Never has the working-class rural simpleton stereotype been subverted so -- David Chaloner's mind is more complex than any city. His is an imagination infected by the day-to-day consumption of conventional culture, and in his poetry he dissects his own experience of creation in response. Often accused of not understanding the power of the economy of words, this is a rare chance to hear the philosophical superfluity from its source, offering a singular glimpse into his poetry as he would like it to be represented. Chaloner has been working as a poet for over four decades, and was responsible for the magazine ONE, which offered a platform for new writers, printed from the late '60s through to the early '70s. He will read a selection of poems from his Collected Poems (Salt Publishing), an expanse of work ranging from naive Cheshire musings to his trademark fragments of cosmic scrutiny.

NB: this event has been programmed in conjunction with the Robert Mangold exhibition, which runs till 08/05. Also of note this week is the Mangold symposium on 21/03 (2pm).

You've only got few days left to invest in phase one of AND -- A New Fund For New Times -- a one-off collaboration between Artprojx and WITH, the virtual company offering a range of services promising to enhance your life). Particularly innovative in the current economic climate, AND utilises the existing structure of a trust fund, tempting the avid art collector to put their money where their mouth is and, in return, acquire a unique transparent edition of the AND logo. The gallery space has been used as a tool to promote AND, displaying the fund's mandate, the exclusive edition and a short promotional video depicting the scene from Frank Capra's It's A Wonderful Life in which all the people in the town come to give George money -- wads of cash pouring out of baskets and on to his lap. The notion of the art object has been stripped entirely of meaning; as a result, its sole purpose is its monetary value, simultaneously referencing capitalism and conceptual art. A gamble perhaps: is it worth investing? Will you see the revenue? Get in early, take the risk and invest now before the stakes get higher or the pyramid crumbles.

NB: runs till 20/03.

Historically, politicians and film rarely made a very interesting or gripping combination especially contemporary politicians. Profiles of politicos used to be mainly confined to documentary, or historical biographies. But recently there has been a big spike in the number of fictionalised biopics of controversial or exceptional leaders -- Milk, Frost/Nixon and Che. Il Divo -- profiling Italian Giulio Andreotti -- falls squarely into the controversial category. Andreotti, still politically active at 90, has been elected to Parliament seven times -- three times as Prime Minister -- since 1946. Indestructible, and apparently Teflon-coated, he has presided over 60 years of breathtakingly questionable politics. Misshapen, enigmatic and immoral, the formidable Andreotti says little but is a master of sarcastic remarks ("Power only tires those who do not have it", "Irony is the best defence against death"). Director Paolo Sorrentino consistently produces imaginative, slightly eccentric films (The Consequences Of Love, The Family Friend), and this is his best. Last year's Cannes Prix du Jury winner, it is never less than full-on, with an arresting soundtrack, unique visuals and a completely mesmerising performance of Andreotti by Toni Servillo. While it takes some concentration to follow the machinations of who's who, the film is brilliant and well worth the attention it demands.

NB: Il Divo is released in London on 20/03. Also of note and released on the same day is The Age Of Stupid.

Contemporary art has been waging war for territory on information media and its allocated discourse for some time, and many of its champions of the 20th century succeeded in pinioning strategic moments on celluloid, video and digital media as the image hurtled forwards and outwards -- fulfilling with giddy glee the evangelical prophecies of Jean Baudrillard, Paul Virilio and others. Even distant whoops can be heard from the dismal earthen sarcophagi of the Futurists -- what's the Italian for "We told you so"? One conspicuous region where negotiations are still taking place, borders are drawn and redrawn, boundaries blurred and sharpened, is that occupied by animation -- a field still reaching wildly off in all directions but with a unique capacity to both captivate and criticize. And you don't need an art degree (or three) to know when you like what you see. Animation Breakdown, taking place over two days, brings together WAX, or The Discovery of Television Among Bees -- a feature film that built an on-ramp for artists onto the information highway -- with a series of short animated works and talks by artists (including WAX's director David Blair) who took the medium in a wide variety of new directions, blazing trails and bridging gaps.

