EVENT: Sir John Soane's Museum

There’s something magical going on at the Soane after dark. Take a late-night trip to the famous museum and you'll find its hallways and chambers illuminated by the flickering glow of candles. With edible sculpture fragments from AVM Curiosities and delicious Hendrick's Gin cocktails to be tried, it’s the perfect winter warmer to kick off the Christmas season.
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Sir John Soane's Museum | 13 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3BP | Friday 4 December 2015 | 6.30-9.30pm | Tickets £30 available here (price includes two cocktails).

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Turron Tasting MENU

1.

3.

2.

4.

1.
The Toilet of Venus ('The Rokeby Venus')
(1647-51, Diego Velázquez)
Paired with a Honey and Rosewater Nougat

2.
ŸThe Infant Saint John with the Lamb
(1660-5, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo)
Paired with a Sheep’s Milk Chocolate Turrón

3.
ŸSaint Margaret of Antioch
(1630-4, Francisco de Zurbarán)
Paired with a Dragon Fruit and Almond Nougat

4.
ŸPhilip IV hunting Wild Boar (La Tela Real)
(probably 1632-7, Diego Velázquez)
Paired with a Red Wine and Dark Chocolate Turrón

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Turrón Tasting Menu | Room 30 |
The National Gallery, London | 27 November 2015.
Produced by AVM Curiosities, presented by Tasha Marks.

PHOTOS: The Calavera Cabinet

The Calavera Cabinet | 2015

AVM Curiosities in collaboration with Anatomy Boutique and Conjurer's Kitchen
Mixed media with dark and white chocolate, sugar, roses, chilli, marigold essence and fiori di sicilia in antique cabinet

Exhibited at the British Museum 30 October - 2 November 2015
Photos: Reme Campos

EVENT: Day of the Dead

As part of The British Museum's Day of the Dead celebrations, AVM Curiosities present an exclusive sugar sculpture shrine; embellished with crystallised roses, chocolate Mexican Milagros and edible iconography. Made exclusively for the weekend's festivities, the piece will be on show in the North side of the Great Court from Friday 30th October - Monday 2nd November.

Along with AVM's bespoke creations, there will be chocolate skulls by Conjurer’s Kitchen and wallpaper by Anatomy Boutique in the display. A testament to the transience of its materials, this deliciously macabre confection is a celebration of the subjects of life, death and time.

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The Calavera Cabinet | part of the Day of the Dead Late | The British Museum, London WC1B 3DG | MAIN EVENT: Friday 30 October 2015 | 6.30–9.30pm | FREE.

PHOTOS: Soundscapes Late

AVM Curiosities & Gastrophonic present An Allegory of Love: Sensory Adventure | Soundscapes Late at The National Gallery, London | Friday 4 September.

Photos: Keiko Yamazaki

EVENT: Soundscapes Late

Join us on Friday September 4th for an evening of special events inspired by the Soundscapes exhibition at The National Gallery. Enjoy a pop-up bar with live music from DJ Kit Grill in partnership with NTS Radio; improve your drawing skills at one of the gallery's Talk and Draw sessions; and immerse yourself in a sensory experience with Gastrophonic and AVM Curiosities.

Taking Garofalo's 'An Allegory of Love' as our inspiration, Gastrophonic and AVM Curiosities have collaborated to create a multi-sensory interpretation of this 16th century masterpiece: using colour, aroma and a sonic backdrop to tell 3 stories, of 1 painting, using 5 senses. There will be two sessions over the course of the evening, running at 7pm & 8pm, entry is free but there are limited places, allocated on a first come, first served basis.

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Garofalo. An Allegory of Love. 1527-39 © The National Gallery, London

The Soundscapes Late is also your last chance to catch an after-hours opening of the exhibition, with the Gallery staying open until 9pm. Soundscapes is an immersive and site specific exhibition, inviting visitors to ‘hear’ the painting and ‘see’ the sound. The exhibition features musicians and sound artists including Nico Muhly, Jamie xx, Susan Philipsz, Chris Watson, Gabriel Yared, and Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, who have each created unique compositions inspired by paintings from the National Gallery’s collection.

Soundscapes Late | National Gallery, Sainsbury Wing, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN | Friday 4 September, 6-9pm | FREE Admission to Gallery and Special Events (Soundscapes Exhibition £5-10 Entry).

PHOTOS: Queen Caroline's Garden Party

Queen Caroline's Garden Party | with AVM Curiosities's 18th Century Ice-Cream Parlour | Kensington Palace, London | In collaboration with Jolly Nice Ice Cream | 21-23 August 2015. Photos: Paul Singer

PHOTOS: Ice Cream Workshops

7 pints of custard, 16kg of ice, and 5 tours of Kensington Palace later, and our series of 18th century ice cream workshops are complete! Here's a little taste of what we got up to, and a teaser of what to expect at the Georgian Festival this weekend! 

