Victoria and Albert Museum - May at the V&A

ELYTRA FILAMENT PAVILION 18 May – 6 November 2016 The John Madejski GardenOpening this month is a newly commissioned Garden installation, Elytra Filament Pavilion by experimental architect Achim Menges with Moritz Dörstelmann, structural engineer Jan Knippers and climate engineer Thomas Auer. In the form of a large-scale, site-specific undulated canopy structure, the Pavilion explores the impact of emerging robotic technologies on engineering, architectural design and making. It will grow over the course of the V&A Engineering Season in response to data on structural behaviour and patterns of inhabitation of the Garden. Read more Free, drop inPart of the V&A Engineering Season #vamEngineeringSeason

BOTTICELLI REIMAGINED  Until 3 July 2016 Sponsored by Societe Generale ‘Wonderful – a must-see!’TripAdvisor Discover the ways that artists and designers from the time of the Pre-Raphaelites to the present have responded to the artistic legacy of Sandro Botticelli (1445 – 1510). This major exhibition includes over 50 original works by Botticelli alongside those by artists such as Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Morris, René Magritte, Andy Warhol and Cindy Sherman. Read more and book V&A Members go free #BotticelliReimagined   PAUL STRAND:PHOTOGRAPHY AND FILM FOR THE 20TH CENTURY Until 3 July 2016 Supported by the American Friends of the V&A ‘***** moving and magic’ Time Out One of the 20th century’s greatest photographers, Strand’s images have defined how photography is understood today. This major retrospective lets you discover over 200 objects spanning Strand’s entire career, including breakthrough trials in abstraction, street portraits, travels and the avant-garde film Manhatta (1920 - 21).  Read more and book V&A Members go free The international tour is organized by the Philadelphia Museum of Art in collaboration with Fundación MAPFRE and made possible by the Terra Foundation for American Art. #PaulStrand Inspired by Paul Strand’s work? Enter our competition with your#MyStrandPhoto UNDRESSED: A BRIEF HISTORY OF UNDERWEARUntil 12 March 2017 Sponsored by Agent Provocateur and Revlon Book your tickets to this much anticipated exhibition. Learn about the intimate relationship between underwear and fashion and its role in moulding the body to a fashionable ideal, with cut, fit, fabric and decoration revealing issues of gender, sex and morality. Read more and book  V&A Members go free #vamUndressed

MEET LULU FROST DESIGNER LISA SALZERMonday 9 May Meet the creative force behind cult New York jewellery brand Lulu Frost. Drop into the V&A Shop Monday 9 May, 11.00 –17.00 Shop Lulu Frost    WORLD OF WEDGWOOD POP UPTuesday 3 May, 10.00 – 17.00 Explore the making of Ceramics at Wedgwood’s first V&A pop up designed for London Craft Week. This event brings makers from Wedgwood to the V&A for the first time to take over the ceramics studio space. Read more Free, drop-in JAPAN FESTIVAL FOR FAMILIES Sunday 1 May, 11.00 – 17.00 Join in for special Children's Day celebrations. Immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and stories of Japan. Take part in dance, music, storytelling, digital and art activities for all the family. Read more  Free, drop in     THE DECISIVE MOMENT  Tuesdays, 3 May – 28 June (excluding 31 May) 10.30 – 13.00 Learn how best to previsualise moments, explore candid photography and strengthen your powers of observation. Read more and book   FASHION AND FICTION: SARAH DUNANT Thursday 5 May, 18.30 – 19.30 Join broadcaster and best-selling novelist Sarah Dunant in conversation with journalist Rosie Goldsmith as they discuss her popular ‘Italian novels’, including The Birth of Venus and Blood And Beauty, which explore the lives of women in Renaissance Italy. Read more and book    COLLECTING FUTURE JAPANFriday 27 May, 10.00 – 17.30 This one-day international conference will examine emerging trends in Japanese design and consider what kinds of objects museums such as the V&A should be collecting now and in the future. Read more and book    WEIRD MUSEUM AT NIGHT Thursday 12 May, 19.00 – 21.00 Museum of Childhood Explore the V&A Museum of Childhood, its Collection and its building in this bizarre Museum late. Discover the strange quirks of puppetry, dolls houses and Victorian toys in the heart of East London. Read more and book      SICILY: CULTURE AND CONQUESTUntil 14 August 2016 British Museum  Sicily has been shaped by waves of settlement over 4,000 years. Discover the fascinating stories of a cosmopolitan island at the centre of the ancient and medieval world in this new special exhibition. Read more   WORDS IN THE SQUARE CELEBRATING 175 YEARS OF INSPIRATIONThursday 5 – Sunday 8 May 2016 St James's Square Gardens  Be inspired at a weekend of talks and debates celebrating 175 years of The London Library. To enjoy £4 off all tickets enter the promotional code VAOFFERwhen you book atwww.londonlibrary.co.uk/175   TAKE YOUR PICK AT ART16Friday 20 – Sunday 22 May 2016Olympia London Special offer: Buy 2 tickets for the price of 1* At ART16 explore an exciting edit of over 1000 artworks from more than 30 countries. Plus enjoy a series of installations, a programme of free talks, regular guided tours and much more… *Use the code VA241 before Friday 13 May and get 2 general admission tickets for the price of 1. Read more