"IN ORDER TO COMBAT my seasonal affective disorder, I decided some autumn gallery-hopping would do me good. Not that the subjects of the shows I caught were exactly uplifting (urban decay, garbage, and car crashes), but still, my spirits were duly lifted. My first port of call was McGlynn's Free House, an old-fashioned Irish boozer situated in London's King's Cross. A review on Google described it as a "lovely pub, great atmosphere,""
"Climbing the staircase, I found myself in a warren of shabby rooms, each displaying works by Karimi in a solo show called "United fresh frozen hearts." A painting of a giant foot loomed above an old fireplace. Another painting showed stick figures that seemed to glow in the dark; hung in a bathroom with slime-green walls, its reflection was visible in a mirrored cabinet above the toilet."
Autumn gallery-hopping provided relief from seasonal affective disorder, even though the exhibitions focused on urban decay, garbage and car crashes. McGlynn's Free House, an old-fashioned Irish pub in King's Cross, closed after landlord Gerry Dolan's death in 2023. Peter Doig and Parinaz Mogadassi bought the building with plans to reopen the pub, while Tramps Gallery occupied the upper-floor staff accommodation. Dual shows featured Cologne-based painter Behrang Karimi and New York photographer Merry Alpern. Karimi's solo show inhabited a warren of shabby rooms with vividly placed paintings, including works installed in a bathroom. Bathroom installations can feel refreshing or gimmicky depending on execution.
Read at Artforum
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