The Shock of the Now - Issue #90

Afternoon All,

I hope you’re all well and welcome to Issue 90 of The Shock of the Now.

This week there are six weekly Recommended Exhibitions, as well as four fresh Artist Opportunities.

I hope you enjoy Issue 90, 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

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Recommended Exhibitions Opening This Week:

Niccolo Binda & Jo Hummel - ‘Template’ Two-Person Exhibition - Fold, Fitzrovia (14th June - 15th July, opening Wednesday 14th June, 6-8pm)

Fold presents ‘Template’, a two-person exhibition of Niccolo Binda and Jo Hummel.

“Template brings together the work of emerging artist Niccolo Binda and gallery artist Jo Hummel, by exploring notions of semiotics, typography, found objects, and ephemera. Binda makes painted wall objects where each component is inspired by a new way of making, by hand or through laser cutting and 3D printing. He brings overlooked details from the floor of public spaces onto gallery walls. Hummel’s works are informed by human behaviour and determinism but also relate to the found alphabet, containing imagery with strong references to the process of stenciling and formatting.” - Fold

Jazbo Gross & Robert Orr - ‘Nerve Net’ Two-Person Exhibition - Calcio, South Bermondsey (16th June - 9th July, opening Thursday 15th June, 6-10pm)

Calcio presents ‘Nerve Net’, a two-person exhibition of Jazbo Gross and Robert Orr.

“Borrowing its namesake from the central nervous system of cephalized animals, Nerve Net is an exhibition of new works by Jazbo Gross and Robert Orr. It uses sculpture, drawing and iPhone images to examine a state of overstimulation, in search of a new feeling of safety. Through stealing and altering, the works have been made as a sort of strength building exercise, leaning on objects and images as strategies for building resilience against everyday violence.” - Calcio

Krystle Patel & Nina Davies - ‘Me: Also Me:’ Two-Person Exhibition - Chemist, Deptford (16th June - 9th July, opening Thursday 15th June, 6:30-9:30pm)

Chemist presents ‘Me: Also Me:’, a collaborative installation between Krystle Patel and Nina Davies.

“At me:also me we help you become the real you. Because we understand that you can be anyone you want to be. Incorporating a vast array of plans, treatments and products, our specialists can help you build the road to the optimized lifestyle that you’ve always dreamt of. Tired of performing for others? Sick of trying to fit in? Frustrated by what you’ve become? Say goodbye to yester-you, and say hello to someone new. And if you’re nervous about leaving everything behind, well we’re here to help get everything off your mind.” - Chemist

Martin Wong - ‘Malicious Mischief’ - Camden Arts Centre, Finchley (16th June - 17th September, opening Thursday 15th June, 6:30-9:30pm)

Camden Arts Centre presents ‘Malicious Mischief’, the first European retrospective of the work of Chinese-American artist Martin Wong.

“The exhibition presents a survey of over 100 of the artist’s works. It encompasses early paintings and sculptures made in the euphoric environments of San Francisco and Eureka, California, in the late 1960s and early 1970s; Wong’s iconic 1980s and 1990s paintings, made during his time in a dilapidated New York City; as well as his reminiscences on the imagery of the East and West Coast Chinatowns, made prior to his premature death from an AIDS/ HIV-related illness.” - Camden Arts Centre

Sofia Kouloukouri - ‘All about Eve’ Solo Exhibition - Roman Road, (16th - 25th June, opening Friday 16th June, 6:30-9pm) & ‘EVE SYNDROME’ Performances (Friday 16th June, 7pm & Wednesday 21st June, 7pm).

Roman Road presents Sofia Kouloukouri’s solo exhibition ‘All about Eve’, alongside two showings of her performance work ‘Eve Syndrome’.

“All about Eve is a feminist retelling of the Biblical story of Eve the first woman on earth. Retracing a long unaddressed heritage of female guilt, and playfully revisiting mythological and religious iconography, Eve’s story is re-written through different media, from tabloids to ex-votos and sigils. Guilt as a weight to bear is here made literal through sculptures of custom-made gym weights as well as the performance Eve Syndrome.” - Roman Road

Alia Hamaoui - ‘Passing Pari-daiza: Enclosure as Voyage’ Publication Launch - Soup Gallery, Elephant & Castle (Saturday 17th June, 4-8pm)

Soup hosts the launch of Alia Hamaoui’s debut publication ‘Passing Pari-daiza: Enclosure as Voyage’, published by Foolscap Editions. The event also serves as the finissage for Hamaoui’s solo exhibition ‘Passing Pari-daiza’. ⁣

Alongside the launch, Azkadinya - a platform focused on empowering artisans and cultural traditions from the SWANA (South-West Asia and North Africa) - will present a drink pulled from their ongoing edible archive.

