The Philistine: The Very Best Of London Culture This June
By Something CuratedWith a 250th art birthday party, explosive experimental theatre, a bold new gallery opening, and Christo’s first ever foray into outdoor public work in the UK, culture in London is hot this month. Here, Something Curated discovers the best art, photography, culture and performance in London in June.
Exhibitions
Family Values: Polish Photography Now, at Calvert 22 || Zofia Rydet, Józef Robakowski, Aneta Grzeszykowska, Weronika Gęsicka, Aneta Bartos & Adam Palenta (25 May – 22 July)
This survey of contemporary Polish photography pulls together works by influential artists whose work has rarely been shown within the UK. The late Zofia Rydet, whose ambitious project ‘Sociological Record’ aimed to photograph every single person in Poland (she snapped 20,000 subjects by the time she died in 1997) is at its heart, while filmmaker Józef Robakowski’s film series ‘View From My Window’ reveals the changing view from his flat over a 20 year period.
Nigel Shafran Work Books 1984 – 2018, at Sion and Moore || Nigel Shafran, Kim Sion & Lucy Moore (Until 17 June)
Around 40 notebooks containing over thirty years of work (and everyday scribbles) of the photographer Nigel Shafran forms ‘Work Books 1984 – 2018’ – the inaugural show at Sion and Moore, the new gallery space from art-fashion industry veterans art director Kim Sion, and Clare de Rouen owner Lucy Moore. It’s the first time the work books, which contain old tax discs and even his son’s first tooth, will be shown in London.
soft, at Sadie Coles HQ Kingly Street || Urs Fischer (8 June – 18 August)
Swiss artist Urs Fischer is best known for his large-scale sculptures and installations that explore a wide range of materials from popular culture. Born in Zurich, Fischer studied photography at the Schule für Gestaltung before turning his focus on making objects borrowed from everyday life. soft at Sadie Coles HQ is set to present a number of new 2D works by the artist.
Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Barrels and The Mastaba 1958-2018, at Serpentine Galleries || Christo & Jeanne-Claude (19 June – 9 September)
A sculpture formed of 7,506 horizontally-stacked oil barrels, painted in shades of red, white, blue and mauve will float on the surface of The Serpentine Lake this summer, as part of ‘Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Barrels and The Mastaba 1958-2018’, a new exhibition of the famous couple’s ambitious outdoor sculptural works. The show combines sculptures, drawings, collages, scale-models and photographs, spanning six decades. While some of the pair’s most celebrated works include ‘Wrapped Reichstag, Berlin (1971-1995); ‘The Gates, Central Park, New York City (1979-2005)’; and ‘The Floating Piers on Italy’s Lake Iseo (2014-2016)’, this new lake-based sculpture marks Christo’s first outdoor, public work in the UK.
Jerwood Collection: 25 Years, at Sotheby’s || Stanley Spencer, Rose Wylie, Maggi Hambling & Christopher Wood (8 – 12 June)
25 years ago, the not-for-profit Jerwood Collection bought it’s first painting, ‘From my Window at Ditchling circa 1925’ by Sir Frank Brangwyn. Since then Jerwood has amassed over 300 works by some of Britain’s most renowned 20th and 21st century artists, with the aim to collect British art for public display. In June, 25 important works from the collection will show at Sotheby’s. Artists include Christopher Wood, Stanley Spencer, Rose Wylie, Paul Nash and Maggi Hambling.
250th Summer Exhibition, at Royal Academy of Arts || Phyllida Barlow, Cornelia Parker, Grayson Perry & More (12 June – 19 August)
It’s 250 years since the RA’s founding members agreed to hold an “Annual Exhibition of Paintings, Sculptures and Designs … open to all Artists.” This year, RA’s annual art bash coincides with both the gallery’s anniversary and reopening following renovations, including much-needed new permanent displays, which are free to visit. This year’s ‘hanging committee’ of artists includes Cornelia Parker, Phyllida Barlow, Grayson Perry and others, who’ve selected the exhibition’s 1,200 works.
Carlos Garaicoa, at Parasol unit || Carlos Garaicoa (Until 20 July)
Working across large-scale sculpture, installations, video and photography, Cuban artist Carlos Garaicoa’s preoccupation is with the city; with its flaws and limitations, as well as its scope for joy, potential and possibility. Garaicoa, who splits his time living between Havana and Madrid, has appropriated pavement signs of former department stores on the streets of Havana, and created carpets from photographic imagery, in critical response to life in Cuba today.
Film & Performance
Artists’ Film International, at Whitechapel Gallery || Juan Sorrentino, Vladimir Nikolić, Pelin Kırca & More (5 June – 29 July)
The thread which runs through this exhibition of art films at Whitechapel is, appropriately enough, “truth”, surely one of the great concerns of today. Film works by three international artists, Juan Sorrentino, Vladimir Nikolić, Pelin Kırca respectively reveal a blank canvas journeying through a sunlit forest, the curious surveillance of a performance artist in Mount Luofu in Guandong, China; and an animation that marries a Persian Sufi poem with the incongruous sounds of 90s rock band Morphine.
The Town Hall Affair, at Barbican || The Wooster Group (21 – 24 June)
The influential, experimental theatre company The Wooster Group, which is based in New York and launched the careers of the likes of Willem Dafoe, presents The Town Hall Affair, based on documentary film Town Bloody Hall (1971), which captured an intense debate on Women’s Liberation at Town Hall in New York City. Present at the debate were feminist writer Germaine Greer, journalist Jill Johnston, cultural critic Diana Trilling, and writer Norman Mailer in an ‘immoderate’ role as moderator; The Wooster Group derail and re-enact the events of that day, with layered footage to raucous, explosive effect.
Events
Autonomy and the artist-run space, at RA || Auto Italia South East; Marianne Forrest & Ed Gillman (23 June)
Auto Italia, the artist-led art organisation will host this roundtable at the Royal Academy of Arts exploring the state of play for autonomous artist-run spaces in London today. Auto Italia South East members Marianne Forrest and Ed Gillman invite the audience to participate in this conversation around artist-led organising, collaborative practise and what form possibilities for autonomous production could take.
Black Flags and Democracy, at Camden Arts Centre || Adrian Rifkin & Julie Cunningham (6 June)
Writer and art historian Adrian Rifkin and choreographer Julie Cunningham present new performances of Black Flags and Democracy, works of the influential late artist Ian White, to complement Any frame is a thrown voice, a retrospective of his work across performance, moving image and film programming.
Camberwell College of Arts Graphic Design presents: Good Night, at Tola (5 June)
Hosted at Tola, on Peckham High Street, Camberwell students are holding a fundraising night, with 100% of profits going towards the Camberwell BA Graphic Design 2018 degree show. The finalised line-up is yet to be announced so do keep an eye out.
The Water Cure: Sophie Mackintosh and Katherine Angel, at London Review Bookshop || Sophie Mackintosh & Katherine Angel (5 June)
Sophie Mackintosh, the author of The Water Cure, a powerful and dystopian debut novel; which is already much-lauded, despite being released only last month, is in conversation with Katherine Angel, writer and author of Unmastered, A Book On Desire, Most Difficult To Tell.
Words by Stevie Mackenzie-Smith | Feature image: Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Barrels and The Mastaba 1958-2018, Serpentine Galleries (via Serpentine Galleries)