Tabish Khan the @LondonArtCritic picks his top 5 Art Exhibitions to see in London in late August. Each one comes with a concise review to help you decide whether it’s for you. Those looking for more art should see last week’s top 5 of museum exhibitions – where four out of five remain open to visit.
Sarah Sze, The Waiting room @ Peckham Rye station
This is a simply stunning installation of screens like we’re inside the Earth and watching it unfold around us from visions of sunsets to the sound of trains. All within the setting of an old station waiting room at Peckham Rye. Artangel excel at placing great artworks in fantastic spaces, and this is another must visit.
Until 17 September.
Carrie Mae Weens: Reflections for now @ Barbican Art Gallery
Black Lives Matter signs, once vivid beacons of protest, are concealed beneath layers of paint in these photographs. It allows boarded storefronts to become abstract art and is one series of powerful works by Carrie Mae Weens in this major show at Barbican. Her work is so powerful that even someone who isn’t familiar with her work will be moved by the political impact of her works that look at racial inequality. Until 3 September.
Marcin Dudek: Neoplan @ Edel Assanti
Behold the audacious spectacle: an entire bus, painstakingly disassembled and resurrected within these walls, beckons us into its transformative embrace. Step inside, and you find yourself navigating the veins of memory, traversing the very vessel that once transported the fervent faithful of Bucharest’s FC Dinamo. It’s an ambitious and effective way to convey the many sides of football culture within a gallery setting. Until 1 September.
Dear Earth @ Hayward Gallery
Hayward Gallery orchestrates a poignant echo of the climate crisis through the works of 15 international artists in Dear Earth. The exhibition resonates as a love letter to our planet, and includes a pyramid of plants, a contemplative space with running water, an assortment of bird’s eyes and portraits made from grass. Until 3 September.
Lucy Orta – Traces: Stories of Migration @ Bow Arts, The Nunnery
Nestled within East London’s vibrant mosaic, Lucy Orta has created an exhibition that reflects the community around the gallery. She creates tapestry portraits of East London women, including those involved in the textiles industry, and they are hung so that we can stand among them and their lived experiences. Until 27 August.
All images copyright gallery and artist. Carrie Mae Weems photo: Jemima Yong. Hayward photo: Mark Blower. Lucy Orta photo: Lorenza Demata. Sarah Sze photo: Thierry Bal. Art Exhibitions to see in London in late August
