Never mind whatever we said last time, that was then, this, once again is about this week and next and cake and yes you are right, we haven’t done this for a week, here we go with 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”. This Five Things thing is simply a regular list of five or so recommended art things happening now or coming up very soon that we think you might find as interesting as we think we will…

And we should add, that entry to these recommended exhibitions and events, unless otherwise stated, is free.

1: Horacio Quiroz, Goddesses of Spoiled Lands at Annka Kultys Gallery from 4th August until 2nd Sept 2023 – “Presented within Goddesses of Spoiled Lands at Annka Kultys Gallery, the artist’s first solo exhibition in the UK, are a series of eight paintings that fuse Quiroz’s interest in mythology with his signature lithic painting technique. Citing the crumbling and idiosyncratic qualities of the sidewalks in Mexico City as one source of inspiration, Quiroz doubles-up on rocks’ rich metaphorical strata – as a carrier bag of cosmic history, as signposts for innumerable entropic events, as hard evidence of the interconnectedness of all matter – to communicate the possibilities of such an expanded perspective. “Rocks for me are simultaneously a representation of reality, the cosmic, the geological, and the human,” shares Quiroz. “They are monolithic composts that build ephemeral goddesses composed of legends, stories and beliefs that have formed layer after layer of human thought since its appearance on Earth.”

And I should add, I went to this show early today, very much recommended. The show is on until 2nd Sept 2023. The gallery is open Wednesday through to Saturday, Midday until 6pm.

The Annka Kultys Gallery is at 472 Hackney Road, Unit 9, London, E2 9EQ. No longer up those stairs above that shop on the main street, you now need to go around the back through the red gates to the small industrial estate behind the shop space, the gallery is to your left at the back in the far corner.

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2: Gutter Sprung, an Installation at The Horse Hospital – “A rare chance to view an installation based on new immersive work directed by Hannah Mason” over at the ever rewarding Horse Hospital

“Gutter Sprung is a new immersive work directed by Hannah Mason. The piece flirts with how memory becomes decontextualized over time and resurfaces through thought, sensation, and action. Mason and her collaborators explore how traces of kinetic memory can be embodied from sonic frequencies and then physically amplified into surreal excursions. This piece which parks between reality and fiction, takes the observer below street level into the belly of The Horse Hospital, where it challenges their role as ‘spectator’ and the performer’s role as ‘spectacle’.

Created with the use of index cards, Gutter Sprung is a non-linear work that can be experienced Live or as an immersive collage as its flesh will remain post-performance in the Horse Hospital as a two-week installation. This installation will create the stomping ground for a series of live events, screenings, and workshops from emerging artists who challenge where choreography exists, how it is observed, and how it can be interacted with”.

The Horse Hospital is at Colonnade Bloomsbury, London, WC1N 1HX. Opening days: 12-6pm: Thursday 3rd August/Saturday 5th August/Tuesday 8th August/Thursday 10th August (12pm-5pm)/Saturday 12th August

3: Going Down, Getting Out at 195 Mare Street – 4th Aug until 13 Aug 2023, with an opening this Friday 4th from6pm until 9pm – “Going Down Getting Out is a group exhibition exploring themes of transition and transience”.  So far the born again space that is That House on Mare Street has proven to be rather rewarding, a fascination Georgian town house steeped in history, the space itself is in positive transition right now. we’re recomending this show purely on what we’ve seen happen at 195 so far. Watch this space.

Going Down Getting Out showcases the work of five emerging artists within the historic 195 Mare Street, curated by Freya McLean and Lily Bunney. The exhibition delves into themes of transition and transience; circling notions of domestic spillage into the public realm, and the ascendant nature of contemporary friendship – “Time exists in order that everything doesn’t happen all at once…and space exists so that it doesn’t all happen to you’’- Susan Sontag

The Artists: Lily Bunney, Freya Rose Mclean, Nora Bzheta, Ricardo Monteiro, Poppy Keating

195 Mare Street is rather obviously found at 195 Mare Street, Hackney, London, E8 3QE. lots of buses going up Mare Street, not that far from London Fields overground railway station. The space is open Thursday until Sunday, 11am until 5pm 

