Next week will see the return of Frieze, London’s most famous art fair. In the meantime, art lovers can visit Art London, which opens today on the grounds of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea. Relaxed and eclectic, it offers a mix of works by internationally renowned names and emerging artists, with pieces selling at every price range, from a few hundred pounds to over a million.

Over the last fifteen years, London has built reputation as one of the leading capitals of art, alongside New York and Paris. And while contemporary Frieze rightfully deserves its title of most prestigious fair, the less specialised (and less intimidating) Art London provides a larger public with access to modern art, combining blue chip historical and contemporary art in a friendly and relax atmosphere.

Now in its 12th year, Art London has got 70 art galleries from the UK and around the world exhibiting their works in a marquee at the Chelsea Royal Hospital. And while the works on display may appear slightly random, with a surprising mix of old and new, very famous and totally unknown, ultra conservative and shockingly brash, Art London has the immense advantage to appeal to a very broad spectrum of clients, both in terms of taste and finance, with interesting pieces selling from 300 pounds to over one million. read more

Groundbreaking light artist Chris Levine, who shot to fame in 2004 when he was invited to take 3D pictures of the Queen in Buckingham Palace, has collaborated with Grace Jones in a series of futuristic portraits of the singer, model and actress the exhibition Stillness at the Speed of Light. Check it out at the Vinyl Factory gallery in Soho …

Looking for an edgy alternative to the Grace Kelly exhibition at the V&A? Look no further than the Vinyl Factory in Soho, which is now showing a series of 3D, hologram-like portraits of this other Grace legend, the iconic singer, model and actress Grace Jones.

The Jamaican-born Jones (61), who has inspired artists from Andy Warhol to Jean-Paul Goude (with whom she has a son), met Levine in 2008 when he created some laser work for her comeback tour at the Royal Albert Hall. The show was such a success that they decided to collaborate on an exhibition together. read more

The first major exhibition of Vincent Van Gogh’s work to be shown in London for over 40 years, The Real Van Gogh: The Artist and His Letters features some of the great painter’s most famous masterpieces, as well as original letters and drawings: not to be missed! read more

Featuring live fashion shoots with leading photographers, new short films, experimental projects and video castings where members of the public can model themselves, Fashion Revolution, conceived by leading photographer Nick Knight, is Somerset House’s first major fashion exhibition.

Launched on 17 September at Somerset House to coincide with London Fashion Week, SHOWstudio: Fashion Revolution is the first in a series of exhibitions produced by Somerset House to focus on the subject of fashion. This exhibition is the brainchild of Nick Knight, considered as one of the world’s most influential fashion photographer and director of SHOWstudio.com, the award-winning fashion website he launched in 2000.

Knight’s advertising campaigns have included clients such as Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent and Lancôme, as well as award-winning photography for Vogue, Dazed & Confused and i-D magazines. His work has been exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Saatchi Gallery. Not to be missed is the live photographic studio located within the exhibition space, hosting regular shoots with Nick Knight and other leading fashion photographers, laying bare the process of image-making. read more

First published in 1949, Simone de Beauvoir’s groundbreaking study of women is the seminal work in the history of feminism, and the book from the existentialist movement that has had the most enduring impact. However, despite its cult status, this international bestseller had never until now been properly translated in English. To mark the 60th anniversary of publication, Constance Borde and Sheila Malovany-Chevallier, two American writers and professors who have lived in Paris for over forty years, have produced the first integral English-translation, complete and unabridged. Here, they talk to Chic-Londres about their work.

How did you decide to create a new translation of the Second Sex?

Because the existing translation, which was forty years old, was very bad. At the time it was done, the publishers at Knopf thought the American public wasn’t ready for such a long and complicated text, so decided the translation should be shorter and simplified. They also considered that its main subject was sex, hence their decision to hire a zoologist specialised in sexual reproduction to translate the book, despite the fact that this man, Howard Madison Parshley, knew nothing about existentialism and the Hegelian concepts at its core. The fact that he was a man might also explain his decision to erase the whole chapter on History, where Simone de Beauvoir wrote about thirty exceptional women -scientists, writers, army generals…- who never made it into History books. We discovered the translation in 1999, during an event to celebrate the book’s 50th anniversary. As American feminists living in Paris, a new translation immediately seemed to us like an obvious and exciting project, all the more that many American professors and journalists had already started to campaign for a new translation.
What can one learn from a book on women written sixty years ago, before their sexual and social emancipation? read more

The Hoerengracht, an installation artwork by American artists Ed and Nancy Kienholz, transforms the Sunley Room into a walk-through evocation of Amsterdam’s prostitution district: provocative, controversial and powerful.

