The Shock of the Now - Issue #129
Afternoon All,
I hope you’re all well, and welcome to Issue 129 of The Shock of the Now.
This week there are eight weekly Recommended Exhibitions, as well as five fresh Artist Opportunities.
I hope you enjoy Issue 129, 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
Recommended Exhibitions Opening This Week:
Cara Benedetto - ‘WGW’ Solo Exhibition - Rose Easton, Bethnal Green (10th May - 15th June, opening Thursday 9th May, 6-8pm)
Rose Easton presents Cara Benedetto’s solo exhibition ‘WGW’, with an accompanying exhibition text by Philippa Snow.
“In internet slang, the state of being “white girl wasted” is one of embarrassing inebriation— perhaps one that also involves puking up your guts. The use of “white” in the phrase nods to privilege; it refers to the leeway that is given to white women when they are behaving badly, self-destructively, or wildly. All women are at risk by virtue of occupying their bodies out in public, but the level of risk varies depending on how that body looks. Call it the Fleabag effect: there is only so much that is actually transgressive about the depiction of a thin, rich, pretty, well-connected, heterosexual white woman being, not to put too fine a point on it, a fucking trainwreck.” - Philippa Snow
Araminta Blue - ‘Sun Wreck’ Solo Exhibition - Rosenfeld, Fitzrovia (10th May - 15th June, opening Thursday 9th May, 6:30-8:30pm)
Rosenfeld presents Araminta Blue’s solo exhibition ‘Sun Wreck’.
“Presenting eighteen new works, Sun Wreck is an exploration of gesture, light and abstraction. There are moments of great intensity throughout, allied with equal moments of extreme calm. Hands and legs appear and disappear, blending into the negative space.” - Rosenfeld
Matt Bollinger - ‘halftime’ Solo Exhibition - mother's tankstation, Bethnal Green (9th May - 29th June, opening Thursday 9th May)
mother's tankstation presents Matt Bollinger’s solo exhibition ‘halftime’.
“halftime, of what? If Matt Bollinger’s previous exhibition for mother’s tankstation | Dublin, Off Peak , suggested the necessity of research regarding the etiquette or socio-politics behind the timetabling of bus and train tickets, the current body of work on show at mother’s tankstation | London, encourages a similar itch-to-scratch-factor, regarding time intervals in sporting fixtures… Do we bring sandwiches or buy beer and snacks onsite? For starters, what is the correct semantic form, “halftime”, “half-time” and/or half time?” - mother's tankstation
Fran Hayes - ‘Thick, Stretchy, Sticky Space’ Solo Exhibition - IMT, Bethnal Green (10th May - 14th July, opening Thursday 9th May, 7-10pm)
IMT presents Fran Hayes’ solo exhibition ‘Thick, Stretchy, Sticky Space’.
“Thick, Stretchy, Sticky Space features digital paintings and video works that delve into speculative landscapes, inspired by damaged ecologies, science-fiction, and the uncanny; all viewed through a profoundly human lens. Stumbling into technotime you are confronted by amorphous energies, they are whispering sweet nothings - forgotten melodies, dark truths, hidden narratives - digital paintings spill from screens, illuminating elastic futures.” - IMT
Harmony Korine - ‘AGGRESSIVE DR1FTER Part II’ Solo Exhibition + Isa Genzken - ‘Wasserspeier and Angels’ Solo Exhibition - Hauser & Wirth, Mayfair (9th May - 27th July, opening Thursday 9th May, 6:30-8pm)
Hauser & Wirth presents Harmony Korine’s solo exhibition ‘AGGRESSIVE DR1FTER Part II’ & Isa Genzken’s solo exhibition ‘Wasserspeier and Angels’.
