The Philistine’s Guide To 2018: The Best Of London Art & Culture
By Something CuratedLooking ahead at the next twelve months, Something Curated compiles a list of what are set to be some of 2018’s cultural highpoints, spanning upcoming exhibitions, performances, nightlife, events and openings in London.
Art Exhibitions
Yto Barrada at The Curve, Barbican Centre || Yto Barrada (7 Feb – 20 May)
For this new commission, Yto Barrada transforms the sweeping form of the Curve with a dramatic site-specific installation – including a mural, a new film commission, several sculptures, and a series of live and recorded performances – to consider how a city and its people might address the process of reinvention following disaster.
Crossroads: Kauffman, Judd And Morris at Sprüth Magers || Craig Kauffman (19 Jan – 31 Mar)
Crossroads: Kauffman, Judd and Morris, is Sprüth Magers’ second curated exhibition of Craig Kauffman’s work, displayed alongside his influences and contemporaries. The show presents six works from Kauffman’s fertile period of 1966—1971, when he addressed the issues of structure and form in painting, the use of industrial materials, painting’s relationship to the wall, and dematerialisation.
Ian Cheng at Serpentine Gallery || Ian Cheng (6 Mar – 28 May)
Ian Cheng explores the nature of mutation and the capacity of humans to relate to change. Drawing on principles of video game design, improvisation and cognitive science, Cheng has developed ‘live simulations’: living virtual ecosystems that begin with basic programmed properties, but are left to self-evolve without authorial intent or end.
Glenn Brown: Come to Dust at Gagosian Grosvenor Hill || Glenn Brown (24 Jan – 17 Mar)
For Glenn Brown, the past and present are treasuries of raw material, offering countless images, titles, and techniques to be combined, appropriated, and deconstructed. The exhibition, comprising oil paintings, drawings in period frames, grisaille panel works, etchings, and sculptures, attests to the ever-intensifying dexterity with which Brown employs paint, content, and form.
Shape Of Light: 100 Years Of Photography And Abstract Art at Tate Modern || Bridget Riley, Paul Strand, László Moholy-Nagy, Man Ray & More (2 May – 14 Oct)
The birth of abstract art and the invention of photography were both defining moments in modern visual culture, but these two stories are often told separately. Shape of Light is the first major exhibition to explore the relationship between the two, spanning the century from the 1910s to the present day. Key vintage prints are brought together from pioneers like Paul Strand, László Moholy-Nagy and Man Ray. Their work is shown alongside abstract paintings, sculptures and installations by major figures in abstract art, from Georges Braque to Bridget Riley.
A Minute Ago at Zabludowicz Collection || Students of MA Culture, Criticism and Curation & MA Performance Design and Practice at Central Saint Martins (18 Jan – 25 Feb)
A Minute Ago considers the idea of ‘a moment’ through artistic practice: how do we experience a single moment in time, and how do we process, communicate, and reconstruct it? Including performances by live art practitioners and moving image work selected from the Zabludowicz Collection, the exhibition investigates the ways in which a moment can be interrogated through different art forms.
Bridge at Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation || Toshio Shibata (11 Jan – 9 Feb)
Toshio Shibata is known for exploring the delicate balance between manmade structures and nature. Photographing erosion control barriers, water catchments, roads, dams and bridges, he examines the unique appearance of these structures in his native land.
Artists’ Film International at Whitechapel Gallery || Patrick Hough, John Skoog, Ørjan Amundsen (30 Jan – 1 Apr)
The 2018 edition of AFI focuses on the theme of ‘truth’. Each of the selected artists explore the relationship between fact and fiction. The discovery of Cecile B. de Mille’s Ten Commandments film set, buried in the sands of California for nearly 90 years, is the point of departure for And If In a Thousand Years (2017) by Patrick Hough, which explores the intersection of artefact, cinema, film, CGI and laser-scanning technology.
Paul Maheke at Chisenhale Gallery || Paul Maheke (13 Apr – 10 Jun)
In April, Chisenhale Gallery presents the first major solo show in a UK institution by London-based artist Paul Maheke. Through a varied and often collaborative body of work comprising performance, installation, sound and video, Maheke considers the potential of the body as an archive in order to examine how memory and identity are formed and constituted.
