Hidden Gems: What's On Around Frieze 2024

Once again, galleries, collectors, artists, art connoisseurs and their dogs are all deep in preparation for the hotly anticipated Frieze fair to recommence. Five days of ooh, aah, and ogling at the crème de la crème of London’s art scene, this year promising a yet more artist-led programme in support of new voices and the fair’s commitment to building global connections across its ever-expanding network. Keep reading to build your art agenda. 

Nelson Makamo: IN CONVERSATION 

Curated and produced by Rise Art’s CEO, Scott Philips, and previous Head of Curation, Phin Jennings, “Nelson Makamo: In Conversation” is a solo exhibition that invites audiences to explore the powerful, diverse responses evoked by Makamo’s work. Through themes ranging from the Black experience to the joy and innocence of childhood, his paintings and drawings stir something deeply personal and universally resonant. Each piece speaks for itself, drawing viewers into an intimate and unspoken dialogue with the artist—one that, Jennings believes, is both spontaneous and impossible to resist. 

8th October - 12th October 2024, 67 Great Titchfield Street, London, W1W 7PT

Antonio Tarsis: Storm in a Teacup

The latest show by Antonio Tarsis, a Brazilian immigrant artist based in London, reflects both the modest and profound in his work. The old English expression, typically signifying an exaggerated reaction to minor issues, takes on new meaning as Tarsis reclaims it to address deeper, turbulent histories of socio-historical, racial, and xenophobic violence. His work, created from humble materials and tools, critiques the hegemonic dynamics of colonialism and industrial labour—juxtaposing the violent processes of empire with the meticulous care of manual craftsmanship. We’re looking forward to seeing how Tarsis offers a poetic denunciation of exploitation and survival in the face of adversity.

20th September  – 19th October 2024, Carlos∕Ishikawa Gallery, Unit 4, 88 Mile End Road, London E1 4UN

Lygia Clarke: The I and the You | Sonia Boyce: An Awkward Relation

"The I and the You" marks the first major UK public gallery exhibition of the influential Brazilian artist Lygia Clark (1920–1988). Focusing on her artistic evolution from the mid-1950s to the early 1970s—a time of significant political and artistic upheaval in Brazil—the exhibition explores Clark’s central role in the Neo-concrete movement. Alongside her contemporaries, she sought to break free from the constraints of geometric abstraction, emphasising experimentation, expression, and audience participation. Featuring paintings, works on paper, her iconic ‘Bichos,’ and participatory pieces, the exhibition highlights Clark’s journey toward blurring the boundaries between art and viewer, exploring art’s philosophical and therapeutic potential.

Excitingly, the show is presented in dialogue with “Sonia Boyce: An Awkward Relation” (Galleries 8 & 9): inspired by Clark’s participatory and experiential practice, which Boyce encountered in the 1990s, this exhibition showcases pivotal and rarely seen works exploring themes of interaction, participation, and improvisation. Featuring Boyce’s explorations of hair as a cultural signifier and her multimedia installation We move in her way (2017), the exhibition delves into the complex relationship between artists, artworks, and audiences, inviting visitors to engage with the art in unscripted, tactile ways. By pairing works from both Boyce and Clark, An Awkward Relation examines their shared interests, while acknowledging the distinct socio-political and artistic contexts that shape their practices.

2nd October  - 12th January 2025, Whitechapel Gallery, 77-82 Whitechapel High St, London, E1 7QX

transfeminisms Chapter IV: Care and Kinship

Mimosa House presents “transfeminisms: Care and Kinship”, the fourth chapter of a major touring exhibition addressing the urgent issues faced by women, queer, and trans people globally. Featuring works by Sonia Boyce, Marcia Harvey Isaksson, Lubaina Himid, Gulnur Mukazhanova, SaVĀge K'lub, and Buhlebezwe Siwani, this chapter celebrates community, collective ritual, and ancestral connections.

Exploring resilience, spirituality, and healing through diverse media—including weaving, film, sound, and collective making—”Care and Kinship” highlights strategies of resistance and solidarity. “transfeminisms” traces feminist art's legacy while embracing inclusive, decolonial, and transcultural perspectives, proposing a transformative vision for a more equitable future.

12th September – 26th October 2024, Mimosa House, 47 Theobalds Rd, London, WC1X 8SP

Yayoi Kusama: EVERY DAY I PRAY FOR LOVE

Not really a hidden gem but a gem that you absolutely want to get your hands on. Sadly, if you didn’t hear about this first, you probably don’t have a ticket. Tickets to Yayoi Kusama’s fourteenth solo exhibition with the gallery sold out almost instantly. Any cancelled spots are placed on resale though, so you may still be in with a chance! Offering a rare opportunity to experience a new Infinity Mirror Room, the exhibition introduces works from the artist’s latest series of paintings and sculptures featuring her iconic visual language installed across Gallery I and Victoria Miro’s waterside garden.

25th September - 2nd November 2024, Victoria Miro London, 16 Wharf Road, London N1 7RW