“Exploring how spatial confinement creates room for spiritual and psychological journeying, Passing Pari-daiza unpicks Alia Hamaoui’s hybrid visual language to juxtapose two distinct arenas; the car voyage and the Islamic Paradise Garden. Through visual research, archival documents and AI-generated imagery, Hamaoui maps these enclosures to consider their shared state of limbo and perceived limitlessness.” - Foolscap Editions

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Artist Opportunities:

Cubitt Civic Fellowship 2023-25. Deadline - Thursday 15th June.

CUBITT is launching a new 2-year salaried fellowship for a cultural worker or artist working at the intersection of art, social justice, and community organising. This opportunity provides critical organisational support for a radical practitioner exploring ways that creative practice and collaboration with communities can productively navigate political struggle and chronic systemic inequities, building towards infrastructures for new realities to unfold. The fellowship allows those with expanded practices bridging the arts and social movement organising to develop creative ideas, build relationships with community members and activist groups in Cubitt’s neighbourhood, and test the liberatory possibilities of the arts.

Open Call, Baesianz presents KIN. Deadline - Thursday 15th June (6pm).

Baesianz are looking for women and non-binary photographers of Asian heritage whose work explores queerness, kinship and/or familial relations to take part in Kin, a photography exhibition curated by Baesianz at Guts Gallery from the 14th July. The show curates works by photographers of Asian heritage exploring the necessity and beauty of community within Asian culture. Through the selection, Baesianz aim to show how closeness and kinship provide collective nourishment and provide a space for personal growth and understanding.

Participation Residency, Gasworks. Deadline - Monday 19th June.

Gasworks is seeking to appoint an artist whose practice is concerned with the advancement of participation within a contemporary art environment. The candidate must be committed to engaging with the local migrant community around the Lambeth and Southwark areas, while addressing the issues of mental health and wellbeing which are of relevance to them. The candidate will deliver a diverse range of regular participatory activities in a creative and enjoyable way throughout the 8 months of the residency. Residency dates: September 2023 to April 2024 (8 months). Artist Fee: £250 per day. Working days: 2 days a week, flexible working days and hours. Programme budget: £4,500 (includes materials for activities and final output).

Open Call, Summer Studio Programme, Roman Road Studios. Deadline - Sunday 25th June.

Advancing on its mission to create a cultural and community-driven space fostering collaboration and cross-pollination amongst artists’ practices, RR Studios & Curation is pleased to announce its second studio programme in London. Providing a unique opportunity for artists to collaborate and grow with coaching seminars and networking possibilities, the Summer Studio Programme is a special edition aimed at artists who are seeking to develop a new project or concept, offering the chance to work with expert guidance in London throughout the summer. The Summer Studio Programme will welcome four artists in Bethnal Green, East London, for a period of 2 months starting on Monday 03 July.

Stanley Picker Fellowships in Design & Fine Art 2023. Deadline - Monday 26th June.

The Stanley Picker Gallery at Kingston University is seeking to appoint two contemporary practitioners to the Stanley Picker Fellowships in Design & Fine Art 2023. 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.

Studio Prize, The Artists' Collecting Society. Deadline - Friday 30th June.

The Artists' Collecting Society (ACS) is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company that administers intellectual property rights on behalf of visual artists. ACS is offering a recent graduate the chance to win £6,000 to contribute to the cost of an artist’s studio in the UK. This year, ACS has partnered with Gurr Johns International, a global independent art advisory and appraisal group, to offer this year’s five finalists the opportunity to take part in a group exhibition at Gurr Johns (19 – 22 September 2023.). If you are a UK or EEA national and are an undergraduate or postgraduate university student on an accredited art course who is about to graduate, or if you have graduated from a university-accredited art course within the last four years, and you work in pictures, collage, painting, sculpture, tapestry, ceramics, glassware or photography, then you are eligible to apply for the prize.

The Hari Art Prize 2023, A Space For Art. Deadline - Friday 30th June.

Applications are now open for The Hari Art Prize 2023, in collaboration with A Space For Art, celebrating the global roster of artistic talents attracted to London. The award will be open to all applicants who are self-taught or have graduated in the last two years (2021-2023) from UK art colleges from 3rd April until 30 June 2023 via A Space For Art’s website. A shortlist of artists will then be chosen by the judging panel, and once shortlisted, artists will have their individual pieces exhibited throughout the hotel from 1 September 2023 until January 2024. The three finalists will then be announced at a VIP award event at The Hari in November 2023. The winner will be presented with a £10,000 cash prize, kindly donated by The Hari’s CEO and Chairman, Dr. Aron Harliela, and the two runners-up will become The Hari’s Artists in Residence for 2024, taking over a room each for the month of January, followed by an exhibition of their work in The Hari’s public spaces.