“On view is a revival of Isa Genzken’s expansive installation ‘Wasserspeier and Angels’ (2004), marking 20 years since it was displayed in Genzken’s first major solo exhibition in London. Originally responding to Hauser & Wirth’s former historic space in Piccadilly, the representation of Genzken’s complex assemblage in the city brings her work into a contemporary context, confronting sociopolitical themes that are still relevant today.” - Hauser & Wirth
“Over the last 30 years, American artist and filmmaker Harmony Korine has cultivated a multidisciplinary practice built upon tireless experimentation. A second chapter to Korine’s 2023 exhibition, ‘AGGRESSIVE DR1FTER,’ at Hauser & Wirth Downtown Los Angeles, this presentation in London features a series of paintings drawn from his newly released film ‘Aggro Dr1ft,’ which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2023 and was notably shot using infrared cameras. The exhibition’s acid-hued oils display an unprecedented fusion of Korine's painting and filmic practices. These hallucinatory works, like his films, blur the boundaries between ‘high’ and ‘low’ in ways that simultaneously attract and repel viewers with their hypnotic, otherworldly atmosphere.” - Hauser & Wirth
Graham Lambkin - ‘Second Nature’ Solo Exhibition - Worse, New Cross (12th May - 15th June, opening Saturday 11th May, 6-9pm)
Worse presents their inaugural exhibition, Graham Lambkin’s solo ‘Second Nature’.
Georgia Gardner Gray - ‘La Morosa Española’ Solo Exhibition - Sadie Coles, Davies St (11th May - 15th June, opening Saturday 11th May, 6-8pm)
Sadie Coles presents Georgia Gardner Gray’s solo exhibition ‘La Morosa Española’.
“In her second exhibition at Sadie Coles HQ, Georgia Gardner Gray presents a group of new paintings that look to a peculiar Spanish institution, the cobrador del frac (translated as the ‘frock-coated debt collector’), to examine universal notions of social performativity. Throughout her multidisciplinary practice that incorporates painting, sculpture and theatre, Gardner Gray constructs a boundless world of carnivalesque scenes that host a spectrum of characters lifted from capitalist archetypes, internet subcultures and beyond. Her distinctly contemporary mise-en-scènes reach back into art history and upend its codes, with figures rendered in kaleidoscopic colours exhibiting an anxiety and detachment from their surroundings that speak to a fragile modernity.” - Sadie Coles
Danica Lundy - ‘Boombox’ Solo Exhibition - White Cube, Mason’s Yard (15th May - 29th June, opening Tuesday 14th May, 6-8pm)
White Cube presents Danica Lundy’s solo exhibition ‘Boombox’.
“In her second exhibition with the gallery, the artist explores structures of power and their varied manifestations within the fabric of the everyday – exerted in and over our bodies, our relationships, and in the subtle undercurrents permeating industries and social strata. Rich with forensic detail, Lundy’s sensorial and panoptical compositions subject the minutiae of daily events to the scrutiny of the artist’s augmented lens.” - White Cube
Artist Opportunities:
Open Call, Wholefoods Studio x BayArt Cardiff. Deadline - Friday 10th May.
Wholefoods Studio is excited to announce an Open Call exhibition at BayArt Cardiff. You must be able to drop-off/pick-up from Cardiff Bay Gallery or arrange a collection. Please contact Wholefoods Studio if you would like to discuss postal entries. All works must be available to exhibit for the duration of the exhibition (31.5.24 - 8.6.24).
To apply: Email thewholefoodshopstudio@gmail.com w. Your name; Up to 200-word artist statement; Up to 3 quality images of your work including titles, material, dimensions + any extra detail (AV work and any special installation requirements need to be made clear).
Summer Residency, Sarah Kravitz Gallery. Deadline - Friday 10th May.
Sarah Kravitz Gallery are thrilled to announce their upcoming artists residency, conveniently located next to their gallery on Soho Square. If you are from a low income household, have kids or the first of your family to go University, please make them aware of this in your application. They’re offering 4 studios: 3 for London-based artists and one for an international guest (accommodation included). The residencies will be divided into two sessions: mid-May through August, and September through December. Artist have the flexibility of starting anytime in between these 2 periods. Mentorship will be provided with open studios scheduled as well as networking opportunities.
