What have we learn’t this week? never trust an artist? Nah, we knew that anyway. Five more art things. five art things, five more art things happening somewhere around right now or any moment now. Five art shows to check out in the coming days. An (almost) weekly round up of recommended art events. Five shows, exhibitions or things we rather think might be worth checking out. Mostly London things for that is where we currently operate and explore, and like we said last time, these five recommendations come with no claims that they are “the best five” or the “Top Five”, we’re not one of those annoying art websites that ignore most things whilst claiming to be covering everything and proclaiming this or that to be the “top seven things” or the “best things this weekend”, no, this is simply a regular list of five or so art recommended things coming up soon that we think you might find as interesting as we do.

Five art things happening now and coming up in the next few days in no particular order, just five art things happening around about now

1: John Stezaker – Double Shadow at The Approach – 24th Feb until 26th Mar 2022, with an opening on Wednesday 23rd Feb (6pm until 8pm) – “The Approach is pleased to present Double Shadow, a solo exhibition of new collage works by John Stezaker. Duality, both literally and metaphorically, is in constant play in this new series. Through his careful process of cutting and repurposing found images, Stezaker rewrites the narrative of the characters, creating an altogether new drama. Where past works regularly use opaque black matt grounds, in this exhibition of Double Shadows, the works, through still dark in tone, contain a variety of subtle coloured grounds in deep blues, reds and greens.  Implementing the technique of dramatic back-lighting borrowed from Film Noir (a genre that has long been an influence on Stezaker’s work), the dark void of one cut-out figure, pair, or embracing couple, intertwined with a second silhouette evokes feelings of surprise, paranoia, mystery, voyeurism and curiosity in a sliding, ungraspable narrative.  To accompany the Double Shadows, we will be showing the film Kiss, 2020, in The Annexe. The film is comprised from a vast number of the artist’s personal collection of film stills, re-photographed and projected at 24 images per second”.

The Approach Gallery is hidden upstairs above the pub of the same name, they don’t really do signs, the mysterious door at the left end of the bar will get you there – 1st Floor, 47 Approach Rd, Bethnal Green, London, E2 9LY. Opening hours: Wednesday – Saturday, 12 – 6pm with an opening late night, 6pm until 9pm on Wednesday 23rd February. STOP PRESS: Actually, went there tonight, excellent show and they d ohave a red sign above the door at the end of the bar now…

2: Meltdown at Ridley Road Project Space – a group exhibition and a apparently the final show at the excellent throwback that is the Ridley Road Project Space site site, opens this Friday 25th February, 6–10pm. They’re not big on information at the Project Space, there’s little more than a not very informative Instagram feed, they’re not big on communication or so it seems (they’re too cool to follow anyone themselves), reaching out beyond their own bubble is not a thing, but hey, their shows have been well worth visiting, the art has had an edge, the space has an attitude, it all feels rather like a bit of throwback to the days when artists could gather together and do things without the hindrance of gentrification or the dishearting business side of being an artist, the good days of East London, Hackney Wick and such. “is a sprawling group exhibition and the final show at our Ridley Road exhibition space before the building is redeveloped” so they say.

“The exhibition will remain open on Saturday and Sunday. See you there”, they don’t give us opening times for the weekend, a previous show was open from1pm–6pm. Find the space up the stairs in the old 60’s looking block behind or besides the brilliant market – Ridley Road Project Space,Dalston, Hackney, E8 2NP There’s probably a note taped to the door or something, they do take their time to answer if the front is locked, it is worth your time though, I;ve made them sound a little liek they’re up themselves, they’re not, things are possitively unorganised. There are no details in terms of participating artists either, there’s two images up there. Here’s a previous piece on something from the same space if you need more clues – ORGAN THING: The Grotto at East London’s Ridley Road Project Space, it was a “secluded and treasure-like notion” of an art show…

“MELTDOWN marks the end of fifteen years of affordable studio space in the heart of Dalston, and our final show at Ridley Road Project Space. The following week all tenants will be evicted and the building will be redeveloped. We see this final exhibition as a collective offering, in the form of a group exhibition, that we hope forms part of a larger political expression of survival and transformation in the face of a lack of affordable space for artists.”

3: Ces McCully – Mary & Me at Rhodes Contemporary Art – 24th Feb until 26th March 2022 (with an opening on the 24th, 6pm until 8pm) – a new solo show by Australian artist Ces McCully, “Now based in France, McCully’s new series of works are inspired by the lockdowns we have all experienced, and how isolation and  dependence on social media for contact influenced her and our collective psyche.  The series of textural works are both autobiographical reflection and cultural commentary. McCully explores the opposing natures of vulnerability and honesty with the digital feed, filled with memes, inciting headlines and ‘authentic’ moments of strangers. Her own personal experiences of isolation jarring with the perfect glow of social media. Her words point fun at the ridiculousness of the situations we find ourselves in and the thoughts we have; brutally honest and tongue in cheek.

