Our top picks of exhibitions together with cultural spaces and places, both online and in the real world.


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Viewing Dave Benett: Great Shot, Kid

Ask Naomi Campbell, Madonna or Tracey Emin who their favourite photographer is and they’ll likely say Dave Benett. The Rolling Stones demand him in their dressing room and Kate Moss won’t do a photo call without him. ‘I’m always happy to see Dave’s face at a party or event,’ she once said. ‘I know I’m in safe hands. He’s the best.’

A photographer for over 40 years, Benett began his career as a news reporter before turning his lens to the celebrity circuit in the early 1980s. Since then, he has snapped some of the most iconic images in showbiz history, from Liz Hurley in that Versace dress to Liza Minelli and Princess Diana on a night out together. Rumour has it that he even asked the Queen to move out the way to get a better shot. ‘I was trusted because I took a good picture,’ he has said. ‘You should never forget why you’re there.’


To mark 40 years in the industry, JD Malat Gallery presents Benett’s first solo exhibition. Curated by Benett together with author and editor Dylan Jones, it features a selection of his most famous photographs, as well as images never seen before. Expect oodles of glamour, sex and rock’n’roll. As you’ll soon see, Benett really has seen it all!

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Dates
17 February 2022 — 08 March 2022
Further information

Viewing Be Yourself; Everyone Else Is Already Taken

Artist Daniel Lismore describes himself as a ‘living sculpture’. Raised in Coventry, he is perhaps best known for his elaborate and extravagant ensembles, made using everything from haute couture items and vintage fabrics to charity shop finds, accessories, trinkets and baubles. In 2016, Vogue named him ‘England’s most eccentric dresser’.

Landing at the Herbert Museum this month is the UK premiere of Be Yourself; Everyone Else Is Already Taken, featuring 50 life-size figurative sculptures bedecked with items from Lismore’s personal collection of nearly 7000 unique pieces. Each sculpture is modelled on the artist and features a cast of his face. ‘It’s an army of me,’ Lismore has said of the striking display, which takes inspiration from the ancient Chinese Terracotta Army. ‘For me, when you put on your clothes, it’s like you are going out to war in the world.’

Be Yourself; Everyone Else Is Already Taken — a phrase often attributed to Oscar Wilde — explores the links between dress, identity and authenticity, while unpicking the social, historical and cultural themes central to Lismore’s work. It also spotlights the importance of sustainable fashion, a cause close to the artist’s heart. The bonus? It’s free. Never has there been a better time to visit the UK’s City of Culture. Hop to it.

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Dates
18 February 2022 — 26 June 2022
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Viewing Eternalising Art History: From Da Vinci to Modigliani

Now’s your chance to see some of the greatest Italian artworks in digital form. Installed across Unit London’s expansive gallery, Eternalising Art History features high-resolution digital counterparts of six Italian masterpieces, including Leonardo da Vinci’s Head of a Woman (1492-1501), Caravaggio’s Bowl of Fruit (1597-1600) and Amedeo Modigliani’s Head of a Young Lady (1915).

Certified on the blockchain, the digital artworks are bordered by exact replicas of the original frames. The quality is so good that you’ll soon forget that you’re looking at a screen.

Each digital reproduction is made in a limited edition of nine and has been produced in partnership with four major Italian cultural institutions, including the Uffizi in Florence.

This ground-breaking collaboration brings these celebrated artworks, many of which can’t travel due to age and fragility, to a new global audience, while also increasing public access to them. Plus, 50% of the sale proceeds will be donated back to the four partner institutions to support the conservation of the original works.

In a time when international travel is still limited, this brilliant initiative pushes the art viewing experience in a bold and exciting new direction. Swing by as soon as you can.

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Dates
16 February 2022 — 19 March 2022
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