What to See This London Gallery Weekend, According to Ocula Advisory

Spotlight What’s Debuting at London Gallery Weekend? Rachel Kubrick

With London Gallery Weekend kicking off today, Ocula Advisory’s Rory Mitchell recommends his top four exhibitions to go out of your way for.

1. In the Mood for Love: Hockney in London, 1960–1963 at Hazlitt Holland-Hibbert, until 18 July

David Hockney’s works on show at Hazlitt Holland-Hibbert were made just before he moved from London to America in 1964. It’s a great opportunity to observe his earlier style—while not as immediately recognisable at ‘Hockney’, there are some great paintings that reveal the artist starting to develop his own visual language that was to become so distinctive. I love The Cha Cha that was Danced in the Early Hours of 24th March 1961 (1961), where you can see how Hockney incorporates text with figurative elements, along with subtle gestures that invoke the distinct ‘splash’ marks for which he is known.

2. Rae-Yen Song 宋瑞渊: ☁☁☁☁song~xian☁☁☁☁ at William Hine, until 19 July

Ceramics meets science fiction in the works of Glasgow-based artist Rae-Yen Song. In Camberwell, eight of Song’s glazed sculptures are on view, with each perched upon a muddy assemblage. Their forms are inspired by microorganisms from the artist’s family pond in Edinburgh. It’s an exciting pairing, to see Song presented by young gallerist William Hine, who opened only in October last year. This November, Song will present a major exhibition at Tramway in Glasgow, which will later tour the U.K.

3. Joe Bradley: Animal Family at David Zwirner, until 1 August

American artist Joe Bradley came onto the scene around 20 years ago and quickly became one of the hottest young abstract painters, exhibiting with the Lower East Side gallery Canada in New York, where he’s now based. Bradley flirts between abstraction and representation with an energy that feels brilliantly cheerful, and I think you can see his influence on a lot of younger painters like Robert Nava or Oscar Murillo. At David Zwirner, you can see all new works by the artist in his second solo show with the gallery since his debut at their New York space last year.

4. Paul Thek: Seized by Joy. Paintings 1965–1988. at Thomas Dane Gallery, until 2 August

Paul Thek is often referred to as an ‘artist’s artist’ and I’ve always loved his work. The works on view at Thomas Dane are from later in his life, from the 1960s to the ‘80s. Though Thek was known for his gristly meat sculptures, his paintings and drawings are comparatively much more peaceful. This show includes abstract images, as well as some wonderful seascapes and views from his apartment in New York. He often made paintings on humble, everyday materials like newspapers. They remind me of Martin Kippenberger or Sigmar Polke, in the way that any ephemeral subject from Thek’s life is incorporated into his practice with a beautiful, poetic sensitivity. —[O]

Main image: Joe Bradley, Bull (2025) (detail). © Joe Bradley. Courtesy the artist and David Zwirner.