Comparing the shows in this week’s Roundup got me thinking deeply about how a physical space and installation “enhancements” (for lack of a better term) can significantly impact your impression of an artist or artwork.
The high ceilings and reflective granite floor at Brunswick Art Centre lend a formal elegance to the works on display, whereas the unfinished concrete shell and exposed structural elements of 60 Curzon Street replicate an industrial warehouse vibe and give the art “street cred” despite being shown in one the most expensive properties in London.
At Massimo de Carlo the temporary addition of a super lush and plush carpet definitely enhanced the atmosphere (and made me want to kick off my shoes and make fists with my toes!) but it ultimately had very little bearing on the artworks, which would distinctly stand out in any environment. Compare that to the temporarily moss covered floor at Mandy Zhang, which is integral to the current show and arguably part of the art despite not being listed as an item in the catalogue.
And of course you can’t discount the credibility that an artist gets if they achieve either of these two major milestones: being given a solo in an established gallery like Ione & Mann, or having a work hung in a major institution like Tate Britain.
If this topic is of interest then you might enjoy my review of ‘Hostess’ by France Lise McGurn (April 2023) in which I explored these concepts further. If you’d rather focus on shows you can currently see in person, scroll down and check out this week’s six.
Issue 112
Sexy sculptures, scuffed scaffolding, East Asian art, flattened cats, a wet moss floor and 400 years of women artists. Featuring: Hannah Levy at Massimo de Carlo; 28 abstract works group show by LVH Art Co; Li Chevalier, Wang Ji, Zi Quan, Kaoru Shibuta, Xinshou Yang, Wu Yin at Ming Gu Gallery; Irini Bachlitzanaki at Ione & Mann; Silia Ka Tung at Mandy Zhang; Women artists in Britain 1520-1920 at Tate Britain.
Read the full issue online for mini-reviews of each show, with four dozen photos!
More Reviews:
So what else did I see and write about last week? Here you go!
Critics’ Picks: Contemporary British Portrait Painters 2024
57 of the best British practitioners of contemporary portraiture are currently showing in Brixton. We asked our panelists to have a look and let us know which artist they’d want to paint their portrait.
What else, and what didn’t make the cut?
After a very busy May was capped off by London Gallery Weekend I eased off the gas last week and only saw a mere 16 shows. With six in the Roundup and two more being fully reviewed there weren’t many leftovers. Sometimes that’s a good thing.
If you like snakes (Hamiltons) and/or sex (Almine Rech) then be prepared: their shows are essentially one-trick pony exhibitions. One concept executed very well, again and again and again. They were still much better than GRIMM and Ronchini, where I intentionally didn’t stay long enough for the works to leave a lasting impression, because they didn’t.
Lina Iris Viktor at Pilar Corrias did leave an impression, but I was half expecting / half hoping for more portraiture similar to what was shown of her work at the Hayward’s 2022 show: In the Black Fantastic. But as all good artists do, Viktor has evolved. Her new abstracts are gorgeous and long time fans will be pleased to know that, yes, they are also gold leafed. This show was a Roundup runner-up.
Down in Vauxhall, Beaconsfield Gallery has a wild exhibition in which the members from the last five Tory administrations have been turned what the gallery says are giant ceramic slugs. I thought they all looked like the creatures from John Carpenter’s ‘The Thing’. Either way, the message is obvious.
I also perused the latest Philips pre-auction display, and managed to catch a live doodle event at Sketch by Mr. Doodle, thanks to an invitation from FLO London.
And in the “Thankful for Large Glass Windows” category, I slowed down to glance in, but ultimately walked right past, Albion June, Mucciaccia Gallery and Rhodes Contemporary.
Anonymous Art Anecdotes
People-watching inside an art gallery can be a dull endeavour. Generally well-dressed adults in expensive shoes (always, ALWAYS check the shoes if you’re trying to gauge someone’s fashion and financial status) quietly lean in, then step back, then lean in again to examine a work. Afterwards they might stroke their chin, whether or not they have a goatee. That’s why some guests stand out like a groom being paraded through Soho in a lime green Borat mankini on his stag ‘do.
I recently couldn’t take my eyes off the 0% body fat, tattooed biceps of a gentleman in all black, wearing a stab vest (for real, not the political fashion statement Stormzy kind) while taking close-up pics of the art. Was this a contract killer conducting research as part of his night-school endeavours to go straight by getting a job in the art world? Maybe some art collector Oligarch’s bodyguard sending pre-sale condition reports back to his employer? I’ll never know. I was too scared to approach and ask.
Looking ahead…
A few new things I’m going to try to visit include:
I really want to watch Andy Holden’s Laws of Motion in a Cartoon Landscape. I just need to find the time when I can sit for the hour long viewing. It’s at The Perimeter until 13 July
Ivar Arosenius - A Serious Jester by Clase Fine Art will be a showcase of some rather amusing ~120 year-old works. They can be viewed at Fiumano Clase from 15 June - 05 July.
Plus there are many recently opened shows I haven’t yet managed to see at Ed Cross Fine Art, Guts, Hales, Larkin Durey and Sid Motion Gallery — but will I manage to catch them all before the next Roundup? 🤔
What else would you like to see / read / know?
Thanks for making it all the way to the end of my Newsletter. Did you like what you read? Was there something else you expected? Please get in touch and let me know!