As galleries start to re-open, here are some of the best shows to check out this month

It’s a weird time... Yes, we’ve all been saying that for months now but as some countries begin to lift their lockdown and others re-enter, it’s hard to know what to do with yourself. We’re in a moment of transition, dipping our toes in the water of normalcy while scared to dive straight in.

To accommodate that, this month’s Diary article features IRL exhibitions and online experiences, so no matter where you are or how comfortable you feel with leaving the house, you can get a dose of creativity should you require it.

Shirley Baker. A Different Age at James Hyman Gallery, London, 22 June –24 July

Selected from the photographer’s estate, this exhibition of largely unseen photographs by Shirley Baker focuses on her celebrated street scenes captured around Manchester and Salford, exploring her depiction of older adults. The show has been curated by Nan Levy, Baker’s daughter, alongside James Hyman.

ALL1. Online and ongoing

ALL1 is a multi-sensory digital exhibition exploring Azekel’s EP, Azekel Unreleased. Featuring new music by R&B artist Azekel, ALL1 goes beyond the physical space. The installation explores sound, light, scent and texture through a digital viewing experience. Initially designed to be a physical exhibition, Azekel in collaboration with multidisciplinary designers Diana Ganea, Louisiane Trotobas, and Kumbirai Makumbe and with the aid of coder Anastasia Semenoff decided to adapt to a virtual exhibition space following the current pandemic. ALL1 is available to anyone with an internet connection.

Wook-Kyung Choi at Kukje Gallery, Seoul, 18 June – 31 July 2020

An artist known for her bold abstract paintings and works on paper, Wook-Kyung Choi’s practice signalled a timely intercultural exchange between the US and Korea. This inaugural show surveys the artist’s groundbreaking work, highlighting her black and white ink drawings produced from the 1960s through to 1975, as well as her drawings which evoke the traditions of east Asian calligraphy.

Mario Pfeifer at The Berlinische Galerie, Berlin, 1 July – 3 August 2020

Researching social-political backgrounds and combining them with cross-cultural references, Mario Pfeifer’s video installations combine documentary material and science fiction video aesthetics. His topics include various forms of racism, social inequalities and the relationship between people and nature, and long research trips enable him to grapple with different communities, cultures and places.

LaTurbo Avedon and Fortnite Creative: Your Progress Will Be Saved, online at Virtual Factory for Manchester International Festival. From 1 July

Avatar artist LaTurbo Avedon has created a new work for Virtual Factory, a series of online commissions inspired by The Factory – a new cultural space being built in Manchester, UK. Your Progress Will Be Saved takes place in a reimagining of The Factory, built on an island within Fortnite Creative. The building in the real world is designed by Rem Koolhaas’ practice OMA, and is believed to be the first major cultural building to be recreated in the game. Avedon’s work takes that space and manipulates it, using mirrors and shifting spaces, plus illuminated dance floors. Future commissions for Virtual Factory will be created by Jenn Nkiru, Robert Yang and Tai Shani.

Peter Lindbergh: Untold Stories at Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (MK&G), Germany, until 1 November 2020

This is the first-ever survey exhibition curated by Lindbergh, before his death last year. On the project, he commented: “The first time I saw my photographs on the walls of the exhibition mock-up, I was startled, but in a positive way. It was overwhelming to be thus confronted with who I am.” The exhibition displays the best of his celebrated career in fashion photography, and is therefore a rare chance to look back at fashion history that would otherwise be fleeting given their publication in monthly magazines such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Interview.

Christ and Jeanne-Claude: Paris! at Centre Pompidou, 1 July – 19 October 2020

This major exhibition dedicated to Christo and Jeanne-Claude traces the history of one of the duo’s projects. Between the years of 1975-85, they developed the idea of ​​packaging the Pont-Neuf in Paris with polyamide canvas of golden sandstone colour, which would cover the sides and the vaults of the twelve arches of the bridge, the parapets, the borders and the sidewalks (the public must be able to walk on the canvas), its forty-four lampposts, as well as the vertical walls of the median of the western point of the Île de la Cité and the Esplanade du Vert-Galant. It also examines the period in Paris between 1958 and 1964.

Katharina Grosse: It Wasn’t Us at Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, 14 June 2020 – 10 January 2021

A painting by Katharina Grosse can appear anywhere from walls to ceilings, objects, and even entire buildings and landscapes. For the exhibition, It Wasn’t Us, Grosse has transformed the Historic Hall of Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum für Gegenwart – Berlin as well as the outdoor space behind the building, into an expansive painting which radically destabilises the existing order of the museum architecture.

Bridget Riley: Studies: 1994 - 1997 at David Zwirner, London until 31 July 

Although it may feel like it opened quite a while ago now, July is your last chance to go and see Bridget Riley’s show, Studies: 1994 - 1997 at David Zwirner’s gallery in London. Open again by appointment online between 11-6 PM between Monday and Friday, Riley’s works are the perfect pieces to get lost in. 

Selecting her own works between the 80s and 90s which “reflect the connection between the writings of Paul Klee and her own abstract painting,” the show also demonstrates Riley’s move from “‘stripes’ to ‘rhomboids’,” says David Zwirner.

Anish Kapoor at Houghton Hall, Houghton Hall, Norfolk, 12 July – 1 November 2020

Originally planned to open in March but now rescheduled to 12 July, sculpture artist Anish Kapoor’s outdoor exhibition at Houghton Hall is soon to be open! Featuring 24 sculptures, as well as drawings and smaller works, it’s a retrospective show spanning his 40-year career. Taking place at Houghton Hall in Norfolk, “this series of works will challenge the classical architecture of the house and the idyllic beauty of the grounds, whilst being in continuous dialogue and engagement with Houghton’s history” describes a press release on the show. We’d be particularly keen to see Kapoor’s piece Sky Mirror in this setting, for sure!