Photo London 2017

Photo London 2017, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2, 18^th – 21^st May 2017

Isaac Julien
Pas de Deux with Roses (Looking for Langston Vintage Series), 1989/2016
Ilford classic silver gelatin fine art paper, mounted on aluminum and framed
Framed size 58.1 x 74.5 cm
22 7/8 x 29 3/8 in
edition of 4 plus 2 artist’s proofs
Courtesy the Artist and Victoria Miro, London
© Isaac Julien

This the third edition of Photo London emphasises not only the fact that this is most definitely a world-class photography fair but also what an important, vibrant role London plays in contemporary photography. Hence I am using this time just one image to celebrate the work of Isaac Julien an internationally acclaimed London-born and based artist and filmmaker. Don’t miss this opportunity to see the best of what the world has to offer both at the fair and elsewhere in London. Please allow yourself time to visit the fair more than once – it’s well worth it.

http://photolondon.org

1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair & Malick Sidibé

Oct2

1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair, Somerset House, London WC2, 6^th–9^th October 2016

Dansez le Twist, 1965
(c) Malick Sidibé. Courtesy Galerie MAGNIN-A, Paris

This year’s fair features some forty leading specialist galleries drawn from eighteen counties with a total of over a hundred and thirty artists of African origin. One special feature is an exhibition of late Malian photographer Malick Sidibé (1935/6 – 2016) – he was not sure which year he was born in.

This is the first solo exhibition of his work and although being launched at the Fair it will continue as part of the Somerset House Winter Season.

Les Retrouvailles au bord du fleuve Niger, 1974
(c) Malick Sidibé. Courtesy Galerie MAGNIN-A, Paris

Sidibé was the right man in the right place as he was in Mali’s capital Bamako at the time of the country’s independence and he very much caught the spirit of the place though his black -and-white imagery. There are forty-five original prints from the 60s and 70s on display and they are divided into three themed areas: ‘Au Fleuve Niger / Beside the Niger River’, ‘Tiep à Bamako / Nightlife in Bamako’, and ‘Le Studio / The Studio’.

Nuit du 31 Décembre, 1969
(c) Malick Sidibé. Courtesy Galerie MAGNIN-A, Paris

Acknowledging Sidibé’s remark that “music freed us” the exhibition will have its own soundtrack which will recall not only the nightclubs where he took many of the images but also his own studio (Studio Malick) where “often it was like a party”. He was significantly the first African artist and photographer to be awarded a Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale in 2007.

Les jeunes bergers peulhs, 1972
(c) Malick Sidibé. Courtesy Galerie MAGNIN-A, Paris

The exhibition Malick Sidibé: The Eye of Modern Mali continues until 15^th January 2017.

1-54.com

www.somersethouse.org

A moi seul, 1978
(c) Malick Sidibé. Courtesy Galerie MAGNIN-A, Paris

London Design Biennale

Sep10

London Design Biennale, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2, until 27^th September 2016

Albania
Credit – Ed Reeve Images

This is London’s first Design Biennale and is in partnership with Jaguar and Somerset House. Its theme is ‘Utopia by Design’ and there is such a wide-range of works and ideas from writers, artists, designer, architects and scientists drawn from the thirty-seven participating countries that I will in fact leave it to you to go along and discover them for yourselves. I really urge you to do so because it is worth it as these images suggest.

Lebanon
Credit – Ed Reeve Images

The Biennale’s president Sir John Sorrell sums it up saying: “The London Design Biennale celebrates design as an international language, which everyone can understand. It does not recognise boundaries or borders. It is always seeking to make the world a better place. All over the world, nations and cities are increasingly recognising the power of design to bring social change and economic growth. They are realising that creativity, with design at its heart, can play a vital role in providing solutions to problems which affect the way people live.”

India
Credit – Bradley Lloyd Barnes

Australia
Credit – Ed Reeve Images

South Africa
Credit – Bradley Lloyd Barnes

Shenzhen, China
Credit – Ed Reeve Images

Turkey
Credit – Bradley Lloyd Barnes

The Netherlands
Credit – Ed Reeve Images

http://www.londondesignbiennale.com

Photo London 2016

May17

Photo London 2016, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2, 19^th – 22^nd May 2016

Bildhalle,Zürich
Ali left & right Fist, London,1966
by Thomas Hoepker
©Thomas Hoepker

This is a really exciting international photography fair which should not be missed whatever your level of interest in the discipline. Some eighty leading galleries from around the globe will be exhibiting at Somerset House and there are many other related events and exhibitions across the city.

Edwynn Houk Gallery, New York
Jean Patchett, Vogue, New York,1950
by Erwin Blumenfeld
©Erwin Blumenfeld

There is a wide choice of subject matter ranging from portraits, fashion and advertising to documentary either by well-known exponents or newer emerging talents. Make sure you allow yourself enough time to immerse yourself in this fair – it will be worth it.

Hamiltons Gallery
Female Nude
Nude No. 04, 2015
(c) Erwin Olaf

Riflemaker London
A N A L O G by Richard Nicholson
Rio Cinema
©

Galerie Thomas Zander, Cologne
New York 1980
by Helen Levitt
©Film Documents LLC,
courtesy Galerie Thomas Zander

http://www.photolondon.org

Celebrating Design in London

Sep18

LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL 2015, 19^th-27^th September 2015

‘A Bullet From A Shooting Star’ by Alex Chinneck supported by Knight Dragon,
image courtesy of the London Design Festival

This promises to be a great week celebrating design from the UK and around the world in various areas of London. The seven official areas are: Chelsea Design Quarter, Clerkenwell Design Quarter, Islington Design District, Shoreditch Design Triangle, Brompton Design District, Queens Park Design District and the new Bankside Design District, Bankside, which includes Southwark, Waterloo and Borough.

