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London feels like it is bubbling over and we are totally taken aback with the news that we are no longer going to be part of the European Union. We are OUT, it feels like shock horror but it will be exciting.
Eddie Peake in his studio full of enthusiasm and confidence. So many people’s worlds feel shattered for so many different reasons. And so many changes - Boris Out, Cameron Out and Theresa May is our new Prime Minister.
Graduation time for the schools and there was an abundance of talent. At Chelsea BA my lovely friend Beverly Calvert had created an ambitious work. Digging out the Thames mud and sculpting it with hay, an old fashioned house building technique.
With 2016 chlorine blue pods full of sand and wrapped up in lovely cotton derived from the artists other day job - a hot fashion designer who sells all her work to Harrods label Homebody.
Opposite Beverly was an incredible installation by Reka Ritt, it was an amazing VR journey and really excellent work. She is on a journey discovering her childhood memories and putting them all into context. I found myself sitting next to a beautiful naked woman on a strange rocking prison-like bed with a girl who was disturbingly aggressive.
Textile artist Gemma Rudd showed a delicious array of coloured bathing costumes, one for every mood.
I met the lovely performance artist Ivy T.C. Chan. This is a snippet of ‘Untitled (Rotation Series)’
A quick visit to Damien Hirst’s Newport Street Gallery and there is sculpture after shiny sculpture. Fun, happy and sinister.
The Royal College of Art was also fun, happy and sinister.
Kyle Zeto’s work spoke to me and I loved the video ‘Creator Myth Fallacy in Metal.’
Also admired his ceramics ‘Cthonic Error,’ ‘Votive Arsehole’ and ‘Faecal Recombinant Carrier.’
Cory Arcangel’s show came to a close, like Mark Leckey you never know what is coming next.
Simon Denny paid us a visit to check out his work and give a great talk with Paul Luckraft, curator of Emotional Supply Chains at ZC.
Royal Academy Schools had some great work, I was particularly interested in Molly Palmer.
We acquired drawings and a video by the artist Elliot Dodd.
We all thought Kira Freije had great potential.
Lizzie’s favourite was Wanda Wieser, it was a strong year.
I dropped into Carroll / Fletcher and saw a showstopper with Eva and Franco Mattes’ ‘Abuse Standards Violations’ exhibition looking at the internet labour force, the content moderators who sensor online material.
This was a great piece where the artists had taken the first image that appeared from a Google search of a term from their browsing history and then printed it onto a range of objects.
Back at the Zabludowicz Collection we had the pleasure of opening Victoria Adam’s Invites exhibition.
Then our holidays begin and we headed off to the opening of Mike Nelson’s ‘Cloak’ installation in Monte Carlo. In a beautiful Belle Epoque style old building lays a deserted bank where Mike had decided to cover the whole of the 7 floor interior in inky blue.
Even the interior of the cupboards were covered, not a corner was left untouched. A great project, you felt you were underwater instead of in an old UBS bank. Fatima’s daughter-in-law Suad Garayeva Maleki had curated.
At Villa Paloma with Tim Neuger from Neugerriemschneider and Joannah showing their support for Mike.
We also meet this Duane Hanson cowboy.
On day four we took a visit to see Tracey Emin who is now in France on sabbatical, resting taking in the sun, growing flowers and fruit and planting trees.