NB: Animation Breakdown takes place over two days on 20/03 at 7pm and on 21/03 from 10:30am - 5:30pm and 7pm.

The credibility of progressive house / trance has never fully recovered from the tidal wave of radio-friendly output that followed its Cafe Del Mar honeymoon period in the late '90s. Seminal anthems like Underworld's "Dark Train" and Sasha's "Xpander" were soon swamped amongst hundreds of trite imitations and high-energy remixes of mawkish chart-rock. By the turn of the century, ever more trend-conscious producers had jumped the sinking ship towards the tougher sound of techno and mnml or to the rising breakbeat scene, leaving progressive house / trance totally out of vogue in the UK. Several years later, the excellent Minologue from Malmo, Sweden, emerged with a stripped-down variation of the still widely dismissed genre. Using a fresh-thinking blueprint of hypnotic, building grooves and rushing ambience, the duo soon started to build up a devoted following. After three years, the meticulous producers eventually released their long-awaited debut album in 2008 on Sven Vath's influential Cocoon imprint. Minilogue now come to the capital to perform a six-hour set from 2am to 8am at Vauxhall's Lightbox. The curved walls and arching ceiling of this emerging venue are coated in tens of thousands of flashing LED lights making it the perfect venue for a sensory performance of this nature.

Throwback return to London's nightlife with the second in their intermittent parties. Their central theme is bridging past musical ingenuity with contemporary exponents -- whereas Sal P of Liquid Liquid was invited to collaborate live with Panico for the first Throwback, tonight's event takes the kosmische krautrock sound as its inspiration, with original proponents Cluster (big with music obsessives like Julian Cope) taking to the stage with experimental orchestra Chrome Hoof for a one-off performance. Whilst mention of Chrome Hoof may cause involuntary gritting of teeth from some, the sight of some German pensioners sharing the stage with a small army of shiny-robed musicians should not be missed and the musical outcome will be intriguing to say the least. The DJ cockfight for biggest Can collection should prove interesting also with a nice smattering of variety on offer. Border Community boss James Holden is, of course, the biggest draw, but the likes of Bugged Out!'s Bi Bop, former Nightmover Matt Waites and the always ahead of the curve bloggers 20 Jazz Funk Greats are on hand to entertain those attending this event in the stunning loft spaces above Rich Mix cinema.

NB: also of note on the same night is secretsundaze at Scala with Cobblestone Jazz, Mountain People and Toby Tobias.

Expect tremors in Farringdon this Saturday as Fabric flex their booking muscle over the rest of London's promoters with a global line-up of the big movers and quakers of the dub-techno scene. Whilst many of the currently rising names in dub-laden electronics were busy exchanging Top Trumps at break time, Basic Channel associate Pole (aka Stefan Betke) was already meticulously developing the blueprint of dubtronica. Performing a live set deep within the epicentre of the main room, the experimental German is supported by one of scene's other major-players, 2562 (aka Dave Huismans). The Dutch newcomer has done nothing but raise his stock since he appeared in 2007, and is certain to give the veteran a good run for his Euro. For some, the night's major pull will be the set from the current It-boy of Detroit techno, Omar-S (aka Alex "Omar" Smith), whose appearance coincides with the release of his well-received chapter for the club's long-running mix series. After 15 years of well-respected service the Dutch label techno Clone recently announced it was closing/re-branding its operations. Followers of this cherished institution should take note that Serge and his motley crew are in full force for a Room 2 take-over. Popular residents Craig Richards and Terry Francis complete what is a ridiculously strong line-up.

NB: also of note on the same night is secretsundaze at Scala with Cobblestone Jazz, Mountain People and Toby Tobias.

