2024 - Issue 117
Through materials and exhibition concepts, these five shows remind you to recycle.
Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter to find out what didn’t make the cut.
Never judge a book by its cover, and don’t let the organised rings of recycling in the front window put you off entering this show. They’re visitor-generated sculptures, created during workshops to explore the Climate Emergency via engagement with the arts and activation of the senses including touch, sound and smell. Lean in for a whiff from the mystery boxes by Nastré (@nastre.in) and listen to the clinks and clangs of Gareth Jones’s (@gareth.c.jones) humanoid tree as you rustle its rusty branches. Maybe you’ll get lost in the tangled maze of a ridiculously long blister pack created by Poojan Gupta (@created_poojangupta), or visually distracted staring into the faces grown from grass roots by Molly Macleod (@mollymacleodstudio). I was inspired by how the contributing artists utilised recycled materials and yes, you can touch (with care) almost everything you see.
Curated by Veronica (@theactivistcurator)
‘I, Present’ at Hypha Studios Euston Tower (@hyphastudios) until 02 Aug
Themed shows based on artist demographics are often wildly eclectic exhibits and this showcase of unrepresented artists aged over sixty is no different. The catch is that the quality is consistently high. Jane Clarke’s steel sculptures and Colin Crumplin’s two-part paintings were my personal favourites, although Pauline Caulfield’s visual illusion ‘Linen Throw’ kept my attention the longest. I got stuck studying how a few carefully placed stripes created such an impactful effect. There’s only a few works from each artist, but sometimes a few is all you need.
Featuring:
Judith Burrows (@judithburrowsartiststudio)
Pauline Caulfield (@paulinecaulfield_textiles)
Jane Clarke (@janeclarkesculpture)
Colin Crumplin (@colincrumplin)
Olivier Richon (@olivierrichon)
Sara Rossberg (@sararossberg)
Francesca Simon (@francescasimonstudio)
Curated by Paul Carey-Kent (@paulcareykent)
‘Advanced Contemporaries’ at Somers Gallery (@somersgallery) until 03 Aug
The walls are overstuffed with works loosely grouped into thematic clusters. There are limited edition prints alongside large canvas originals. Everything is helpfully numbered and explained in a separate guide. There’s even a Nicola Turner (@nicolaturner.art)! Can you guess what it is? That’s right, it’s the ‘Summer Show’ but this one ain’t at the RA. It’s an homage to the famous annual exhibition and Marina has filled her modest gallery with far more artists and works than you would normally expect to see. The range is wide but the quality is generally high, which means you shouldn’t feel guilty about skipping any work that doesn’t resonate. Chances are good you’ll discover something better just a little further along the walls.
Featuring:
Olga Chernysheva
Katia Kesic (@katia_kesic)
Vladimir Logutov (@logutov_studio)
Pavel Otdelnov
Vitaly Pushnitsky (@pushnitsky)
Gunter Sachs
Laila Shour (@laila_s_art)
Jeanne Susplugas (@jeannesusplugas)
…and many, many more!
‘Summer Show’ at Shtager&Shch (@shtager_shch) until 10 Sep
Lonnie Holley is often cited as an important contributor to southern American Black Arts traditions. This exhibition of mostly recent work, some made while on residence in the UK, is presented via three distinct experiences. The entry is pure whimsy. A series of found object sculptures, many with hidden faces waiting to be spotted from just the right angle, remind you that both art and joy can come from anything. The next two rooms counterbalance that with larger assemblages that visually don’t seem much different than the smaller whimsical ones, until you read the titles. These are works loaded with history and tragedy. You’ll end in a room filled with large “abstract” paintings formed from an endless sea of anonymous faces. They are you, they are me, they are humanity. Holley’s art is visually uncomplicated but incredibly nuanced, testament to the power of simplicity that few artists truly master.
‘All Rendered Truth’ at Camden Art Centre (@camdenartcentre) until 15 Sep
In 1957 a government employee in Chandigarh, India started collecting stones. Lots and lots of stones. Over the next two decades he “organised” his collection, which grew to include industrial waste and other discarded items, into meandering walls, man-made waterfalls and interlinked courtyards filled with pottery covered sculptures. All of this was done in secret until it got too big to go unnoticed. His 12-acre project was eventually declared a public park and provided with government support. Today the Rock Garden of Chandigarh spans 40-acres and attracts over 5 million visitors annually. To celebrate the centenary of the creator’s birth you can see and buy actual sculptures made by Nek Chand Saini (1924 - 2015). Be sure to watch the short documentary to see just how amazing his modest collection of stones turned out to be.
‘A Summer of Gods and Goddesses’ at The Gallery of Everything (@gallevery) until 15 Sep
PLUS…
Check the What’s On page so you don’t miss any other great shows closing soon.
Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter.