The Shock of the Now - Issue #137
Afternoon All,
I hope you’re all well, and welcome to Issue 137 of The Shock of the Now.
We open the newsletter this week with a spotlight on The Toe Rag, arts and culture magazine focused on non-profit and independent arts in London. Launched in December 2023, it was created to place artists, artistic spaces, and communities in dialogue with one another. Issue 3, Dream Work, is now available and I’m pleased to have ‘The Shock of the Now’ in print as the magazine’s Exhibition Listings!
Alongside, there are twelve weekly Recommended Exhibitions, as well as four fresh Artist Opportunities.
I hope you enjoy Issue 137, 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
The Toe Rag - The Shock of the Now in print!
I’m pleased to have The Shock of the Now in print as The Toe Rag magazine’s Exhibition Listings! Issue 3 of The Toe Rag, Dream Work, is now available, with recommendations including ‘Sin Centre’ at Hannah Barry Gallery, Ryan Huggins at a. SQUIRE, Matthew Barney at Sadie Coles HQ and Elli Antoniou at Cob Gallery, all pictured.
Thanks to Sophie, Yasmin, Nicolas, Rachel, Hannele, Fergus and all The Toe Rag team for their hard work producing such an excellent independent publication. Thanks also to Athen for providing my cartoon caricature for the column.
“This issue explores how we dream alone, but also collectively: as organisms in entangled environments, and as social beings. In psychoanalytic terms, the dream-work is the passage between our conscious and unconscious thoughts, feelings and desires. Yet dreaming is also a form of collective political work that we do in our waking hours, to bring new worlds into existence and refuse others. For this issue, we have welcomed contributions that explore the oneiric reveries, subconscious desires and hallucinatory visions of the city. What happens to the dreams that fail, that decay, that dissipate under the conditions we find ourselves living in?” - The Toe Rag
Issue 3 features: Nour Ben Saïd, Jacob Barnes, Ilana Blumberg, Jip Boxstart, Bertie Brandes, Irina Costin, Lu Rose Cunningham, Ben Ditto, Will Ferreira Dyke, Monique Fei, Isabella Greenwood, Miles Greenberg, Athen Kardashian, Laila Majid, Isabel MacCarthy, Aram Masharqa, Vee Matsumari, Louis Blue Newby, Max Peston, Bart Price, Georgina Quach, Oisín Roberts, Sebastián Sánchez-Schilling, Dean Sameshima, Rosa Sittig-Bell, Ella Slater, Phyllis Stein, Adam Stamp, Jay Temperance, Katy Trame, Evie Ward, Robert Wilson, Henry Woodland, Alfred Yatlong Yeung & Bea Ysolda.
Stockists: Alice Amati, Brunette Coleman, Cooke Latham, Corvi-Mora, des bains, Ginny on Frederick, Hannah Barry Gallery, Harlesden High Street, Ilenia, indigo+madder, Lungley, Matt Carey-Williams, Neven Gallery, Palmer Gallery, Project Native Informant, Rose Easton, Sherbet Green, Soft Opening, Soup, South Parade, Studio/Chapple, The Approach, VITRINE and XXijra Hii.
Recommended Exhibitions Opening This Week:
Nell Nicholas - ‘Wings’ Solo Exhibition (3rd - 20th July) + ‘Will The Meadows Bloom Again’ Group Exhibition (3rd July - 3rd August) - Soho Revue, Soho (Opening Wednesday 3rd July, 6-8pm)
Soho Revue presents Nell Nicholas’ debut UK solo exhibition ‘Wings’, alongside ‘Will The Meadows Bloom Again’, a group exhibition of artists who are all inspired by their embodied experiences of the natural world, featuring Maria Andrievskaya, Martha Lamont, Kyung Soon Park and Johanna Seidel.
“Nell is a landscape painter and for her, painting is a way of making sense of things and of collecting things that move her. She is fascinated by things that stop her in her tracks, things that describe the world in a way that words can’t and things that demonstrate the beauty of the mundane. Soho Revue will be displaying a series of Nell’s monumental paintings as well as ceramics and other objects Nell has created.” - Soho Revue
‘On feeling’ Group Exhibition - The approach, Bethnal Green (4th July - 3rd August, opening Wednesday 3rd July, 6-9pm)
The approach presents ‘On feeling - an exhibition about emotion and subjectivity’, curated by Peter Davies, featuring eleven emerging artists who either live or studied in London, including Okiki Akinfe (above), Nour Jaouda, Anderson Borba, Lara Shahnavaz, Mohammed Z. Rahman, Alex Margo Arden, Gal Schindler, Kentaro Okumura, Areena Ang, Ruoru Mou and Lowena Hearn. A small publication will accompany the show with texts by Cassandre Greenberg, dove / Chris Kirubi and Tosia Leniarska.
“This is a special time for contemporary art in London. I have never known it to be so exciting. I am moved and inspired by the work of the artists in this show and want to celebrate it and their achievements. My fascination with emerging art grew out of teaching in an art school, then following the careers of graduating students. The vision and ambition of the community involved in the emerging gallery scene is creating a powerful sense of possibility.” - Peter Davies
‘Storage’ Group Exhibition - Sadie Coles HQ’s The Shop, Mayfair w. Final Hot Desert (4th - 27th July, opening Thursday 4th July, 6-8pm)
Final Hot Desert presents ‘Storage’ at Sadie Coles HQ’s The Shop, a group exhibition featuring the entirety of the gallery’s wrapped storage installed as such, accompanied by small new works by Alexis Kanatsios, Henrik Potter and Pol Wah Tse (above).
Lonnie Holley - ‘All Rendered Truth’ Solo Exhibition - Camden Art Centre, Finchley (5th July - 15th September, opening Thursday 4th July, 6:30-9:30pm)
Camden Art Centre presents ‘All Rendered Truth’, a major institutional solo exhibition by American artist and musician, Lonnie Holley.
“The exhibition will centre new works made during a production residency in the UK earlier this year, alongside previously unseen sculptures made at The Mahler and LeWitt Studios in Spoleto, Italy in 2023. Active across more than four decades, Holley is recognised as an important figure in the Black Art tradition from the southern states of America, as well as a significant artist in the mainstream of international twentieth century and contemporary art.” - Camden Art Centre
Chris Thompson - ‘Kitbash’ Solo Exhibition - Xxijra Hii, Deptford (8th July - 3rd August, opening Friday 5th July, 6-9pm)
Xxijra Hii presents Chris Thompson’s latest solo exhibition ‘Kitbash’.
moa johansson - ‘multiplying, flamboyantly’ Solo Exhibition (6th July - 25th August) + Paul Purgas - ‘In the Temple of the Earth’ Solo Exhibition (6th July - 15th September) + Joy Labinjo - ‘We Are Briefly Gorgeous’ Solo Exhibition (6th July - 29th September) - Southwark Park Galleries, Southwark Park (Opening Friday 5th July, 6-8pm)
Southwark Park Galleries celebrate their 40th Birthday Summer Programme with solo exhibitions by Joy Labinjo, Paul Purgas and moa johansson.
“At Lake Gallery, British-Nigerian painter Joy Labinjo will present a new body of work that celebrates our local community in her largest London institutional exhibition to date. Artist and musician Paul Purgas presents a new commission for Dilston Gallery, incorporating sound and materials gathered from the local park to create an immersive installation. For our Lake Gallery Salter Space, interdisciplinary artist and winner of Southwark Park Galleries’ 2023 Annual Open moa johansson presents a sculptural conclusion of their project the five flamboyant [ ].” - Southwark Park Galleries
Brian Dawn Chalkley - ‘Living on the edge of failure’ Solo Exhibition - Lungley, Fitzrovia (6th July - 10th August, opening Friday 5th July, 5-8pm)
Lungley presents Brian Dawn Chalkley’s solo exhibition ‘Living on the edge of failure’.