Alex Rasmussen
10 Designers in the West Wing
Somerset House

Somerset House is an important destination too during this week as the Director of the Somerset House, Jonathan Reekie CBE explains: “Somerset House embraces a broad range of cultural activity including music, fashion, film and photography and design is a very important part of this mix. As well as being both a stimulating environment in which many designers and makers work we also are an important public platform for the best in contemporary design through our exhibitions and events. With strong links to the design community, we are pleased to present a number of projects as part of the Design Festival and look forward to working with them over the upcoming year to create new opportunities to bring design in all its manifestations to the heart of London and to a new audience.”

Robin Day working on the Q-stak Chair (1953)
Robin Day designed this one-piece moulded plywood chair with economy in mind.
Credit: The Robin and Lucienne Day Foundation

The V&A Museum is another centre during the Festival and here you will discover a ‘forest’ of timber columns, designed by Turner Prize nominees Assemble, which celebrates the centenary of the birth of the designer Robin Day. This installation Robin Day Works in Wood looks at Day’s early years in High Wycombe, a centre of furniture making set among beech woodlands and highlights his relationship with wood and his use of it through various processes.

Zotem by Kim Thome with Swarovski.
Image by Mark Cocksedge

You will also discover Zotem a double-sided monolith that rises 18 metres studded with 600 specially made Swarovski crystals designed by the London-based designer Kim Thomé.

Artona dining set by Afra and Tobia Scarpa
The Moderns at Alfies

On September 24^th Alfies Antique Market (NW8) are having a special day consisting of talks, exhibitions, demonstrations and workshops celebrating iconic design through the ages (see their website for more details).

londondesignfestival.com

http://www.alfiesantiques.com

PHOTO LONDON

May19

PHOTO LONDON 2015, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2, 21^st – 24^th May 2015

Jacques Henri Lartigue
“Bibi à Londres, Octobre” 1926
Courtesy of The Photographers’ Gallery

This is an exciting new fair which will feature some sixty specially selected galleries from around the world. This demonstrates how both vintage and contemporary photographs are becoming a popular field of collecting in many countries and now it seems in London as well. There will also be a series of talks.

Mike Seabourne
“Southampton Road, Gospel Oak, Camden” 2006
Copyright Mike Seabourne
courtesy of Bernard Quaritch Ltd.

http://www.photolondon.org

Ernst Haas "Picadilly Circus" 1949 © Ernst Haas , courtesy of Atlas Gallery

Diane Arbus
“Young couple on a bench in Washington Square Park, N.Y.C” 1965
© The Diane Arbus Estate, courtesy Timothy Taylor Gallery

Noemie Goudal
“Cascade” 2009
Courtesy of Edel Assanti

Raymond Cauchetier
“A Bout de Souffle (Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg)” 1959
Copyright Raymon Cauchetier, courtesy James Hyman Photography, London

Vik Muniz
“Stonehenge” 2014
Copyright of the artist, courtesy of Ben Brown Fine Arts

Anja Niemi
“The Chrysler” 2014
Copyright of the artist, courtesy The Little Black Gallery

1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair, until 20th October (Frieze Week 1)

Oct16

Dear Readers, as many of you are aware Frieze and Frieze Masters take place in London this week. Over the next few days I will endeavour to bring to your attention some of the other events taking place over the week.

1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair, Somerset House, London, 16 – 20 October 2013

The name of the fair comes from the 54 different nations that inhabit Africa. Works of all types of media will be shown by 15 galleries from a variety of places, including Abidjan, Kenya, Benin, Nigeria, London, Seattle and Berlin. The fair strongly emphasises the growing interest worldwide in this exciting, colourful art scene and suggests that now is the time to start collecting these works.

Cameron Platter Joy, 2013 Pencil crayon on paper 235cm x 181cm www.jackbellgallery.com

Cameron Platter
Joy, 2013
Pencil crayon on paper
235cm x 181cm
http://www.jackbellgallery.com

Fair founder Touria El Glaoui, says: “The interest in the inaugural year for 1:54 has been tremendous and we are thrilled to have the support from so many individuals and organisations. 1:54 will offer visitors the chance to experience and engage with contemporary art from Africa and the African Diaspora like never before.”

‘Resurrection: The Fire Next Time – Untitled II’, 2013, Gor Soudan
Made from ‘Protest Wire’ which is made of the remnants of burnt car tyres after the protests following the last General Election in Kenya.

Ticketing information:

Adult tickets are £12 per day
A five day ticket costs: £25
Child under 10 years (accompanied by an adult): £5
Student: £5
Tickets can be bought from ticketmaster.com at: http://tinyurl.com/om62thk
(Online purchases may be subject to an additional online booking fee)

The artist Gor Soudan collecting what he calls 'Protest Wire' - remnants of burnt car tyres after the protests following the last General Election in Kenya. WWW.ARTLABAFRICA .COM

The artist Gor Soudan collecting ‘Protest Wire’.
WWW.ARTLABAFRICA .COM

Opening Times: 10:00 – 18:00

Wednesday 16 October
Thursday 17 October
Friday 18 October
Saturday 19 October
Sunday 20 October

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