From the long-awaited retrospectives of Marina Abramović and Sarah Lucas to an expansive survey of Black British fashion, and Quil Lemons’ kink-inspired self portraiture... we take a look at some of this month’s most exciting exhibitions
The September issue! The month where everything comes back with a bang after a restful August. Honestly, there are so many amazing shows opening that I haven’t been able to fit them all here. So this list, though not definitive, should keep you very busy – at least until October.
Given its fashion week worldwide, expect shows to pay homage to the design greats of past and present with shows like Rebel: 30 Years of London Fashion at the Design Museum and The Missing Thread at Somerset House. Everyone’s Art Mutha Marina Abramović will finally open her retrospective at the Royal Academy in London. And in New York City, 20 seminal queer artists explore the “comforts and complications” of queer domestic life in a show that takes inspiration from one of Catherine Opie’s most affecting works. Oh, and I’m back with a new season of Art After Hours, kicking off in London in mid-September. See you there!
INSTRUMENT IN A SPIRAL, TRISTAN PIGOTT, ALICE BLACK, LONDON
British artist Tristan Pigott’s new solo show Instrument in a Spiral explores the “metamorphosis of paint as analogous to the metamorphosis of perception” through a new body of large and small-scale work. Some are suspended horizontally off the wall as if responding to the soundscape playing throughout the gallery, produced by Pigott’s brother, composer, and musician, Nathan Pigott, which challenges the “stasis in painting”. Drawing inspiration from The Myth of the Gaze of Orpheus, Pigott delves into the cosmic dramaturgy of art history and liberates it from any singular meaning or narrative. Instead, it allows viewers to draw on their meaning through proverbial breadcrumbs left by Piggot throughout the paintings.
From 1 September – 1 October 2023
THEY GOT TIME – GRANDMA’S LAND, ALVARO BARRINGTON
Alvaro Barrington is taking over Sadie Coles Kingly Street space to create a ‘total environment’ that he calls a ‘universe’. To do so, he’ll pull from his experiences growing up in the Caribbean and showcase three monumental, hand-built architectural structures drawing on family life while celebrating its culture and landscape. Described as “an ambitious expansion of themes” that Barrington has been working with since he began his career, They Got Time – Grandma’s Land intersects family, community, love, music, and art history through materials like timber and burlap and a multi-disciplinary practice of drawing, painting, wallpaper, installation, and a long-awaited video debut. The space will also provide a moment for collaboration between fellow artists Sonia Gomes and Paul Anthony Smith, whose works will also be displayed.
From 2 September 2023 – 21 October 2023
RULES OF NON-ENGAGEMENT, VANESSA BEECROFT, JEFFREY DEITCH
In 1996, Jeffrey Deitch opened his gallery with a performance by Vanessa Beecroft; now almost 30 years on, the Los Angeles outpost will celebrate three decades of her work – a survey of work that will include a restaging of that same performance, VB95.
As a performance artist, Beecroft has focussed on the representation of the female body and socio-political discourse in art. She will present paintings that reenvision polaroids from her early performances through paint. These new iterations are described as a “liminal state” that hovers “between the real and the imaginary”. Additionally, the show will showcase vintage photography, sculpture, and a video retrospective of these past performances, soundtracked by composer Gustave Rudman.
From 2 September – 21 October 2023
Courtesy of Barbican and the Artist © StudioknxxCHORUS IN REMEMORY OF FLIGHT, JULIANKNXX, BARBICAN CENTRE
Sierra Leonean poet, artist, and filmmaker Julianknxx explores inheritance, loss, and belonging through the written word, music, and visual art in their latest exhibition, hosted by the Barbican. Using personal history and the Black experience to challenge labels and collective narratives, the artist “fosters fresh understandings of being between and belonging to multiple places.”