“Brian Dawn Chalkley is a visual artist and storyteller. Formative in the trans community since the early 90’s, the artist is known for their performances as Dawn a leading figure in London’s underground trans clubbing scene in the 1980s and ‘90s, a time when it was deemed unacceptable and perverse. Brian Dawn Chalkley has been exploring gender, sexuality and identity for more than four decades, first in private and then in their art.” - Lungley
Jala Wahid - ‘Pretend History’ Solo Exhibition + ‘THEIA’ Group Exhibition - Niru Ratnam, Fitzrovia (6th July - 10th August, opening Saturday 6th July, 12-6pm)
Niru Ratnam presents Jala Wahid’s latest solo exhibition ‘Pretend History’, alongside ‘THEIA’, a group exhibition featuring Rafaela de Ascanio, Alicia Reyes McNamara, Noga Shatz and Amy Steel.
“Jala Wahid's new exhibition 'Pretend History' is a meditation on how cultural identities are articulated through the monuments, artworks and artefacts of the cultural groups that one is born into, and what happens when those objects are largely owned and displayed by another culture.
'Theia' is an unearthing of what has been buried and that which lies unnoticed. And through this unearthing, there, a celebration of a different order of things that brings water, life and radical difference.” - Niru Ratnam
Artist Opportunities:
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.
Open Call, Circa Prize 2024. Deadline - Monday 15th July.
Marina Abramović and Ai Weiwei announce the return of the CIRCA PRIZE 2024, with an open call for artists to win £40,000. Now in its fourth consecutive year, the prize aims to discover, platform and champion the future visionaries who are shaping our world for the better. The CIRCA PRIZE is searching for emerging and mid-career artists aged over 18, of all nationalities and from every location across the planet. To enter, artists must submit a 2.5 minute video work in response to the CIRCA 20:24 manifesto ‘<<Break Free>> Time’s Arrow Flies Forever Forward’. Throughout September, 30 international artists will see their work appear at 20:24 local time on the iconic Piccadilly Lights and across the CIRCA global platform of digital screens in Milan and Berlin, chosen by a jury made up of CIRCA artists and collaborators.
The Burlington Contemporary Art Writing Prize 2024. Deadline - Monday 15th July.
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. This year’s judges are the scholar and author Julia Bryan-Wilson and the artist Trevor Paglen. Entrants must have published no more than six pieces of writing in print or online, in any language or country, prior to their submission. This does not include personal blogs and websites. Before entering, applicants are encouraged to read reviews recently published on Burlington Contemporary.
Open Call, Magnetic 3, Fluxus Art Projects. Deadline - Monday 15th July.
The third edition of the Franco-UK initiative for a bilateral programme of artists’ residencies on both sides of the Channel is open for applications. Magnetic is a network of 10 residencies in France and the United Kingdom launched in 2022 under the umbrella of Fluxus Art Projects. On the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale, Magnetic 3 will be partnered with ten leading institutions in France and the UK. To reinforce relations between the institutions accross the Channel, each residency is based on a tandem partnership between a French region and a UK nation. The call for applications is aimed at professional artists working in the field of visual arts who have already presented their work in several professional venues identified by contemporary art networks.
Open Call, Art for Change Prize 2024. Deadline - Wednesday 17th July.
Open to emerging artists around the world in the first five years of active practice. This year’s prize asks artists to creatively respond to the theme 'Tomorrow'ing: Visions of a better future'. A total prize fund of £20,000 will be split between six winners, five to receive £2,000 and one overall winner to receive £10,000. Winning artists will exhibit their work at Saatchi Gallery in London. As part of a shared mission in making art, culture, and creativity accessible to everyone, this prize is a celebration of emerging artistic talent. It will highlight and stimulate dialogue around visual arts as a medium for positive global and social change and give exposure to emerging artists worldwide.
Inclusive Practices Fund, Freelands Foundation. Deadline - Friday 19th July.
