And so finally it's Friday, and as always the weekend lies ahead, vacant and inviting, ready to be filled with plans a-plenty. And while my weekend routine used to go a little something like this: Friday, afterwork drinks, Saturday: too hungover to move, Saturday night: house party/drinks with friends, Sunday: too hungover to move, I resolved that 2012 would be different. No more spending the day in bed, wasting away the weekend only for Monday morning to come around with me wondering how on earth Saturday and Sunday had passed me by so quickly. This year would be different - I would curl up in coffee shops and people gaze, Saturday afternoons would be filled with walks and museum visits; Sunday lunches with friends passing the time in rustic pubs.
Consequently, these days I always have my ear to the ground listening out for cultural going-ons worth a slice of my spare time. And so, this Saturday afternoon you'll find me looking terribly grown up, traipsing round the Halcyon Gallery, admiring their inaugural exhibition by Dale Chihuly. Despite only recently having opened their flagship gallery on New Bond Street, the museum has already welcomed more than 30,000 visitors through their doors, wherein they're showcasing 57 specially created glass sculptures curated over three floors.
Internationally celebrated artist Chihuly is widely regarded as the most exciting and impressive artist working in contemporary glass. Anyone who has seen his monumental glass 'Chandelier' in the entrance hall of the V&A Museum will know that Chihuly does not do things by half and his ambitious approach to his installations and sprawling creations is truely awe-inspiring. Chihuly has revolutionised the way glass is used and turned it into a groundbreaking fine art with his use of vibrant colours and installations that defy the laws of gravity. The exhibition will feature new work specific to the gallery including a 24 foot long Mille Fiori garden of glass and a two storey Gold and Quartz Two Tier Chandelier as well as drawings and paintings by the artist.
The exhibition runs until the 31st March at the Halcyon Gallery, 144-146 New Bond Street, London.