They welcome artists from all disciplines to apply. Notably, one of our studios is equipped with a space that could serve as a dark room for photographers. If you are interested in participating or want to know more details please contact/submit your portfolio to info@sarahkravitz.com.
Pre-Selector Volunteers, SET Film Festival. Deadline - Sunday 12th May.
SET Film Festival are seeking enthusiastic and committed volunteers with an interest in cinema to join our programming panel. Some experience in film programming and curation is desirable but not required. There are currently 3 pre-selector positions available to join the existing panel. Pre-selector volunteers will watch up to 12 hours of short films between June 2024 and August 2024. They will also be required to take part in two meetings per month with the SET Film Festival Programming team to feedback on their viewing. Candidates can be based anywhere but should be fluent in English (written and verbal).
The Feminist Lecture Program with support from Friends of Nunhead Cemetery is seeking emerging Female, Nonbinary and Trans artists to take part in a Feminist Curatorial Program and Exhibition Opportunity this summer in South East London. Five selected artists will have the opportunity to present a solo exhibition in the unique environment of Nunhead Cemetery Chapel, with the support of The Feminist Lecture Program, whilst also taking part in a wider program of curated events, studio visits and group crits across the four months of the program. The overall program will run from 19th May to mid September 2024, with the five solo exhibitions taking place from July - September 2024, and a final exhibition by artists Emma Witter and Luisa-Maria MacCormack that will close the program. The program will begin in May with a series of introduction meetings, group crits as well as studio visits from mentors. Students will also be given access to private tours of the cemetery and a curated series of lectures on Feminism, Art and Ecology from The Feminist Lecture Program.
Open Call, Plop Residency. Deadline - Tuesday 14th May.
Plop Residency 2024 is looking for two artists to join them next month at the PLOP Studios as Artists in Residence! They’re offering: Freestudio space in London (w. 24/7 access); Professional photography; Mentorship sessions with industry professionals; Open studios event.
Key info: Please do NOT apply using WeTransfer. As a London-based residency, selected artists should be able to travel into the space regularly. Plop is not currently able to fund accommodation. However, we will help source accommodation if necessary. The programme is for the full month of June 2024. You can apply individually, or as a pair.
How to apply: Tell us about yourself (100 words) and why you want this opportunity in June 2024 (100 words); List 5 London artists you want to connect with; Provide 5-10 images of your current practice; Email it over to: hello@plop-residency.com
Artist Scholarships 2024-25, The New English Art Club. Deadline - Friday 17th May.
Early-career artists* working in figurative painting, drawing or original printmaking are invited to apply for the NEAC Artist Scholarships 2024-25 worth over £5,000. The three annual Scholarships are aimed at individuals who have not historically benefited from many opportunities to engage with the NEAC and aim to support those who face financial barriers in pursuing the arts in a professional capacity. The successful applicants will benefit from a scholarship prize to support artistic development, as well as the opportunity to attend classes and develop mentoring relationships with the talented members of the NEAC. It is hoped that successful applicants will continue to engage with the NEAC beyond the scholarship year.
*Early-career artists include anyone who feels they are at the beginning stages of their professional artistic career, regardless of age (although applicants must be aged 18 and over and living in Great Britain).
Open Call, science_technology_society Winter residency season 2025, Delfina Foundation. Deadline - Sunday 19th May.
Delfina Foundation is pleased to announce an international open call for its upcoming winter 2025 residency season (6 January – 30 March) under its recurring thematic programme science_technology_society. On this occasion, Delfina Foundation welcomes applications from artists, curators, researchers, technologists, activists, writers, and thinkers who seek to explore how emergent technologies effect our understanding of mental wellbeing, and who are interested in probing the potential for intersecting art, science, and technology to reimagine mental health support, justice, and pride. This opportunity is open to practitioners from around the world* as well as across the UK. This season will support a minimum of eight practitioners, whose practices have already engaged with aspects of art, science, technology, and mental wellbeing, and who make strong proposals for how they will use this opportunity to explore ideas within the stated theme.
