The Shock of the Now - Issue #48

Afternoon All,

I hope you’re all well and welcome to Issue 48 of The Shock of the Now.

This issue’s Featured Exhibition is Georgia Dickie overdue debut UK solo exhibition ‘Frozen Game’ at Soft Opening in Bethnal Green, a captivating collection of cardboard compositions that question the assumed hierarchy of artistic materials, highlight the importance of increased environmental awareness and subtly satirise our capitalist society.

There are also seven weekly Recommended Exhibitions and eleven active Artist Opportunities.

I hope you enjoy Issue 48, and if so do forward it along! As always any questions, comments or feedback are welcome, so feel free to get in touch.

All the best, and speak soon, H x

Georgia Dickie allows her art practice to be led by the availability and variety of found objects or discarded debris that she saves from the streets of her hometime Toronto, Canada. It is unsurprising, therefore, that with the scope of such scavenging restricted during recent pandemic-plagued times, when the artist’s ambulation was largely limited to the short stroll between her home and studio, her latest suite of sculptural assemblages exist on an increasingly intimate scale. And so, for her debut London solo exhibition at Soft Opening, Dickie decked out twenty cardboard boxes with detailed detritus dioramas. Entirely self-contained, able to be shipped as seen in a sustainable manner befitting of the artist’s appetite for upcycling, when opened and affixed to the wall these shoebox-sized sculptures serve as curious capsules of Canadian consumer culture and tell the story of society through its trash and the things it chooses to throw away. Plastic prop mussels aside, much of the refuse, rescued from roadside snow drifts and their subsequent puddles, could be considered mundane, with sweet wrappers, stained napkins, clothing tags and scraps of paper or packaging dominating the accompanying material inventory. Each assortment, however, acts as a psychogeographic exploration of excess and environmental ambivalence, underscored by scattered cast-offs from Toronto’s retail titans and boutique brands such as Roots, Canada West Boots, Tesla Fire Systems, Tough Duck and Dark Horse Espresso Bar.

A viewer’s inner investigator is unleashed, scouring the collection of capitalism offcuts for clues and assigning importance to each snippet of text or hint of handwriting. ‘It does not seem worth while’ alludes to the inefficacy of our endeavours, while ‘NO HOPE’ and ‘Coping with the new reality’ appear to clearly comment on our collective experience of Covid-19. Elsewhere, eagle-eyed observers uncover a real-life murder mystery, with one Toronto Star headline stating ‘Woman’s murder confession finally believed’, followed in a later litter layout with a faded photograph of a frog ornament (Lee Sabine’s 1997 slaying of her husband with the fabled stone amphibian was unknown until 2016, when John Sabine’s mummified remains were uncovered under the back patio of the late Lee’s South Wales home).

Proving that one person’s trash is indeed another’s treasure, a plinth raised to replicate the height of a pavement displays a cluster of disposable coffee cups, collected by Deckie in varying degrees of deterioration and degradation. Detritus desert islands against the wide open matt white expanse, each discarded takeaway tankard is complete with collaged contributions or accumulations of assorted flotsam and jetsam (a cut-out of the venerated Venus de Milo, a simple string clockface, defunct computer keys). The recognisable red/white colours and distinctive typeface of Tim Hortons, ‘Home of Canada’s favourite coffee’, are particularly prevalent. Apt, perhaps, as the chain is subject to continued criticism for its slow uptake of sustainability initiatives and recent return to the reception of reusable cups, after pausing the practice during the pandemic.

Niru Ratnam presents ‘Through a Glass, Darkly’, which features the works of Vilte Fuller (above), Farnaz Gholami and Naira Mushtaq, who all make paintings that draw on but deliberately misremember, nudge and alter photographic source material that purportedly speaks of cultural histories, memories and the ‘authentic’.

Tabula Rasa Gallery presents ‘It is Better to be Cats than be Loved’. Bringing together paintings and ceramic works by Katarina Caserman, Anousha Payne (above), Sophie Ruigrok, Cheri Smith and Shafei Xia, this group exhibition highlights a new generation of talents upcoming in London.

Timothy Taylor presents ‘A Thing for the Mind’. Taking one of Philip Guston’s most celebrated paintings - his 1978 masterpiece Story - as the heart of the exhibition, this group exhibition explores how twelve contemporary artists bring Guston’s legacy into the future. Featuring Louise Bonnet, George Condo, Woody de Othello, Carroll Dunham, Armen Eloyan, Maria Lassnig, Chris Martin, Eddie Martinez, Daisy Parris, Walter Price, George Rouy, and Antonia Showering.

