Studio Ghibli Layout Designs - Understanding the secrets of Takahata and Miyazaki animation

Miyazaki and Takahata...pure genius. This exhibitions presents over 1300 layout drawings from the 30 year history of Studio Ghibli, founded in part by Miyazaki and Takahata.

Think Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Grave of the Fireflies, Kiki's Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, Pom Poko, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, The Cat Returns, Howl's Moving Castle, Ponyo, Arrietty and many, many more.

And if you've not seen any of the films, then it's worth doing before visiting the exhibition. In fact, it's worth doing full stop.

Highlights include layouts paired with their corresponding movie snippets; and translations of humorous comments written by Miyazaki and Takahata to the artists.

Paul McCarthy - Chocolate Factory

Paul McCarthy's exhibition originally consisted of two parts - the Chocolate Factory exposition, and a public sculpture in Place Vendôme.

In case you missed the news, the public sculpture was a 24 meter high green inflatable "Tree" in the shape of a butt plug. It lasted two days before being vandalised by closed-minded Parisians and consequently removed.

But the Chocolate Factory is still here, displaying McCarthy's distinctive works and ideas. The Chocolate Factory consists of a functioning kitchen creating the chocolates, and an immersive 8 room experience - based on the ideas of Christmas, consumption, commodity, capitalism, Western and American culture. Upon entering you become surrounded by flickering lights, ambiguous moaning, crazy-man scribbles and xmas chocolates. Let's just say you'll feel a little different when leaving compared to when you entered!