2025 - Issue 137 - CONDO Edition
Billed as “an environment that is more conducive for experimental gallery exhibitions to take place internationally”, the CONDO initiative has returned! This year’s iteration sees 49 galleries showing in 22 spaces spread across London. Based on the number of people spotted on opening weekend clutching the bright yellow maps while checking their smartphones to confirm directions to the next venue, the event might already be considered a success.
Casual art lovers should take note of the word ‘experimental’ in the mission statement. This isn’t an art fair nor is it about Instagram-worthy installations. Polish and pizzazz have generally been sidelined to make way for abstract concepts, challenging visuals and quirky exploratory works. With limited exceptions, the visiting artists and artworks haven’t previously shown in London which is one of the reasons why the event is such a large draw. Even when the work is underwhelming it’s still a breath of fresh air, injecting foreign ideas and new perspectives into the minds of London’s artists, galleries and art world insiders.
In larger venues with multiple display spaces you’ll have the opportunity to see host gallery shows alongside their visitors. “It’s all part of CONDO!” was a phrase I heard many gallerists proclaim when attendees arrived specifically asking about the guests. Except it’s not, not really. You know it and they know it. In fact, quite a few venues appeared to be capitalising on the programme PR as a way to bait & switch visitors into their main show where they clearly want your focus. The CONDO components at Carlos/Ishikawa, Corvi-Mora & Greengrassi, Phillida Reid and Soft Opening felt uninspired and remained mostly empty despite a sizeable gallery attendance when I visited. Whereas Public Gallery, Sadie Coles HQ and The Sunday Painter did a much better job co-curating visiting shows that complimented their rostered artists, providing an overall experience that was highly rewarding.
I personally found that visits were most compelling when venues completely turned over their premises to their visitor(s), even when the work was mixed. Arcadia Missa and Sylvia Kouvali filled their spaces with smaller pieces that felt much more raw and exploratory than you might expect in a Mayfair gallery. Brunette Coleman and Hot Wheels presented highly refined but non-standard works that visitors may find challenging. Hollybush Gardens embraced the opportunity to expose Londoners to “one of the most vibrant and influential alternative art spaces in downtown New York” (JAM, 1974-1986) and be sure to check the event schedule at Ginny on Frederick so that you can take full advantage of the disco dance floor.
Most of the 27 visiting galleries are presenting group shows, so there’s an incredibly wide range of new names for you to acquaint yourself with. However, I wouldn’t recommend trying to replicate my 27,000 step experience to see everything, at least not in one weekend. Thankfully the event runs for a month and to help you plan your visits I’ve included one-line reviews of every show plus some highlight photos.
Happy arting!
One-Line Reviews
👍🏻👍🏻 Roundup-worthy recommendations.
👍🏻 Definitely worth it.
🤷🏼♂️ Mixed results.
👎🏻 You can skip it.
NOTE: The rating icons and reviews reflect only the visiting CONDO exhibits, and do not take into account any other concurrent shows in the galleries.
〰
CENTRAL
1 — 🤷🏼♂️ 243 Luz / 🤷🏼♂️ Roland Ross / 🤷🏼♂️ Veda @ Arcadia Missa
2 — 🤷🏼♂️ Marfa’ Projects @ Sylvia Kouvali
Both hosts showcased a large group selection of small works that were generally experimental or exploratory in nature. Lots of fascinating details, but very few held my attention overall.
3 — 🤷🏼♂️ Jahmek Contemporary Art @ Sadie Coles HQ
I was greatly amused by the floating wooden toilet & cistern, but the curious abstract sculptures made from reassembled furniture remain an enigma. There was no handout and neither gallery put any details on their website.
4 — 🤷🏼♂️ Empty Gallery @ Hot Wheels
Xper.Xr’s barrel organ is the star of the show. Politely ask the gallery to give you a demo. You’ll probably ignore everything else.
