Christopher had finished his test, too, stretching his legs at the desk beside me. I didn’t turn to look – in case Mrs McCabe thought I was cheating – but I sensed him put his […]
What I Loved: Swimming Home by Deborah Levy
For reasons mysterious to me I often think of books as drinks. Donal Ryan’s latest novel, From a Low and Quiet Sea, is a single malt whiskey, short and potent, infused with a warmth I […]
Exhibition Review: Pronoia, Paranoia In Reverse, 12 Felstead St, London
Is the world conspiring to make us happy? Do you feel pressure to pursue happiness despite depressing economic realities? Is it a good thing that governments are measuring growth in terms of happiness, as well […]
Exhibition review: Asymmetrical Cinema, Beaconsfield Gallery, London
Asymmetrical Cinema is a fitting title for the cacophony of noise and image currently on show at Beaconsfield Gallery. Housed in the gallery’s dimly lit Arch Space, the exhibition brings together two very different films […]
Exhibition review: Zarina Bhimji, Whitechapel Gallery, London
From hazy horizons in Zanzibar to bullet-encrusted buildings in Uganda, Zarina Bhimji’s images have a unique kind of beauty. The impact of imperialism, migration and violence seethe beneath the surface of her photographs and films, yet her aesthetic eye always shines […]
A Matter of Life and Death and Singing: Exploring art by Jimmie Durham
A Matter of Life and Death and Singing was an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp (M HKA). Showcasing over 100 pieces, it was the first comprehensive retrospective of Jimmie Durham’s artwork, running from 24 […]
Exhibition review: Lure, Kate MccGwire, All Visual Arts, London
Kate MccGwire’s sculptures occupy a liminal space between nature, science and art. Made from masses of delicate feathers, her impossible creatures spill from gallery walls or crouch in dimly lit vitrines. As seen in works such […]
Exhibition review: Dedicated to the Workers and Unemployed, Santiago Sierra, Lisson Gallery, London
Santiago Sierra is a notorious figure in the world of contemporary art, best known for his ethically dubious videoworks. Combining social and institutional critique with insights into art history, his work is always provocative, impossible […]
Beyond the ghost town
The collapse of Spain’s property-led economy resulted in thousands of empty and unfinished homes. Often described as ‘ghost towns’, these sites reveal the fraught relationship between capital and the built environment, yet activist campaigns such as PAH show they’re also battlegrounds of […]
Exhibition review: Marcel Dinahet, Domobaal Gallery, London
Marcel Dinahet’s art is quiet and ambiguous, resisting any straightforward narrative logic. At first glance, his videoworks might seem a bit presumptuous – at Domobaal’s latest exhibition, we’re offered three looped videos and little by […]
Emma Cummins ✎ 