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4: Mr Penfold, Redux at Moosey Islington – From August 5th until August 27th 2023 – Moosey Islington is delighted to announce a solo exhibition by Mr Penfold. The exhibition will launch Saturday 5th August, 12-5 pm, with the artist in attendance.  Tim Gresham, otherwise known as the artist ‘Mr Penfold’, works with a variety of mediums from his Bristol-based studio, the city where he currently resides.  The artist’s chosen fields range from explorative, abstract paintings and screen-prints, to bold, large-scale murals and immersive installations. After leaving school he started working in a professional collaborative printmaking studio, creating work for and with artists of international repute. His work has been exhibited in galleries and institutions globally and he has collaborated with some of the world’s most iconic brands including Adidas, Remy Martin, Disney, Time Out, and Canyon Bikes.  Mr Penfold has a distinctive way of working and a range of imagery that is unmistakable, showcasing bright colours, and clean shapes. After 10 years of Penfold’s work moving away from his iconic characters, he is returning to Moosey Gallery with a collection of new characters. ‘REDUX’ is a celebration of an era of Penfold’s work and his relationship with Moosey Gallery. Frazer (Director) and Penfold have a longstanding friendship and working relationship, making Moosey the perfect fit for this nostalgic show.

Moosey Islington is at 2-24 Camden Passage, Islington, London, N1 8ED – The Gallery is open Wednesday until Sunday, 11am until 5pm

Moosey did of course recently expand thier Norwich invasion to take in Hoxtom as well as islington – ORGAN THING: Along the Hackney Road, there’s hundreds of cars, and some fresh art spaces. Babak Ganjei at One Mare Street, Nanhee Kim at Moosey Hoxton…

5: Luis Olaso, The Garden at JD Malat goes on until August 12th – The Garden is a solo-show by Spanish artist Luis Olaso (b. 1968), on view until August 12th. “The Garden, invites viewers to journey through snapshots of Olaso’s memories through this array of his colourful and lush abstract still lifes”.

“Following Physis, Olaso’s immensely successful 2021 show in London, The Garden, invites viewers to journey through snapshots of Olaso’s memories through this array of his colourful and lush abstract still lives.

Having exhibited in Finland, Spain, France, Portugal, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Japan, Olaso is undeniably a powerful force driving contemporary abstraction with his colourful and expressive still lifes. His second solo show in London with JD Malat Gallery, The Garden, showcases the latest developments in Olaso’s work and inspirations.

Presenting eight new large-scale works, The Garden is packed with bold colours and natural motifs and transforms the exhibition space into a representation of Olaso’s daily life and surroundings.

“I am in a personal moment in which I feel fascinated by nature. I live surrounded by it: my passions are my garden, where I grow my own plants and eat them, and my sailing boat. The fascination for life and nature is present in all of my works, I think it is my greatest source of inspiration.” – Luis Olaso

Bursting with energy and colour, Olaso’s lively reinterpretation of the still life painting turns the traditionally foreboding genre on its head. Mixing the abstract with the representational, his “unstill” lifes reflect the vibrant Spanish dining culture in the artist’s local Bilbao.

Identifying his paintings as a form of abstract self-portrait, Olaso has defined his process as akin to therapy – a moment where he is free of social conditioning, obligations, and pretenses. In order to allow for absolute expression and freedom within his work, Olaso’s two-step approach to painting, dubbed Action and Analysis, bridges chaos and order. Initially painting on pure instinct, Olaso creates raw shapes, patterns, and maps of colour across the canvas. Then, after hours of inspection and analysis, he grades what works for the painting and what doesn’t. Through this method, Olaso is able to create uninhibited, emotive, and visceral paintings reflecting his irrational subconscious self, while still evolving as an artist piece by piece and collection by collection.

The body of work behind The Garden expands on Olaso’s signature elements into bolder, more saturated colours as the artist plays with forced contrasts and chromatic amplitude. He pays fine attention to the whites and lightnesses of the canvas, utilizing the blank spaces and brushstrokes to float his naturalistic elements and build tension for his dramatic use of colour.

Challenging the exhibition as a “blank canvas”, Olaso has created an all-encompassing experience, where each work connects into a wall-to-wall abstract rendition of his environment. With The Garden, Olaso offers a space to stop and connect with his works, as “just as [my paintings] come from a specific personal moment on my part, the viewer will connect either with my message, or seek to travel to your own ‘Garden’ and make your personal journey.”

JD Malet Gallery is found at 30 Davies Street, London, W1K 4NB. The gallery is open Tuesday through to Saturday, 10am until 6pm (midday opening on Saturdays)

And while we’re here….

ORGAN PREVIEW: The Art Car Boot Fair Goes Pop! The date of this Summer’s much anticipated live event has just been announced…

. Art Car Boot Fair Goes Pop! The date for this year’s much anticipated Art Car Boot Fair has now been announced on the official website. The fair has been branching out in recent years, on line events, pop ups and special releases via the website, and yes, there has always been events outside of… read on