Frieze Week: Beyond the Art Fairs

ArtRabbit's handy guide will help you navigate across the city to find the best shows happening during the capital's Frieze Week. For London-based galleries, Autumn is a prime time in their annual programme. From a newly opened survey show exploring Black British culture’s contribution to design over the last five decades, to an immersive visitor experience in a gallery’s woodland surroundings, we highly recommend venturing around the capital - no fair ticket needed.

Central

The Morgan Stanley Exhibition: The Missing Thread - Untold Stories of Black British Fashion at Somerset House, Central

Spanning from the 1970s to the present day, The Missing Thread extends far beyond the realm of the catwalk to spotlight and contextualise the profound impact of Black creativity on British culture through music, photography, art and design.

Henrik Eiben: Leap Before You Look at Bartha Contemporary, Central

"Leap Before You Look" showcases a collection of Henrik Eiben’s most recent works. The exhibition's title, echoing a poem by the British-American poet W.H. Auden, introduces an overarching theme of peril. Indeed, Auden’s line, "The sense of danger must not disappear", is reflected in the artworks’ sharp, razor-like edges, improbable physics, and enticing tactile surfaces that conceal shattered glass elements.

The Body of Memory (El Cuerpo de la Memoria) at Peltz Gallery, Central

Presented 50 years after the coup d'état in Chile, this exhibition of photography and video reflects on performance artist Janet Toro’s radical work responding to oppression under the Chilean dictatorship. Pushing the limits of her body, Toro experienced 62 methods of torture, recollecting the horrors employed by the dictatorial apparatus to suppress anything deemed a threat.

Sergio Lombardo at Cardi Gallery, Central

Cardi Gallery introduces an exhibition featuring works by Italian artist Sergio Lombardo, born in 1939. Since emerging in the late 1950s, Lombardo has been an instrumental figure in Italy’s post-war avant-garde. Notably, he was a prominent member of the Scuola di Piazza del Popolo (Piazza del Popolo School) in Rome, a collective of artists whose subversive perspectives heralded a transformative era in Italian art.

Hiroshi Sugimoto at the Hayward Gallery, Central

The upcoming survey offers an in-depth look into Hiroshi Sugimoto's oeuvre, an artist celebrated for crafting deeply enigmatic photographs. Sugimoto's work, often marrying philosophy with a playful exploration of time and memory, is at the heart of the exhibition. It encompasses pivotal pieces from each of his major photographic series.

Choon Mi Kim. ACID—FREEEE at Ginny on Frederick, East-Central

Ginny on Frederick introduces "ACID—FREEEE", an exploration of Choon Mi Kim's latest paintings. As the first exhibition in the new location at 99 Charterhouse St, Choon's large-scale pieces reflect a deep emotional resonance. Through her art, she grapples with the fluid concept of identity and the continuous journey of self-understanding.

North

Gary March. Reborn at Proposition, Camden

Gary March’s beautiful, thought-provoking sculptures are on show at Proposition Camden. He says: "Figuring out a way of repurposing material is at the heart of my practice because it’s crucial to our ability to survive and flourish on earth." The exhibition is curated by Alice Black & Siena Venturino-Malcherczyk.

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Tamara Henderson. Green in the Grooves at Camden Art Centre, Camden

Centred on earthworm ecology, "Green in the Grooves" highlights the frequently overlooked earth beneath our feet, the very foundation of life on this planet. Guiding audiences through her creative process, Henderson immerses our senses in realms beyond everyday experience, positioning the imagination as a key instrument in moulding and profoundly influencing a new tomorrow.

East

"You Can't Always Get What You Want" at Haricot Gallery, Shoreditch

In a society defined by relentless desires and insatiable aspirations, this exhibition challenges the notion that we can always obtain what we seek. "You Can't Always Get What You Want" brings together eight artists whose works on canvas and sculptures explore the intricate dance between human desire and the reality of attainment.

