ART: Frieze fair and sculpture garden
Obviously, for arty types, this annual fair, set in the bucolic spaces of Regent’s Park, is something of a must. And this year it brings together over 160 of the planet’s leading galleries, alongside a programme of new artist commissions and talks. There’s also a new feature called The Nineties, which recreates seminal exhibitions from the decade, including Wolfgang Tillmans’ very first one from back in ’93.
Can’t afford the forty quid entry fee? Don’t worry, roam the Frieze Sculpture Park instead, which costs nada and takes over the English Gardens for three months as autumn morphs into winter.
Its 20 installations include protruding works by Jean Dubuffet, Conrad Shawcross and Claes Oldenburg, whose Fagend Study (pictured) is powerful juxtaposed against the leafy surrounds. And the garden catches the evening sun beautifully, as we discovered yesterday.
The Fair runs from today till Sunday, daily 12-7pm; the sculpture garden is free until 8th Jan. More info and tickets here
THEATRE: A Festival of Irish Writing
A weeklong celebration of Irish literature hits the Lion & Unicorn Theatre from next Tuesday. “These six plays reflect the lives of some of the generations of Irish migrants who have landed up London in the years since the Easter Rising of 1916,” says writer-director Anne Curtis. Sounds intriguing – and worth a gamble. Runs from 11th to 16th October, tickets here, Lion and Unicorn, 42-44 Gaisford Street NW5
ART: Mothers! Your last Chance
For the uninitiated, Free Space Gallery is the contemporary community artspace based at Kentish Town Health Centre. Its current show, Mother in the Mother, finishes this weekend, so be quick as it’s an engaging and thought-provoking exploration of motherhood, with stories from over two hundred mums. Their experiences have been translated into sculpture, film, photography and interactive craft. Free, until 7th October. More info here. 2 Bartholomew Road NW5
