Merike Estna

The House of Leaking Sky

★★☆☆☆

On until 22 November 2026

Is painting better than basketball? Estna’s Estonian pavilion is one of those ‘come back in three months’ dos that have the artist working on site for the duration of the Biennale. Not a bad way to catch an afternoon’s Aperol sun. Less great, however, for the school kids who gave up their sports hall for the painter’s studio.

The glossy tile flooring and gesso-clad walls overlaid on the court do carry a promise of an immersive vista — and Estna is a capable painter. But the whole thing’s a racket, and not one useful for sport. 


notes and notices are short and curt exhibition reviews. Read more:

Justin Caguiat, Dreampop at Modern Art ★★★★☆

Justin Caguiat

Dreampop

★★★★☆

This is the sort of exhibition that makes a critic question the quality of their judgment.

Thibault Aedy, Dilara Koz at Filet ★★★☆☆

Thibault Aedy, Dilara Koz

Caressed and Polished and Drained and Washed

★★★☆☆

These ideas can’t last beyond the pop-up show’s closing date.

Genuine Fake Premium Economy at ICA ★★★☆☆

Jenna Bliss, Buck Ellison, Jasmine Gregory

Genuine Fake Premium Economy

★★★☆☆

What would it take for an artist to take control of the means of aesthetic production?

Ain Bailey: The Jamaica Project at Camden Art Centre ★☆☆☆☆

Ain Bailey

The Jamaica Project

★☆☆☆☆

Without the gallery’s lush sofas, no one would stop to hear this.

The Music is Black at V&A East ★★☆☆☆

The Music is Black: A British Story

★★☆☆☆

Can there be a “black British music” without Britain or blackness?

Veronica Ryan: Multiple Conversations at Whitechapel Gallery ★★☆☆☆

Veronica Ryan

Multiple Conversations

★★☆☆☆

The impulse at play is that repetition makes up for an idea by sheer volume. It doesn’t.

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