We bring you our guide to living well in the world’s capitals, from exhibitions to cinema, food, drink, fashion, music and beyond. Just call it culture and take it, it’s yours.

LONDON, FRIDAY 1st AUGUST – SUNDAY 3rd AUGUST 2014

Dazzling colour
For his current exhibition at Parasol Unit, Jimmie Durham has created an installation that covers the entire gallery space – one floor being vivid, physical and colourful the other sedately ethereal. Known for his work focused primarily on the relationship between architectural pieces and cultural damage inflicted in the name of progress, Durham’s issue-driven art contains overlapping themes of creation and violence, along with references to the artist’s Cherokee heritage. A must see.

Jimmie Durham: Traces and Shiny Evidence, Parasol Unit, 14 Wharf Road, London, N1 7RW
Until 9th August 2014

Treasure trove
A surprising and inspiringly hopeful docu-film courtesy of director Charlie Siskel, the starting point of which centres on the accidental discovery by real-estate agent John Maloof of a huge cache of negatives. The importance of his discovery wasn’t clear to Maloof for some time but turns out he’d bagged himself a bobby dazzler bargain – Maloof had stumbled upon a wealth of stunning photographs by Vivian Maier, an unsung talent who had worked as a nanny in Chicago and New York from the 1950s to the 1990s. She is currently regarded as one of the greatest photographers of the 20th Century. Now you’re interested… Discover her work, her life and unsung talent at Hackney Picture House this weekend.

Finding Vivian Maier, 2014, 83 mins.

Dirty, faded colours stuck in limbo
A true pioneer of the East End art scene, Maureen Paley represents artists including Wolfgang Tillmans, Rebecca Warren and Gillian Wearing – so you can be assured Dirk Stewen’s latest exhibition at the gallery space is one not to be missed. (There’s also a brilliant Peter Hujar show on simultaneously). Expect beguiling large ink and thread works by the German artist, as well photographic assemblages that really pull you in as a viewer. 

Dirk Stewen at Maureen Paley, 21 Herald Street, London E2 6JT
Until 24th August 2014

Lupine howl
Is The X Factor still showing? The Voice? Whatever Saturday night for-god’s-sake-pick-me juggernaut is cruising primetime if Wolf Eyes were on they wouldn’t get past the green room. That’s a brilliant thing. The prolific Ann Arbour noise merchants – Nate Young’s act have over 150 recordings under their belt on labels from Bulb Records and Troubleman Unlimited to the mighty Sub Pop – headline a show in Dalston with support from Annihilating Light and Mark Dicker. The band have always see-sawed in and out of the heaviest shadows in terms of accessibility, having toured with Sonic Youth and Andrew WK in the past. This rare London show is in support of latest album No Answer: Lower Floors on De Stijl – if you can’t make it, cancel whatever you’re doing Tuesday as they’re on again, showcasing solo projects Regression, Crazy Jim and Henry & Hazel Slaughter. Hoping they blast out pop classic Stabbed In The Face at some point, though that’s probs wishful thinking. Whatever, expect to be overwhelmed – and get there early or go home dev’d.

Wolf Eyes + Annihilating Light + Mark Dicker, Café OTO, 18-22 Ashwin Street, London, E8 3DL
Saturday 2nd August, £10 adv / £12 on the door

Do you really like it? Is it, is it wicked?
Hackney is a hive of cultural activity. Some of it a bit ropey, some of it brilliant. If another bike café with avocado on gluten free toast’s not your cup of tea you can guarantee that a few streets down you’ll be in your element at a greasy spoon (or in deep shit depending on the area).

Expect the borough to be even more rammed than usual this weekend with the snappy-named Hackney WickED festival on and around the Hackney Wick ‘Riviera’ at Forman’s Fish Island and Swan Wharf. There’ll be plenty of music, the to-be-expected gastro vans decked out with all varieties of goodness, 100 open studios and fifteen specially-curated exhibitions to explore. If you don’t find something you like you’re not doing it right.

Hackney WickED, 1st – 3rd August 2014