It’s been a busy week between two cities as I previewed Amsterdam Art Week before returning to London to host a talk, record a podcast episode and then dived straight into London Gallery Weekend - Jodie Carey at Edel Assanti (pictured above) being one of my highlights in London. This week in the newsletter:
There’s a chance for artists to enter a fantastic prize that I’m judging
Make sure you have your ticket for Londonist’s 20th birthday celebration
Thanks as always for keeping tabs on me, and have a great week ahead.
A paid subscription to Londonist Urban Palette costs £5 a month or £45 a year. If you’re enjoying the newsletter, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription to keep it going - plus you’ll get regular bonus newsletters, with more interviews, reviews, insights and stories I’m excited about from the London visual arts world.
Tab’s World
My latest articles and events for your reading pleasure.
I’ve spoken to several galleries to take us inside Amsterdam’s vibrant contemporary art scene, for Artsy.
My top 5 this week for FAD is all painting exhibitions to be found in London.
The third episode of our podcast is about open calls - what are they and how are they important for artists? Listen and subscribe to make sure you don’t miss any
There’s a chance to enter the fantastic ArtGemini prize and I’m a returning judge for the prize.
Plus, catch up on editions of my new bonus newsletter for paid subscribers, including:
Exhibition review: Fragile Beauty at V&A
Exhibition review: Impressive Expressionism at Tate Modern
Cheer Up Luv: the platform where art meets activism
Click below to see all the subscription options, and a big thank you to everybody who’s supporting the newsletter already - couldn’t do it without you!
Tab’s Weeks Ahead
Highlighting my top events for the weeks ahead. Let me know if you'd like to join me!
In a busy evening of openings I’ll be at the openings of Paul Winstanley at Cristea Roberts (above - rsvp required). I will also be aiming to catch a few other local openings before - let me know if you’d like to join me. Thursday 6 June, 6-7.30pm, free - RSVP required.
I’ll be speaking at the opening of the latest Boomer Gallery exhibition, so please do join me for what’s always a vibrant night. Friday 7 June, 6-9pm - free.
My Saturday plans aren't fixed yet, but I’ll be aiming to pop into the Oliver Projects exhibition at Royal Watercolour Society for the talk at 2pm. All are welcome to join me, just drop me a line (or DM me on Substack) and I'll share the full itinerary with you so you can drop in at any point throughout the day. Saturday 8 June, 11am-5pm.
Londonist is turning 20 and to celebrate we’re having a party and you’re all invited. It’s ticketed and that includes two drinks, plus a chance to meet the wonderful team behind Londonist. Wednesday 12th June, £15.
The Wider Arts
Here are my top picks of culture that may be enjoyed from the comfort of your home. Paid subscribers have access to my full back catalogue of recommendations.
POLITICAL NOVEL: The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid is a brilliant novel on how the dynamics of a society changes when white people start waking up having turned brown. The tensions, the anger and familial divisions sown are brilliantly told from one man's perspective. I also highly recommend Hamid’s book The Reluctant Fundamentalist. The links go through to my online bookshop and you can follow me on Goodreads here.
REVENGE THRILLER (FILM): Bull sees a mob enforcer seemingly back from the dead enacting vengeance on all those who wronged him. It’s a brutal British revenge movie and Neil Maskell is perfectly cast as the sociopathic yet sympathetic lead. On Netflix.
NOVEL: Second Self is a novel about a couple who have decided to not have children until one starts to have doubts. It’s not the type of book I'd normally read but the characters are so well fleshed out that I read it in almost one sitting. The links go through to my online bookshop and you can follow me on Goodreads here.
Articles I’m Reading
Interesting stories that I recommend, largely from beyond the art world. If you fancy reading offline at another time, I recommend the app Pocket.
This is a selection of articles I found thought-provoking in one way or another; opinions expressed in the articles don’t necessarily reflect my own views or those of Londonist. Paid subscribers have access to my full back catalogue of recommendations.
MUSIC: NPR reports on 'Louie Louie': The story behind the song everyone knows but no one understands, and I have no idea what they’re saying either (4 minute read), and The Guardian writes about ‘The working class can’t afford it’: the shocking truth about the money bands make on tour (8 minutes). Switching to how we access music, MEL gives me serious nostalgia vibes with An Oral History of LimeWire: The Little App That Changed the Music Industry Forever (17 minutes), Collectors Weekly asks How Boomboxes Got So Badass (11 minutes) and Mental Floss gives us 35 Great Songs From the Ultimate ’90s Movie Soundtracks (12 minutes). Looking ahead to the future of music, Rolling Stone takes us inside Suno, a ChatGPT for music (9 minutes).
AT THE MOVIES: Ars Technica has a fun guide to time travel in the movies (48 minutes) and Literary Hub says Home Alone Has a Lot to Say About Adulthood (15 minutes). Mental Floss ranks the 20 Best Gangster Movies of All Time (13 minutes) and Variety dives into the crisis at Marvel (12 minutes). Switching to the cinema experience, Hollywood Reporter says Movie Theaters’ Secret Revenue Weapon is Elaborate Popcorn Merch (5 minutes).
THE GREAT OUTDOORS: Conde Nast looks at Why Being Near Water Really Does Make Us Happier (8 minutes) and Prevention says The ‘20-5-3’ Rule Prescribes How Much Time You Should Spend Outside. Noema looks at whether we should be paying more attention to the Clock In The Forest (14 minutes) and Protecting Dark Sky Country (7 minutes). One woman shared her experiences of nearly drowning, and what it’s like to survive (25 minutes on Longreads) and Field and Stream advises on 10 Unusual Things You Need to have in a Survival Kit (5 minutes).