Wigan's own Nancy Elizabeth Cunliffe is the kind of young, rootsy singer-songwriter who would have carved a workable career in her own modest, charming way, you imagine, with or without the embraces of the new folk movement. Recent recording and stage dalliances with the likes of Susumu Yokota, Adem and James Yorkston prove that her airy, unvarnished Lancastrian vocal cords (not to mention harp and guitar skills) are gaining a wider currency, while her forthcoming sophomore album Wrought Iron (Leaf) looks set to make good on the promise of 2007's Battle And Victory debut. She's sure to be among friends in the intimate Cecil Sharp House so expect lashings of poignant folk introspection laced with wry self-deprecation and a beguiling musical personality that's the missing link between Joanna Newsom and Gracie Fields. The highlight of the evening though is sure to be Bostonian acoustic guitar virtuoso Peter Walker. A contemporary and stylistic bedfellow of John Fahey and Robbie Basho, Walker only actually released two albums back in the day -- one of them, 1966's Rainy Day Raga, a classic of eastern-tinged American primitivism -- before sinking into relative obscurity, but began recording again two years ago. His fine, flamenco-flavoured 2007 album, Spanish Guitar (Birdman), is being re-released to coincide with this renewed activity, and very fine it is.

The Oslo Opera House is reminiscent of a snow-covered mountain, perhaps even the one that its designer, Snohetta, the leading Norwegian architecture and landscape practice, takes its name from. Its huge, gleaming slopes, made from 36,000 slabs of white Carrara marble, spread over an area the size of four football pitches, allow anyone to take a stroll from the water's edge up to its rooftop, and, in doing so, put the building in a state of continual transformation. The movement of people is a very effective branding device for a building described by Snohetta as "a social democratic monument", especially one housing a historically elitist art form. Kjetil Thorsen, one of Snohetta's founding partners, also started Galleri ROM, the first architecture gallery in Norway, and has collaborated with the artist Olafur Eliasson on several projects, including the spiralling 2007 Serpentine Pavilion. Thorsen also co-heads the Institute For Experimental Studies In Architecture at the University Of Innsbruck, with Patrik Schumacher from Zaha Hadid Architects. As the opening of the Oslo Opera House was declared the largest cultural event in Norway's history since the opening of Nidaros Cathedral in 1300, this may be a lecture not to miss...

NB: this event is free and open to the public but space is allotted on a first come first served basis. Also of note is Valerio Olgiati's talk at RIBA on 24/03 (6:30pm).

When in August 1981 MTV debuted with the promo for The Buggles "Video Killed The Radio Star" a new era began, in which image took precedence over sound. Though ostensibly inspired by JG Ballard's short story The Sound-Sweep, the song sought a nostalgic ode for a time past, yet now we have grown accustomed to a digital age where a mobile can deliver information instantly at the sweep of a finger. Future Of Sound, set up by Heaven 17's Martyn Ware, brings together an international collective of individuals, all committed to innovation and exploration within their practices, using sound, image and animation. For this grandiose event the relationship of sound and light is key, with UVA (United Visual Artists) presenting Chorus, a series of swinging suspended light/sound pendulums, and KultureFlash's very own Scanner, charting a conversational movement of colour and musical fragments in his work with Jerwood Prize winner Sophie Clements in Of Air And Ear, originally shown at the Royal Opera House in 2008. Having collaborated with Thomas Ades, filmmaker Tal Rosner will present his dynamic motion graphics, The Sancho Plan will playfully animate sea creatures on with drum triggers, whilst body>data>space> explores body kinetics and shifts in senses. Future Of Sound looks towards a sound-light synthesis in an imagined future, where the Radio Star survives by nature of re-invention.

NB: for more information and to attend send an email to a.ouzman@gold.ac.uk.

