Tabish Khan, the @LondonArtCritic, picks his top 5 group exhibitions to see in London. If you are looking for more exhibitions, check out his previous top 5.
Nigerian Modernism at Tate Modern
Western audiences probably won’t have heard of many of the artists in this show, and that’s what makes it a great chance to understand the Modernist movement in Nigeria: how it both shaped the art scene there and drew on European art, putting its own spin on it. It’s full of artists who were new to me, and it’s a great start to discovering more about Nigerian art. Until 10th May, ticketed.
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead at Hypha Studios, No. 1 Poultry
Curated by Maria Hinel, this exhibition asks us to reconsider how we treat, respect and value animal life. Tiziana Pers sells plates, and you must sign a contract stating you will never eat meat or fish from them. Amalia Pica has cast her own hands, signing ‘please open hurry’, something a captive chimpanzee used to say when she wanted to go outside. There’s a recreation of an illegal egg collection by Andy Holden and Kat Lyons’ painting, which celebrates the much-maligned urban pigeons. Each work has a powerful narrative about greater respect for animals around us and for their having as much right to the earth as we do. Until 18th April.
Cardboard House: A tribute to Sir Terry Farrell at Palmer Gallery
This exhibition is a tribute to the post-modern architect who once lived above the gallery space, and in keeping with his style, it includes artists who step outside art and architectural norms. Zayd Menk’s spinning installation, powered by a washing machine motor and drum, is assembled of many found objects and steals the show. However, the subtler works also play with materials, including Ali Glover’s use of the space’s architecture, Levi De Jong’s incorporation of bitumen, and Zachary Merle’s transformation of family photographs. Until 18th April.
Wicked Painting at Hypha Studios, No. 1 Poultry
Highlighting the seductive and the strange, this exhibition features some great paintings. Whether that be the distorted bodies in the works of Mia Wilkinson and Harriet Horner (the latter curated the show), or the close-up figures of Elspeth Vince and Eloise Knight that conceal their identities. Switching to landscapes, Nanci Byrne’s contains hidden details that have to be unearthed, and Tabitha Wilson’s paintings are concealed within a dark corner of the gallery. Until 18th April.
Briefly Gorgeous at Soho Revue
The all-female line-up in this group show interrogates what beauty is in contemporary society and the impossible standards to which everyone, especially women, are held. Juno Calypso’s photograph of a wig on the floor makes it obvious that perfectly curated worlds are a facade. Olive Bryant’s gluey net curtains hint at how ephemeral beauty is, and Daisy May Collinridge’s fleshy masks subvert with their grotesque folds. Until 18th April.
All images are courtesy of and copyrighted by the respective artists and galleries. Nigerian Modernism image copyright Tate Photography (Jai Monaghan). Drive your plow over the bones of the dead, image courtesy of Kat Lyons and Pilar Corrias. Soho Revue photo: Tom Carte
