Sleeping Beauties by David Byrne review – a quirky journey through the afterlife of invention
The Talking Heads frontman considers dormant ideas that made a comeback – from Indian irrigation to KafkaThere’s barely been a moment in the last half-century when David Byrne hasn’t been zinging about, dancing forward, opting odd. The art-school…
Balraj Khanna: Lines of Flight review – plenty of dazzle, but where is the darkness?
Ikon, BirminghamThis six-decade survey is a riot of biomorphic blobs, candy-coloured galaxies and cosmic spectacle – but the quieter works pack the biggest punchThe work of Balraj Khanna will be familiar to many residents of Birmingham, whether they know…
Renoir and Love review – the happiest exhibition of the year? Pourquoi pas!
National Gallery, LondonGrab your straw boater – and revel in these light-as-souffle masterpieces that celebrate life’s pleasures, from picnics to dances to frolics in the bushes‘They knew how to enjoy themselves,” David Hockney once told me, gleefully…
No island of strangers: why I’m using art to unite a fractured nation
Fear of outsiders is the defining issue of our times. But is it actually our own selves we’re scared of? And could art hold the answers? Here, the British Art Show’s curator reveals why he’s exploring our deepest dreams and nightmaresOne of the moral low…
Korea review – a nirvana of wild beauty shattered by the 20th century
British Museum, LondonThe staggering resourcefulness and fantastic originality of bygone artisans is showcased in earthenware so exquisite it will soothe your soul. But a lurch into the modern breaks the spellCan they do it again? The runaway success of…
‘I’m an everythingist’: How Es Devlin became the go-to for Beyoncé gigs, fashion runways and the Olympics
The Londoner is the set designer big names turn to for eye-popping spectacle. As a new retrospective opens, she gives the Guardian a glimpse at her studioFour years ago, the V&A East Storehouse in east London got in touch with Es Devlin. The museum’s…
‘I was mesmerised by how the fog turned the tower into a monolith’: Derek Zhao’s best phone picture
Zhao was out jogging around Treasure Island, near San Francisco, when he spotted a lonely tower stabbing through the cloudsEvery morning, Derek Zhao jogs the perimeter of Treasure Island, his home, situated an eight-minute ferry ride from San Francisco.…