‘Polyphonies’ is among ArtReview’s ‘The 8 Exhibitions to See in London in June’

10 Jun 2025

Polyphonies is reviewed in ArtReview’s ‘The 8 Exhibitions to See in London This June’.

Alexander Leissle writes, “If you know London’s art scene, you’ll know that summer only means one thing: group shows. If you must see one, then make it Polyphonies. Ames Yavuz opened its new London space in May, and its sophomore exhibition sets out to ‘challenge the intrinsic hierarchies and biases of language’. Yet, as the title suggests, this will inevitably encompass sound, frequency, concepts of recording and receiving. First Nations artist Betty Muffler’s ngangkari (or healing) paintings work against the generational trauma of an her ancestry, the Pitjantjatjara Yankunyjatjara people, whose land was the site of atomic testing by the British forces in the 1950s and 60s. Comprehension and healing can go hand in hand. Then there’s Thania Petersen’s pictorial embroideries, largescale storybooks traversing empire and postcolonial distortions. (Her 2022 installation Rampies Sny, a wall of perfumed organza satchels filled with botanical cuttings, inspired by a Cape Muslim tradition, was a highlight of Zeitz MoCAA’s Indigo Waves and Other Stories.) And there’s Ana Bidart’s Calendar (2025), a durational work which stamps an open canvas booklet with a wedge of pigment, connected by a piece of string to the gallery’s front door. Every time someone enters and exits, an inky stamp is marked with an ironic thud.”

Polyphonies is on view at Ames Yavuz London until 26 June.