Like his namesake featured in Man On Wire, Marseille-based label impresario, DJ/musician Philippe Petit balances on his own sonic high wires. After producing experimental French radio shows and punk zines in the '80s, he founded the noise label Pandemonium and in 2000 the electronica-slanted BiP_HOp imprint, releasing work by Scanner, Angel, Rothko, Max Eastley, Twine, David Toop, Janek Schaefer and others. Petit also fronts the Strings Of Conciousness collective. Prix Ars award winner AGF (aka Antye Greie) is a German digital songsmith, calligrapher and media artist. Her projects include the duo Laub and The Lappetites. Amongst her collaborators: Vladislav Delay, Craig Armstrong, Gudrun Gut and Eliane Radigue. Centre stage is Simon Fisher Turner. After dabbling with teen pop in the '70s, Turner turned soundtrack composer -- writing music for Derek Jarman movies (Blue, Carravaggio), and others such as I'll Sleep When I'm Dead and Nadja. As an aperitif, BiP_HOp artists (and Sprawl curators) Iris Garrelfs and Douglas Benford (aka si-cut.db) promise a short mercurial collaboration, fusing acoustic and digital processings. Part of a 10 year celebration of BiP_HOp, this event revels in its ethos of sonic delicacy and auditory mayhem.

No wonder Ai Weiwei is pretty much a living legend in the Chinese contemporary art scene -- the man knows how to organise space. China's equivalent to Andy Warhol, and the mastermind behind the Olympics' Bird's Nest, Mr Ai is a rare breed of artist, curator, architectural designer, social commentator and transformer all in one. Not only is he extremely skilled in creating works of art by mutating ordinary household objects, but he also knows how to play the spatial game. The installation of his sculptures appears so effortless and refreshing that if you listen, you can almost hear their harmony within the pristine whiteness of Phillips de Pury. Feng shui does run in his blood after all. Combining organic materials, natural forms, kitchen stools, Ming and Qing Dynasty chairs and very precise mathematical formulas, Ai's work is full of subtle contradictions. This is simplicity of the highest order -- something that is not quite as easy to achieve as it looks. Like a breath of fresh air, Four Movements definitely re-energises, especially if you have just come from the backpacking chaos that dominates Victoria Station. A must for any art or architecture connoisseur alike.

NB: runs till 28/03.

Winding through the centre of the gallery space, a large, distended, patchwork bull-like organism, curling and writhing with unnamed affects, and made of intricately stitched together pieces of rubber, is the unavoidable highlight of the show. The rubber, taken from car tyres from repair shops in Johannesburg, is a symbol of industrialization, and of masculinity (the inner tubes of the car tyres resemble condoms); the deformed body a symbol of the ambiguous hybrid character of the social body caught up in industrialisation's effects. Also on show are a series of works on paper, made with his trademark stitching in multi-coloured satin ribbons woven into intricate abstract designs that hover between chaos and deliberation. Nicholas Hlobo's talent lies in his combination of a highly inventive use of a wide range of materials rich in associations to his native Xhosa culture, with techniques of stitching and weaving traditionally undertaken by women in South Africa. In its tension between painstaking craftsmanship and dynamic improvisation, in its organically-charged exploration of concepts of the body and its relation to society, Hlobo's work echoes trends emerging from contemporary Latin American art, particularly the work of Ernesto Neto. His command of spatiality and material within an original cultural specificity marks out Hlobo as one of the more interesting young artists working within installation today.

NB: runs till 29/03. Nicholas Hlobo's work is also on view at Haunch of Venison's recently opened Mythologies show at its Burlington Gardens space (till 25/04). Lastly, while at Tate Modern make sure you catch the Rodchenko (till 17/05) and Roni Horn (till 25/05) shows.

We think it's safe to say that it's not just we who are getting tired of hearing constantly about the recession and the ever-growing number of redundancies. If you're lucky enough to still have a job, you aren't alone in thinking that you better cling to it for dear life. Well "philosopher of the everyday" Alain de Botton has other ideas. To mark the publication of his latest musing, The Pleasures And Sorrows of Work, he will be debating how to follow your dream career in a talk organised as part of The School Of Life's enlightening events. To find out what makes a job fulfilling or soul destroying, he will be interviewing six people including a furniture maker (Olivier Geoffroy of Unto This Last), a materials engineer (Mark Miodownik of Materials Library), two fashion designers (Amy Wear and Gail Downey of Weardowney), a guerrilla gardener (Richard Reynolds) and a chef / restaurant owner (Oliver Rowe of Konstam) who have made their working fantasies into a reality and asking them how much is down to determination or just plain luck. So don't waste another day miserably employed, work is where we spend most of our lives so we might as well get the most out of it.

