First Thursday is a monthly open day of all the galleries around East End. It’s here that you can explore some of the most unbelievable street in London, like Vyner Street. Hidden at the end of Cambridge Heath Road, near Bethnal Green Road tube station, to a superficial eye this little street could seem just a mix of old buildings and warehouses. But especially during the First Thursday, with all the galleries open until 9 pm, you could experiment the secrete surprises of the place. Don’t be shy, enter everywhere, every door hides a new stunning art space. Drink even a glass of wine looking the more experimental new artists. The most celebrate space is the Wilkinson Gallery at numbers 50- 58 of Vyner Street. The stunning, minimalist building designed by Bobby Desai, Creative Director of Clarke and opened in September 2007 , is the first purpose built gallery in the area now famous for its thriving contemporary art gallery scene.

Another interesting gallery is Nettie Horn, at number 25 b. Until 26th April it presents Please Remain Calm, a solo exhibition of new works by Kim Rugg. After the closure of a splendid exhibition of Alex Echo’ s works, this First Thursday one of the best gallery Vine Space will be probably closed but if you are in Italy you can find it at the Rome art fair from 2nd to 5th April.
For many other info check the First Thusday website
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And after Thursday, don’t miss the first Friday event at the Tate Britain. We already spoke about Late at Tate. In April Music creative Phil Legg’s label FUTUREPROOF showcase a diverse selection of UK talent. From latest signing, leftfield/down-tempo act MAVRO with tracks from the forthcoming album Worlds Apart and YIMINO’s audio visual explorations in electronica to their friends GRASSCUT, featuring award winning film/TV composer Andrew Phillips and the soothing tones of PUBLIC SYMPHONY.
Plus SHEZAD DAWOOD in the Lightbox with his last selection for Tate Britain. Plus,it is open the exhibition “Van Dick and Britain”, open until 17th May.

If the weather is nice, there is also a real Babylon gardens in the hearth of Shoreditch. The rooftop is a green space designed by Nicola Lesbirel and Terence Conran including bar&grill. Boundary is also a very special hotel, with 12 rooms and 5 suites, inspired by different designers or design movements.

Ok, in just one building you have the perfect place to eat and sleep. But if you want something more Redchurch street is also a very special place for galleries and design. At numbers 64-66 Vegas Gallery is a contemporary Art Space now showing No end in sight, a touring group project, which brings together six artists from the UK and Ireland.

Museum 52 (at number 52, of course) is fast becoming another one of the most exciting young galleries in London, with an on-going, rotating project. Just around the corner of Redchurch there is the stunning space of the Tea Building hosting galleries and club. If you are looking for something very special let’s go for a coffee to Austin Gallery, at the end of Red Church, 119 a Bethnal Green Road. On the wall of this very simple cafe’ you’ll see all the best of street art and the basement hosts unconventional exhibitions. From Thursday February 5th there will be the first solo show of the London muralist Stik’s.

Redchurch street offers also some very unconventional shopping. You can start at the number 3, at Caravan a lovely store with everything from skirts, to lamps, to fake birds, in a very traditional but ironic English style.

Looking for the craziest furniture possible? You could do the same choice of Kylie Minogue and Kelly Osbourne, but also of Liberty and Selfridge, looking at the armchair designed by Jimmie Martin (number 5a). With his mix of Victorian and punk style he gained the award for best “New Designer in Practice” at the Design and Decorations Awards 2005. The shop is open only my appointment.

If you want something easier to travel with, but however eccentric, look at the Speedie’s a very vintage, retro, kitsch shop, at number 81.
To end your night with a drink at number 107 there is the The Redchurch. This luxury Victorian club is specialised in cocktails and punch with influences from all over the world, and during week end is open until 3 am.

Don’t miss it, free entry and open until may 9th 2009. And put on your agenda also he open date of the next exhibition “Abstract America: New Painting and Sculpture”, from 3rd june. if there is something sure in the artistic scene in London is that Saatchi is back and he will strike again.

Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York HQ building on King’s Road, Chelsea.
Tube: Sloane square.

Palladio is much loved in England.

“Probably it is because he was from Veneto, a region that shares with England a similar, in some ways protestant, work ethic . In his works you can see this seriousness, avoiding baroquesque “

says the curator Guido Beltramini, of the Centro Internazionale di Studi di Architettura Andrea Palladio, Vicenza. “All the Veneto region –Beltramini says– in the 17th e 18th century was seen as a land of freedom, for the special case of the Republic of Venice in an Europe of monarchies. This is also the reason why later Palladio’s Villa Rotonda was the model for the US president Thomas Jefferson for his project of the White House. It should be a house of free men, not monarchs”.

The architect Inigo Jones brought to England Palladio’s drawing, after a trip to Italy in 1614, making the English falling in love with his rational and innovative style. The exhibition follows Palladio’s career, from the earlier palazzi in Vicenza, with his innovative solutions for rural building to his great churches in Venice, such as the Redentore church.

There are original drawings and models of his projects, as well as his Four Books of Architecture, published in 1570 to illustrate the basic grammar and vocabulary of architecture. With five editions and translations in many languages it was a real best seller.

To have a real taste Palladio’s land, the Royal Academy offers as a related event to the exhibition “Discover Venetian cuisine with Carluccio’s Italian food specialist, Valentina Daprile”. On Friday 20 February, from 6.30 to 7.30pm you could learn more about Andrea Palladio’s much-loved Veneto region discovering (and tasting!) the origins of important Italian ingredients and Venetian dishes, at an exciting cooking demonstration.
The Admission is free but booking is required with an email.

Photo | seier

This is the magic of London: you can spend a life travelling all around seeing plenty of different attractions everywhere or, being much more lazy, but not having less fun, you can spend an entire amazing day just in one not very well known street, from breakfast to night.

The new tip in Shoreditch is to explore RINVINGTON STREET, where you can find graffiti, high fashion and tasty foods, all in one.

The day starts from Rivington Place, close to Shoreditch High Street. Designed by the architect David Adjaye OBE, this award-winning building is the first permanent space dedicated to the presentation of culturally diverse visual arts and photography in the UK.
It also hosts Lati Ri, a cafe’/bar very comfortable where you can start your day with a good breakfast or, arriving for lunch, tasting the always changing menu of healthy and international dishes.

It’s now time for relax, that is, shopping! If you love books and magazines, look around the tiny Artwords bookstore (number 65a) specialised in contemporary visual arts.

If your target is high street labels, go straight to Start, at 59. There are two shops, for men and women one opposite the other, where sales are still up to 70 per cent on clothes and accessorize by Chloe, Marc Jacobs, Sonia Rykiel.

A totally different kind of shopping is possible at the number 47, where the art gallery Stella Dore sells everything rated from £ 30 to £ 10,000.
We specially loved the fighting girls by the artist and dj Kid Acne, available on oil paints, but also on very more affordable hand drawn pizza boxes.

A bit tired after your Rivingston street day? The street provides you also the best place to have a rest. Where else if not at the Bedroom bar (number 62) where you can find a chill out room with real Indian beds for relax while sipping your cocktail.
Better don’t fall asleep however, or you could lose the dancing floor opening during the evening.

Looking for a laugh? Move next door. At numbers 66-68 there is the Comedy cafe’ with the funniest shows of Shoreditch. If you prefer dinner&dance let’s go to Cargo (number 83), the pioneers of the multi-tasking MDF concept (Music-Dance-Food) for a Spanish meal and then a night of house, electro, rap and alternative music.