Chinabot at Centrala (pictured)
A perfectly avant-garde start to your week, in a bid to change the way Asian music is viewed, artists Samin Son, Lujiachi and Lafidki will all be contributing to this exhibition/creative platform through a mixture of visuals and sound. The Korean born and Berlin based Samin Son’s work spans all creative media whilst Lujiachi and Lafidki’s revolves around Asian music and psychedelic sounds. This spectacular event promises to be different to your usual night out, with techno sounds heavily influenced by Asian music.
Mon 23 Oct, £5. 8pm – 11.30pm. Centrala, 4 Minerva Works, Birmingham, B5 5RT. www.centrala-space.org.uk

Yang Fudong: The Nightman Cometh at The Wolverhampton Art Gallery
99% proper weird and 100% worth a look for anyone who wants to experience art that cannot be taken at face value. With previous films describes as ‘acid surf romps’ and ‘psychedelically obscure merry go rounds’, it’s no real surprise that the meditative atmosphere of Fudong’s created world in this piece is as bizarre as it is beautiful. A film with no start, no end and no narrative and an artist whose work is a critique of consumerism in modern day China, let his art transport you from the hustle and bustle of the high street to somewhere infinitely more interesting.
Sat 14th Oct – Sun 3rd Dec, Mon – Sat 10.30am – 4.30pm, Sun 11am – 4pm. Free. Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1DU.
www.wolverhamptonart.org.uk

Fierce Festival
One of the UK’s leading Arts & Entertainment festivals which embraces all forms of art from performance pieces, to dance and theatre, set in locations around the city from gallery spaces to out-of-the-ordinary venues. Fierce festival hopes to make art as inescapable as possible within the city, with a multitude of events happening over the 8 days The line up includes the world premiere of Marikiscrycrycry’s ‘$elfie$’ – a work of performance art which centres around the themes of queer, black politics – and Erin Markey’s musical performance of the feminist ‘Boner Killer’, to name just a few. Fierce Festival is set to be the perfect platform for emerging, nonconformist artists. See our Top 8 Fierce Festival events preview here.
Mon 16 – Sun 22 Oct at various venues. For more details see here.

Digbeth First Friday ft. Fierce Festival tasters, Felt Tip & more
Our favourite monthly arts party returns ready to unveil a new round of exciting events and precocious arts talent plus music, food and festival tit-bits. With imaginative, unorthodox events in informal exhibition spaces such as Grand Union and Centrala, DFF is an unmissable evening for anyone with an ounce of interest in alternative art.
Fri 6 Oct, 6pm-late at various venues around Digbeth. See www.digbethfirstfriday.com for details.

Susie Green: Pleasure Is A Weapon at Grand Union.
Premiering on the last Digbeth First Friday and continuing right through to November, Susie Green’s first ever exhibition is exceptionally promising. Exploring the ideas surrounding ‘the body as a site for pleasure and politics’ Green’s new exhibition will be considering the relationship between fetish and form. This gorgeous installation of sound and objects hopes to evoke the feelings of sexual intimacy, allowing Pleasure As A Weapon to fully explore the relationship between bodies, objects, emotions and desire. Various screenings and conversations take place at this exhibition throughout October.
Fri 1 Sep – Sat 18 Nov, Weds- Sat 12pm – 5pm. Free. Grand Union, 19 Minerva Works, Fazeley Street, Birmingham, B5 5RS. https://grand-union.org.uk

Natures Tapes at Cheval Blanc
Kicking off the Moseley bar Cheval Blanc’s new series of creative events is this private view and ‘listening party’ to launch an exhibition by local artist Hannah Al-Shemmeri. Nature Tapes is an audio-visual exhibition displaying Al-Shemmeri’s naïve, endearing artworks alongside the release of the self-titled cassette and ‘cartoon styled misanthropy’. Prepare to watch this space.
Thu 5 Oct. Free. 6pm – Late. Cheval Blanc, 145 Alcester Road, Moseley, B13 8JP. www.chevalblancbar.co.uk

And ongoing…:

Portrait of The Artist: Kathe Kollwitz at Ikon Gallery
Not being a contemporary artist, the Ikon Gallery has shocked by opening its doors to the renowned print artist Kathe Kollwitz (1867-1945). And her work is nothing short of exquisite. Her prints and sketches mainly comprise of incredibly detailed and emotive portraits, which regularly explore the themes of death and grief. In a world dominated by men, Kollwitz’s work is set to show the true power of female defiance, struggle and artistic integrity. www.ikon-gallery.org
Sofia Hulten, Here’s the Answer, What’s the Question? a selection of sculptures, installations and films in the most comprehensive exhibition to date of work by Berlin-based artist Sofia Hultén. Conveying an ongoing preoccupation with the nature of the material world and the way we navigate it.
Wed 13th Sep – Sun 26th Nov, Tues – Sun 11am-5pm, closed Mon. Free. 1 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, Birmingham B1 2HS.
www.ikon-gallery.org

Faisal Hussain: Suspect Objects Suspect Subjects
Faisal Hussain’s poignant exhibition explores the themes which surround the victimisation of Muslims in the UK, whilst predominantly focusing on those in Birmingham. Featuring advertisement, installation, painting and sculpture Hussain is pulling out all the stops in a bid to display various artistic mediums which help to fuel and add to the deep-seated prejudice which plagues our society.
Fri 1st Sep – Mon 16th Oct, Mon – Fri 11am-6pm Sat 1pm-6pm, closed Sun. Free. Unit 4 Minerva Works, 158 Fazeley Street, Birmingham B5 5RT.
www.centrala-space.org.uk

Mac Women & Protest season – Protest Pottery & Sally Payen exhibition
Autumn isn’t just about fallen leaves and home comforts as the mac opens its door to its ‘Women & Protest’ season inspiring creative activism through art. With a range of films and workshops the mac’s new events are inspired by Sally Payen’s ‘The Fence and The Shadow’ exhibition which displays a series of paintings which reflect upon the anti-nuclear protests of the 1980s. Craftivism is also featured. Who knew that needlework could be so provoking?
Wed 13th Sep – Sun 26th Nov, 9am-9.45pm every day. First floor gallery, Tues-Sun 11am-6pm. See website for specific workshop dates and times. Exhibition free. Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH.
www.macbirmingham.co.uk

Instructions For Humans at Birmingham Open Media
BOM’s radical new exhibition is set to discuss the ideas which surround the relationship between humans and machines. In an ode to Big Brother, the work of three artists will explore themes of surveillance and the unknown-eye that is behind the controls of our machines.
Wed 13th Sep – Sat 16th Dec, Wed – Sat 12pm-5pm. Free. 1 Dudley Street, Birmingham B5 4EG.
www.bom.org.uk