Visitors to London’s contemporary art scene have a range of distinctive exhibitions to explore this autumn, showcasing works that interrogate memory, perception, identity, and historical anxieties.

At the White Cube Bermondsey gallery, Mexican conceptual artist Gabriel Orozco presents “Chronotopic,” an installation that challenges conventional narratives of history and time. The exhibition features fragmented and rearranged objects—such as a halved Citroën car reconstructed at a reduced scale, children’s toys, and ceiling fans spinning rolls of toilet paper—that evoke a disjointed sense of memory. Orozco’s work eschews straightforward storytelling in favor of a collage of ephemeral, often bewildering imagery, inviting viewers to confront the elusive nature of recollection. The show runs through November 8.

At Pilar Corrias gallery, Yorkshire-based painter Mary Ramsden’s exhibition “The Feeling of What Happens” showcases expansive abstract canvases dominated by vibrant colors. Her work oscillates between abstraction and figuration, with some pieces suggesting flower petals or shafts of light within an immersive field of neon pinks, purples, and blues. Ramsden’s paintings explore themes of consciousness and perception, building on her earlier practice of abstracting personal motifs such as love hearts and interior scenes. Her intense focus on color creates a visually striking experience. The show is open until November 7.

In a different vein, Martine Syms’s “Knot Eye” at Sadie Coles HQ in London examines contemporary identity and branding. The Los Angeles-based artist presents a concept store selling merchandise branded with her own name, while two films explore blurred lines between reality, fantasy, and persona. One film depicts an afterparty conversation that veers into discussions of psychedelic experiences and interdimensional travel, while the other tracks a teenager’s fixation on an early 2000s reality television star, raising questions about authenticity and performance. The works engage with themes of self-construction and social expectations, though responses to the exhibition have been mixed regarding its narrative and production quality. This exhibition also closes November 7.

Meanwhile, Colin Self’s “Unseen,” held at a central London venue, revisits the British pop artist’s work characterized by Cold War-era paranoia and dread. Diverging from typical pop art’s focus on consumerism and celebrity, Self’s art grapples with the consequences of World War II and the nuclear threat, evoking a tense atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. His imagery includes haunting motifs such as a detached grinning face juxtaposed with bombs, underscoring the persistent anxieties of his time. The show is noteworthy in reviving interest in an artist whose work reflects mid-20th century political tensions.

Together, these exhibitions offer varied explorations of memory, identity, and history through conceptual, abstract, and figurative lenses, providing visitors with engaging reflections on contemporary and past concerns. Each is available for viewing through early November.