Charli xcx's 'The Moment', the early drawings of Lucian Freud, and a murder mystery series set during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here's what to look out for this week.
This week's digest has got it all: Beauty, brats and big lemon floats.
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Indeed, while February might be a short month, no one could accuse it of being a boring one. New exhibitions explore everything from Renaissance beauty standards to rebellious Welsh artists, while Charli xcx's highly-anticipated mockumentary revives the spirit of Brat summer - then shoves a spear through its slime green superficialities.
Not included below, but also worth keeping on your radar, are a Louise Bourgeois exhibition in Trondheim, and Casa Batlló's ongoing celebrations in Barcelona to mark the centenary of Antoni Gaudí's death.
Until next time, have fun - and go easy on the lemons.
Exhibitions
Beauty and Ugliness in the Renaissance (Bellezza e Bruttezza)
When: 20 February - 14 June 2026
Where: Bozar (Brussels, Belgium)
In an age of Instagram filters, Brazilian butt lifts and AI actresses, our perceptions of beauty have never been more skewed. But how did we reach this point? Forever shifting depending on cultural and societal values, beauty standards notably gained importance in the 15th and 16th centuries. Brussels' Bozar marks this key shift through artists like Botticelli, Titian, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, whose works reveal the evolving distinctions between beauty and ugliness. A fascinating and timely exhibition that spotlights the malleability of perception, it also allows visitors to see some of the world's greatest masterpieces up close.
Lucian Freud: Drawing into Painting
When: Until 4 May 2026
Where: National Portrait Gallery (London, UK)
A foundational figurative artist of the 20th century, Lucian Freud remains best known for his intimate portraits of friends and family. Spontaneously captured and richly detailed, his textured paintings revealed the raw inner worlds of strangers, a practice he honed from etching hyper-realistic drawings. A rarely-seen collection of these are now on display at London's National Portrait Gallery; dynamically displayed in dialogue with Freud's later works to capture the evolution of his artistic processes.
Bonus highlight: The rebellious, freedom-chasing Welsh artist Gwen John is finally getting the attention she deserves at the National Museum of Cardiff’s ‘Strange Beauties’ exhibit - on until 28 June 2026.
Events
‘Fête du Citron’ (Lemon Festival)
When: Until 1 March 2026
Where: Menton, France
When life gives you a lemon festival, make haste to attend!
In case you weren't aware, the southern French coastal town of Menton is famous for its luminous lemons. It first organised a festival dedicated to them in 1934, hoping to encourage tourism and cement its standing as a leading European producer of the fruit. Since then it's become a cultural tradition - one of many strange but sweet (or in this case, bitter) events across the continent that brings communities together and celebrates local heritage. Expect spectacular floats decked out in oranges and lemons, lots of juice to quench your thirst, and a vibrant atmosphere that's certain to inspire more zest for life.
Space by Luxmuralis
When: 17 - 21 February
Where: St Martin-in-the-Fields (London, UK)
A spectacular celebration of light and sound, this immersive installation at London St Martin-in-the-Fields Church will transport you to galaxies far, far away. Stars, planets and solar systems swirl against their historic setting, detailing a mesmerising journey through time and space. Created by British artist and sculptor Peter Walker, he hoped to create a "modern day stained glass window" that's educational and accessible to everyone.
Movies
The Moment
Where: UK and Ireland cinemas
When: 20 February
Following the release of Wuthering Heights, Brat winter continues with Charli xcx's zeitgeist-capturing mockumentary, The Moment. A snapshot of the star at the height of her fame during 2024's Brat Summer, it's a timely commentary on the ephemeral nature of cultural trends and capitalistic 'enshittification'. As xcx battles narcissistic filmmakers, snarky dermatologists and online backlash, the slime green sheen of her success starts to slip, revealing the precariousness of building a persona that's reliant on remaining relevant.
Bonus highlight: Gore Verbinski's world-saving adventure Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die is out at select cinemas from 20 February.
TV series
56 Days
Where: Prime Video
When: 18 February
The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be an endless source of inspiration for psychological thrillers, but in 56 Days, it's merely a foundation from which a murder mystery arises. Based on Catherine Ryan Howard's novel of the same name, it follows Ciara (Dove Cameron) and Oliver (Avan Jogia), a couple who meet shortly before the first lockdown and hurriedly move in together. Cut to 56 days later and there's a decomposing body in their apartment. What happened? How did it get there? The series cuts between perspectives to pick up the pieces, exposing the dark depths of their relationship along the way.
Bonus highlight: Season 2 of Apple TV+'s thriller series The Last Thing He Told Me, about a woman searching for her missing husband, is available to stream from 20 February.
Music
Moby: Future Quiet
When: 20 February
American musician Moby is back with his 23rd - yes, you read that right - studio album. Instrumental to the electronic music scene, his genre-defying sounds and ambient sampling (especially on 'Play') once defined 90s and early 2000s dancehalls. While this influence has since dwindled, Moby's prolificness - and dedication to trialling new styles - certainly hasn't. Featuring sombre singles like 'Future Quiet' (which was also used in the final series of Stranger Things), the album prioritises gentle instrumentals to create an ethereal-feeling escape from life's loudness.
Bonus highlight: After more than a decade's hiatus, Canadian musician Peaches is releasing her seventh studio album, 'No Lube So Rude', on 20 February.
