MARY CONWAY applauds the revival of a tense, and extremely funny, study of men, money and playing cards
London Fest architecture
UNDER THREAT: Cressingham Gardens Paul Wall/Wikipedia
MEHDI ACHOUCHE explores the constant fascination of cinema with Marxist alienation from Fritz Lang and Chaplin to Bong Joon Ho
FIONA O’CONNOR steps warily through a novel that skewers many of the exposed flanks of the over-privileged
MARY CONWAY applauds the study of a dysfunctional family set in an Ireland that could be anywhere
MICK MCSHANE is roused by a band whose socialism laces every line of every song with commitment and raw passion
New releases from Mountain, Soul Asylum and Michael McDermott
ALEX HALL is disgusted by the misuse of ‘emotional narratives’ to justify uninformed geo-political prejudice
The theme of the 2020 London Festival of Architecture (LFA) is power and its press release asserts: “[LFS] exists to democratise the discussion about architecture and our city.”
A timely sentiment as for years all we had is solitary “voices in the wilderness,” expressing major concerns about the status quo, and the deaf ears of officialdom.
The dramatic shift of power in London in favour of developers accelerated after the first mayorship of Ken Livingstone. It eroded democratic processes by excluding the city’s ordinary inhabitants from any decision-making, particularly about housing.
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MICHAL BONCZA recommends a compact volume that charts the art of propagating ideas across the 20th century
MICHAL BONCZA reviews Cairokee gig at the London Barbican
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JAN WOOLF speaks to Richard Bradbury about his creative initiative in adult education, Riversmeet, and the political trajectory of the work
While applauding the emphasis on re-use, ROBERT GROVER examines the elitist bias of the prize towards south-east England
MICHAL BONCZA recommends a photographic sojourn around London housing estates that defined post WWII British civic architecture