The best cultural events to enjoy this February

Take your pick from an art heist film, Francis Bacon’s animal obsession and a fresh look at textiles and glass

Francis Bacon, Study for Bullfight No. 1, 1969 © The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved, DACS/Artimage 2021. Photo: Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd

Understand the inner animal with Francis Bacon

More than 45 pictures can be found in this ambitious show, which considers Francis Bacon’s fascination with animals and the impact this had on his treatment of the human figure. Spanning the artist’s lengthy career, the show includes a trio of canvases depicting bullfighting, highlights animalistic associations with his Headsseries, and examines his studies of nature both captive and wild.

Francis Bacon: Man and Beast, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 29 January–17 April

royalacademy.org.uk

Louise Bourgeois, Couple IV, 1997 © The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY and DACS, London 2021. Photo: Christopher Burke

See how Louise Bourgeois weaved her own world

Although she is best known for her menacing and often colossal spider sculptures, Louise Bourgeois also spent a considerable amount of time using textiles to create art. A new exhibition at the Hayward Gallery celebrates just that, bringing together abstract patterns hewn from hoarded cloth, uncanny humanoid figures and much more besides.

Louise Bourgeois: The Woven Child, Hayward Gallery, London, 9 February–⁠15 May 

southbankcentre.co.uk

Relive a remarkable art heist

Based on an extraordinary true story, this film stars Jim Broadbent as an unlikely art thief, who ‘borrowed’ Francisco de Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery, in order to demand funds to support the elderly. The tale follows the 60-year-old taxi driver’s ambitious heist, discovery by his wife (played by Helen Mirren) and the subsequent trial. 

The Duke, in theatres nationwide from 25 February

sonyclassics.com

A Chinese lacquered greystone fragmentary hand clutching a vase. Courtesy Ai Weiwei Studio

Question the truth with Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei considers the realities of freedom and authenticity in a new exhibition that sees him bring together his own works alongside Chinese antiquities bought at auction in Cambridge (as well as some that proved to be counterfeit). Featuring film, sculpture and installation, the show raises questions around the tension between authoritarian regimes and the liberty of Western nations, including how the notion of value is prescribed. 

Ai Weiwei: The Liberty of Doubt, Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge, 12 February–19 June

kettlesyard.co.uk

Mona Hatoum, Cells, 2014

Marvel at the versatility of glass

The creative potential of glass is given its dues in this exhibition, which features pieces from renowned contemporary artists such as Mona Hatoum, Hew Locke and Joseph Kosuth, with due consideration given to the collaborative nature of working with master glass-blowers. Considering the material in a solid, liquid and gas state, this is a show that promises to enlighten viewers about the technical aspects of creating astounding objects, as well as the aesthetic and conceptual concerns. It is a perfect way to kick off the United Nations International Year of Glass.

A State of Matter: Modern and Contemporary Glass Sculpture, Henry Moore Institute, Leeds, 18 February–5 June

henry-moore.org