From 14 September 2023 – 11 February 2024
REBEL: 30 YEARS OF LONDON FASHION, DESIGN MUSEUM, LONDON, UK
As the creative centre for design heavyweights such as Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, Jonathan Anderson, Wales Bonner, John Galliano, and more, London’s reputation as a fashion stronghold cannot be understated. To coincide with London Fashion Week, one of the UK’s largest surveys of contemporary fashion culture, REBEL: 30 Years of London Fashion will open its doors at the city’s Design Museum. Guest-curated by BFC Ambassador for Emerging Talent Sarah Mower MBE and co-curated by Design Museum Senior Curator Rebecca Lewin, REBEL will showcase nearly 100 innovative fashion looks from designer’s debuts and early career outputs. It promises to lift the lid on “how careers in fashion are forged”, with highlights including Björk’s swan dress and Sam Smith’s inflatable latex suit from this year’s BRITs.
From 16 September 2023 – 11 February 2024
MARINA ABRAMOVIĆ, ROYAL ACADEMY OF ARTS, LONDON, UK
Art world icon and performance art pioneer Marina Abramović has captivated audiences for 50 years with her boundary-pushing work that explores physical and mental endurance. From Rhythm 0, where she invited audiences to interact with her with objects, including a loaded gun, to The House with the Ocean View, where she lived in a gallery for 12 days after 9/11 – famously referenced in Sex and the City – and her creative and romantic partnership with the late artist Ulay.
This major exhibition revisits key moments from her career, presented through sculpture, video, installation, and performance. Iconic works like The Artist is Present will be restaged through archive footage, while others will be reperformed by the next generation of artists trained in the Marina Abramović method – an unmissable moment in the art calendar.
From 20 September 2023 – 1 January 2024
DREAMING OF HOME, LESLIE LOHMAN MUSEUM OF ART, NYC
In 1993, Catherine Opie unveiled a self-portrait whereby her back was sliced through the skin, which bore a bloody carving of the nuclear family. “Self-Portrait/Cutting” isa visceral statement on the pain queer face when asking for the same right as straight families. Using this seminal moment as a jump-off, Dreaming of Home, is a show of 20 contemporary artists whose work “invoked the comforts and complications of queer and trans domestic life across international and intergenerational perspectives”. Despite the recognition and advancements of queer people’s lives, there is still so much to be done. From Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley to Laurence Philomene, Christina Quarles, Rene Matić, Clifford Prince King, and more, these incredible artists question, “Where can we feel at home; in our skin, in each other’s embrace, amongst our chosen families? Where are our queer and trans bodies safe, housed, and free to be themselves?”
From 7 September – 7 January 2024
ART AFTER HOURS, LONDON, UK
Every so on I’m going to throw myself a little self-promotion here – because I’ll be continuing my Art After Hours tours into the Autumn in collaboration with the London EDITION. I like to think of it as this monthly list, IRL. September kicks off with a spectacular set of shows – all viewed after closing time, which means: private tour. You’ll have the chance to chat openly about the works with the gallery curators or directors, myself, and each other in a relaxed, 100 per cent pretentiousness-free atmosphere. Solo guests are more than welcome as these are always intimate, and everyone has a chance to get to know one another over a glass of wine (or non-alcoholic alternative) first.
This month, we’ll be heading to three of my favourite galleries in Fitzrovia – Workplace Gallery, ALICE BLACK, and indigo+madder, for a total of four shows. More details on each stop and how to get a ticket here.
On September 20 2023, and then monthly through to December
THE VIEW WE SEEK, HIGH BAY GALLERY, NEW YORK CITY, USA
One of Chicago’s hottest galleries, Anthony Gallery, is taking over New York City this month with a group show titled The View We Seek. Eighteen artists, from emerging to established, come together to examine the “nuances of human existence”, with the exhibition “functioning as a space for the experiencing of shared truths”. Those planning to visit can expect “a carnival of Americana, where pop culture symbology, utopian aspirations, existential alienation, and domestic strife bleed together, disrupting notions and categories of fine art”. Utterly brilliant.
