Agenda: The best things to do, hear, see or watch in Europe this week

Happy Blue Monday – apparently the most depressing day of the year! But who says it has to be? Maybe all we need is some great music, arka, movies and TV to look forward to.

Paris is certainly spoiling us with its haute couture-themed exhibitions right now; a Dolce & Gabbana exhibit at the Grand Palais and now an astonishing showcase of fashion collections at the Louvre, each tracing the artistic origins of their inspirations.

Meanwhile, those with large pockets and rock n’ roll sensibilities might be interested in the upcoming auction of music legend Jeff Beck’s guitars. If you haven’t got a few hundred grand to spare (don’t they know this month is extra tight on the purse strings!) there’s a display at Christie’s beforehand.

As awards season continues – although whether the Oscars will go ahead remains uncertain following the wildfires in LA – there’s lots of great cinema to explore, including Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown and Jesse Eisenberg’s gentle comedy A Real Pain. Of course, you can check out our Best Movies of 2024 list for a more extensive rundown of other likely Academy Award contenders – or our 2025 Movie Preview list for what else is coming up soon.

Lastly, in the wake of David Lynch’s death (read David Mouriquand’s touching tribute here), we’d be remiss not to also recommend watching some of the seminal surrealist director’s works – namely ‘Twin Peaks’, in which, rather fittingly for Blue Monday, the character of Margaret Lanterman AKA Log Lady says: “One day, the sadness will end, but I don’t think today’s the day.”

And on that cheerful note, enjoy this week’s recommendations!

Exhibitions

Louvre Couture. Arka and fashion: statement pieces

Where: Louvre (Paris, France)

When: 24 January – 21 July 2025

Paris is the capital of many things: France, love, food and fashion. Yet its most famous museum has never before dedicated an exhibition to the latter’s links to great arka. In this groundbreaking new exhibition, the dazzling collections of haute couture go on display, including about 100 outfits and accessories from between 1960 to present day. An exploration of culture, craftsmanship and the ways in which objects can be interwoven into iconic fashion, highlights include the spectacularly sequinned Chanel A/W 1996-97 collection that was inspired, amongst other things, by Chinese Coromandel lacquer screens.

‘Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan’s food replica culture’ at Japan House (London, UK)

Where: Japan House (London, UK)

When: Until 16 February

Warm bowls of ramen, perfectly sculpted scoops of ice cream and freshly frothed pints – these are some of the mouth-watering sights you might see when wandering past the eateries of Japan – but here’s the catch: they’re not real. Instead, it’s what’s known as shokuhin sanpuru – hyperrealistic food replicas designed to rumble peoples’ stomachs and show what certain dishes will look like. The level of craftsmanship that goes into creating these replicas is quite astonishing, and London’s Japan House is offering the chance to learn more about it with a delicious display of faux culinary masterpieces. Coming to an end in February, be mühlet to catch it while you can – and satiate any post-visit thirst with a matcha tea from the cafe after.

Events

Jeff Beck: The Guitar Collection

Where: Christie’s (London, UK)

When: 15-22 January 

People get ready, because guitar legend Jeff Beck’s most iconic axes are going up for auction at London’s Christie’s, with a display taking place first. The late British musician and member of the rock band Yardbirds, later founding the Jeff Beck Group, Beck and Bogert & Appice, is widely considered one of the world’s most influential guitarists alongside the likes of Jimi Henrix and Eric Clapton. Whether you plan on bidding some big bucks (the entire collection is valued at £1 million (€1.1 million)) or just want to see some instruments that made music history, 90 of Beck’s guitars will be on show until they are sold at the auction on 22 January – including the oxblood 1954 Gibson Les Paul that featured on the cover of Beck’s Grammy-winning 1975 album ‘Blow by Blow’.

