The ICA have announce their programme for London’s Frieze week 2015. They will be active as never before during Frieze Week, the busiest time of the year in London’s art world calendar (12 – 18 October). The ICA will present solo exhibitions by three artists, a curated programme of talks, daily musical performances and host the first official Frieze ICA Bar supported by K11 Art Foundation for a series of late-night events and parties.
London-based artist Prem Sahib will present his first solo exhibition in the UK, Side On, from 24 September – 15 November, occupying both the lower and upper galleries to exhibit new and recent work. A palpable sense of the body and human touch permeates throughout Sahib’s works, which comprise sculpture, paintings, works on paper and performance. He explores both formal and autobiographical themes, often relating to intimacy, sexuality, relationships, desire and community, particularly the relationship between public and personal spaces.
Shown alongside Prem Sahib in the ICA Theatre will be the first solo UK exhibition of Chinese artist Zhang Ding. Presented in collaboration with K11 Art Foundation, Enter the Dragon will run from 12 – 25 October. Directly referencing the seminal Bruce Lee film Enter the Dragon (1973), Zhang will transform the ICA theatre into a ‘mutating sound sculpture’ using suspended sound panels and rotating mirrored sculptures surrounding two identical music stages. For the duration of the exhibition there will be a series of daily performances where emerging bands and musicians will engage in a live “play off” as they take to the two stages at the same time. The performances will seek to activate the installation to create a platform for co-operative improvisation, experimentation and self-reflection. Programmed by Zhang in association with NTS Radio, details of the performers will be announced in September.
To coincide with ZHANG Ding, Enter the Dragon, Performances, 2015. © ZHANG Ding. Zhang’s exhibition, the ICA will partner with Frieze and K11 Art Foundation to host the first official Frieze ICA Bar supported by K11 Art Foundation during Frieze Week. From 12 – 16 October, the ICA will invite special guests in connection with the fair to host an evening of music and guest DJs in the ICA Bar between the hours of 7pm – 1am. As part of this five-day activity NTS Radio will curate a vibrant music programme in collaboration with special guest hosts.
In the ICA Fox Reading Room, ICA will present unseen photographs by Smiler (aka Mark Cawson) of London squats during the 70s, 80s and 90s. Against the backdrop of social and political upheaval, Smiler’s photographs document the people who lived in squats across the city at a time when salvage culture was the norm. On display from 12 October – 29 November, Smiler: Photographs of London by Mark Cawson will focus on a body of work shot between West London and Kings Cross in black and white with an analogue camera. The exhibition marks the occasion of the launch of a publication about Smiler’s work, published by Sorika, with a text by writer and artist Neal Brown, who has known Smiler for over thirty years.
ICA’s Off-Site programming continues during Frieze with an installation of films by Hannah Perry located in the Diesel Black Gold store on Conduit Street, from 15 October – 15 November.
From 12 – 18 October, ICA will host a series of talks relating to the autumn exhibition programme Adrian Cheng, K11 Art Foundation Founder and Honorary Chairman, Zhang Ding, Gregor Muir, ICA Executive Director and Matt Williams, ICA Curator, will participate in a quick-fire discussion about Zhang Ding’s exhibition and the cross cultural collaboration between ICA and K11 Art Foundation. Artists Neal Brown, Peter Doig and artist and musician Jimmy Cauty will discuss London squats and counter culture in relation to Smiler.
ICA will have a significant presence at Frieze London this year. Allied Editions returns to the fair presenting ICA editions at stand B22 from 14 – 17 October. In addition, the Frieze Talks programme will be co-curated by Gregor Muir (Executive Director, ICA) and Christy Lange (Associate Editor, frieze). Topics will include the changing landscape of London’s art scene in relation to the impact of rising rents and widespread redevelopment across the capital.