18th Century Ice Cream Workshops (11-14 year olds) | Kensington Palace, London | 17 & 18 August 2015 | Group leaders; Tasha Marks (AVM Curiosities) & Sarah Philips (Historic Royal Palaces).

FREE ICE CREAM WORKSHOPS

Really pleased that the ice cream history workshops at Kensington Palace are now available to single sign-ups (previously it was groups only). If you know any 11-14 year olds that would be interested in learning more about 18th century ice cream, then there are still places available in the 11.00-12.30 & 4.00-5.30 sessions. We’ll be tasting unusual ingredients, handling antique moulds, exploring Queen Caroline’s rooms in the palace, and making ice cream the Georgian way, using ice and salt to freeze custard! 

Participants will also get free entry (and a free ice cream for them and a friend) to Queen Caroline’s Garden Party the weekend after. If you know someone in this age bracket who would love to attend then please email Historic Royal Palace on [Kensingtonlearning@hrp.org.uk] to reserve your FREE place. 

Also please pass around to any parents or school groups you know! Thank you! 

Tasha (and the AVM team) x

EVENT: 18th Century Ice-Cream Parlour

This summer, Queen Caroline cordially invites families to join her for a garden party in the grounds of Kensington Palace. Don a powdered wig, perfect your best bows and curtseys, and enjoy an audience with the Queen, as the glittering Georgian Court takes to the palace gardens for a summer celebration of music, dancing, ice cream, and theatre.

The palace will be turned inside out for the weekend, as tents pop up in the beautiful ornamental gardens, each packed with special activities representing different aspects of court life. In the ‘Dressing Room’, dress to impress as one of Queen Caroline’s courtiers, try on costumes for size and sample the art of Georgian makeup; hear all the latest whispers from court in the ‘Queen’s Library’; get a Han-del on some eighteenth century tunes in the music tent; and discover the history of Georgian ice-cream in the 'Ice-House' with AVM Curiosities, sampling authentic 18th century flavours courtesy of Jolly Nice Ice Cream.

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Queen Caroline's Garden Party | with AVM Curiosities's 18th Century Ice-Cream Parlour | Kensington Palace, London W8 4PX | 21-23 August 2015 | 10am-5pm | Entry free with a ticket to Kensington Palace (Adults £17.50 / Children under 16 free).

PHOTOS: The Poetry of Toast

The Poetry of Toast | Barbican Art Gallery | 19 July 2015
Photos © Amandine Alessandra courtesy of DesignMarketo

More Poetry of Toast

Only two days to go until The Poetry of Toast at the Barbican! Entry to the toast workshops are free but you must have a ticket to the Station to Station exhibition to enter.

Alongside a range of historical, toast related objects there will be a series of laser cut stencils to decorate your toast with quotes from literary history...

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Though we eat little flesh and drink no wine,
Yet let's be merry; we'll have tea and toast;
Custards for supper, and an endless host
Of syllabubs and jellies and mincepies,
And other such ladylike luxuries.
- Percy Bysshe Shelley

The Poetry of Toasts runs from 12.30-2.30pm on Sunday the 19th of July, however the exhibition is open all day with "happenings" from Marcus Coates, Olafur Eliasson, and Jeremy Deller. For more info and to buy tickets please click here.

The Poetry of Toast | Part of the DesignMarketo residency at Doug Aitken's Station to Station at the Barbican | Barbican Art Gallery, Silk St, London EC2Y 8DS | Sunday July 19th 12.30-2.30pm.

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Photos: Tasha Marks

The Poetry of Toast

From Edward Lear to Alice in Wonderland, the nostalgic appeal of hot buttered toast is referenced in literature throughout the ages. For many, the smell of toast is one of the most comforting and homely aromas we can imagine.

On July 19th, join AVM Curiosities for the Poetry of Toast, part of the DesignMarketo residency at Station to Station at the Barbican, where the literary, olfactory and nostalgic powers of toast will be explored…  

The Poetry of Toast | part of Design Marketo: Grains of Thought at Doug Aitken's Station to Station | Barbican Art Gallery, Silk St, London EC2Y 8DS | Sunday July 19th 12.30-2.30pm.

Art Car Boot Fair, London

Pleased to announce that AVM Curiosities will be showing with Herrick Gallery at the Art Car Boot Fair this year! If you haven't been to this event before, it's a great day out, here's what to expect in their own words...