The Contemporary British Painting Prize 2023. Deadline - Friday 30th June.

‘Contemporary British Painting’ (also known as CBP) is an artist-led organisation which explores and promotes current trends in British painting through group exhibitions, talks, publications, and by placing paintings in art museums. The Contemporary British Painting Prize Exhibition 2023 will be selected from an open call for contemporary painters working in the UK. The prize is in two stages: shortlisting for the exhibition; and judging. A minimum of twelve artists will be shortlisted to exhibit by a panel of four painter members of the artist-led group Contemporary British Painting. The panel of judges will select one prizewinner and one highly commended painter from the CBP Prize exhibition at Huddersfield. The winner will receive £8000, a catalogue essay on their work, an invitation to become a member of Contemporary British Painting as well as a selector for the CBP Prize 2024.

Michael O’Pray Prize 2023, Film and Video Umbrella & Art Monthly. Deadline - Monday 3rd July.

Submissions are open for the 2023 Michael O’Pray Prize, an award for new writing on innovation and experimentation in the moving image. There is a £750 prize for the winner, with £350 prizes for two further awardees. This year’s judging panel includes writer/filmmakers Kondo Heller and Juliet Jacques. Named in memory of the critic, historian and film programmer, Michael O’Pray, the Prize is open to all early-career writers based in the UK. Entry is free. Applicants are invited to send a short pitch for a new text, alongside an example of previous writing. All awarded texts will be published by Art Monthly and FVU.

The Painswick Open Call, ARC Salon. Deadline - Wednesday 5th July.

ARC Salon invites artists to submit work for their Autumn Group Exhibition at ARC Painswick, which will run from September 2023 - May 2024. Selected artists will also be invited to an artists’ weekend in Autumn 2023 to celebrate the exhibition. To enter, email salon@arc.club w. email subject Painswick Open Call + a PDF including 5 proposed artworks w. title, dimensions and materials/medium + a 250 word artist statement.

Call for Proposals, Drawing Research Forum 2023, Drawing Room. Deadline - Monday 10th July.

Drawing Room invites proposals that examine critical issues around contemporary drawing. We offer postgraduate students and scholars the chance to field test research, and to network and engage with a wider community of academics and specialists. Outset Study is a space for knowledge exchange between disciplines, encouraging cross-fertilisation of ideas and methodology, and fostering collaborations between artists and researchers. Drawing Room 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. Please include supporting visual material and a bibliography of key texts or existing research to which you are responding. Please state how presenting at the Drawing Research Forum will benefit your project. Selected papers will be presented at the next Drawing Research Forum in September 2023.

Art for Change Prize, M&C Saatchi Group & Saatchi Gallery. Deadline - Monday 17th July.

Applications are now open for the free-to-enter Art for Change Prize, an international art initiative from M&C Saatchi Group and Saatchi Gallery, open to artists working in the first five years of their career. This year’s prize asks artists to creatively respond to the theme Regeneration. 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 also have the unique opportunity to exhibit their work at Saatchi Gallery in London.

Open Call, Deptford X Festival Fringe. Deadline - Wednesday 26th July.

The Fringe is the core of the Deptford X Festival and an annual celebration of the area’s art scene. 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, to mark 25 years of Deptford X they are particularly keen to include projects that reference or recreate artworks from previous festival years. If you took part in the past and fancy dusting off an old intervention for a new outing in this year’s Fringe, they would love to hear from you. Equally, they can make elements of our archive available to artists who are interested in making new works or projects in response to the history of the festival. A limited number of bursaries will be available for artists who would benefit from financial support to enable them to participate in Deptford X Festival 2023.

Rolling Residency, The Bomb Factory Art Foundation Holborn. Deadline - Sunday 30th July.

The Bomb Factory Art Foundation are offering a rolling residency in their new Holborn location starting from 28th August to support dedicated artists who cannot afford studios, as well as a one week end-of-residency exhibition. First studio residency will run 28th August - 25th September, w. exhibition from 25th September - 1st October. To apply, please add 'HOLBORN RESIDENCY 2023' to the subject of an email to: studio@bombfactory.org.uk. Please state: Name, Contact Number & Email; Dates of interest; Website or Social Media of work + One-page application letter outlining your practice and why you are eligible for this opportunity. (Applicants must be able to prove that no other studio space can be afforded. Due to the nature of this free residency programme, we may require further interviews about how applicants meet the criteria for support.)