From 18 August – 17 September 2023
Courtesy Sadie Coles HQPRESENT GOO, MARTINE SYMS, SADIE COLES HQ, LONDON, UK
If you follow this list, it’s perhaps no surprise that Martine Syms is one of my favourite artists. Her work encompasses film, installation, drawing, and photography, underscored by deep research. This month, she’ll present new works in London divided into three groups that explore new paths in her ongoing exploration of narrative creation, drawing on personal and historical references. Syms also introduces several enlarged photographic wallpapers and drawings that sit in dialogue with three new filmic collages, each medium informed by surveillance footage and found clips to highlight how technology can shape the impression of perspective and character.
From 14 September – 4 November 2023
THE RED SUN IS HIGH, THE BLUE LOW, GRAY WIELEBINSKI, THE ICA
Wielebinski’s exploration of the blurred lines between private and public domains continues with a solo show titled The Red Sun is High, the Blue Low, which reshapes London’s ICA into an intricate investigation of nested realities. It draws from various influences, including sci-fi, Cold War legacies, and games. Responding to Buckingham Palace, St. James’s Park, and the Admiralty Citadel nearby, the exhibition’s essence echoes Samuel R. Delany’s 1978 essay, where the title illustrates the potent ability of words in science fiction to transform perspectives.
Underscored by the impact of the “processing of terminal capitalism and the omnipresence of a collective low-grade anxiety”, Wielebinski layers worlds to blend the familiar with the uncanny. A sizeable electronic basketball scoreboard prompts visitors to engage in a game they cannot win, whereas recurring sun motifs hint at temporal complexities. The smaller reading room is transformed into a dim, absurdist bunker that contrasts starkly with the luminous gallery. Connected by a peephole, this duality offers the potential to foster community, rather than isolation, within illicit spaces. Wielebinski presses us to recalibrate our public and individual selves among these various realms.
From 20 September – 23 December 2023
QUILADELPHIA, HANNAH TRAORE GALLERY, NEW YORK CITY, USA
Photographer and filmmaker Quil Lemons is getting a solo show in New York – and about damn time. The Dazed 100 alumni (and Philly native, hence the brilliant title) will present new works that explore self-portraiture and representations of the Black male form, hoping to lift the lid on life as a gay, Black man. “Everything I embody is what these images are and mean to me. This is ME. Welcome to my brain,” he declares in the show’s press release. Using film, Lemons pulls from the world of kink and inspirations like Lyle Ashton Harris, Mark Morrisroe, Wolfgang Tillmans, and Robert Maplethorpe, honouring their work while using them to create a body of work that is wholly him.
From 6 September 2023 – 4 November 2023
MALICIOUS MISCHIEF, MARTIN WONG, CAMDEN ARTS CENTRE, LONDON
Chinese-American painter Martin Wong’s remarkable portrayal of the social, sexual, and political tapestries of the 70s, 80s, and 90s, are being celebrated at Camden Arts Centre until mid-September. Weaving together narratives of queer existence, marginalised communities, and urban gentrification, Wong’s work exists amidst an art world entrenched in reactionary discourse and emerges as a vital countercultural voice. Rooted in his surroundings, his art fuses Chinese iconography, urban poetry, graffiti, and sign language, drawing extensively from his deep connection with the Latin American community. Through his pieces, we gain invaluable insights into a pivotal era of American history as it unfolds against evolving cityscapes and concealed desires. Malicious Mischief showcases over 100 of his creations, spanning early San Francisco and Eureka works, iconic pieces from the 1980s and 1990s New York, and poignant Chinatown depictions preceding his untimely demise in 1999 from an AIDS/HIV-related illness.
Until 17 September 2023
FISTFIGHT, SHADI AL-ATALLAH, GUTS GALLERY, LONDON, UK
Delving into the raw, psychological dimensions of violence is artist Shadi Al-Atallah’s Fistfight at Guts Gallery this month. Filtered through mythology and narrative and drawing on the epic battles found in ancient texts like The Epic of Gilgamesh, Al-Atallah captures figures engaged in “intimate but seismic violent struggles”.
