Art

Snipe's Art guide for May

Lauren Down | Saturday 14 May, 2011 14:44

NORTH

I Know Something About Love
Parasol Unit, 14 Wharf Road, Angel, N1 7RW 020 7490 7373
This group exhibition explores the themes of love throughout different cultures through each artist’s personal experiences. Taking its cue from the 1960s classic ‘Tell Him’ in which the recurring lyric is “I know something about love”, Yang Fudong, Shirin Neshat, Christodoulos Panayiotou and Yinka Shonibare MBE all have works on display. Until 22 May

Ai Weiwei
Lisson Gallery, 52-54 Bell Street, Edgware Road, NW1 5DA 020 7724 2739
Fresh from his major ‘Sunflower Seeds’ exhibition at the Tate Modern as part of the Unilever series, this exhibition at the Lisson Gallery offers the opportunity to see a number of key works by this hugely significant cultural figure. “Beautifully crafted, conceptually acute and poetically resonant” these often deeply political works explore tense ideologies and social communities. 13 May – 16 July

Gold
The Cob Gallery, 205 Royal College Street, Camden Road, NW1 0SG 020 7209 9110
An exhibition by internationally acclaimed artist Todd DiCiurcio, ‘Gold’ showcases the artists vibrant sketches and paintings of the New York music scene. Featuring the likes of Adam Green and Kings of Leon, this will be his first solo show in the UK and will fit perfectly in the heart of Camden’s vibrant music scene. 7 – 21 May

The Shape We’re In
The Zabludowicz Collection, 176 Prince of Wales Road, Kentish Town/Chalk Farm, NW5 3PT
Taking place on both sides of the Atlantic, The Shape We’re In is part of a series of three exhibitions focussing on the recent installation and sculptural work of 22 emerging, contemporary artists. The show features over 100 works made over the past five years, many of which express a strong socio-political agenda. By taking place across three locations, the former Methodist Chapel at the home of the collection, vacant shops in the Camden Boroush and the 33rd floor of a skyscraper in Time Square, NY the show encourages the public to engage with works of art in an informal, more personal way. Until 12 June

EAST

ON
Idea Generation Gallery, 11 Chance Street, Shoreditch Highstreet, E2 7JB 020 7749 6850
From the legendary pop of the 60 to sun-kissed Balearic drenched scene of the late 80s and early 90s, music has always influenced visual art. Particularly inspired by the psychedelic sounds and visuals of the 60s, artists Luke Insect, Leo Zero and David Little work under the collective of Golden Sun Movement. Currently on display at the Idea Generation Gallery, their inaugural exhibition ‘ON’ features a selection of works from their extensive design back-catalogue as well as collaborative site-specific works created to explore the gallery’s unique architecture. Until 8 May

Possible Damage
Rivington Place, Old Street/Shoreditch HighStreet, EC2A 3BA
Rivington Place and Inva’s Youth Advisory Board present Possible Damage, performance artist Tania El Khoury’s exhibition archiving the recent student protests. A collective investigation that hopes to recreate the shared experience, conflicts, anger and frustration of those involved. The exhibition complements the galleries other show, The People are Demanding, which highlights the Middle Eastern conflicts. Until 14 May

Peter Kennard: At Earth
Raven Row, 56 Artillery Lane, Liverpool, E1 7LS 020 7377 4300
Celebrating the work of London artist Peter Kennard, this exhibition is a collection of photomontages, paintings, and digital imagery made in collaboration with Tarek Salhany. Often politically charged his works are brooding, beautiful and immediately emotive. Until 22 May

Catlin Art Prize
The Tramshed, 32 Rivington Street, Old Street, EC2A 3LX
Celebrating fresh and exciting works by talented artists who have just graduated the Catlin Art Prize finds itself in its fifth year and at a new venue. The Tramshed will be showcasing works by notable alumni and this year’s shortlist: Leah Capaldi, Darren Harvey-Regan, Noemie Goudal and Juliette Losq. A real springboard for talent, this is a chance to catch the greats of our generation before they official become the ‘greats’.

SOUTH

The Shape Of Things To Come
Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Road, Sloane Square, SW3 4SQ
With sculptural works on show by Oscar Tuazon, Bjorn Dahlem, Rebecca Warren and John Baldessari ranging form neon, modern and cntemporary structures to traditional works in granite this exhibition is on at the Saatchi gallery for quite some time, so no excuses. 27 May – 16 October

Circuit
Unit 24, Bankside, 20 Great Guildford Street, Southwark, SE1 0FD 020 3129 2924
James Hutchinson’s new exhibition at Unit 24 takes inspiration from JMW Turner, drawing on movement and its application to painting. Working with sculpture, digital print and performance, a lot of his work is only made possible through new technology. An artist truly embracing our digital era this exhibition promises something fresh. Until 26 May

Tracey Emin: Love is What You Want
Spanning the length and breadth of her career, ‘Love is What You Want’ features some of Emin’s most famous works in and amongst lesser known, seldom seen pieces of painting, video and photography. The sexually provocative and fiercely feminist artists has also created new outdoor sculptures created especially for the Hayward Gallery. 18 May – 29 August

Into The Light
Bicha Gallery, 7 Gabriel’s Wharf, South Bank, SE1 9PP 020 7928 008
John Crossley’s contemplative paintings harness nuances to command our senses, evoking rich emotions from the abstract imagery. A senior lecturer at the Chelsea College of Art and Design his works can be seen to evolve from delicate compositions to more intricate narratives. Until 15 May

WEST

Philip Taaffe
Gagosian Gallery, 6-24 Britannia Street, Kings Cross, WC1X 9JD 020 7841 9960
Incorporating everything from botanical patterns to Islamic imagery, renowned New York artist Philip Taaffe’s latest psychedelic paintings are splashed with vibrant hues and a real sense of urgency. In his first ever solo exhibition in London you can see the unique combination of action painting, silk-screening and layering that has made his collage-esque work so beloved. 14 May

SEE, WE ASSEMBLE
Serpentine Gallery, Kensington Gardens, Lancaster Gate, W2 3XA 020 7402 6075
A new exhibition conceived by Mark Leckey, ‘See, We Assemble’ encompasses sculpture, sound, film and performance in an exploration into the human imagination. Drawing on personal experiences from his formative years spent in North England, the artist focuses on themes of transformation and desire. 19 May – 26 June

Egon Schiele
Richard Nagy Galley, 22 Old Bond Street, Bond Street, W1S 4P 020 7262 6400
More than 45 works, previously unseen in the UK, by the extraordinary Austrian artist Egon Schiele will go on display in this prestigious Bond Street gallery from the middle of May. Much of the work Schiele painted during his short lifetime can only be seen in Vienna so this promises to be an extremely exciting, unmissable show. 19 May – 30 June

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