A few reasons to go and see this exhibition…

The Royal Academy presents a major -and very impressive- solo exhibition of internationally acclaimed artist Anish Kapoor, winner of the 1991 Turner Prize and one of the most influential sculptors of his generation: an absolute must-see for Art lovers!

About Anish Kapoor:

Art lovers, take note: an international line-up of respected artists, filmmakers, designers, curators and cultural commentators -which this year includes acclaimed French filmmaker Agnès Varda and bestselling author Marie Darrieussecq- will form part of Frieze Talks 2009, a daily programme of keynotes lectures, panel debates and discussions during Frieze Art Fair. read more

Valentine Day is upon us again, with its abundance of commercial offers and overbooked restaurants. But for the romantic amongst you who’d rather avoid clichéd candlelight dinners and heart-shaped pink presents, Chic-Londres has asked Sam Hodges and Sophie Vickers, authors of the lovely and rather quirky London for Lovers Guide, to select some of their favourite spots. Perfect to get off the beaten track in London, and find romance in the most curious places…

For foodies: Lunch at Petersham Nurseries Set up by long term residents of Petersham House, Gael and Francesco Boglione, Petersham Nurseries is their very own little piece of Eden, with salvaged artworks, potted plants and beautiful kitchenalia from all over the world dotted amongst the herbaceous borders. Where else to eat food cooked by award-winning chefs overlooked by an Antony Gormley sculpture?  Richmond Park is a stones throw away to work off your lunch.www.petershamnurseries.com

For History buffs:  Dennis Severs House Dennis Severs, an American artist who moved in London in the 60s, was always eccentric: his first business venture consisted of running horse-drawn open carriage tours entitled “See Something Different Graciously” around Hyde Park. His 18th century candlelit house, which he described as a “time machine” recreating what life would have been like for a family of Huguenot silk weavers, is mindblowing, thanks to its attention to detail and emotional depth. www.dennissevershouse.co.uk read more

The Historic house, former home of Victoria and Diana, reopens on the 26th March following a £12 million major renovation project by independent charity Historic Royal Palaces. Chic-Londres went for a preview and the result is amazing: stylish, entertaining and interesting, with a new design that wittily blends historical features and contemporary touches. Expect a total transformation, with new public gardens and new exhibitions centred on Queen Victoria and Princess Diana, the Palace’s most famous residents, and a complete renovation of the State rooms. A great outing… and now it’s even free for children.

What to expect:

Theatrical installations Historic Royal Palaces has worked with theatre-makers Coney and the award winning set designer Joanna Scotcher to radically transform the magnificent State Apartments. Stories about some of the most interesting monarchs from the Houses of Stuart and Hanover have been brought to life through beautiful and intriguing new installations that explores different stages of the dynasty. Elements of the historic collection are displayed alongside specially created interactive pieces, original soundscapes, animation and beautiful lighting, with the addition of magic mirrors, whisper machines and a magnificent family tree rooted in the Queen’s bedroom. read more

Wizards’ lovers, rejoice! The 31st of March will see the opening of The Making of Harry Potter at the Warner Bros London studios, where the biggest film series in history was made over ten years. For the first time, fans will get the chance to set foot on the actual sets from the movies, as well as discover all the original props and costumes. This unique attraction, which takes about three hours to complete, gives its visitors a “behind the scenes” look at the creative process of production. There’s even an opportunity to get one’s photo taken riding a broomstick, which promises to be particularly popular amongst the little ones- although very fun too for the grown-ups. Chic-Londres visited the studio ahead of its official opening, and reveals below some of the film’s “secrets” discovered during the tour.

The Great Hall The ceiling in the Great Hall -one of the most impressive of all sets on display-was inspired by the arched timber ceiling of Westminster Hall and created using visual effects. During production of the first film, the heat from the flames burnt through the wires and the floating candles fell onto the tables- the floating candles were created digitally afterwards.

The Dormitory Originally constructed for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the beds were much too small for the boys by the latter films, and the actors eventually had to curl up to keep their legs and feet from hanging over the ends during shooting. read more

Remember the brightly painted elephants’ sculptures on parade in London last year? This year, they have been replaced by 209 giant eggs decorated by some of the world’s leading artists, architects, designers and jewellers, before being hidden in secret locations throughout central. Starting on Tuesday 21st February and finishing 3rd April, the Fabergé Big Egg Hunt is challenging the public to take on the world’s biggest Easter egg hunt- fun, beautiful and all for charity.

