In London? Don't miss this grassroots art weekend

The Art Licks Weekend has become one of the best annual ways to catch up on a ton of artist-run and DIY project spaces across London – though admittedly east London and Peckham are the main hubs. This third incarnation of the event doesn't disappoint with a bunch of projects, performances and parties to float around over a long weekend. There are over 300 artists taking part so this top ten is just the tip of a very tall iceberg. Best of all everything is free.

JACK STRANGE AT DKUK SALON 

Daniel Kelly’s art-space-slash-hair-salon has invited the often amusing Jack Strange to create its third big commission, “It Want It”. The artist is making a sculpture installation and party focused around a single hair which will be serenaded and DJed to.

2 October, 4-8pm at DKUK Salon

ART BARTER

The concept of this Mini Barter is simple – viewers offered services or things or anything but actual money in exchange for art from artists including Mat Collishaw, Seana Gavin and Renee So. The theme for this barter is Monsters & Masks so expect something spooky in time for the Halloween.

2-4 October, 12-6pm at Studio Colbert

BOOK-ISH: A BOOK FAIR OF SORTS

This mini fair opens Thursday night with publications and books from past exhibitors and friends of the project space. There will also be “word-text-book-reading-based” performances around Friday lunchtime and Saturday afternoon.

2-4 October, 12-6pm; performances 2 October, 12-2pm and 3 October 4-6pm at 38b

THE LIQUID ARCHIVE

On Saturday, to coincide with an exhibition on the impact of digital photography on art, Louisa Riley Smith, Ami Clarke and Frieze’s Paul Teasdale, will discuss the dissemination of art, and online and print publishing

Discussion 3 October, 2-4pm; “The Liquid Archive” runs until 18 October at Banner Repeater

RUBBER 

This is one of the spaces the weekend seems made for – somewhere fresh focusing on emerging art and the DIY. RUBBER is a show of work about material obsessions including felt, rubber and fabric shared by sculptors Elena Colman and Rebecca Jagoe.

2-4 October at Ladette Space

TOKYO DRIFT

Millington | Marriott is going off piste for a travelling exhibition in “Sean's Mum's car”. The show, which features the work of Luke Overin, Alfie Strong, Jessica Mai Walker and Jesse Wine, starts at Choumert Grove Car Park and will be travelling around SE15 4RB.

2-4 October, starting from Choumert Grove Car Park then travelling around the festival daily SE15 4RB. Updates here 

THE ARKA GROUP

This is one of the better straight exhibitions on over the weekend and it’s definitely worth rocking up Sunday at 2pm for the pair’s discussion of WWW weirdness that influences their practice – from AMSR to the hardcore end of sploosh videos.

Runs 2 October-14 November, 12-6pm; discussion 4 October, 2pm at Space In Between

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU

80 smartphone screens make up the format for this video installation in Peckham’s Ali Baba bar. The Launch Party – Thursday night at 8pm – includes performances by Zoë Marden and Dylan Spencer-Davidson while a party Saturday night at 8pm with artist-musicians.

“Recommended for you / Launch Party”, 1 October, 8-9pm; “Recommended 4 errbody”, 3 October, 8-11pm at Ali Baba Bar

COLONY

Camberwell institution South London Gallery is joining up with LUX for a screening Saturday on displacement and relocation – something that couldn't be more timely. This documentary-led pieces are by Laurèl Hadleigh, Chris Saunders and Ellie Kyungran Heo

3 October, 2-6pm at Clore Studio, South London Gallery

I KNOW NOW WHAT I KNEW THEN BUT I DIDN'T KNOW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW 

For those unable to pop over to London, Desktop Residency http://desktopresidency.com are doing an online curatorial residency to coincide with the weekend – with four online pieces to download as desktop wallpapers by Clémence de La Tour du Pin, Doug Bowen, Lucia Quevedo and Simon Boase.

1-4 October at artlinksweekend.com. The online group show and downloadable wallpapers will go live on the festival website on Thursday 1st October, for the opening of the festival.

Find out more about the Art Licks Weekend here