Camden Art Centre presents Tenant of Culture‘s latest solo exhibition 'Soft Acid’. Tenant of Culture, the anonym for Dutch artist Hendrickje Schimmel, will realise an ambitious new site-specific installation, her largest work to date. Tenant of Culture, the anonym for Dutch artist Hendrickje Schimmel, will realise an ambitious new site-specific installation, her largest work to date. Tenant of Culture is the third recipient of the Camden Art Centre Emerging Artist Prize at Frieze.

Bosse & Baum presents ‘The moment you see it, it is already gone baby’, a solo exhibition with new paintings by Kostas Sklavenitis, with food by Kostakis Apostolou and music by Tsilimigakis Dimitris.

Southwark Park Galleries launch their summer season with Lydia Blakeley‘s solo exhibition 'The High Life’ and Appau Jnr Boakye-Yiadom‘s solo exhibition 'Before: Socialized, Circularized, Linearized, Artificialized, Corrupt Time’.

In her largest UK installation, Blakeley looks at the digital realm of escapism during a period of crisis through a series of paintings, painted sculptural sun loungers and cool box planters containing crystals and cacti. Boakye-Yiadom presents an extensive new multimedia installation including print, archival material, film, sound and performance. The evolving and cumulative body of work changes throughout the exhibition creating a thinking space to consider collective cultural moments and memories.

Are you a new writer looking to develop as a critic? Interested in exploring different approaches to writing about art and searching for tips on how to get published? Applications are now open for Frieze New Writers 2022: a free-to-attend, three-day intensive course taking place from Friday 30 September to Sunday 2 October, where a group of aspiring writers will have the opportunity to develop their skills with support from the Frieze editorial team and our wider network of art-world professionals.

In a series of workshops, the groups will be given practical advice on how and where to pitch, interview techniques and what makes a great profile or review. Gallery and studio visits will give participants insights into the art world and the people who shape it. The course is open to unpublished writers over the age of 18 from across the UK and Ireland. All participants will have full expenses covered, including travel, food and accommodation.

Unit 1 Gallery | Workshop are now accepting applications for their Solo Residency (15th August - 28th October 2022 with a Solo Residency Exhibition from 3rd - 11th November). By applying, artists are automatically added to their database for future residency programmes.

The gallery is offering one artist access for three months to one of its spectacular 350 ft² (35m²) studio spaces, with both natural and professional lighting. Working above the gallery space, the successful applicant has the opportunity to network with artists, curators, collectors and the wider public whilst visiting ongoing exhibitions and events organised in the gallery. The residency programme also provides guidance and promotion through our channels and network, as well as the Solo Residency Exhibition organised in the studio space upstairs.

Drawing Room invites proposals that examine critical issues around contemporary drawing. They offer postgraduate students and scholars the chance to field test and peer-review research, and to network and engage with a wider community of academics and specialists. They are now inviting proposals of a high quality that reflect a strong research focus. Proposals should include a summary of your research, outline the key questions it raises and how these will be addressed by your project. Proposals must have an explicit connection to drawing, and discuss why the medium of drawing specifically has been utilised in your research. Selected papers will be presented at the next Drawing Research Forum in September 2022.

The Burlington Contemporary Art Writing Prize seeks to discover talented writers on contemporary art. The winner of the Prize receives £1,000, their review is published on Burlington Contemporary and they have the opportunity to publish a review of a future contemporary art exhibition in The Burlington Magazine. 

Entrants must have published no more than six pieces of writing in print or online prior to their submission. This does not include personal blogs and websites. ‘Contemporary’ is defined as art produced since 2000. There is no age limit for applicants. To enter the prize, entrants should submit one unpublished review of a contemporary art exhibition by the specified deadline. The exhibition under review should be current or have closed within the last six months at the date of submission. The review must be no more than 1,000 words in length and accompanied by up to three low-resolution images.

Founded by artist Anna Woodward, collector Sam Senchal and property expert Scott Franklin, Good Eye Projects will host six artists per residency at their studio spaces in Hammersmith. There are currently three residency periods scheduled, including Autumn (12th September - 4th December), Spring (6th February - 7th May) and Summer (15th May -20th). Each residency will culminate in a group exhibition. To apply, send a c. 250-word artist statement; 5 JPEG images of artworks that best represent your practice; a c. 100-word statement on how the residency will benefit you, how you plan to use it and how many days per week you’ll be able to use the studio; and relevant links to your website/Instagram to goodeyeprojects@gmail.com.

