It’s Frieze week, when every London gallery is vying for your attention, and if you work in the art industry you have my sympathy. Navigating the flood of “must see” lists is more than a tad overwhelming and trying to figure out what’s actually going to be good feels like a gamble, since most recommendations aren’t much more than thinly disguised PR. But don’t worry… London Art Roundup has got ya covered!
I only write about shows after I’ve seen them and last week I went to 30 shows — yes, THIRTY! — so that I could help you sort the wheat from the chaff. My seven favourites are featured in this week’s Roundup.
As for everything else, another 9 are worth your time if you happen to be in the area (e.g. the Best of the Rest) but there are 13 that you can safely skip (e.g. NOPE). Scroll down to read the one-line reviews I’ve given to each and let me know in the comments if you agree or disagree. But remember, there’s no accounting for taste. I’m referring to yours, of course. 🤪
Happy Frieze, everyone!
Issue 126
Seven shows filled with intricate details, overflowing with emotion. Featuring: Nat Breitenstein at Standpoint Gallery; debut show at Panrucker Gallery; Abul Hisham at Mamoth; Daniele Milvio at Ilenia; Kehinde Wiley at Stephen Friedman Gallery; Yu Hong at Lisson Gallery; Emma Prempeh at Tiwani Contemporary.
Read the full issue online for mini-reviews of each show, with 51 photos!
More Reviews:
Looking for something different? Here’s my review of a mouth watering exhibition about Japan’s food replica culture. Don’t worry if you can’t make it this week. It’s running until mid-Feb 2025.
Looks Delicious! @ Japan House London
An exhibition of fake food that really made me hungry!
What else, and what didn’t make the cut?
〰
👍🏻 BEST OF THE REST — e.g. worth a visit if you’re in the area:
Benjamin Rhodes Arts — A very mixed bag of quirky Catalan artworks, but I quite liked the oil on A4 paper pieces and their short story titles.
Browse & Darby — Fruit and nudes that look like they’ve been overlaid with measurements and sightline references in preparation for a refresh. They’re actually from plumb lines the artist hung in the studio to facilitate the painting.
Hales — Hew Locke continues to muck with the monarchy in a series of ironic busts set so low you need to curtsey to see them, but the biggest breath of fresh air comes from his 20-year-old works on cardboard.
Lungley — If you can figure how they got them in maybe they’ll let you take one out with a discount?
Niru Ratnam — This multi-panelled, retro review of 80s Manhattan madness is perfectly timed nostalgia for Yankee collectors flying over for Frieze.
No. 9 Cork Street — There’s only about one room’s worth of interesting art spread across the three visiting galleries, but it’s worth your time to go find it.
P21 — a showcase of art, including recent work from artists living in Gaza, that explores the emotions, experiences and challenges of Palestinians.
Town House — A shop/cafe with a garden gallery showing a series of modest oil paintings of entryway façades. Every one is sold. The market isn’t hard. It’s only hard if you haven’t figured out who your audience is and what they want to buy.
Union Pacific — Somewhat surreal, not quite photorealistic, closely cropped, oddly angled objects. You could easily get stuck into these for hours, if you’re in the right mood.
〰
👎🏻 NOPE — you can give these shows a skip:
Ben Oakley Gallery x Electric Space — Ben’s put on some pretty good shows, but this one isn’t gonna be on the greatest hits.
Emalin — Sticks stuck in bowling balls isn’t clever art, but it is smart art if they’re being priced by weight.
GRIMM — Proving there’s nothing new to be discovered through cubism.
Kate MacGarry — Like walking into a window decoration showroom for people with more money than taste.
Lévy Gorvy Dayan — It’s an impressive feat to make magic, mysticism, and the occult look quaint, but they gave it a good go.
Lisson (67 Lisson St) — The “complex painterly surfaces blend styles and moments from different eras” but sometimes I just wish artists would work smarter, not harder.
Pi Artworks — Even Judy Chicago would think these fabric eco-mantra flags are a bit twee.
Rhodes Contemporary — If you’re too cheap to get a National Gallery ticket then you deserve these 8-bit Van Gogh.
Richard Saltoun — Truly stunning rubbings. But… what’s the point?
Royal Academy of Arts (Weston Studio) — Lots of enticing weirdness that felt a bit too random.
Sarah Kravitz Gallery — Actually, yes. Your five-year-old probably could do that.
Timothy Taylor — They’re pretty and they’re colourful and they’re fresh from MOMA but if they weren’t by Alex Katz they’d be gathering dust in gallery storage.
Yamamoto Keiko Rochaix — I saw more than enough Delaine Le Bas at the Turner Prize so I’ll be honest, I didn’t even go in because you can safely browse this show through the windows.
Anonymous Art Anecdotes
Artists, galleries, PR and media companies frequently get in touch asking me to cover their shows. Most of these e-mails are incredibly professional and buttoned-up. But sometimes…
A while ago I received one that was fairly well written, except it was missing a few things. Press release? Bio? Links to downloadable media kits? Nope x3. They didn’t even think to include the URL, Instagram or physical address of the gallery, which was important since it was a brand new entity. I replied to ask for more details, and never got a response.
So I researched the company and the buttons were quite literally undone. Based on the amount of skin showing on their website and the founder’s personal Instagram, I seriously started to wonder if I was being catfished. I’m no prude, and maybe this comment will be considered sexist, but when your “corporate headshot” looks like a Calvin Klein underwear ad people might think your firm is offering more than just media relations.
Looking ahead
With apologies to Lennon & McCartney…
“Ooh I need your art babe,
Guess you know it's true.
Hope you need my art babe,
Just like I need you.
Hold me, love me, hold me, love me.
Ain't got nothin' but art babe,
Eight Fairs this week.”
Oct 8-13 = Minor Attractions (The Montcalm Hotel)
Oct 8-13 = PAD London (Berkeley Square)
Oct 9-12 = Women in Art Fair (Mall Galleries)
Oct 9-13 = Frieze (Regent’s Park)
Oct 9-13 = StART (King’s Cross / St. Pancras)
Oct 10-13 = 1-54 (Somerset House)
Oct 10-13 = Focus Art Fair (Saatchi Gallery)
Oct 10-13 = The Other Art Fair (Truman Brewery)
How many of these fairs will you be attending?
The Gallery Entry Game
How many of you are actively looking before you walk in the gallery?
Here’s this week’s challenge. It’s the Frieze tent, obviously. But… what year?
Good luck! The answer will be in next week’s newsletter.
〰
Last week’s gallery was… Ginny on Frederick, which started out in a tiny old sandwich shop but last year upgraded into a slightly larger old garage. Maybe that’s why half of you thought the image was the South London Gallery’s Fire Station venue?
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? Leave an comment and let me know!