5 — 👎🏻 Ehrlich Steinberg @ Phillida Reid
It could have been impactful, but with only three works this conceptual showcase just didn’t have enough meat to sink your teeth into.
〰
SOUTH
6 / 7 — 👎🏻 Fanta-MLN / 👎🏻 Edouard Montassut @ Corvi-Mora & Greengrassi
Muppets and glitter and… I honestly can’t recall anything else. Meh.
8 — 👍🏻👍🏻 Proyectos Ultravioleta @ Sunday Painter
I laughed at Akira Ikezoe’s “Inside Out” and “animal love” works, thinking they were too cartoony and not graphic enough to be offensive. Everyone I showed them to disagreed. Let me know what you think.
〰
EAST—CENTRAL
9 — 🤷🏼♂️ Francis Irv @ Brunette Coleman
Four conceptual abstract sculptures. I loved them. Most people won’t.
10 — 👍🏻 Gordon Robichaux @ Hollybush Gardens
This mini-retrospective of two artists that met at JAM (Just Above Midtown) made me want to delve deeper into both their history and “the trailblazing New York gallery” that fostered African American artists in the 70s.
11 — 👍🏻👍🏻 Kendall Koppe @ Amanda Wilkinson
I was repulsed and captivated by the grotesque paintings, then had to stifle a giggle at the unexpected props in the queer photo nudes.
12 — 👍🏻 Good Weather @ Ginny on Frederick
This is the kind of bold experimentation I want to see when CONDO comes to town. Is it even any good? Who cares. It’s a disco dance floor!
〰
EAST
13 — 👍🏻 The Breeder / 🤷🏼♂️ Martins & Montero @ Public Gallery
I couldn’t tell if the basement AI assistant intro video was dry wit irony or a chilling and foreboding forecast. The weird wood sculptures and trippy bird head video upstairs were much more soothing.
14 — 👍🏻👍🏻 Blank Projects / 👎🏻 Gypsum @ Union Pacific
Skip the upstairs and head straight to the basement. Dineo Seshee Bopape clearly understands that video art is best when technology, aided by her tongue, is used like canvas and brush.
15 — 🤷🏼♂️ Antenna Space @ Emalin
This duo show of experimental photos and videos does a fantastic job of creating and conveying mood.
16 — 👍🏻👍🏻 Tanya Leighton @ Kate MacGarry
When a film is this engaging and amusing then I’ll sit through all 27 minutes of it (and I did!) even though I’m very mixed about art galleries as venues to showcase traditional filmmaking (in this case, a documentary).
17 — 👎🏻 Air Paris @ Maureen Paley Studio M
I spent three minutes pretending to study the works because I was eavesdropping on the conversations. Alas, both endeavours were a waste of my time.
18 — 👍🏻👍🏻 Nova Contemporary @ Project Native Informant
The soothing, hazy light oil paintings paired with candle wall sconces on found metal trays proved to be the most calming and relaxing experience at CONDO. It made me want to make a cuppa and snuggle up.
19 — 👍🏻👍🏻 PPOW @ Mother’s Tankstation
Literally weaving together sex work and domestic/parental struggles, these tapestries subvert “traditional” feminine art mediums and concerns.
20 — 👎🏻 Jason Hama @ Carlos/Ishikawa
21 — 👎🏻 Derosia @ Soft Opening
Two shows of conceptual paintings that will probably appeal more to artists and art historians than the general public.
22 - 🤷🏼♂️ Philip Zollinger / 👍🏻 Sophie Tappelner @ The Approach
Exotic floral forms, a hybrid of drawing and silk collage, are confusing and beautiful creations that blend fantasy and reality, made by a dental assistant that began her art career at the age of 52.
Plan your visit
‘CONDO London 2025’ runs from 18 Jan to 15 Feb at various locations.
Visit the official website and follow @condo_complex on Instagram for more info and the full list of host venues and visiting galleries.
Or just go straight to the Google Map showing all locations.
NOTE: check with each Host venue to confirm opening days/hours.
PLUS…
Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter. It’s free!