As Frieze takes over Regent's Park, bringing with it throngs of curious tourists, bustling press personnel and the art world glitterati, thousands of local London joggers have been re-routed. At least, this is the thinking behind Emalin gallery's 'art work-out' sessions as part of Frieze Live – 'a way for locals to reclaim the space', explains the gallery's co-director Angelina Volk.
Bringing this heart rate-raising concept to life is Lithuanian artist Augustas Serapinas. 'Jõusaal (Gym)' – a series of four live performances taking place during Frieze Art Fair – restages a work that Serapinas initially conceived in residence at the Estonian Academy of Arts in Tallinn. He stumbled upon piles of relinquished, half-finished sculptures discarded by long-gone fine art students, transforming them into dumbbells, weights and other such examples of gym equipment with terrifying names such as Agonist and Ripper.
Lycra-clad Londoners, who prowl the park regularly, have been employed as unlikely performance artists to brave Jõusaal, using it as they would an ordinary gym, in place of their daily jogging routine, merging art with novel, tongue-in-cheek function.
These live performances complement an exhibition from Serapinas, named 'Housewarming', at Emalin's new space on Bethnal Green Road in Shoreditch – the pop-up gallery's first permanent space. Like the performances, visitors are invited to become part of the installation. 'Both installations are predicated on engaging people who might otherwise be less invested in the arts with the artwork,' Volk explains. 'At "Housewarming", which features a fully functional sauna, visitors are invited to use the space as they would a regular sauna – with towels, swimsuits, and a shower provided.'
Whether offering avant-garde exercise, or a post-work-out spa session, Emalin is taking immersive to a whole new level, and seems intent on making its audience sweat.
Ripper, 2016. The performances restage a work that Serapinas initially conceived in residence at the Estonian Academy of Arts in Tallinn
Left: Agonist, 2016. Right: Arm Blaster, 2016
INFORMATION
’Jõusaal (Gym)’ is on view until 9 October. For more information, visit the Emalin website
Photography courtesy Emalin
ADDRESS
Emalin
Unit 4
Huntingdon Estate
Bethnal Green Road
London E1 6JU
-
Rediscover a classic midcentury hotel in SydneyFender Katsalidis leads a major renovation of the landmark Sofitel Sydney Wentworth hotel, pairing 1960s modernism with an elevated, Australian-minded reset
-
Haute Couture Week A/W 2025: what to expectFive moments to look out for at Haute Couture Week A/W 2025 in Paris (starting Monday 7 July), from Glenn Martens’ debut for Maison Margiela to Demna’s Balenciaga swansong. Plus, ‘new beginnings’ from JW Anderson
-
Inside Frank Lloyd Wright’s Laurent House – a project built with accessibility at its heartThe dwelling, which you can visit in Illinois, is a classic example of Wright’s Usonian architecture, and was also built for a client with a disability long before accessibility was widely considered
-
Leila Bartell’s cloudscapes are breezily distorted, a response to an evermore digital world‘Memory Fields’ is the London-based artist’s solo exhibition at Tristan Hoare Gallery (until 25 July 2025)
-
A bespoke 40m mixed-media dragon is the centrepiece of Glastonbury’s new chill-out areaNew for 2025 is Dragon's Tail – a space to offer some calm within Glastonbury’s late-night area with artwork by Edgar Phillips at its heart
-
Emerging artist Kasia Wozniak’s traditional photography techniques make for ethereal imagesWozniak’s photographs, taken with a 19th-century Gandolfi camera, are currently on show at Incubator, London
-
Vincent Van Gogh and Anselm Kiefer are in rich and intimate dialogue at the Royal Academy of ArtsGerman artist Anselm Kiefer has paid tribute to Van Gogh throughout his career. When their work is viewed together, a rich relationship is revealed
-
Alice Adams, Louise Bourgeois, and Eva Hesse delve into art’s ‘uckiness’ at The CourtauldNew exhibition ‘Abstract Erotic’ (until 14 September 2025) sees artists experiment with the grotesque
-
Get lost in Megan Rooney’s abstract, emotional paintingsThe artist finds worlds in yellow and blue at Thaddaeus Ropac London
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekIt was a jam-packed week for the Wallpaper* staff, entailing furniture, tech and music launches and lots of good food – from afternoon tea to omakase
-
London calling! Artists celebrate the city at Saatchi YatesLondon has long been an inspiration for both superstar artists and newer talent. Saatchi Yates gathers some of the best
