Your Art Exhibitions Mood Guide | Spring London Edition: Part 1

Spring is here, restrictions are being eased… What else do we need? Art exhibitions! We know the feeling. 

Finally the art galleries are open again, and all you need to do is decide which exhibitions you want to visit and book your time slot in advance. It is not ideal for those who like to wander around the city and randomly pop in to see beautiful art. But it is good enough considering the pandemic situation. 

We are super excited to visit every single exhibition, and we bet you are too! To make your next few weeks (or months) more enjoyable, we decided to highlight some of the best London art exhibitions right now. But choosing the perfect art exhibition can be daunting when you have so many options- like Netflix; whatever you want to see depends on your mood, right? So to help you out, we’ve put together a mini-series selection to guide your gallery-crawl, following different art moods. Are you ready?

Let’s start with something bright to celebrate spring and the “back to normal” spirit.

Energetic Mood

Mika Tajima: Regulations

Simon Lee |  12 April - 8 May

Mika Tajima is a conceptual artist working across various mediums such as sculpture, textile, paintings andeven performance. “Regulations” is an exhibition with curated artworks around the idea of control and techno culture explored in vibrant and unexpected ways. Although Mika Tajima’s works are not easily understood, her work is energetic and eye-catching. It is definitely worth your time. You will be surprised to see that those canvases are not paintings- It’s textile (surprise, surprise!).

Robert Rauschenberg’s Night Shades and Phantoms

Thaddaeus Ropac | 13 April – 31 July 

This exhibition might not fit in with your traditional definition of energetic mood because it is not as colourful and vibrant. Nonetheless, “Robert Rauschenberg’s Night Shades and Phantoms” is a worthy kind of energetic! This exhibition brings two series of photographs incorporated onto metal panels. These photomontages are not randomly composed. Instead, these are positioned to challenge the viewer to frenetically move around to see the images. A must-watch!

Jessica Rankin - the Nostalgia for the Infinite

White Cube Bermondsey | 17th March -  1st May

“Jessica Rankin - the Nostalgia for the Infinite” brings us a mix between painting, sculpture, textiles and everything in between. Similar to Mika Tajima’s exhibition at Simon Lee, Jessica Rankin mixes the poetics of the uncontrolled with control. Rankin has a particular methodology of working, and that’s what makes this set of works in this exhibition so incredible. By randomly creating patches of colour and reclaiming back control through hand sewing these same patches of paint, she creates playful and lively canvases that will leave you in awe. Tip: make sure you check the borders of each canvas!

Sabine Moritz- Mercy

Pilar Corrias | Closing on 15th of May

Sabine Moritz exhibition at Pilar Corrias is going to make you feel emotive and full of life. This exhibition brings a selection of abstract paintings, drawings and photographs in which the artist encapsulates memory into bold brushstrokes and radiant colours. Her paintings will surely captivate your attention, making you wonder what immaterial experiences the artist is trying to articulate in such rich compositions. This is the perfect exhibition for those who are also craving travelling- let yourself sail away in these transcendental visuals! 

Alice Anderson: Hyperlinks 

König Galerie | 13th April – 22nd May

If you feel in a vibrant mood, you will like our final recommendation  “Alice Anderson: Hyperlinks” at König Galerie. This exhibition is full of bold, lively colours in random, blocky shapes -  perfect for an after-breakfast stroll. Alice Anderson’s work is highly performative. She explores notions of sacred in movement within her paintings and sculptures through bold colours and fearful markings. Despite the spiritual connotations, Anderson’s practice is not traditionally religious - so don’t let these influence your perceptions too much. Anderson was nominated in 2020 for the prestigious Prix Marcel Duchamp at the Pompidou Centre.

Quirky Mood

Damien Hirst: Fact Paintings and Fact Sculpture

Gagosian (Britannia Street) | 12th April – Unknown 

A mood focused exhibition selection would not be complete without Damien Hirst’s personality in it, don’t you agree? He is truly a character! Many of us either  find his art weird or incredibly exquisite. Notwithstanding, this exhibition at Gagosian in Britannia Street, London will probably more towards the odd. “Fact Paintings and Fact Sculpture” brings rarely seen Damien Hirst works created between 1993 and 2021. You will see a covid-related “sculpture”, a bunch of garbage bin bags piled around jewellery pieces, a few paintings, photographs and other quirky objects. We sense that Hirst was trying to hit a critique on the contemporary consumerist culture. But we will let you judge that yourself! If you visit it, let us know what you thought of it. 

Melanie Smith- Leave it to the Amateurs

Parafin | 13th April – 26th June 2021

If you have never seen an exhibition from this artist before, this is your opportunity. “Leave it to the Amateurs” at Parafin gallery is the artist’s second solo exhibition in London. This exhibition presents an eerie, techno, modern culture vibe with blue lighting, video performances, sculpture and drawings. It focuses on one of the artist's latest works: “Vortex” (2019-20). “Vortex” is a reinterpretation from William Blake’s artwork “The Circle of the Lustful” (1824-1827) through moving-images. Although you may see some unusual imagery, this seems like an excellent exhibition for those who like immersive, unique and quirky shows.  

We hope you enjoyed this selection of exhibitions happening in London right now. As some of them are closing soon, make sure you book your slot with the galleries to attend your favourites.

Stay tuned for our Part 2 of this “Spring London Edition”.

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