Bob Dylan, Westminster in latex and the Carbuncle Cup – the week in art

Enigmatic portraits by the master musician come to London, while the Houses of Parliament look forward to a makeover and students wonder how to survive without natural light

Exhibition of the week

William Kentridge
This powerful South African artist has brought many heritages of modern art kicking and screaming into the 21st century, from German expressionism to the political art of Picasso. He is renowed as a film-maker but forceful graphic ability is at the heart of his creativity. This Hayward touring exhibition shows 60 prints by Kentridge that exemplify his work in this craft, from small sheets to monumental images.
University Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 until 11 October

Other exhibitions this week

Bob Dylan
Poetic portraits that make words viscerally real prove Dylan is serious about his art. 
National Portrait Gallery, London WC2H until 5 January

Six Degrees Forward
Six artists who have recently graduated – Louise Bradley, Benjamin Else, Oliver Knowles, Julia Soboleva, Andreea Stan and Matt Wardell – exhibit together.  
Solent Showcase, Southampton SO14 until 3rd October

Bosco Sodi
Heavy new works of heaped graphite by this splash-it-all-over Mexican painter. 
Pace Gallery, London WF1 from 6 September until 4 October

Lawrence Weiner
One hundred multiples by the grand old man of conceptual art.
Summerhall, Edinburgh EH9 until 27September

Masterpiece of the week

Luca Giordano
A Homage to Velázquez (about 1690 - 1700)
The rich and complex world of 17th-century art is illuminated by this Italian baroque master's touching tribute to the realism of Velázquez. It is a lovely replica of the delicate yet visceral style of the great Spanish artist.
National Gallery, London WC2N

Image of the weekWhat we learned this week

There's a "really awkward fleshy intervention between a machine or manmade object" happening in a warehouse in west Yorkshire

Birmingham's new library is a modern behemoth that encases the past. Also resembles a big pair of lacy pants

The University College London wins the Carbuncle Cup for worst building: proof that you can survive without natural light and scrape through a degree

Chameleon syringes and self-expiring packaging – it looks like designers could revolutionise the medical industry

Should the Iron Lady be immortalised in bronze? Judging by the numbers of Guardian commenters, it's a no.

Westminster covered in latex – less perversion and more preservation, Jorge Otero-Pailos has been given the green light to coat the Houses of Parliament in a rubber mix

And finally...

Take part in our This Is Your Photo series for the fourth assignment in our Mass Observation-inspired project

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