Eduardo Sarabia. Prologue at Maureen Paley, Bethnal Green and Shoreditch

On display across both the gallery in Bethnal Green and Studio M in Shoreditch is "Prologue", by Mexican-American artist Eduardo Sarabia. The show investigates the consequences of global economic forces on local culture and considers how state violence, drug trafficking, and late-stage capitalism permeate ties between the United States and Mexico.

"Elemental Mix" at StolenSpace Gallery, Whitechapel

"Elemental Mix", a solo exhibition by renowned artist duo, Kai & Sunny, explores the constant shifts and changes of nature. The space, movement and transference of colour in the work creates an atmosphere of how you might feel when subjected to the force of nature. Each painting captures an eloquent moment—an insight into a natural phenomenon—and illuminates the connection between the forces of nature and the emotions of life.

South and South East

Ken Nwadiogbu: Fragments Of Reality & Charlie Stein: Virtually Yours at Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London Bridge

"Fragments of Reality", Ken Nwadiogbu’s first solo exhibition at Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, reflects on the artist’s experiences of adjusting to life in London, of building a sense of community and longing for home. "Virtually Yours", Charlie Stein's first solo exhibition at the gallery, comprises a provocative new series of paintings that consider the ways in which we articulate emotion and form attachments.

FACET: Group exhibition at VSSL Studio, Deptford

FACET, VSSL Studio’s 9-month programme dedicated to the exploration and celebration of contemporary queer art and culture, presents an eponymous group exhibition this autumn featuring all five FACET artists: Benjamin Sebastian, Alicia Radage, June Lam, Rocío Boliver, and Marcin Gawin.

Antonio Pichillá: In front of the lake at Elizabeth Xi Bauer Gallery, Deptford

Elizabeth Xi Bauer Gallery presents "In front of the lake", marking Antonio Pichillá’s European solo debut. This exhibition emerges on the heels of "Inherited Threads" at Tate Modern, which showcased newly-acquired works by North and Latin American artists.

West and South West

Phoebe Boswell: A Tree Says [In These Boughs The World Rustles] at Orleans House Gallery, Twickenham

In this immersive new piece, artist Phoebe Boswell occupies Orleans House Gallery and its adjacent woodlands, drawing the audience into an intergenerational call and response. Here, trees transform into repositories of enquiry. Boswell creates a space for us to raise our questions and listen to the voices of our elders as they strive to articulate life.

Tam Joseph: Beam Me Up, Sweet Lord at Felix & Spear, Ealing

At Felix & Spear, the evocative "Beam Me Up, Sweet Lord" unveils paintings and sculptures by Tam Joseph, tracing a journey of nearly 40 years from the mid-1980s onwards. Joseph's artistic legacy finds its place in notable public collections, such as the Arts Council Collection, Tate, and V&A.

Host & Parasites by Flo Kasearu & Elīna Vītola, Stanley Picker Gallery, Kingston Upon Thames

A dual-site programme spans Stanley Picker Gallery and Dorich House Museum, featuring two exhibitions: "Host" and "Parasites". For "Host", Flo Kasearu has crafted hundreds of soap replicas of her 113-year-old family house. Concurrently, in "Parasites", Flo Kasearu and Elīna Vītola present an exhibition at Dorich House Museum comprised of tiny bronze casts of ticks, thorns, deer poo, seeds, and more, drawing a connection to neighbouring Richmond Park.

Online

Art for All, Online Fundraising Auction at Mall Galleries

The Federation of British Artists (FBA) at Mall Galleries will be hosting an online auction to coincide with Frieze Week, running from 9 to 16 October 2023. Notably, member artists of the FBA have contributed original pieces, either on A5 postcards or as small sculptures. Interested parties can place their bids starting at £40, offering an opportunity to enhance one's art collection whilst supporting a worthwhile initiative.

What else?

Download the ArtRabbit app and venture around the capital to discover exhibitions that should be on your radar - no fair ticket needed. For booth highlights of Frieze London and Frieze Masters 2023, (re)vist our developing piece here.