As candles cast a warm glow upon festive gatherings and garlands grace our homes, we balance time spent indoors with luminous seasonal events. Presenting five joyful happenings to enrich your December, from an uplifting recital of Nordic folk songs to a textile exhibition honouring the art of repair.
The Shape of Here at Make Hauser & Wirth
Bringing together four UK-based artists and makers, The Shape of Here explores the concept of ‘place’ through diverse material forms, including ceramics and wooden structures. Works by Helen Carnac and David Gates reflect on human interactions with the rural Somerset landscape, employing traditional joinery and cabinet-making to evoke agricultural infrastructure weathered by rust and decay. Clay sculptures by Ken Eastman and Annie Turner convey personal notions of place, shaped by childhood memories and realised through innovative hand-building techniques.
The Shape of Here is on at Make, Somerset until January 5.
Reconstructed Nature by Luke & Nik
Continuing their inquiry into nature and the senses following a successful summer exhibition, multidisciplinary artists Luke Norman and Nik Adam present Reconstructed Nature, a playful photobook brimming with expressive imagery and vibrant collages. The volume brings together new and unseen photographs by the duo, thoughtfully curated and designed by Tom Booth Woodger. Text by Ellen Miles further deepens the conversation, offering thought-provoking insights into the human connection to nature.
Reconstructed Nature will be released on December 5.
Winter Flowers Week at The Garden Museum
For the second year in a row, The Garden Museum will host a week-long celebration of seasonal flowers and foliage, transforming its space into an immersive winter wonderland. Featuring captivating floral installations by Frida Kim, Harriet Parry, JamJar Flowers, Sophie Powell, and Wagner Kreusch, the event spotlights sustainable floristry through the exclusive use of sustainably sourced, British-grown flowers. This year’s contributors bring a rich blend of inspirations: Frida draws from the unspoiled Korean countryside where she grew up, while Harriet expresses her passion for art, fashion, and film.
Winter Flowers Week is on at The Garden Museum from December 5 – 9.
Manchester Collective and SHE Choir with The Landing
Manchester community garden The Landing and seasonal Stockport-based restaurant Where The Light Gets In have organised an intimate concert in the historic St. Mary’s Church, known locally as ‘The Hidden Gem’. Led by Manchester Collective, a string quartet known for blending classical and contemporary sounds, the recital will incorporate Nordic folk music, pieces by J.S. Bach, and special readings. Inclusive music group SHE Choir will support the ensemble with unique arrangements of well-loved melodies. Enjoy mulled wine provided by Where The Light Gets In and beer from local brewery Track, alongside festive treats.
Manchester Collective and SHE Choir will perform at St. Mary's Church, Stockport on December 14.
Socks: The Art of Care and Repair at NOW Gallery
NOW Gallery's 2024 Fashion Commission highlights and encourages the act of mending. In Socks: The Art of Care and Repair, textile artist Celia Pym will present a colourful installation of 488 socks; once industry waste, each sock has been revived by the Surrey Square Primary School community in Southwark using simple darning techniques. Children, staff, and families learned the skill through a series of workshops facilitated by Celia in early 2024. The exhibition, which will also include a tapestry of mended socks belonging to the artist’s loved ones, aims to foster a playful and creative attitude towards repair. The TOAST community is welcome to join the private view on Thursday 5 December from 6pm.
Socks: The Art of Care and Repair is on at NOW Gallery from December 6.
Words by Bébhinn Campbell.
Image 1: Carly Rogers, Winter Flowers Week 2023 at the Garden Museum. Photo by Aloha Bonser-Shaw.
Image 2: Installation view, The Shape of Here at Make Hauser & Wirth Somerset. Courtesy of the artists and Hauser & Wirth. Photo by Dave Watts.
Image 3: Reconstructed Nature, courtesy of Luke & Nik.
Image 4 & 5: Frida Kim, Winter Flowers Week 2023 at the Garden Museum. Photo by Aloha Bonser-Shaw.
Image 6: Manchester Collective, photo by Mike Skelton.
Image 7: Celia Pym, photo by Suki Dhanda.
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