Tabish Khan, the @LondonArtCritic, picks his Top 5 exhibitions to see in London right now. Check out the previous top 5 if you’re after more shows to visit.
Soft Landing at Palmer Gallery
The Palmer Gallery is situated in a phenomenal building that was once home to Palmer Tyres, which manufactured tyres for World War II fighter planes. This group show builds upon this industrial legacy with Tom Bull’s fiery smoking car. Madeleine Ruggi’s sculpture, made of tyre treads, dominates the centre of the space, while Hannah Perry and Levi De Jong incorporate industrial materials like engine oil and bitumen into their works. There couldn’t be a more fitting venue for this group show. Until 9th August, free.
Harriet Mena Hill: Curtains at PostRoom
The artist recreates the ruins of the now-demolished Aylesbury estate, painting the facade as it once looked, with each window offering an insight into the individual residents. I’ve always been a fan of her work in group shows, as the demolition of this estate is a key part of London’s recent history and the loss of social housing. It’s great to see such an extensive selection of her work, including smaller, more affordable works. Until 2nd August, free.
Marwan: A Soul in Exile at Christie’s
You usually visit Christie’s for auctions, but for the third year running, they are holding a major Summer non-selling show across all their spaces. This time, the focus is on Marwan, a Syrian-born painter who then moved to Paris to study the Impressionists. I didn’t know much about this artist, and this comprehensive exhibition charts his evolution from his more realist figurative works to the expressive and abstract pieces from his later career. Until 22nd August, free.
Textus presents: House of Haberdash at Torriano Meeting House
Fashion, poetry and art combine in this group exhibition at a venue in Kentish Town that I’d never been to before. A jumble of hats is suspended from the ceiling. Curator Lottie McCrindell’s poetry is projected onto the ceiling. Simran Lalvani draws parallels between the toggles on clothing and the fact that they inspired the naming of toggles on our phones. A beautiful watercolour by Iman Asif features safety pins embedded around its edge. The ideas within the show would be an excellent fit for an art-only exhibition, and it’s great to see them explored across different disciplines instead. Until 10th August, free.
Most galleries host a group show during the Summer months, when the gallery is typically quieter. However, not many are of this calibre, as the gallery has partnered with Anomie publishing to pull together works by some of the most exciting and influential contemporary painters in Britain today. There are figurative pieces by Caroline Walker and Gideon Rubin, as well as more abstract work by Justin Mortimer. It’s full of terrific painters. Until 9th August, free.
All images are copyrighted and courtesy of the respective gallery and artist.
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Art Critic for both FAD and Londonist. See as many exhibitions as possible and write reviews, opinion pieces and a weekly top 5 for FAD.