Easter egg hunts don’t come any more arty, glam or prestigious than that, with Londoners being challenged to find in their streets 209 giant sculptural eggs designed, embellished and decorated by the like of Sir Ridley Scott, Zandra Rhodes, Diane Von Furstenberg, Marc Quinn, the Chapman Brothers, Zaha Hadid and Polly Morgan.

Sponsored by luxury house Fabergé, this Big Egg Hunt is set to smash Guinness World Records for the “Most participants in an Easter egg hunt” and the “Most expensive non-jewelled chocolate egg sold at auction”, as designed by William Curley. A highlight of The Big Egg Hunt is the chance to win the Diamond Jubilee Egg, a Fabergé creation valued at over £100,000. Crafted from 500 grams of 18 carat rose gold, the design features 60 gemstones set in a quilted rose gold surface and comprising of diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires. read more

Horseracing should attract a whole new fan base this summer, thanks to a series of top acts performances organised over a three months period. For the second year running, the Jockey Club is hosting a series of concerts in ten of its courses, including Newmarket and Epsom Downs, which caters for all tastes, from pop sensation Eliza Doolittle, neo-disco band The Scissor Sisters and X-Factor darlings Rebecca Ferguson and Alexandra Burke, to old favourites like Tom Jones, The Beach Boys and Blondie. Not to be outdone, Goodwood is also organising its own top music nights, with DJs Chris Evans and Mark Ronson closing the meetings with evening concerts in June.

Horseracing might be the UK’s second most popular sport, but it can hardly be described as the most musically trendy one- although that might change, once the Sussex Downs are rocked by the sounds of top DJ Mark Ronson at Goodwood on the 17thof June and that charts’ favourite Scouting for Girls inject their own brand of dancy pop in Epsom on the 14th of July.

In total, the Jockey Club is hosting 31 top music acts combined with horseracing at ten of its courses over the summer. While Eliza Doolittle will perform the penultimate show on 23rd August at the Warwick racecourse, the three month season of music will also include Tom Jones, The Scissor Sisters, Boyzone, Blondie, X-Factor favourites Rebecca Ferguson and Alexandra Burke, James Blunt, Jools Holland, Texas and The Beach Boys, amongst others. Goodwood racecourse, while not part of the Jockey Club, will also have horseracing lovers in a spin with Chris Evans and Mark Ronson taking to the decks at the Friday nights races on 10 and 17 June. read more

Love is in the air, so why not make the most of next weekend -or of any weekend for that matter- to discover some of the most romantic houses, castles and outdoor places to be found in the English and Welsh countryside. Here, the National Trust lists for Chic-Londres its ten idyllic havens of love and romance.

Polesden Lacey (Surrey) This is the place where King George VI and the late Queen Mother spent part of their honeymoon, and still a favourite for new lovers, who will enjoy a walk amidst the beautiful landscape of the North Downs and its stunning rose garden.

Claremont Landscape Garden (Surrey) In 1816, this estate was given as a wedding gift to Princess Charlotte of Wales, the heir to the throne as the only child of George IV. She lived there until she died and the estate was later passed on to Queen Victoria. read more

Situated at 81 Fulham Road is Chelsea, Michelin House has celebrated its 100th anniversary on 20 January. Constructed in 1911 as the first permanent UK headquarters and tyre depot for the Michelin Tyre Company and now housing the Conran Shop, it remains one of the most recognisable buildings in London, and a fine example of French architectural craftsmanship in the British capital.

Did you know?

-Michelin House was designed by one of Michelin’s employees, François Espinasse. Although not a trained or qualified architect, Espinasse had been responsible for the design and construction of Michelin’s then headquarters in Paris in 1907. Conceived in an original style that borrowed from the Art Nouveau style while at the same time anticipating the Arts Decos movement of the 1920s, it was a radical departure from contemporary architectural ideas at the time.

-Michelin House was the first building in London to be built from ferro-concrete, a technique which made possible an innovative semi-open plan arrangement across all three floors. From start to finish the building took only six months to complete and was officially opened on 20 January in the presence of André Michelin. read more

98 years after the tragedy that claimed more than 1,500 lives, the dramatic story of the Titanic still resonates. This new exhibition, the most ambitious ever, displays extensive room recreations alongside more than 300 artefacts -including some never seen before- and provides the first opportunity to view exclusive footage from the last Titanic expedition in summer 2010.