Fairs & Festivals
Condo 2018 || Vanessa Carlos (13 Jan – 10 Feb)
Condo, conceived by London art dealer Vanessa Carlos, co-founder of Carlos/Ishikawa gallery in Whitechapel, launched its inaugural edition in January 2016. The concept involves London galleries lending their spaces for a month to foreign dealers to stage collaborative exhibitions, showcasing artists from both rosters. Condo offers an exciting chance to get to grips with a diverse group of artists who might otherwise seldom make an appearance in London.
Masterpiece London 2018 || Harry van der Hoorn, Simon Phillips, Harry Apter, Thomas Woodham-Smith & Robert Procop (28 Jun – 4 Jul)
Masterpiece London launched in 2010 with a unique focus on cross-collecting. This fusion of heritage and style, tradition and the contemporary draws close to 40,000 visitors each year for an exceptional week of cultural, culinary and social experiences. Located on the South Grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, Masterpiece is an unmissable event at the height of the capital’s summer arts season.
The London Design Festival || Ben Evans (15–23 Sep)
The London Design Festival celebrates the achievements of designers who are making a significant difference to our lives through their innovation and originality. Established in 2003, the London Design Festival is a citywide celebration that brings together a global community of designers, artists, architects, and retailers to activate projects responding to the transformative power of design.
Frieze London || Amanda Sharp, Matthew Slotover & Victoria Siddall (Opening 4–7 Oct)
Frieze London has established itself as a pivotal event in the global art calendar. Launched by Amanda Sharp and Matthew Slotover back in 2003, the fair is now directed by Victoria Siddall. Frieze London houses booths from 160 galleries from over 25 countries, featuring an astonishing breadth of contemporary art. In conjunction with the commercial event, Frieze Projects is a non-profit programme of artists’ commissions presented annually at the fair.
London Literature Festival at Southbank Centre || Jude Kelly (Oct)
The London Literature Festival attracts great writers from all over the world each year, for a series of talks, readings, workshops and spoken word performances. Taking place over two weeks, The London Literature Festival focuses on the power of words and how this can change the world for the better.
BFI London Film Festival || Clare Stewart (Oct)
The BFI London Film Festival, under the directorship of Clare Stewart, presents a resolutely diverse selection of projects. The Festival is Britain’s leading film event and one of the world’s most established. Last year, the programme saw headline galas shown at the Odeon Leicester Square each evening, alongside a busy schedule of independent films, documentaries and talks, occurring over twelve days.
Retail
Loewe Bond Street || Jonathan Anderson (Sep)
Loewe is set to move its London flagship location from Mount Street to a bigger space on 41 New Bond Street, which will follow the Casa Loewe concept, first introduced by creative director Jonathan Anderson in Madrid and Tokyo. The new store, which spans 500 square meters across three floors, will stock the full men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, handbag and leather accessories collections, as well as contemporary works of art curated by Anderson.
Performing Arts
Radar 008 at East Bloc || Kamixlo, Tash LC, Moleskin, Pattaya (11 Jan)
Radar Radio’s weekly parties re-launch for 2018 with some of their biggest line-ups yet. Headlining the first show of the year is Bala Club co-founder Kamixlo, whose combination of high-impact edits, raw reggaeton and more earned him much recognition in 2017.
XENOS at Sadler’s Wells || Akram Khan (29 May – 9 Jun)
Marking his final performances as a dancer in a full-length piece, Akram Khan takes to the stage alongside five world-class musicians. Khan revisits the myth of Prometheus in the context of the First World War, conjuring the shell-shocked dream of a colonial soldier.
The Inheritance at Young Vic || Matthew Lopez, Stephen Daldry, Bob Crowley & Justin Martin (2 Mar – 5 May)
A generation after the worst of the AIDS crisis, what is it like to be a young gay man in New York? How many words are there now for the different kinds of pain, the different kinds of love? Stephen Daldry directs this hilarious and profound heart-breaker – a major world premiere in two parts by New York playwright Matthew Lopez.
