2024 - Issue 112

Roundup
Written By Darren

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Hannah Levy (@hannahslevy) makes claw-like steel enclosures and then has glass blown inside them until it’s bulging through the gaps. The glass is obviously solid, but the taut visual expression evokes tightly bound flesh, or something organic being forcefully constricted by a spider-like robot. They’re shiny and sleek and look like someone asked an AI program to turn Zendaya and her Dune Two premiere outfit into a work of art and they’ll have you wondering: is abstract sculpture supposed to be this sexy?

‘Bulge’ at Massimo de Carlo (@massimodecarlogallery) until 22 Jun

Officially the theme of these 28 works is whether or not they were “made by hand or created with mechanical or technological intervention”. There are some terrific pieces, but I thought the mostly abstract collection didn’t have a wide enough visual range. Then again, the too-tight scaffolding preventing suitable distance viewing made it hard to properly examine and compare all the works. But to be perfectly frank, there were two far more interesting aspects of this limited run showcase that kept me happily distracted:

1) The ability to see every work from both front and back. How they’re hung, which canvas is solid and which a bit transparent, artist signatures, various gallery labels and stickers, etc

2) The chance to explore the unfinished penthouse and wraparound terraces of 60 Curzon Street, a Mayfair residence block so exclusive and posh that it’s clearly not intended for the 1%, but the 1% of the 1%. This is proper top-shelf property porn.

‘Double Take’ by LVH Art Co (@lvh_art) until 22 Jun

Venue location: 60 Curzon Street, W1J 8PG

Booking required via: doubletakeexhibition.as.me

Ming Gu Gallery is a new venture focussing on contemporary East Asian art that is rooted in tradition. Showcasing artists based in China, France, Japan and the UK, their second show features semi-abstract landscapes although Zi Quan (@ziquan_art) paints what appear to be deep space temples, Kaoru Shibuta (@shibuta_arts) has channeled his inner Kandinsky to visualise music, and the ink and Chinese colour on aged coarse silk by Xinshou Yang (@xinshouink) looks like tasty swirls of frosting. Also featuring Li Chevalier (@lichevalier), Wang Ji (@wangjie.art) and Wu Yin (@_wuyin_), the works is this show distinctly stand out from most East Asian art you’ll find in London. Go for a closer look and you’ll see why.

‘Symphony of Serenity: A Tranquil Ensemble’ by Ming Gu Gallery(@minggugallery) until 04 July

Venue location: Brunswick Art Gallery (@thebrunswickartgallery) at 68 The Brunswick Centre, WC1N 1AE

Your favourite all-purpose handbag. The Sockerärt jug from IKEA that you haven’t rinsed since before the lockdowns. Your cat. Yes, even your cat! Irini Bachlitzanaki (@irini_b) has imagined what each of these would look and feel like when flattened to a smooth and glossy 2cm thickness. It’s a study of domesticity and homage to industrial design, but is it as lighthearted as it looks? Do we spend too much time compressing our lives into uniformity, and what, exactly, is in that syringe?

‘The Consolation of Imaginary Things’ at Ione & Mann (@ioneandmann) until 13 July

This is a very good hang. So good that it distracts you from the fact that most of these works might be too cutesy wootsey to be taken seriously as contemporary art. Cute is contentious in the art world and there’s no arguing that the mythical nine tailed fox, canvas toadstools and embroidered boobs by Silia Ka Tung (@siliakatung) are very cute indeed. But as I said, I found this to be a worthy visit thanks to the installation. In particular, how some works are hung very low and hidden underneath embroidered shades. They can only be seen if you crouch down and peer into mirrors that are partially buried amongst a living, moss covered floor. It’s being watered daily, but will it last the full length of the 6 week show?

‘Green Rock and the Magic Mountain’ at Mandy Zhang Art(@mandyzhangart) until 17 Jul

By showcasing the work of over 100 women who forged public careers as artists between 1520-1920, Tate proves without a doubt that women were just as skilled as men at making competently boring Late Renaissance painting. Ok, look, the work in this show predominately comes from artistic eras that don’t much interest me, but the quality is frequently outstanding and the wall text is utterly fascinating. I spent most of my time reading, and I walked away frustrated by the many ridiculous stories detailing the various ways in which women were unnecessarily kept away from the arts.

‘Now You See Us: Women artists in Britain 1520-1920’ at Tate Britain(@tate) until 13 Oct


Adults £20 / Children £5 / discounts available

PLUS…

Darren
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