Open Call, Boundaries, outhouse Gallery. Deadline - Thursday 23rd May.
outhouse are excited to announce a new Open Call for their next exhibition ‘Boundaries’, curated by Siyan Zhang. How to submit? Email: mirrormirrorart2020@gmail.com. Include: Artist’s name; Title; Short description (a brief intro of the artwork); Dimensions; Medium. outhouse require all the selected artists to deliver their artwork to the gallery by Sun 26 May 2024 12- 3 pm. For digital artworks, please send the video/photo to outhouse, and they’ll try our best to accommodate the digital formats.
Open Call, Shapes & Things. Deadline - Saturday 25th May.
Shapes & Things presents an open call for artists with a 2D, 3D, and moving image background. This open call is for a virtual exhibition titled ‘Public’. Further information on the exhibiting dates coming soon.
FLAMIN Animations, Film London Artists’ Moving Image Network. Deadline - Monday 27th May.
FLAMIN Animations is a commissioning programme for early-career Black-identifying artist animators living in the UK, offering £3,000 to create a new 2-3 minute animation, in addition to development support from the FLAMIN team and a bespoke workshop programme. Part of Film London Artists' Moving Image Network, FLAMIN Animations looks to commission Black-identifying* practitioners as a considered acknowledgement of the underrepresentation of Black artists within the art, film, and animation industries.
Open Call, ‘Resurrection Charms’, Well Projects Anthology 2024. Deadline - Wednesday 29th May.
Well Projects produces a yearly anthology book that explores ecology through a broad range of contributions including (but not limited to) academic or visual essays, fiction, poetry and interviews. For their 3rd Anthology book, Resurrection Charms, Well Projects invites proposals for texts that engage with ecology in relation to: resurrection, time travel, rewilding, restoration, science fiction, intersectionality, ghosts, hauntings and histories. This open call is for emerging writers with an idea for a new, unpublished text between 1000 - 4000 words. Successful applicants will receive a £300.00 fee, support whilst writing their text, and will be published in Resurrection Charms. The book will be distributed internationally.
Michael O’Pray Prize 2024, Film and Video Umbrella. Deadline - Friday 31st May.
The Michael O’Pray Prize is an award for new writing on innovation and experimentation in the moving image. The prize is open to all early-career writers based in the UK and is free to apply to. Applicants are invited to send a proposal or pitch for a new text, alongside an example of previous writing. Three of the applicants will be selected to realise the proposed text. From these, there will be a £750 prize for the winner, with £350 each for two further awardees. All three awarded texts will be published by Art Monthly and FVU.
The Mick Bateman Memorial Award, Bow Arts x London Sculpture Workshop. Deadline - Monday 3rd June.
Bow Arts and London Sculpture Workshop are pleased to announce the Mick Bateman Memorial Award. In 2022, the artistic community suffered a profound loss with the unexpected passing of Mick Bateman, a dedicated artist and sculptor. The Mick Bateman Memorial Award is a new award set up with specific intention to support and encourage emerging artists working in metal. Each award offers: Two years of financial support towards the whole cost of a professional artist studio at Bow Arts. The award is up to a maximum of £2,000 in any one year. Up to £1,000 (equivalent to 8 days) access to courses and/or workshop time in the London Sculpture Workshop.
In October this year, Bow Arts will present In the footsteps of the East London Group – an exhibition exploring the past and present of east London, bringing together the historical paintings of the East London Group with their 21st century contemporaries. For the exhibition, they are inviting artists with a connection to east London to submit their proposals for a new, contemporary sound piece to be exhibited in the show. The piece will activate the gallery and provide an atmospheric soundtrack which will immerse visitors as they move through the exhibition and encounter the streets, scenes, and communities which make up the fabric of east London, then and now.
