Sunshine in Leith at West Yorkshire Playhouse, 20 April – 19th May 2018.
For a pinch of Edinburgh in Yorkshire, be sure to get along to this new stage adaptation of Sunshine in Leith.  It started life on stage and is now well-known for its brilliant film version, this has to be a must-see.

ROME

Universal Judgment: Michelangelo and the Secrets of the Sistine Chapel at Auditorium Consiliazione, from 15 March with no end date as yet.
A 270 degree, high tech laser show Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel – the work of Marco Balich, the artistic director for several past Olympics, with music by Sting.  It may appear in other cities around the world, but for now you need to pop to Rome.

SEOUL

Drawn by the Wind: Shin Yun-bok & Jeong Seon at the  Design Museum, until 24 May 2018.
The Drawn by the Wind exhibition aims to bring centuries-old paintings to the people of today, using modern media technology, focussing on Shin Yun-bok and Jeong Seon, major artists of the Joseon dynasty.

CHEZ VOUS – READ A BOOK

Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (available in around 300 languages) – 6 April 2018 is the 75th anniversary of its publication
This novella gives us a poetic tale, plus watercolour illustrations by the author, of a boy travelling from an asteroid to a number of planets including earth. It reveals many weaknesses of adult humans as seen by a youngster, in a gentle but outspoken manner.  If you’ve not already discovered this delight I highly recommend it, and if you’ve read it already I’m sure you’ll want to read it again!

MAY

LONDON

James Cook: The Voyages at the British Library, 27 April – 28 August 2018
It is now 250 years since James Cook set sail from Plymouth on three great voyages that spanned ten years and the British Library are recognising this with an exhibition that includes Cook’s journal from the first crossing of the Antarctic Circle, artwork and maps.

PARIS

Le Printemps des Rues, around Canal Saint-Martin
An annual festival of street arts, including dance, music, circus and graffiti, now into its 21st year. Dates and exact programme still to be confirmed.

LISBON

The 2018 Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Parque das Nações.
The Semi-Finals will take place 8 May and 10 May with the Grand Final on 12 May.

TOKYO

Cinco de Mayo Celebrations at the Symbol Promenade Park, 12-13 May 2018.
5 May is celebrated annually in the US to commemorate Mexico’s historic victory over France at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, but it also heads regularly to Tokyo. The festival features the mariachi bands, salsa dancers, tequila bars and Tex-Mex food stands. Something a little different to try out in Tokyo.

CHEZ VOUS – READ A BOOK

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott reaches its 150^th anniversary this year.
It is one of my favourite novels and probably responsible for my love of books, and it ha plenty of other fans too. No matter how many times you’ve already read it, or seen it, this month is a good time to revisit.  And if you fancy listening rather than turning the pages, you can tune in here.

Copyright Debbie Smyth, 11 March 2018