The Inclusive Practices Fund will support organisations to reimagine engagement and education; aiming to foster belonging and connection between young people in primary and secondary school, their teachers and visual arts spaces. Freelands Foundation are looking for bold and diverse approaches to art education initiatives which meet the needs of all young people, with specific attention to representation of work by minority ethnic* artists and the norms of engagement which may impact young people’s experience and comfort.
Open Call, Dreamtime Fellowship 2024–25. Deadline - Sunday 28th July.
Spike Island is pleased to announce the fifth edition of the Dreamtime Fellowship, a programme initiated and fully funded by Bristol-based artist Luke Jerram. The Dreamtime Fellowship 2024-25, is now open to applications from artists currently living in Bristol, working across any media. The successful applicant will be granted: 24-hour access to a shared studio space at Spike Island for a year (from October 2024 to September 2025); Annual membership to the Spike Island Associates network, which offers free access to regular talks, studio visits from artists, critics and curators, and peer-to-peer learning and support; A £5,000 bursary; Three one-to-one mentoring sessions with Luke Jerram throughout the year.
THE TAGLI’s Mentorship Award 2024. Deadline - Wednesday 31st July.
The recipient of the Mentorship Award will have the unique opportunity to be mentored by THE TAGLI team in collaboration with The Folco Collection. Together, their vast experience they will provide a year-long commitment to regular mentor meetings, bespoke career coaching, and access to industry knowledge. Fueled by THE TAGLI’s vision for inclusion and transparency in the art world, the recipient of the Mentorship Award will be assisted in launching their career and developing their practice in an open and dynamic manner in line with the current market dynamics. The recipient will also receive a £500 benefit, and inclusion in a public facing, physical exhibition.
Sarabande Studio Residency Programme 2024. Deadline - Thursday 1st August.
Sarabande are now accepting applications for their 2024/2025 studio residency programme. Lee Alexander McQueen CBE established Sarabande with the ambition to support the most creatively fearless minds of the future. Sarabande looks for individuals with a unique vision and a dedication to their craft. To date, Sarabande has nurtured over 250 artists and designers, each with unique approaches, disciplines and backgrounds.The residency programme caters to creatives at a pivotal point in their career. Their buildings are home to a diverse array of artisans, reflecting the wide range of talents Lee worked with for his own collections. Their artists include sculptors, fashion designers, jewellers, textile designers, painters, performance artists, silversmiths and ceramicists. Sarabande is also home to filmmakers, animators, photographers, digital designers and visual artists.
Young Wimbledon Artist in Residence 2024, Wimbledon Museum. Deadline - Friday 2nd August.
The YWA in Residence Scheme at Wimbledon Museum provides a collaborative platform for Merton-based artists aged between 18-25 to explore items from their archives which are not usually on display, and bring them to life. This is a one-month opportunity for creatives to develop and then exhibit work in a studio and gallery space and to interact with the historic Wimbledon Village Club and Lecture Hall, the local community and visitors to the Museum.
The In Practice 2025 Open Call, SculptureCenter. Deadline - Sunday 4th August.
SculptureCenter is pleased to announce that their annual open call for artists is now open. In Practice 2025 will generate a yearlong series of solo presentations. They invite artists who have not yet had an institutional solo exhibition in New York City to submit proposals for solo exhibitions in designated gallery spaces at SculptureCenter. Artists are also invited to propose off-site projects, publishing initiatives, performances, and nontraditional formats, which will be considered based on feasibility. Up to seven artists will be selected to participate in the program from spring 2025 to winter 2026. Proposals should reflect new work to be realized in 2025-26.
The 2025 East London Art Prize, Bow Arts. Deadline - Tuesday 27th August.
The East London Art Prize celebrates and promotes the incredible talent and diversity of art made in the cultural hive of east London. Proudly sponsored by Minerva and Prue MacLeod, the winner receives a 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 entire shortlist is presented at an exhibition at the Nunnery Gallery, with all artists given mentoring and career development opportunities. 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 practice. Artist collectives/joint submissions are accepted.