Tabish Khan the @LondonArtCritic picks his top 6 exhibitions to see in London in late October.
Take a Seat and Absurd Visions @ 125 Shaftesbury Avenue
A cat, a grouping of breasts and a giant hand have all been made into chairs by artists and you can sit on them, though the one with spikes would be very painful. It’s such a great idea and I love art that you can get hands-on, or should that be bums on, with. It’s accompanied by further playful works, including Rosie Gibbens’ sculptures relating to the pregnant body and Tim Spooner’s walking fluffy sculpture scattered throughout what used to be an office building, in a takeover by Bow Arts. Until 3rd November.
Justin Mortimer: Veil @ OHSH Projects
It’s abandoned buildings and ghostly figures in Justin Mortimer’s paintings at OHSH projects in their excellent new space in Bermondsey. It’s not specific to any particular war zone but it’s hard not to see the current conflicts unfolding in the world in these haunting images. Until 2nd November.
It’s dark downstairs at Unit London with an impressive group show inspired by Dante’s Inferno which includes demoniac ceramic sculptures by Becky Tucker and Malene Rasmussen, dark paintings by Marcelle Hanselaar, and a chair made from baling twine by Darcey Fleming. It’s also worth seeing the upstairs show by Bobbi Essers (until 8th December) where the painter stitches together paintings of limbs and body parts to create playful intersections based on her friends and the importance of platonic relationships. Until 3rd November.
Anders Sunna: The Drumbeat of Noaidi @ Larkin Durey
This a great show by Sami artist Anders Sunna, who was part of the Sami pavilion at the Venice Biennale. The paintings reflect on his life in Northern Sweden, the political struggles of the Sami people and the exhibition includes a striking altar with reindeer antlers. Until 1st November
Simryn Gill: Shelter @ Richard Saltoun
We all need shelter and that’s at the core of Simryn Gill’s immersive exhibition that includes photographs of darkened home interiors and exteriors. The natural world covers the walls with her drawings of plants as she looks at the foothold of invasive plants in Australia. It’s a show bubbling with ideas and a place for reflection. Until 2nd November.
Yayoi Kusama: Every day I pray for love @ Victoria Miro
If you haven’t met your Infinity Room fix then here’s another chance to see Kusama’s best-known series alongside works on paper upstairs and some eye-catching sculptures outside, I particularly liked her infinity ladder. Until 2nd November.
Take a seat photo: Alessandro Mariscalco. Justin Mortimer photo: Benjamin Deakin. Kusama image copyright Yayoi Kusama. All other images copyright the respective gallery and artist.