'For 2015 we’re packing even more into our fabulous Brick Lane car park with over 80 artists,  amazing new art commissions on CAR BONNETS, astonishing art bargains just for the day and some amazing performances!  Anyone with a few quid in their pocket can become a collector for the afternoon, and there’s so much to do and see besides! The wonderful spirit of the Art Car Boot Fair gets a fresh injection of talent every year and all artists are hand picked to let their hair down and flog their fabulous art from their car boots! You’d be hard pushed to beat it! Over 70 pitches, with Gavin Turk, Sir Peter Blake, Marcus Harvey & Turps Banana, Bob & Roberta Smith, Polly Morgan, Mat Collishaw Billy Childish, Jessica Voorsanger, Pure Evil, Ian Dawson, Le Gun, David David, the Bethnal Greeen Working Men’s Club and so many more!'

Art Car Boot Fair, Brick Lane, London | Sunday 14th June 2015, 12-6pm | For more information please visit the website...

Art Yard Sale, Brighton

Look out for AVM Curiosities at the ArtRepublic Art Yard Sale in Brighton this Sunday, May 31st. We'll be selling limited edition runs of Sweet Tooth (hard-carved sugar teeth), Cherry and Rose flavour Edible Bubbles, Spice Prints and sugar sculptures. The fair opens at 11am in Jubilee Square and finishes at 5pm. Hope to see you there!

The Art of Spice

Here’s a sneaky peek at the first batch of spice prints for ‎Aromatic Art at the Southbank Centre. Kashmiri Chilli Powder and Dried Lime in case you were wondering….

Aromatic Art: The Spice Print Edition | World of Zing Bar & Gallery, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX | 15-25 May 2015  (12pm-9pm) | Free Entry.

The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets

The tag line to AVM Curiosities has always been ‘a mixture of the silly and cerebral’ so following the edible bubble event (which was more on the silly side) it’s lovely to announce that ’The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets’ is now available as a Kindle version, and then in Hardback from June 2015. Alongside eminent food historians such as Ivan Day, Laura Mason and Sidney Mintz there is also an introduction to Mrs Beeton by Tasha Marks (aka AVM Curiosities)!

Sweets have a special hold on our senses. Whether it’s taffy or turnovers, sandesh or sherbet, maple sugar or macarons, our enjoyment of sweets is informed by traditions and memories. This encyclopedia explores sweet things globally and across time, from the honeycombs our ancestors gathered to the crackly nougatine of today’s experimental chefs. But its greatest achievement is that, in over 900 intellectually nourishing pages, it never neglects the senses. Like the medieval subtleties that entertained royal diners with elaborate conceits, this book is playful, surprising, and always-captivating.

(Heston Blumenthal)

Obsidian Air Soundtrack

Really pleased to announce that to accompany tonight's Obsidian Air event at the V&A, the amazingly talented Gazelle Twin has provided us with a soundtrack. Expect ominous and magical audio in equal measure... 

TRACK LIST:

Tachikawa - Yasuaki Shimizu
1981 Yamaha CS70M - Benge
(water) - Aphex Twin
Birds of Tin - Bill Nelson
20 Jazz Funk Greats - Throbbing Gristle
Chemistry - Jon Hassell
MERSH - Dean Blunt
White Cluster - CVLTS
GAS II - GAS
Belly of the Beast (Tom Demac Remix) - Gazelle Twin/Tom Demac
Left Half- Katie Gately
In The Air I - Tim Hecker
Happy Now - Great Pagans (Bernholz Remix)
Untitled - Bernholz
Boutique Joy - Yasuaki Shimizu
1985 Yamaha CX5m - Benge

Gazelle Twin

UPCOMING: Obsidian Air

‘Fashion is a big bubble, and sometimes I feel like popping it.’

- Alexander McQueen

As part of the Alexander McQueen Friday Late at the V&A, AVM Curiosities present London’s first completely edible bubbles. The interactive installation takes a murky black liquid, and transforms it into beautiful orbs of light. The tension between beauty and the grotesque is explored as the black bubbles float freely around the space only to be ravenously consumed by the viewer.

In celebration of McQueen’s legacy the piece is both silly and cerebral: a comment on the dark undercurrents of his life and work, and yet also, more poignantly, a proclamation of creativity, nostalgia and fun.

Obsidian Air by AVM Curiosities | Spectacle of the Species: Friday Late | Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL | 27th March 2015 | 6.30-10pm | FREE ENTRY.

CATALOGUE: The Future is Not What it Used To Be

The Future is Not What it Used To Be, published in conjunction with the 2014 Istanbul Design Biennial, essays by Zoe Ryan and Meredith Carruthers.