Few stories fascinate as much as the tragedy of the Titanic, the world’s largest ship which sank on 15 April 1912 after colliding with an iceberg, claiming 1,500 lives. Opening November 5th, this new exhibition showcases more than 300 legendary artefacts -including 14 never seen before- conserved from the Ship’s debris field, extensive room recreations as well as never before seen footage from the most ambitious expedition to Titanic in history.

Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition has been designed with a focus on the legendary RMS Titanic’s compelling human stories, offering visitors a poignant look at this iconic ship and its passengers, whose lives were abruptly ended or forever altered. Perfume from a maker who was traveling to New York to sell his samples, china etched with the logo of the elite White Star Line, the Ship’s porthole, wheel and telegraph and even a pocket watch belonging to an elite passenger, as well as many other authentic objects that offer haunting, emotional connections to the passengers. read more

Now in its fourth year, the small but perfectly formed -and rather glamorous- Pavilion of Art & Design is back in London, with fifty of the most respected international dealers gathering on Berkeley Square from 13 to 17 October. Expect some iconic pieces from 1860 to the present in the fields of modern art, design, decorative arts, photography and tribal arts…

It is this time of the year again, when Frieze -London’s most famous art fair- brings together art lovers and collectors, in a frenzy of exhibitions, openings and parties. Of all the satellite events organised to coincide with Frieze, the Pavilion of Art & Design London (or “PAD”)- is one of the most successful, and has gone from strength to strength since its creation four years ago.

Founded by Frenchmen Patrick Perrin and Stéphane Custot, respectively based in Paris and London, PAD presents a historical panorama of covetable pieces from 1860 to the present, brought together by galleries from London, Paris, New York, Milan, Geneva, Barcelona, Brussels and Zurich. Small but perfectly formed, and with a relaxed atmosphere, it has the added bonus to be centrally located in Mayfair and sufficiently edited to be entirely browsed during the lunch pause. read more

After an ambitious £12 million restoration plan and two years of work onsite managed by English Heritage, the magnificent Chiswick House Gardens are back to their former glory, recovering the original vistas and design from decades of disrepair: a good reason to go and visit this historical place, which includes one of the most beautiful houses in London as well as 65 acres of gardens known as the birthplace of the English Landscape Movement.

Chiswick House -the first example of neo-Palladian design in England- was completed in 1729 by the third Earl of Burlington as an homage to Renaissance architect Palladio and as an evocation of the glories of Ancient Rome, taking inspiration from his “grand tours” of Italy. It was never conceived as a residence in its own right but rather as an architectural experiment where Lord Burlington could display his art collection and entertain his friends. However, it subsequently became home to successive members of Lord Burlington’s family, including the celebrated Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, often described as the “Lady Di” of her times (and played on screen by Keira Knightley in the film The Duchess). read more

This walk, set around a charming stately home converted into a free museum, has got to be one of the most romantic and scenic in London, which attracts lovers, dog walkers, young families and culture vultures, for its history, art and open air concerts.

Kenwood House in short:

Carnaby Street might be perceived -with good cause- as a bit of a tourist trap. Yet, the pedestrian shopping area, which celebrates this year its 50th anniversary as an independant fashion centre, remains an iconic destination for anyone interested in the Sixties, with its history currently celebrated in an exhibition about its status as the symbol of Swinging London.

A bit of History

In the 16th century, the Carnaby area was made of open fields used by the Court as a hunting ground. Because the huntsman used the cry “So-o” rather than “Tally-o”, the area became subsequently known as Soho Fields. Its boundaries were Oxford Street, running east to west, and Swallow Street, running north to south on the line of Regent Street, as well as a small lane to the east, which later became Kingly Street.

Following the plagues of the mid 17th century and the Great Fire of 1666, the pressure to build increased, with landlord Richard Tyler starting the development of the area by building a large house in 1683 called Karnaby House, followed by the first houses of Carnaby Street, which was laid out between 1685 and 1697, with its name derived from the house. Meanwhile, Major Foubert, a French Huguenot émigré, established the Royal Riding Foubert’s Academy on the south side of Tyler Street, now Foubert’s Place. A market was developped in the 1820s to provide the surrounding streets. read more