Here, Al-Atallah explores spaces of controlled violence, such as wrestling rings, where the body’s dynamism shines, uninhibited, focused solely on overpowering the opponent. Using vintage wrestling imagery as a foundation, many works feel like freeze frames of the crucial moments before a battle’s climax: snapshots that echo the gravity of Hercules and Antaeus’ clash. Probing the boundary between sanctioned and illict violence, Al-Atallah’s battles are confined to domestic sites: plug sockets and furnishings etched amid vivid backgrounds. These spaces are both intimate and eerie and evoke half-remembered domesticity. Each canvas becomes a psychological ring, where inner struggles surface as grappling bodies. Painting purges anxieties, externalising them for all to witness rather than wrestling alone within the mind.
From 8 September – 25 October 2023
THE MISSING THREAD. UNTOLD STORIES OF BLACK BRITISH FASHION,
Black British fashion steps into the spotlight with The Missing Thread, a well overdue exhibition curated by the Black Oriented Legacy Development Agency (BOLD) that celebrates the vibrant tapestry of Black British culture’s impact on the country’s design history – from the 1970s to today. It examines how cultural, political, and socio-economic events in the 20th and 21st centuries influenced Black style (as well as music, art, photography, and design), which forever altered mainstream fashion culture.
The Missing Thread celebrates the trailblazing yet overlooked talent of Black creatives who faced barriers to entry or whose achievements were erased or went untold in fashion history. A powerful ode to Black creativity, it unravels across four themes: home, tailoring, performance, and nightlife. Expect homages to legends like Joe Casely-Hayford and contemporary Black designers like Nicholas Daley, Bianca Saunders, Martine Rose, and Saul Nash.
From 21 September 2023 – 7 January 2024
Courtesy of Autograph Gallery and the Artist VOYAGES, HÉLÈNE AMOUZOU, AUTOGRAPH, LONDON, UK
Togolese-born, Belgium-based artist Hélène Amouzou’s inaugural UK solo exhibition Voyages will showcase 15 years of her poignant hand-printed self-portraits that explore the intricate emotions of displacement and exile. It is described as “a crucial document of a migrant who has grappled with notions of freedom, exclusion, and bureaucracy – an attempt to recapture her identity and sense of belonging”. Long exposures imbued her works with a ghostly sensibility that evokes a liminal space, between belonging and not belonging, all the while firmly rejecting erasure.
From 22 September 2023 – 20 January 2024
HAPPY GAS, SARAH LUCAS, TATE BRITAIN, LONDON, UK
In the 1990s, the YBAs set the British art world alight with a zero fucks given attitude that pissed a helluva lotta people off. Sarah Lucas was one such troublemaker, and three decades on is renowned for her audacious exploration of the human body, mortality, and quintessentially British aspects of sex, class, and gender. This month, the Tate Britain will give her flowers in a retrospective titled Happy Gas. Curated closely with Lucas herself, the show will assemble over 75 pieces spanning four decades, from early breakthroughs to new works debuting. Billed as “a British artist’s brash and tender exploration of what makes us human” – need I say more?
From 28 September 2023 – 14 January 2024
20 YEARS, DANIEL ARSHAM, PERROTIN, NEW YORK CITY & PARIS
In a tale of two cities, Daniel Arsham celebrates 20 years of collaboration with Emmauel Perrotin with dual exhibitions in Paris and New York, open in September. Expect new works that reflect on Arsham’s archives and his artistic evolution over the last two decades – notably his series of future artifacts. Alongside his life-size interventions, visitors will experience works on paper, paintings, sculptures carved from geological materials, and handheld objects. All imbued with Arsham’s penchant to blend past, present, and future.
New York runs 6 September – 14 October and Paris runs 2 September – 7 October 2023
HAUTE PHOTOGRAPHIE & UNSEEN PHOTO FESTIVAL, AMSTERDAM
While fashion mania descends on London, Paris, Milan, and New York, it’s photography week in Amsterdam with Foam’s Unseen Photo Festival and Haute Photographie Festival. Haute will showcase photographers from the past, present, and future, with a particular focus on the independent photography this year – those without gallery representation. Unseen is focussed on contemporary photography with its finger on the pulse of its ever-developing, innovative pool of image-makers.
Haute Photographie runs 20 – 24 September, Unseen runs 21 – 24 September 2023
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