Installations invite us to step into the mind of the artist. Everything we see in the space has been carefully thought through, from the textures and colours to the objects and overall concept. Immersive artwork demands us to actively engage with the project, walking around the room to survey the scene from different angles and gain a greater understanding from within the project. This season, Dominican visual artist Firelei Báez invites us to step into a creative reinterpretation of the forest in Sueño de la Madrugada. Elsewhere, the late multidisciplinarian Mike Kelley de-contextualises common American performances – everything from school plays to Halloween dress up – in a multi-screen video work. Today, we are bringing you five incredible installation shows to see across the UK, from Chichester to London to St Andrews.
Firelei Báez: Sueño de la Madrugada | South London Gallery | Until 8 September
The Ciguapa is a mythological figure from Dominican folklore. Despite taking many forms across retellings, two of her traits remain consistent: backwards’s facing feet and lustrous, flowing hair. Artist Firelei Báez’s (b. 1981) first solo exhibition in the UK, titled Sueño de la Madrugada (A Midnight’s Dream), revolves around a new body of work dedicated to the Ciguapa. It forms part of a wider practice dedicated to themes of colonialism, ecology, folklore, gender, power and resilience. Silhouettes of the mythological subject haunt the main installation, which explores personal, lived experiences of climate change and migration in the Caribbean and USA. Throughout the exhibition, Báez highlights how folklore and myth-making are essential tools for societies to reclaim cultural narratives imposed on them by colonial powers.
Rana Begum: No. 1367 Mesh | Pallant House Gallery | Until July 2026
Mesh clusters fall from the ceiling. Each translucent form has a distinct pastel hue that, due to its translucency, blends into its surroundings and creates an ethereal water-colour mix suspended above our heads. Rana Begum’s (b. 1977) new commission for Pallant House Gallery is a monumental installation of her iconic “clouds.” The piece brings a touch of vibrant colour and organic form to the 18th century interior of the Gallery’s Queen Anne townhouse. The award-winning multi-disciplinary artist is known for blurring the boundaries between architecture, painting and sculpture. She draws inspiration from urban landscapes and traditional Islamic art, using light as a fundamental medium to create immersive visual experiences.
Studio Lemercier: Summer Art Nights | St Andrews Botanic Gardens | Until 10 August
Curator Juliette Bibasse and artist and climate activist Joanie Lemercier set up Studio Lemercier over 10 years ago. During this time they have stayed true to their motto “light as a medium, space as a canvas,” by creating a series of immersive installations that explore the intersection of art, energy, light and political ecology. Now, they are making their Scottish debut at St Andrews Botanic Gardens as part of the Summer Art Nights programme. Here, spellbinding light installations encourage audiences to reflect on their perception of reality and nature through technology. Over the course of four weekends, Studio Lemercier will present work across different mediums, including light installations, video work and plotter drawings.
Up In Smoke by John Booth and CAN | NOW Gallery | Until 22 September
Up In Smoke sees NOW gallery transformed into an installation that tells the story of Greenwich Peninsula through its iconic chimneys. The vibrant display evokes the history of the area and its transformation from a former marshland into today’s vibrant cultural hub. Designer-architect duo John Booth & CAN (Mat Barnes) are the minds behind the piece. They have opted for this bold and playful aesthetic to help audiences see familiar sights in a completely new way. Despite the fact that many are functionally redundant, chimneys are a significant part of our skylines to the point where children include them when drawing a house for the first time. Up in Smoke highlights their link to our personal and collective past.
Mike Kelley: Ghost and Spirit | Tate Modern | 3 October – 9 March
Mike Kelley (1954-2012) rose to prominence in the 1980s. Today, he is widely considered one of the most influential contemporary artists. A truly multidisciplinary creative, Kelley worked across an array of genres and styles, from paintings and photography to drawings and installations. Now, Tate Modern presents an expansive survey of his work in a solo exhibition titled, Ghost and Spirit. Spanning Kelley’s entire career, the show features his breakthrough “craft” sculptures through to his multi-media installation Day Is Done. By referencing popular and underground culture, literature and philosophy, the artist explored how the roles we play in society are entangled with historical fact and imaginary characters from the media we consume. Over a decade since his passing, Kelley’s reflections on identity and memory continue to resonate.
Image Credits:
- Firelei Báez: Sueño de la Madrugada (A Midnight’s Dream), 2024. South London Gallery. Photo: Above Ground.
- No.1214 Mesh (detail), 2022. Credit: Philip White.
- No.1214 Mesh (detail), 2022. Credit: Philip White.
- Studio Lemercier – Juliette Bibasse & Joanie Lemercier.
- Up in Smoke, Installation View. © Booth & CAN.
- Up in Smoke, Installation View. © Booth & CAN.
- Mike Kelley Day Is Done exhibition. Installation view, Gagosian, New York, 2005. Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts © Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts. All Rights Reserved/VAGA at ARS, NY and DACS, London 2024. Photo: Fredrik Nilsen.