NB: this event will sell out so book quickly. You can also catch Alain de Botton when he gives a talk on his new book at the Purcell Room on 08/04 (7:45pm).

Jan Fabre makes a far too long overdue return to London with Orgy Of Tolerance. This will be presented as part of the month-long SPILL Festival, which is dedicated to bringing just such examples of accomplished experimental theatre and performance to a wider public. Fabre, from Belgium, works in and across many disciplines, choreographing dance, directing and writing theatre, making installations and sculpture and even directing opera. He has a considerable reputation in Europe having passed from being the enfant terrible of the '80s, to now being one of the most established fixtures of the progressive performing arts scene, co-curating Avignon Festival in 2005. London audiences will have missed most of this however, his last appearance here being 17 years ago. It is therefore with some expectation that Orgy Of Tolerance marks his return. This show is said to set about examining and critiquing some of the things that pass for normal in our contemporary society, such as unbounded consumerism and instant credit. This his company does with a pessimistic humour, intelligence and provocation.

NB: Orgy Of Tolerance is performed on 15/04 and 16/04 (part of this year's SPILL Festival which runs from 02/04 till 26/04). Both nights are more than half sold out so book quickly.

With the recent opening of the glossy gargantuan Westfield shopping centre, the smaller West 12 shopping centre must feel quite bleak and desolate about now, no? Wait, we know what you're thinking: Iraq right? Not so much? Well someone at HighTide company was, because they've set their play there -- and it works. Stovepipe by Adam Brace is performed in the shopping centre's bowels, and the dead concrete spaces of delivery entrances and rubbish chutes serve well as multitude of non-space settings such as desolate roads and conference halls. The play follows a private contractor, Alan, hired by Project Rebuild Iraq, an employer whose language of vacuous corporate-speak does nothing to mask the rankling lie of their business. One of Alan's friends dies and the other goes missing; in this promenade piece, you are hearded from Iraq danger zone to Imman Hotel room and a Welsh church during Alan's search for him. You will be shouted at and moved about in the dark by men who light your face with the torches on the machine guns, which adds a jumpy thrill, tempered by tragedy. An exciting night, but sharpen your elbows if you want to get the best seats in each space.

NB: runs till 26/04.

Please add to and return to Ray Johnson is the inaugural show for Raven Row -- the latest edition to the East End's plethora of galleries. A beautiful exhibition space housed in an 18th century domestic building, it spans four floors and is the perfect place to present a huge archive of work by American artist Ray Johnson (1927-1995), who famously used the postal system as a vehicle for his work. A contemporary of Rauschenberg, Johns, Warhol and Cage; Johnson founded the New York Correspondence School and shunned the art world, often turning down exhibitions. Drawing on art history, popular culture, the art world and in-jokes with friends, he made collages from collected newspaper clippings and photographs, that he embellished with drawings and annotations. These were then sent to a handful of correspondents, who mailed and redistributed the received items. The work is obsessive, meticulous, idiosyncratic, narcissistic, delicate and humorous, and is an interesting comment on how the art world functioned at the time, and Johnson's place within it. In one mailing he wrote, "Dear Whitney Museum, I hate you, love Ray Johnson." This is a great show with so much to take in that you will want to return.

NB: runs till 10/05.

KultureFlash is a free, weekly newsletter covering contemporary culture in and around London. Each week we track down some of the more unusual and interesting events taking place in the capital and deliver them straight to your inbox. Featuring art, gigs, films, talks, clubs and more -- we are committed to bringing you an eclectic mix of the most stimulating events in London.

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