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui / Bunkamura Theatre Cocoon: Pluto at Barbican Theatre || Naoki Urasawa & Takashi Nagasaki (8–11 Feb)
In a genre-defying show honouring the Japanese art form of manga, sensational visual effects, impactful storytelling and performances of physical grace enliven this iconic Astro Boy tale. Depicting a universe where people and robots both coexist and find themselves in conflict, Pluto engages audiences with far-reaching themes that ask what it means to be human.
Fashion
London Fashion Week Men’s January 2018 || Natalie Massenet (6–8 Jan)
London Fashion Week Men’s, formerly London Collections Men, showcases a breadth of exciting new and emerging talent alongside established favourites, running from 6–8 Jan 2018. Expect to see the latest offerings from London designers Craig Green, Grace Wales Bonner and Alex Mullins, among others.
Azzedine Alaïa: The Couturier at Design Museum || Azzedine Alaïa (10 May – 7 Oct)
Azzedine Alaïa was recognised throughout his life as a master couturier who expressed the timeless beauty of the female form in the most refined degree of haute couture. For the past year, the Design Museum has been working closely with Azzedine Alaïa in planning an exhibition that explores his career and creative process. Following his untimely passing on 18 November 2017, the Design Museum will now present this unique exhibition planned by Alaia himself exploring his passion and energy for fashion as he himself intended it to be seen.
London Fashion Week February 2018 || Natalie Massenet (Opening 16–20 Feb)
Organised by the British Fashion Council, London Fashion Week first took place in October 1983. It currently ranks alongside New York, Paris and Milan as one of the ‘Big Four’ fashion weeks. This February, Expect a busy season of shows, including presentations from London favourites, Molly Goddard, Faustine Steinmetz, Erdem and Ashish, to name a few.
Degree Shows
The Drawing Year Open Day at Royal Drawing School (Jan)
The Drawing Year Open Days are an opportunity for students to visit the School and studios, meet the faculty and find out more about the Royal Drawing School’s postgraduate programme. The Drawing Year is a full scholarship MA-level course offering up to thirty students the opportunity to focus on drawing from observation for one academic year.
Central Saint Martins Degree Shows 2017 (May – Jun)
Show One, running in May, focuses on the college’s art courses, including BA Fine Art, MA Fine Art, MA Photography, MA Art & Science, MRes: Exhibition Studies, MRes Moving Image, and MRes Art Theory and Philosophy. Show Two, which commences in June, will showcase the work of students from the Fashion, Product, Ceramic and Industrial Design, Culture and Enterprise, Drama and Performance, Design and Practice, Graphic Communication Design, Spatial Practices and Jewellery and Textiles schools.
Westminster Graduate Fashion Show (May)
The University of Westminster has built a strong reputation in recent years for cultivating fashion talent, including designers Christopher Bailey, Claire Barrow and Liam Hodges. The presented collections are in many ways the purest form of fashion, frequently manufactured on small budgets and driven by the singular ideas of one designer, making them a captivating insight into some of Britain’s brightest minds.
Goldsmiths MFA Fine Art (Jul)
Running from April to September 2016, expect an eclectic programme of exhibitions, shows and performances showcasing the exciting work of the school’s latest graduates, from courses spanning Art, Art Psychotherapy, Computing, Cultural Studies, Dance, Psychotherapy, Design, Educational Studies, Media and Communications, Music, Sociology, Theatre and Performance, and Visual Cultures.
Slade Degree Show (May – Jun)
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The renowned institution dates from 1868 when solicitor and philanthropist Felix Slade bequeathed funds to establish three Chairs in Fine Art, at Oxford University, Cambridge University and University College London. The annual show represents The Slade’s potential contribution to future discourses in international art. This vast exhibition is highly varied, with the artists on display employing a plethora of languages and devices.
The Bartlett Summer Show (Jul)
The Bartlett School of Architecture and Planning is one of the most prestigious and competitive architecture and urban planning schools in the world. The Summer Show is the annual celebration of student work. Over 450 students show innovative drawings, models, devices, texts, animations and installations in this busy annual presentation.
Architectural Association Projects Review (Jul)
Projects Review is the culmination of the year’s work at the Architectural Association, showcasing student work from across the school, from Foundation to PhD, online, on page, on the wall and in the gallery at Bedford Square.
Feature image: Yto Barrada via Barbican