Over 150 of London’s leading contemporary galleries will come together for London Gallery Weekend from tomorrow. Here’s some of the best shows to check out. (Note: this list isn’t extensive – there’s a lot of quality on show).
Indexing the Nature: From Near and Far Away / No. 9 Cork Street
The work of 11 artists come together for this exhibition billed as an artists’ “hymn to nature”. Including a poet’s embroidered representation of the night sky (Koh Sankeum); an exotic forest that has an idyllic quality (Kim Bohie); and a daily life of hybrid creatures (Yuichi Hirako), all these works are a reminder, and celebration, of the artistic inspiration offered by the environment.
The Last Man / Unit London
Texas-based artist Mauro C. Martinez offers up his new solo exhibition at Unit London, which includes a series of large-scale oil paintings. Known for his wry take on meme culture, Martinez explores our dependence on technology, which became amplified during the pandemic. In particular, this exhibition focuses on the life of the gamer, webbed and wired into his PlayStation.
Fluidity / DADA Gallery
DADA Gallery, which has gained a reputation for introducing and promoting the exceptional work of artists from Africa and its diaspora to an international crowd, presents Fluidity. This exhibition features works by Austrian-Nigerian visual artists Cameron Ugbodu, who explores themes around masculinity and queerness within the context of Afrofuturism, and Daniel Obasi, the Nigerian art director and photographer whose works look at fantasy and alternate reality.
Sejin Kim 김세진 Messenger(s) 전령(들) 2019 2-channel 3D motion graphic video on each OLED & LED Monitor, stereo sound, LED lights, 52sec, 1min 25sec, each looped Ed. 1/5 + 2AP.
The Growth of Communication / Lonnie Holley
The Growth of Communication involves works by American artist Lonnie Holley, during his recent trips to the UK. Nicknamed ‘The Sand Man’, Holley is best known for his assemblages and immersive environments made of found materials. This exhibition is no different, pieced together in Suffolk when he had his residency there, inspired in particular by the conservation area of Orford Ness, which also served as a military testing site for 70 years.
On Hold / Holtermann Fine Art
When Peter Buggenhout transitioned from painting to sculpture in 1989, his aim was to defy the symbolic representation inherent in painting. His formless, largely indistinguishable works achieve exactly that, playing with ideas of meaning and emptiness. On Hold, specifically, consists of found objects and waste materials; they may be discarded, but they’re worth a visit at Holtermann Fine Art.
Hélio Oiticica / Lisson Gallery (Bell Street)
Hélio Oiticica’s work, expressed in a variety of mediums, fills the Lisson Gallery – the first survey of the artist’s work in London in 15 years. There’s painted compositions, three-dimensional works, film and an interactive environmental structure in a show in which Oiticica’s Estate have collaborated for. Oiticica is widely regarded as one of Brazil’s leading 20th century contemporary artists and you have a chance to see his work now – lucky you.
Nicola L. / Alison Jacques
Moroccan-born, French artist Nicola L. gives her inaugural solo show at Alison Jacques. This career-spanning exhibition of work precedes a forthcoming monograph, published by Apartamento in June 2022, and a major survey at Camden Art Centre set for 2024. The artist, who became close to the French New Realist group, has had her work shown in New York, Brussels and Nice and now it graces the Fitzrovia-based gallery.
For more information on some of the art and exhibitions on show, click here.
