It’s Frieze Art Fair this week so most of the local galleries are laying on some exciting late-night openings and one-off events to celebrate. If you want to attend the four day show itself in Regent’s Park, it runs from today (Thurs) till Sunday 20 (tickets £32). But you know what? Let’s look at some things that are free instead.
Zabludowicz Collection, Prince of Wales Road
First off, the Zabludowicz has extended opening hours all week (today-Saturday 19 October, 12–7 pm; Sunday 20 October, 12–6 pm). And tomorrow (Friday), artist Andy Holden hosts live musical performances by the founding members of MI!MS playing as The Grubby Mitts and Johnny Parry Chamber Orchestra to coincide with his current exhibition. It’s all part of the Frieze Art Fair Camden Night. 8-11pm. Free but booking is essential here.
DRAF Gallery, Symes Mews
Meanwhile Camden Town’s major gallery is putting on an evening of performances tonight, Thursday 17, with Juliette Blightman, Michael Dean, Rodney Graham, Florence Peake, and special guests. This is all part of their acclaimed Orpheus Twice show, which runs till December, and considers the “relationship between artworks and their often fragmented, forgotten, or remote origins and sources”. 7pm to 10pm. Free and free bottled beer too, but they advise getting there very early.
Cob Gallery
Not been to Royal College Street’s stylish creative space for a while? Try the current solo exhibition by Nina Fowler. That’s Right Mister, and How’s Your Fairy Tale Coming Along is the first large-scale installation of sculpture and drawings that she has exhibited in the UK. Steeped in the saturated glitz of golden-era Hollywood, it “explores the contrast of the surface’s shimmer and an anxiety over the emptiness it might conceal”. Till Nov 9. Wednesday – Saturday, 12 – 6pm. Free.
…and don’t miss Brutal
Finally, we were lucky enough to go to the preview of Brutal – a joint show between Lazarides Gallery and The Vinyl Factory – which is located in a disused space under the Strand. The schtick? A group of artists respond to the “brutal” theme in dynamic ways: “it explores the times we live in and delivers a remorseless exhibition that will surprise visitors,” say the gallery. We loved it – eerie, sprawling, very dark, even shocking in parts. 180 The Strand. Till Oct 27. Free but booking essential here.