The exhibition title ‘MARY & ME’ is a nod to the confessional nature of the works. By putting these statements out there, McCully asks the viewer for forgiveness and understanding. Perhaps seeing ourselves in these works, we feel a little less alone in our thoughts. McCully’s choice of bright colours and textures adds to the fun, whimsical nature of the works. Almost childlike, harking back to primary school days and children’s TV; the block colours add an innocence to the statements, reminding the viewer that as brutally honest as they are, they are not to be taken too seriously. Having exhibited internationally, and featured in several Rhodes group exhibitions, we are excited to see McCully take over the space with her unique style and humour”.

Rhodes Contemporary Art ls at 42 New Compton Street, London, WC2H 8DA. The gallery is open Monday to Saturday, 11am until 6pm (midday until 6pm on Saturdays). Read more about the show here

4: Vessels at David Zwirner (London) – 2nd March – 2 April 2022 – David Zwirner is pleased to present Vessels, a group exhibition at the gallery’s London location featuring works by artists from both generationally and geographically diverse backgrounds. Working in a range of media, these artists engage in different ways with the idea that the living body is a vessel—one that contains a life force or a spirit, but one that is also subjected to social, political, and cultural constructs.  Vessels is curated by gallery Director Galuh Sukardi, and will include works by Ruth Asawa, Huguette Caland, Seyni Awa Camara, Marlene Dumas, Geumhyung Jeong, Shio Kusaka, Maria Lassnig, Tiona Nekkia McClodden, Mrinalini Mukherjee, Alice Neel, Magdalene Odundo, Berenice Olmedo, Pamela Rosenkranz, Andra Ursuţa, and Portia Zvavahera.

David Zwirner is at 24 Grafton Street, London, W1S 4EZ. The gallery is open Tuesday until Saturday, 10am until 6pm, entry is free, the carpets are plush and unlike galleries in East London, the people on the door smile and say hello when you go in.

And while we’re here, David Zwirner is pleased to announce that Hilma af Klint’s Tree of Knowledge, 1913–1915, has been acquired by Glenstone Museum. This series, which comprises eight works, was on view at David Zwirner’s 34 East 69th Street location in New York from November 4, 2021, to January 29, 2022, and will be on view at David Zwirner’s London gallery from March 2 to April 2, 2022, before going to its permanent home in Maryland.

Yeah, I know, Hilma af Klint, not really our usual ground, but hey, we never said there were any rules, we tend to avoid the more establishment galleries but, that Vessels show does look good and we do like the space and really want to see Tree of knowledge when I can and rather that then being taken for granted by clowns and the price of east end fish and the rest of it.

5: Spring Cleaning! Artists’ Studio Sale at The Bakery: Artist-run gallery –  2nd until 6th March 2022 with an opening night on March 2nd, 6.30pm until 9pm – We’ve invited twenty of our fellow artists to join us in cleaning our our studios for spring and bring their favourite finds to The Bakery for a huge studio sale.  We have a fantastic roster of acclaimed artists from in and around London, who have previously exhibited at countless private galleries as well as the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, ING Discerning Eye, RA Summer Exhibition, and Society of Women Artists.  Work includes drawing, painting, and mixed media, and all prices will be discounted by at least 30%.  A perfect opportunity to grab a rare bargain and discover some new artists at the same time.  Guest artists include Amanda Coleman, James Decent, Penny German, John Govett, Isabel Greenslade, Michelle Hawes, Katie James, Joanne Last, Lucy Marks, Bella Martineau, Luke Martineau, Bessie Millar, Eve Petit, Penny Sandeman, Gallery artists: Caroline Atkins, Emma Chambers, Lesley Dabson, Kate Domash, Rebecca Hathaway, Lia Hattersley, Mandana Khonsari, Sally Minns, Henrietta Stuart.

The Bakery is at 82D Portobello Road, London, W11 2QD. The gallery is open Wednesday until Sunday, 11.am until 6pm, (opens at 9.30 on Saturdays)

5: Charles Williams – My Animal Nature at New Art Projects – This will be Charles Williams’ first London show at New Art Projects, and follows his recent booth with us at SPRING/BREAK Art Fair in Los Angeles and his part in that excellent Pride room at Margate’s Turner Contemporary that just ended This show will be opening alongside Lines in the Snow: Contemporary Canadian Drawing curated by Zachari Logan. I‘ll resist the temptation to say something about how an East London gallery might like to get someone to curate an East London drawing show here), Zachari Logan is always iinteresting. The Charles Williams show meanwhile should be really good.

New Art Projects is at 6d Sheep Lane, Hackney, London, E8 4QS.  Just by Broadway Market, not far from the Regents Canal and a stone’s throw from Beck Road. Read more about the Williams Show here

That was five wasn’t it? And while you’re on this page

BOOK opened on Tuesday 22nd February, the show can be viewed here – Another on-line group show, this time with a theme, once again curated by Cultivate founders Emma Harvey and Sean Worrall, the show is once again hosted on the Organ website. We rather like on-line shows and the way they reach around the globe, we rather think they should be part of the new normal. Book features 43 invited artists and over 200 pieces of work, well 41 invited artists and such plus the two curators, view it all here. As with all our on-line shows, there are no plans to close Book.