Bow Arts are looking for proposals for sound artworks in a range of different formats – from soundscapes, field recordings, conversations, and interviews, to community radio broadcasts, audio experiments, songs, chants, incantations, and more. There are no explicit requirements for format or length of the audio artwork – they only ask that the work must be suitable to be played/looped throughout the exhibition, but they are open to different interpretations of this and more experimental installations too.
The Hari Art Prize 2024. Deadline - Sunday 23rd June.
A Space For Art is delighted to announce the Third edition of The Hari Art Prize, celebrating the global roster of artistic talents attracted to London. A Space for Art is pleased to collaborate again with award-winning luxury hotel The Hari in Belgravia for the return of The Hari Art Prize for 2024, with a cash prize of £10,000 awarded to the finalist. The two runners-up will receive £3000 in second place, and £1000 in third place. The prize is open to applicants who have graduated within the last five years (2019-2024) from UK art colleges or Art Students who are currently studying at a UK Art College. All shortlisted artists will be invited to exhibit a work in The Hari Art Prize Shortlist exhibition which will be on view at The Hari Hotel in September.
The Muse Residency Competition 2024, The Muse Gallery. Deadline - Wednesday 26th June.
Since 2004 The Muse / Gallery & Studio has supported a residency program, offering recent graduates subsidised studio space, a gallery to show and the means to cultivate both client and industry connections. Each year they host a group competition show, awarding the residency positions to a few successful artists; they appeal to all disciplines, with a BA minimum qualification from the previous two years. Artwork is then reviewed by their panel of esteemed industry professionals, curators and collectors, with an emphasis on professionalism from the onset. Their curators will award three or four artists with a residency from 13th January to the 30th June 2025. The residency will begin with a group show in January 2025 and conclude with a second group show in June 2025. Further to the residency program, a chosen artist will be awarded a three-week solo show during their 2025 calendar year.
Turps Correspondence Course, Turps Art School 2024/25. Deadline - Sunday 30th June.
Turps Correspondence Course is an innovative programme of online mentoring facilitated through critical, supportive written reviews delivered by a dedicated mentor. The course is aimed at painters who want to develop or reinvigorate their work, whether recently graduated from art school, mid-career or those without any formal arts education. The course is designed and structured to be delivered entirely online so that painters, based anywhere in the world and at any stage in their career, can participate and receive informed, critical feedback from a mentor who is practising painter selected by Turps. There are 5 review points throughout the year when you will be required to upload images of your work and a short statement or ‘letter’ to your mentor. Your mentor will then review what has been uploaded and write their response. It is a very different type of feedback from more conventional face-to-face tutorials but Turps believe this is what makes the correspondence course such an appealing and sought-after professional development course.
MASS Correspondence Course, MASS Art School 2024/25. Deadline - Sunday 30th June.
Mass Correspondence Course is an innovative distance-learning programme of online mentoring facilitated through critical, supportive written reviews by a dedicated mentor. The course is aimed at sculptors based anywhere in the world and at any stage in their career who want to develop or reinvigorate their work, whether recently graduated from art school or those without any formal arts education.
The Stanley Picker Gallery at Kingston University is seeking to appoint two contemporary practitioners to the Stanley Picker Fellowships in Design & Fine Art 2024. Each Fellowship provides up to £16,000 and valuable access to the extensive material workshops, technical resources and expertise within Kingston School of Art and the wider University departments, to support a practice-based, innovative research project that will result in an exhibition of international standing at the Stanley Picker Gallery.
DoBeDo Book Award, DoBeDo Projects. Deadline - Monday 8th July.
The DoBeDo Projects Book Award will be accepting submissions for the publication of a photo book by photographers at any stage of their career with an unpublished photographic project (that is complete, or close to completion). This award offers start-to-finish production of a photobook for those selected by the jury; edited, designed, printed and published by DoBeDo Projects, which also includes distribution, press and promotion of the publication. Different publication formats and budgets will be awarded on a project-by-project basis up to £50,000. Winners will be selected by a jury of established industry professionals.