To trace the shape of London’s cultural revival, we asked the artists and instigators what excites them now. Then we stepped back—and let the story ripple outward, one nomination at a time
Maria Gorodeckaya is an artist, photographer and DJ who lives and works in London, UK
What’s interesting in Art:
Feel the Sound at The Barbican– If I’m honest I found the exhibition curatorial-y challenging. Interactive exhibitions often remind me of school trips, and hosting it at The Curve might not have been the best choice, as the sound meshed together, which overshadowed the uniqueness of each piece. Despite that, it was nice to be reminded of how deeply sound impacts us, additionally some of my favorite DJs contributed to this exhibition so that’s definitely worth seeing and investigating further. The part of the exhibition that I’m referring to is called “Joyride” and you can find it in the car park. It presents salvaged cars that have been transformed into sound systems—a blend of DIY music and a boy racer culture. Contributors include UK-born and New York-based DJ The Large (Suze Webb), founder of Mixpak; N.A.A.F.I., a Mexico City-based label founded by artist and DJ Alberto Bustamante; artist Corbin Shaw (The Boy Racer); and Tokyo-based electronic music collective Trekkie Trax featuring Tokyo Tuner.
Additionally to its summer programme (“Frequencies: the sounds that shape us”) Barbican also hosted an evening of conversation and music with Mykki Blanco, Rat Section, Scratchclart and Nkisi. The panel discussion covered the challenges of being an independent artist but also gave an insight into the creative lives of these pioneering artists, which I found very inspiring.
What’s interesting in Music:
This is a tough one to narrow down, but I’ve listened to Jim Legxacy’s new album, Black British Music, about 50 times now— what a way to transform something traumatic into a deeply felt music piece. I’m grateful for it. He’s arguably UK’s best at this moment.
Among other exciting releases, I strongly recommend checking out a talented group of friends and artists, such as Jaso (AKA; Jasper Maurice), Isaiah Hull, a fictional musician Enga Perry and others of this bunch. These guys are onto something truly unique.
What’s interesting in Culture:
My favorite type of art is one that delivers strong visuals alongside a social and political message. One of those that recently made an impact was by a photographer Harley Weir, who traveled to America to create a series of portraits and interviews with people on both sides of the pro-life and pro-choice debate. Truly alarming to see how developments in politics are turning women’s bodies into government property. While some pro-life supporters argue that most unwanted pregnancies result from reckless behavior, the reality of the abortion ban leaves women’s lives in danger in such cases like non-viable fetuses or pregnancies stemming from tragic events.
What’s interesting in Style/ Fashion:
Shout-out to my friend Marie Lueder, I’m a long term fan. Her designs fuse medieval history—especially armour and silhouettes—with the anxieties of capitalistic life. Her pieces feel ritualistic, tell a story of resilience and are just very cool to wear 🙂
What’s interesting in Design:
Have to promote another talented friend of mine – Miranda Keyes. It’s been a few years since I last saw her properly, as she’s been locked in her studio, completely absorbed in making her beautiful glass pieces. I miss her but what a joy to see her art.
What’s interesting in Tech:
I can’t call myself a very techy person, but I’ve been quite fascinated to check out Ai (yes, sigh) stem splitters among them are Moises, LANDR Stems, LALAL.AI, and Fadr. When I get some time off work and go back to producing, I’ll let you know which one is best 🙂
A museum show and a gallery show recommendation:
Arcadia Missa, no doubt for the gallery recommendation, they’re based in London, known for showcasing emerging and mid-career artists whose work engages with contemporary social and political issues. I followed them from their start and always admired Rózsa Farkas’ sharp taste.
As for the museum, I’d recommend having a day outside of London and visiting The Shell Grotto it’s an ornate subterranean passageway in Margate. It was claimed to have been “discovered in 1835”, but its age and purpose remain unknown.
I’d like to nominate my friend and Global Head of Visual Merchandising and Brand Environment at Aesop Shawana Grosvenor.
