THIS WEEK: A SELECTIVE GUIDE

FOR ART WONKS, GOURMANDS AND CINEPHILES | April 22nd 2008

Anne-Sophie

Anne-Sophie Pic, photographed by Jeff Nalin, World Gourmet Summit

Special to MORE INTELLIGENT LIFE

Our guide to what's on around the world, compiled by Jessica Gallucci.

A FAIR TO REMEMBER

Take a trip to northern France, where 80 European contemporary art galleries will converge for the first-ever Lille Art Fair. The Lille Grand Palais, designed by "starchitect" Rem Koolhaas, will host some of the best art of the past 50 years. This includes works from a new wave of Asian artists, a video exhibition and over 20 monumental sculptures. Prepare for crowds, though: more than 20,000 visitors are expected.

LILLE ART FAIR, April 24th to 27th, Lille

CINEMA BINGE

As London's East End Film Festival wraps up this week, catch the final screenings of films about teenage culture, life in Eastern Europe, and the shifting cultural landscape of the East End itself. Ellen Page, who was nominated for an Academy Award for her star turn in "Juno", appears in the "The Tracey Fragments", a stylish film about a girl on a perilous search for her little brother, who thinks he is a dog. Directed by Bruce McDonald, a Canadian filmmaker, the film has been scooping up awards on the festival circuit. And don't miss the British premiere of "Ladies" ("Lejdis"), a Polish comedy directed by Tomasz Konecki, which broke Poland's box-office records when it was first released in February.

EAST END FILM FESTIVAL, April 17th to 24th, London

FOODIE PARADISE

Want in on Anne-Sophie Pic's culinary secrets? Ms Pic, who is the only female chef in France to boast three Michelin stars, has just launched a culinary school near her famous restaurant in Valence. But this week you'll find her in Singapore, teaching a master class on fish at the World Gourmet Summit. The three-week programme, which features events with plenty of other Michelin-starred chefs, includes culinary workshops, wine and whisky tastings and a wildlife safari.

WORLD GOURMET SUMMIT, through April 26th, Singapore

FROM RUSSIA WITH LUST

When "Carmen" first premiered in Paris in 1875, Georges Bizet's opera was decried for being debauched. But it wasn't long before the tragic story about a beautiful gypsy woman became a staple in the repertoires of opera houses around the world. After an absence of over 20 years, "Carmen" is returning to the historic Bolshoi theatre (where it had its Russian premiere in 1898). Staging the production is David Pountney, a British director. Nadia Krasteva, a Bulgarian-born mezzo-soprano, and Irina Doljenko, a native Russian, will alternate performances in the title role. Yuri Temirkanov, the Bolshoi's principal guest conductor, will conduct. He says he aims to imbue the score with an air of lightness and freedom.

"CARMEN" PREMIERE AT THE BOLSHOI THEATRE, April 22nd, Moscow

MAKING A SPLASH, GRACEFULLY

The contemporary dance world has seen its share of bare-chested men in billowy trousers. But in "Moon Water" by the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, the costume is made unique. Dancers' hems graze the surface of a shallow pool of water until eventually their garments become completely soaked--the effect is meditative rather than titillating. The choreographer, Lin Hwai-min, has developed a vocabulary of movement that fuses elements of t'ai chi and ballet, resulting in a fluidity that extends to the dancers' very fingertips. The 70-minute piece, set to Bach's Six Suites for Solo Cello, is now on a world tour, passing through parts of Britain in the coming weeks.

"MOON WATER" BY CLOUD GATE DANCE THEATRE OF TAIWAN, April 22nd and 23rd (Wales Millennium Centre) and April 25th and 26th (Edinburgh Festival Theatre)