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Following the relatively quiet month of August for many of the city’s art galleries, September heralds an extraordinarily busy period of cultural activity in London. As well as countless new exhibition openings, September plays host to Fashion Week and London Design Festival, two enormous operations attracting visitors from across the globe. Something Curated compiles a list of the best cultural events on offer in the upcoming month, taking a closer look at the minds behind the diverse projects.

 

Exhibitions

Cindy Sherman at Sprüth Magers || Cindy Sherman (Until 8 Sep)

Cindy Sherman’s current exhibition marks over three decades and seventeen exhibitions with Sprüth Magers. On view is her most recent body of work from 2016, which debuted in Europe at the Berlin gallery last year. In the large-scale colour portraits, the artist imagines herself as a cast of ‘grandes dames’ from the Golden Age of 1920s Hollywood cinema.

 

On Collecting. Panza Collection Archives at Hauser & Wirth || Giuseppe & Giovanna Panza (4–15 Sep)

This project space and series of events explore the archives and practices of Giuseppe and Giovanna Panza, the internationally renowned collectors who, over more than five decades, built an extraordinary contemporary art collection including works by minimal and conceptual artists from both America and Europe.

 

Christina Quarles: Always Brightest Before Tha Dusk at Pilar Corrias || Christina Quarles (5–22 Sep)

Christina Quarles’ work explores the human body through manipulation and intervention, illuminating the slippery qualities of identity. The amorphous bodies occupying the artist’s canvases traverse spaces and architectures, sliding through floors, windows and walls, establishing fluidity between these bodies and their environments. The motifs and colour palettes present across each canvas are nods and gestures to Quarles’ own environment and identity.

 

Five Heads (Tavan Tolgoi)—Art, Anthropology and Mongol Futurism at greengrassi || Hermione Spriggs (1–15 Sep)

Curated by Hermione Spriggs, Five Heads (Tavan Tolgoi) brings together the work of five anthropologists and five artists and collectives researching and responding to the dramatic rise and fall of Mongolia’s mineral economy. Drawing from on-going fieldwork in Mongolia, the artists in this exhibition conceptualise crisis as a space for the emergence of new possibilities.

 

Alan Charlton: Grey Paintings at Annely Juda Fine Art || Alan Charlton (13 Sep–3 Nov)

Alan Charlton has, since the early 1970’s, painted purely grey, abstract paintings. The choice of grey paint stems from Charlton’s desire to use a “standard, industrial colour,” linking to the industrial landscape of his childhood in Sheffield, but also the emotive qualities of the colour. Unwavering from this rigorous format has allowed Charlton to indefatigably explore the formal qualities of the canvas and to remain free of representation, influence or interpretation.

 

Film & Performance

Dark Field Analysis at Lilian Baylis Studio || Jefta van Dinther (12–14 Sep)

A rising name known for creating striking sensorial illusions, Jefta van Dinther draws on the intensity of being alive by placing us in relation to other forms of life. Organic blends with synthetic, human with animal. A conversation about blood unfolds between two men, serving as an analogy for looking inwards and outwards: into and beyond our selves.

 

Safar Film Festival 2018 at ICA || Joseph Fahim (13–18 Sep)

This year’s Safar Film Festival examines the enduring and symbiotic relationship between literature and film in the Arab world, presenting a rich programme of cinema from the 1960s to the present day. Safar excavates this formative period, highlighting one of the least explored chapters of Arab film history, with classic adaptations from Syria, Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria, including some world premiere restorations.

 

Supernature in Two Parts at Lisson Gallery || Haroon Mirza & Daria Khan (14–15 Sep)

Supernature in Two Parts is an evening of durational, sonic and experiential performances taking place across both London spaces. Presented by Haroon Mirza and Daria Khan, it furthers a collaboration between Lisson Gallery and Mimosa House, an independent project space dedicated to young artists working in diverse media, with a specific focus on performance, queer, female and non-binary practitioners.

 

Events

London Design Biennale 2018 at Somerset House || Sir John Sorrell CBE (4–23 Sep)

2018’s London Design Biennale will see some of the world’s most exciting and ambitious designers, innovators and curators gather in the capital to show how design impacts our lives. Participants from six continents, comprising 40 countries, cities and territories, will exhibit engaging and interactive design installations across Somerset House.

 

London Fashion Week at Various Locations || Natalie Massenet (14–18 Sep)

Organised by the British Fashion Council for the London Development Agency with help from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, 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 September, Expect a busy season of shows, including presentations from London favourites, J.W.Anderson, Molly Goddard, Faustine Steinmetz, Erdem and Ashish, to name a few.

 

London Design Festival at Various Locations || Ben Evans (15-23 Sep)

The London Design Festival celebrates the achievements of designers who are making a 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. Now in its sixteenth year, the Festival will be returning to venues and institutions across the city.

 

Open House London 2018 at Various Locations || Rory Olcayto (22–23 Sep)

For one weekend next month, a number of London’s ordinarily private buildings, landmarks and residences, will be open to the public. Directed by Rory Olcayto, critic and editor of the Architects’ Journal, Open House was started in 1992 as a non-profit organisation to promote public awareness and appreciation of the capital’s design and architecture. The annual event unlocks London’s unique buildings to visitors who don’t otherwise have access to them.

 

Japan Matsuri 2018 at Trafalgar Square || Japan Association, Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, The Japan Society and Nippon Club & The Embassy of Japan (30 Sep)

London’s festival of Japanese culture, Japan Matsuri, returns at the end of September to Trafalgar Square. This free annual festival brings people together to enjoy Japanese food, music, dance, and activities for all the family. The programme of stage performance for this year is still being finalised and will feature exciting new acts as well as the return of old favourites. Enjoy the atmosphere with Japanese festival food from the numerous stalls. Everything kicks off at 10am and runs through till 8pm.

 

Words by Keshav Anand | Feature image: Five Heads (Tavan Tolgoi)—Art, Anthropology and Mongol Futurism (via greengrassi)

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