The Fringe is a celebration of the area’s art scene, bringing together artists, community groups and students. Over the course of the festival, the Fringe will take over Deptford, placing art in unexpected locations, rooted into the fabric of everyday lives. This year, Deptford X are encouraging Fringe artists to congregate their projects as close as possible to Deptford High Street, creating a hub for a vibrant range of activities for the much-anticipated return of the festival. It will extend across indoor and outdoor spaces motivated by the statement ‘We’re Here for Art’. We are also interested in Fringe projects related to gardening practices seeking to work with a community space. Deptford X is a festival for all and we particularly welcome participation by artists from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, and by artists with disabilities.

Arnis Residency is an annual residency programme for contemporary artists on a peninsula in Northern Germany, taking place from 18 September – 03 October 2022. It encourages engagement with the region’s local and remote context in order to encounter a world characterised by connections and flows beyond cities. Arnis Residency offers accommodation, food, sailing trips and swims in the Schlei for the duration of two weeks. Each resident is provided an individual room as well as a space to work in locations suitable to one’s project (a small studio space, a shed, and a sailing boat). Each applicant will have access to a travel allowance of 100€ and a small production stipend of 50€.

PADA is an artist-led, non-profit arts organisation based in Barreiro in Lisbon’s South Bay, located within the old Companhia União Fabril (CUF) industrial park. Create in 2018, PADA provides artists a space to develop their practice, interact with other artists, and explore new approaches in a post-industrial environment. The PADA Residency Programme is run in conjunction with the Studio & Gallery Programmes. By providing studios for local artists alongside the residency, we aim to encourage the interaction of national and international artists. Artists-in-Residence benefit from the mutual exchange across art forms and the post-industrial surrounding. The residency periods for 2023 are as follows: 1st February - 28th February, 3rd March - 30th March, 3rd April - 1st May, 4th May - 31st May, 6th June - 4th July, 6th July - 2nd August, 4th August - 31th August, 4th September - 2nd October, 5th October - 1st November and 3rd November - 30th November.

Forma is inviting proposals for Oasis: a socially engaged curatorial project or short cultural programme that will take place at FormaHQ between September 2022 and April 2023. Aimed at individuals and groups who want to develop their creative practice, Oasis is an opportunity to explore research interests and deliver socially engaged activities in collaboration with Forma’s team and our local audiences in London. A fixed bursary of £15,000 is available.

Oasis takes its name from the research and conversations initiated by the lead creatives in the redevelopment of Peveril Gardens and FormaHQ. Led by consultation with local residents and driven by Mexican artist Gabriel Kuri’s vision for a new oasis of nature and culture on the edge of central London, the aim was to transform the underused site into a purposeful and beautiful meeting point for both artists and local residents. This Open Call is for a curatorial or artistic project or cultural programme that embraces Kuri’s vision of an oasis – a safe place where creatives and local residents can take part in cultural activities and enjoy the benefits of our new Peveril Gardens.

Voodoo4u is looking for performers, sound artists, musicians, dancers, DJs or any other creatives who would like to participate in the second official event of Voodoo4u! All the performers during the event will wear customize outfits made by Voodoo and other fashion designers. The event will take place in an art venue in Shoreditch, London on the 8th of October 2022. Please submit your application by sending a proposal/idea of your performance that you would like to present with some visual/sound materials of your previous work to info.voodoo4u@gmail.com.

The East London Art Prize is an all-media art prize designed to showcase the talent of artists working and living in east London, with an accompanying event programme supporting artists’ careers and opportunities. Proudly sponsored by Minerva, the winner receives a career-changing cash prize of £15,000 and a solo exhibition at Bow Arts’ Nunnery Gallery. The runner-up second prize is a year’s studio space with Bow Arts. 

The prize is open to any artist living or working within an ‘E’ postcode, encompassing E1-E20, SE1-SE28 and EC1-EC4. Submitting artists should hold an arts degree, equivalent arts qualification or be able to show demonstrable commitment to their artistic practice. Artist collectives/joint submissions are accepted. All media types are accepted, including (but not limited to!) painting, print, drawing, sculpture, digital, film, audio, ceramics, textiles and performance.