The FIFA Museum celebrates the Women's World Cup with a new collection, Accidental Wes Anderson arrives in London and Godzilla stomps through cinemas.
ADVERTISEMENTHo, ho, ho-w do you fancy hearing about some of the coolest things happening around Europe this week?
There's everything from godly art in Rome, to curious illustrations in Paris, to royal drama on Netflix.
And if you're looking to soundtrack your perusal of this list with some Christmas tunes, can we recommend these sleigh bell-bangers?
Exhibitions
Mario Vespasiani: Eternals, Rome, Italy
A new solo exhibition by Italian artist Mario Vespasiani opened 14 December at the Historical Museum of the Carabinieri. Titled 'Eternals', it explores gods heroes and legendary figures through a series of contemporary and previously unpublished paintings. From the baptism of Jesus to portraits of Green civilisation, Vespasiani takes us through time, tradition and shared values with depictions of powerful figures infused with mythology; a contemplation of the spiritual, unseen forces that shape us.
FIFA Museum, Zürich, Switzerland
Home to one of the largest collections of football objects in the world, the FIFA Museum recently acquired nearly 400 new objects from the most iconic moments of the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, which are on display now. These include shorts worn by England captain Millie Bright, who led the Lionesses to the FIFA Women’s World Cup final for the first time; Zambian footballer Barbra Banda’s boots, which she wore as she scored the 1000th goal in the history of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and Spanish champion Jenni Hermoso’s match-issued shirt for the final against England. Together, these items tell the story of a milestone tournament that took women’s football to the next level.
Benjamin Lacombe: Freaks, Paris, France
French children's author and illustrator Benjamin Lacombe has unveiled a new exhibition titled 'Freaks' at the Galerie Daniel Maghen in Paris, open from 14 December. Inspired by the bizarre, mystical with a flare of fanciful fairytales, Lacombe's works range from mermaids to monsters. There will also be a series of unique sculptural collaboration with sculptor and miniaturist Julien Martinez.
Accidentally Wes Anderson, London, UK
Do you ever spot objects, people or places that somehow feel as though they should be in a Wes Anderson movie? A new exhibition titled 'Accidentally Wes Anderson' has captured such moments; the world through a lens of pastels, symmetry and wonderful whimsy. It all started in 2017, when husband and wife Willy and Amanda Koval began sharing their Anderson-inspired images to an Instagram account, initially as a personal project for travel inspiration. The account soon became a social media phenomenon from which a huge community of fans grew and submitted their own accidental Wes Anderson images. They have since launched a best-selling book and travelling exhibition, which is currently on in South Kensington, London until 17 February 2024.
Movies
Godzilla Minus One
Godzilla, the iconic city-stomping monster, is back. Set at the tail end of World War II in an already devastated Japan, Godzilla Minus One shows the ginormous deadly dinosaur causing more mayhem. It's up to Kamikaze pilot Kōichi Shikishima (Kamiki Ryunosuke) and a recently bereaved woman named Noriko Ōish (Minami Hamabe) to try and take it on. This marks the 37th Godzilla film in the franchise, but don't worry - you don't need to have seen them all to enjoy this roaring action romp.
Wonka
As you wait with anticipation for our Best Movies of 2023 roundup list, you could do a lot worse than to go watch Wonka, "an absolute joy of a film that’s perfect for the Christmas season." It's surprisingly strong, and doesn't betray the original - while never equalling it, mind you.
TV
The Crown
Concluding season six, part two of Peter Morgan's historical TV drama The Crown is now streaming on Netflix, covering the aftermath of Princess Diana's death, with a particular focus on Prince William's (Ed McVey) response as he pursues his studies at the University of St. Andrews, meeting future wife and Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton (Meg Bellamy).
Reacher
ADVERTISEMENTHard nut hobo Jack Reacher returns for a second series based on Lee Child's book series about a former military policeman who is constantly getting caught up in conspiracies and combat with dangerous criminals. This latest storyline sees him getting his gang back together after a former member of his military police unit is murdered under mysterious circumstances. Streaming on Prime Video from 15 December.
