Tabish Khan the @LondonArtCritic picks his top 5 Museum Exhibitions to see in London after Frieze week. If you’re looking for commercial exhibitions then check out his special Frieze week top 6.
Peter Kennard: Archive of Dissent @ Whitechapel Gallery
I’ve always admired how Peter Kennard uses art as activism to attack corporate greed and nuclear proliferation with powerful imagery. Here, we have an archive of posters, photo montages, and images of war and corporate logos projected onto the financial pages of newspapers, drawing a clear link between profit, military power, and war. It is free until 24th November.
Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum: It Will End In Tears @ Barbican, Curve
We follow cinematic sepia-style paintings taking us from domestic scenes to a trial in an imagined colonial outpost. The wooden structures mean we’re taken on a journey with the story, and it asks us to create our narratives based on her paintings. Barbican’s Curve is always a tricky space to fill, and this exhibition inhabits it perfectly. Until 5th January, free.
Expressionists: Kandinsky, Munter and the Blue Rider @ Tate Modern
There are fantastic paintings in this show including a striking tiger by Franz Marc and the rather eerie skaters at night by Marianne Werefkin. The curators have cast the net wide to include lesser-known artists and while there are a few works that aren’t up to scratch, there are plenty of great works in the show to make you fall in love with the style and energy of the Expressionists.
Until 20th October, ticketed.
The house where Van Gogh lived in London is hosting a new conceptual and playful exhibition called Cycles which includes a teacup that spins in line with the wind direction outside and a stuttering cartoon of Wile E Coyote and Road Runner whose speed matches that of the wind outside – both by Clara Halstrup. I also liked Vibeke Mascini’s works that look at hidden elements of the house such as the electricity meter and Inés Cámara Leret’s link between artificial smells and the natural world.
Until 15th December, ticketed.
Emma McNally: The Earth is Knot Flat @ The Drawing Room
A vast amount of folded paper in a darkened space resembles a rock formation. The installation references the extractive nature of human existence, through an immersive space where we can use torches to explore the crevices. It ends with a small making area to construct and hang paper assemblages. Until 15 December, free.
Peter Kennard image copyright the artist. Barbican copyright: Jo Underhill / Barbican Art Gallery. Expressionists image copyright Tate (Larina Fernandes). Cycles image copyright Van Gogh House. The Drawing Room image courtesy of the venue.
