Text Francesca Gavin

Art fair season is upon us and you shouldn’t feel excluded if you haven’t got a VIP card. Although Frieze and its calmer sibling Frieze Masters are always worth it, there are also a bunch of exhibitions, events and openings to keep you happy for the fortnight. In list form because who doesn’t love a list?

1. Paradigm Shift at 180

This year’s exhibition at 180 is curated by Jefferson Hack, aided by Twin alumni, Associate Curator Susanna Davies-Crook. It looks at the presentation of identity through screens so be sure to some time to watch these gems. The artist list – including Telfar, Tremaine Emory, Andy Warhol and Dara Birnbaum – is fire. 

@180studios

2. Futur.Shock x OUTPUTS

Book this club night of art crossover performances fast. Curated and including artist Haroon Mirza, its aim is to embody “resilience, healing, defiance, and multiplicity”. Cue live and DJ sets from artist including Aja Ireland, Eddie Peake, Mark Leckey, Magnus Westwell and more. 

16 October, FOLD, 7pm-2am https://ra.co/events/2261692

3. Steven Claydon at St Chad’s Projects

Kings Cross St Chad’s, down a back street in a disused hospital garage, has quietly become the most interesting and inventive spaces in London. This Frieze they are doing a solo show with British sculptor, moving image maker, musician and all-round top artist Steven Claydon.  

Oct 11, 6-9pm, St Chads Projects, 43 Wicklow St, WC1 @stchadsprojects

4. Sadie Coles x 4

Helen Marten opening on Bury Street, Arthur Jafa debuting new work in a major show Negus on Kingly Street, Neven Gallery artist Leo Costelloe taking over the emerging showcase Shop next door, and Lisa Brice opening their new flagship space on Saville Row – it is fair to Sadie Coles is showing up big this October with pan-generational artists directing the aesthetics of the era.

sadiecoles.com

5. RUSH(ES) by Alexandra Bachzetis 

The Swiss-Greek dancer, choreographer and artist Alexandra Bachzetis has a must see two-night residency confronting “behavioural taboos and interrogates the commodification of desire”. Expect good music, brilliant dancing and a whole lot of conceptual thinking about the body in space. 

16-17 October, The Hellenic Centre, 16-18 Paddington Street, London W1 https://helleniccentre.org/event/rushes-bachzetsis/

6. 1:54 Art Fair

Thank God this fair still happens. Special projects at this African diasporic regular at Somerset House include an audio-visual installation inspired by bell hooks by Rohan Ayinde and Tayo Rapoport, a showcase of historic Indian-Zambian photographer Alick Phiri and a courtyard installation from Mónica de Miranda.

Oct 16-19, Somerset House, 1-54.com

7. Minor Attractions

This fair in the hotel rooms of the Mandrake off Oxford Street is fun, wild and refreshing space to discover emerging international galleries and youngers artists. The quality of this year is serious. Make sure to search out are LAILA over from Sydney, Warsaw/London space Import/Export, Berlin’s Anton Janizewski and Regent Park adjacent Season 4 Episode 6.

Oct 14 -18, minorattractions.com

8. Christopher Williams at The Perimeter

First UK solo show in a decade showcasing the conceptual photography and moving image works of Christopher Williams. Here the exhibition itself is unpicked into hand painted signs, photographs, films, a radio play, catalogue and open letter. Pop, fun, weird, worth it. 

Oct 10-Dec 20, The Perimeter theperimeter.co.uk

9. The West End

There are so many shows opening the days before of Frieze in the west end you could just wander and stumble into something brilliant. Of special note are Lewis Brander’s cloud paintings at Vardaxoglou Gallery (11 October, 3–8pm), Nicolas Party pop figuration at Hauser and Wirth, musical references from Shaqúelle Whyte at Pippy Houldsworth and a major solo from Sonia Gomes at PACE.

10. Peter Doig at Serpentine South

This exhibition allows us to wander through the big British artist’s vinyl collection. The space is turned into a giant listen room where Doig chosen music through huge analogue 1950s wooden Klangfilm Euronor speakers. There will be some paintings on show too but see it as a musical moment to chill out from all the eye use this week.

Oct 10-Feb 8, Serpentine South serpentinegalleries.org