So it turns out that Dara Birnbaum’s work, Arabesque (2011), was the perfect work to spend time with on Valentine’s day. A multi screen work with clips taken from YouTube of women and girls working the ivories, perfecting their rendition of Robert Shumann’s Arabesque Opus 18 (1883), alongside stills from the film Song of Love (1947). It works a classical, tragic and possibly banal effect by way of repetition, of women playing their fingers raw perfecting a practice. Romantic reality really.

The exhibition of the artist’s work is on over at the South London Gallery and closes on the 17 Feb, so hurry along now. More on the artist here