“Who owns, and pays for, what in the park?”
Welcome to the first edition of spittle! A breaking (contemp culture focused) news bulletin for all you curious London(art lov)ers.
Spotlighting the fantastically diverse and heterogeneous facets of London’s art and art-adjacent scenes – this weekly newsletter covers the high and low, from events to news, and whatever is worthy of conversation between friends and colleagues. All submissions welcome at spittlesubmissions@gmail.com
Events of the Week
30 June - Opening 4-8pm - Casting the Runes, Harlesden High Street, EC4A 2AL [Blackfriars] | Exhibition runs through 21 July
1 July - Opening 5-9pm - Underpinned By The Movements of Freighters, The Florence Trust, N5 2AR [Canonbury] | Exhibition runs through 10 July
1 July - Opening 6-9pm - Jack Warne: Rtapte, Castor Gallery, SE8 4AL [Deptford] | Exhibition runs through 7 August
1 July - Opening 11am - 9pm - Wondering People: Amongst the Chaos, 155A Gallery, SE22 8HX [East Dulwich] | Exhibition runs through 4 July
2 July - Opening 5-8pm - Rachel Jones: Blessings Pon Blessings, Harlesden High Street, NW10 4NJ [Willesden Junction] | Exhibition runs through 1 August
Exhibition(s) of the Week
Inez Valentine: The End, Daisy’s Room Gallery, 52 Buckland Court, N1 5EP [Hoxton] -
We caught the finissage of this gorgeous show on Sunday. The Loveseat centrepiece, constructed from polystyrene, resin and fibreglass, references Milan Kundera’s quote “In the realm of the heart, kitsch reigns supreme.” Hubba hubba indeed. Shoutout to Daisy Sanchez (@junyawannabe) for being the best host! Watch this gallery thrive.
Christina Quarles: In Likeness at South London Gallery, 65 Peckham Rd, SE5 8UH [Peckham Rye] -
If you missed bright-young-thang Christina Quarles’ solo show at the Hepworth Wakefield back in 2019, fear not, South London Gallery has brought it down south, alongside 8 new drawings. Abject and visceral, yet tender and soft, Quarles gives us bodies how we really experience them.
Hot Links
Cara Delevigne’s chaotic house tour where she crawls through her vagina lips washing machine tunnel (designed by her architect Nicolo Bini) – A fascinating curatorial counterpoint to James Turrell’s glowing light installation.
Links 2 make u think
New Yorker - June 23rd - Kyle Chayka Investigates the Social Media Lifestyle Trend for the Roaring 2020s.
“Why does only buying the groceries I need for 2-3 days make me feel like the main character in an Italian summer memoir[?]” says the woman in the video, as she carries a tote bag full of basil down a sunlit sidewalk, to a soundtrack from the lambent Italian-summer film Call Me By Your Name.”
e-flux Journal - June issue #119 - Jela Krečič Brilliantly Reopens the Philip Guston / Cancellation Debacle.
“Four eminent institutions de facto subordinated themselves and their programs to a standard that has very little to do with art (or social justice), and that they themselves remain the progenitors of. And not only that: they are subordinating art to a standard that cannot stand as a standard. It is more a subjective whim that can come from anyone in any given moment without any reason or argumentation, based solely on a the kind of feeling usually formulated in a Twitter rant.”
Edition of the Week
Tai Shani’s laser-cut wood, Jesmonite and crystal gazing ball limited edition sculpture for GASWORKS (Titled: Runway, 2021). At £5K A Pop, This Is Really Just A Pipe Dream.
Parting shot !
Recently opened LUMA Arles has some choice questions on its FAQ page. How very French.
London’s beating ‘art
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