Three visits to Frieze London 2026, a Deutsche Bank lounge full of Studio Lenca, and why the fair only gets two stars.
Frieze Masters review 2026: a few visits to Regent's Park, from a 1520s royal portrait to Alice Neel and the new Queering Modernism strand. 4/5 Stone cold.
Armando Babaioff's mud-soaked Brazilian production of Tom at the Farm swings from intense drama to humour, with an incredible cast of four. Cool Factor 5/5.
Nine London exhibitions to see during Frieze week 2026, from Cindy Sherman at Hauser & Wirth to Robert Ryman at the Barbican. Seven are free.
Last updated: 25 October 2026
By Tristan · Arts, exhibitions and creative culture
Exhibition reviewLisson, Bell Street
Six decades of paint pushed through the back of the canvas.
This is an opinion piece. Views expressed are the author's own and do not constitute professional advice.
Cool Factor: 4/5
Ha Chong-Hyun at Lisson is the Korean painter's first show with the gallery and his first in London since 2020. The survey covers six decades of work, spread across the ground floor and basement at 27 Bell Street. It runs until 7 November 2026, and entry is free. It is one of the big shows Lisson has on during Frieze London. I give it four out of five.
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Ten BFI London Film Festival 2026 films for 14 to 18 October, the four that still had seats on 13 October, the sold-out titles, ticket prices and how the standby queue works.
Twelve new UK painters, free near the Barbican until 31 October. We gave the Freelands Painting Prize 2026 a 4/5, and our favourite wasn't the winner.
Khalif Tahir Thompson's first show with Victoria Miro brings eight paintings of Brooklyn to London. Our 3/5 review of Send in the Clowns.
October 9, 2026Comments are off for this post.
This Is Still Not a Pipe Review: Magritte at Gagosian
My This Is Still Not a Pipe review: around fifty Magrittes and 46 artists who followed him, free at Gagosian until 12 December. Cool Factor 5/5.
October 7, 2026Comments are off for this post.
British Art Fair 2026 Review
Art fairsSaatchi Gallery
A Sickert study best in show, a Hockney for £800, and naff AI art
Last updated: 28 September 2026. I checked every price and date in this British Art Fair review against the dealers' labels and the fair's own pages.
By Tristan · Arts, exhibitions and creative culture
This is an opinion piece. Views expressed are the author's own and do not constitute professional advice.
Cool Factor: 2/5
This British Art Fair review comes from the last afternoon of the 2026 fair, Sunday 27 September, when I spent a little over an hour going stand to stand at the Saatchi Gallery, just off the King's Road in Chelsea. It was the first edition since David Hockney passed away in June, and the fair built a tribute display around him.
The work I rated highest, though, was a small study of a church front in Dieppe by Walter Sickert, but we'll get to the highlights.
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