Exhibitions to See During London Art Week 2023
If you’re in the city this week for fairs like Frieze London and 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, be sure to spare time in your schedule to visit these top London exhibitions—including those on view at David Zwirner, Victoria Miro, Ben Brown Fine Arts, Royal Academy of Arts, and Serpentine.
José Parlá in the studio, photo by Tyler Haft.
The Latest Works in José Parlá’s “Phosphene” Series
José Parlá: “Phosphene”
October 11—November 17
Following the debut of the series at the Ben Brown Fine Arts Hong Kong space earlier this year, José Parlá’s “Phosphene” series showcases new works painted en plein air, which begin with the act of letting the sun hit one’s retina. In the London exhibition, viewers will find 11 of Parlá’s latest canvases painted and layered in color, texture, and energetic, calligraphic, and gestural markings. The origins of the series look at the artist’s near-death experience with COVID-19 in 2021 and a time of rest in his hometown of Miami shortly after. By capturing the beautiful and simple phenomenon of a process involving painting to music, Parlá evokes a calm, meditative feeling we expect he might have felt while at work.
Ali Banisadr, “The Changing Past,” 2021, Oil on linen, 72 x 96 inches; © Ali Banisadr, courtesy of the artist and Victoria Miro.
Don’t Miss this London Exhibition at Victoria Miro
Ali Banisadr: “The Changing Past”
October 11—November 11
The practice of Ali Banisadr carefully draws from history, art history, and the techniques of various schools of art and cultural traditions, which are woven together for a detailed style that feels entirely unique. Opening at Victoria Miro, “The Changing Past” comprises paintings from the last two years, which follow Banisadr’s ongoing use of the past to examine the contemporary moment. Featured are paintings from 2021, which suggest an art historical group portrait through markings that are both figurative and abstract, as well as cool blue tones that mark the canvas of the emotionally-charged Lapis.
Marina Abramović, “The House with the Ocean View,” 2002, courtesy of the Royal Academy of Arts.
Royal Academy of Arts Spotlights Performance Art
Marina Abramović
September 23, 2023—January 1, 2024
The Royal Academy of Arts is the first U.K. institution to present a major solo survey of the performance artist Marina Abramović. The show inhabits the museum’s main galleries to look at Abramović’s extensive five-decade career, which has been seminal in the evolution of performance art into the mainstream art world. The survey highlights four of the artist’s most iconic performance pieces, recreated by live performers for the occasion, including Imponderabilia from 1977 and Nude with Skeleton from 2002, with regular shows throughout the run. Joining the live performances, the London exhibition represents Abramović’s expansive body of work through photos and video footage, presenting topics explored in her practice like her own physical stamina, connections and relations with others, and a quest for transformative release.
Georg Baselitz, “Sing Sang Zero,” 2011, courtesy of the artist and Serpentine.
Must-See London Exhibitions at Serpentine
Georg Baselitz: “Sculptures 2011—2015
October 5, 2023—January 7, 2024
The latest installation in Serpentine’s historic sculpture series sees the gallery’s first solo exhibition of Georg Baselitz, presenting works made during the titular period. On view is a series of 10 sculptures that are being exhibited for the first time, 68 drawings, and one monumental work, which has been installed in the Royal Parks outdoors—the first U.K. presentation of the nine-meter-tall Zero Dom (Zero Dome). When presented together, the works allow a more intimate look at Baselitz’s practice and the physical, raw process that goes into making them. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalog where artists like Tracey Emin, Rashid Johnson, and Huma Bhabha have been invited to respond to Baselitz’s influence.
Gabriel Massan, installation view, “Third World: The Bottom Dimension,” 2023, featuring Castiel Vitorino Brasileiro, Movíssimo Edgar, Jota Mombaça, Ventura Profana, and LYZZA, courtesy of Serpentine.
Gabriel Massan’s Video Game Becomes an Immersive Experience at Serpentine
“Third World: The Bottom Dimension”
June 23—October 22
In addition to being presented as an art exhibition, “Third World: The Bottom Dimension” features a video game and series of web3 tokens with Tezos, all by the artist Gabriel Massan. Working with artist collaborators (including Castiel Vitorino Brasileiro, Movíssimo Edgar, Jota Mombaça, Ventura Profana, and musician LYZZA), Massan unravels the video game and its concepts in an interactive presentation that invites visitors at Serpentine North to experience the game in an encompassing way. Joined by sight-specific sets, sculptures, sounds, and films, taking part in the game—which employs lenses of decoloniality, decentralization, and queerness—takes one on a journey of agency, knowledge, and awareness tied to our contemporary world and the structures we have created.
Liu Ye, “Jorge Luis Borges,” 2022-2023, Acrylic on canvas, © Liu Ye; courtesy the artist and David Zwirner.
David Zwirner’s London Exhibition Showcases Portraiture
Liu Ye: “Naïve and Sentimental Painting”
October 10—November 18
Comprised of recent works by Liu Ye, “Naïve and Sentimental Painting” marks the artist’s first London exhibition since 2002 and his second solo show with David Zwirner. Titled for John Adams’s 1999 symphonic composition Naïve and Sentimental Music, Liu’s exhibition of technical mastery and interest in portraiture shows renderings of faces that pose a narrative of history and autobiography at once. Through rendering figures like the featured Phoebe, a beautiful woman in a traditional Chinese dress, and the in-situ facial expression of Jorge Luis Borges, the artist freezes a moment in time from another day or place and lends viewers a peek into his own mind.