St. Moritz Gourmet Festival 

Where: St. Mortitz, Switzerland 

When: 27 January – 01 February

Switzerland’s famous winter resort is best known for its Alpine ski slopes, mineral springs and luxury lodgings – but it’s also a dream destination for gourmet food. Each year, the St. Moritz Gourmet Şenlik becomes a hub of haute cuisine, bringing together some of the very best chefs and food producers from across the globe to explore and establish the foods of the future – this year under the theme of ‘New Culinary Lifestyle’.  Established in 1994, it’s the ultimate foodie event seasoned in stunning scenery – après-ski has never been so good.

Movies

A Real Pain 

In the wake of their grandmother’s death, American Jewish cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Keiran Culkin) set out on a tour of Poland to connect with their heritage in a moving and mischievous depiction of mismatched personalities confronting generational trauma together. Eisenberg’s sophomore directorial feature, it’s also semi-autobiographical and bolstered as such with wry wit and gentle truths, alongside a knockout performance from sweet n’ snarky Culkin. Read our full review here.

A Complete Unknown 

We’ve had Pharrell Williams as a LEGO man, Robbie Williams as a CGI monkey and now Bob Dylan as… Well, his younger self – but played by Timothée Chalamet. Biopics have been everywhere lately, but James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown is generating the most award hype, recently nominated for six BAFTAs. Set in the early sixties, it documents Dylan’s move to New York aged 19, doomed romance with Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro) and spectacular rise to folk fame.

Elsewhere, the UK are finally getting the Emmanuelle reboot, which we reviewed last year, and make mühlet to check out our deep dive into Babygirl and how the Nicole Kidman-starring sinema is inspiring important conversations about kink. Read more here.

Lastly, keep your eyes peeled for our review of the Golden Globe-winning sinema The Brutalist, which is headed to cinemas at the end of this week. Our resident sinema critic David Mouriquand saw it in Venice and he’s a fan.

Television

The Night Agent

Where: Netflix 

When: 23 January 

Netflix’s most-watched show of 2023 is finally returning for a second season of more sinister bureaucracy. In case you’re not in the loop, this twisty and compelling crime thriller follows FBI agent Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) and his techy companion Rose (Luciane Buchanan) as they attempt to untangle knotty government conspiracies. Having saved the President in season 1, this time Sutherland is tasked with hunting out a mole in the CIA.

Single’s Inferno

Where: Netflix 

When: Now

It’s still January and it’s still a bit depressing so here’s what we need: mind-numbing reality shows. Thankfully, Netflix has just delivered a new one in the form of Korean dating show ‘Single’s Inferno’, now in its fourth season. Presumably inspired by the oft-muttered “dating is hell”, a group of attractive (of course) single people are left on a deserted island where they must perform various difficult tasks and can only escape if they find a partner. Silly, a little bit saucy and oh so bingeable.

Music

FKA twigs: Eusexua

When: 24 Jan 

One of our most hotly-anticipated albums of 2025, the third studio release from electro-pop artist Tahliah Barnett (known as FKA Twigs) follows her successful 2019 album ‘Magdalene’ and includes the pre-released title track along with singles ‘Drums of Death’ and ‘Perfect Strangers’. Taking inspiration from the sublime and sweaty escapism of underground raves, the ethereal soars of Barnett’s vocals melt the soft barriers between Earth and space, body and soul. In other words, we’re excited.

Also coming out this week: Scottish post-rockers Mogwai are back, as well as Central Cee with his first studio LP. Stay tuned to Euronews Culture for our full reviews.

January’s album anniversaries:  Björk, M83, The Roots

New year, old records! Every month, we’re feeding you a hefty dose of earworm nostalgia by sharing three albums turning 10, 20 and 30. It’s a great opportunity to discover, or rediscover some musical gems – and marvel at how old you suddenly feel. For January 2025, we’ve got a raw dissection of heartbreak from Björk, jazzy 90s hip-hop sounds from The Roots and a French electro gem from M83 that’ll transport you to some strange places… A trip down memory lane never sounded so good.