Beyond Frieze’s tents and major sales, London’s independent galleries support artists throughout the year.
During the month of the fair, INTROE visited Soup in Elephant and Castle and IMT Gallery in Bethnal Green to speak with gallerist Hector Campbell and painter Anna Sebastian about their exhibitions, their work and the communities around them.
Soup Gallery
In the heart of Elephant and Castle lies Soup Gallery, a commercial gallery jointly owned and directed by art historian, writer, and curator Hector Campbell. The gallery is more than just four walls and frames, it’s a place for emerging artists and those early in their careers, curating exhibitions that feel like a journey. Whether it’s a solo show by a rising star, a group exhibition, or a debut, Soup Gallery thrives on work that feels fresh, immersive, and demanding.
Hector Campbell spoke with us about their recent exhibition, Communication Breakdown, by Greek painter Kyveli Zoi, curated by Megan Macnaughton. Titled after Led Zeppelin’s 1969 anthem of frustration, the show is a visceral exploration of how social media and mobile technology promised connection but delivered something far from it: isolation, miscommunication, and the breakdown of relationships.
Hector describes Kyveli’s style as “cinematic, merging the theatrical with the everyday.” Throughout her collection she returns to specific, consistent motifs, including fishbowls, bubbles, televisions and phones, to emphasise those feelings of confinement.
“This is a sort of anthropomorphic example of feelings of isolation and containment—a creature that’s been transplanted from its natural environment into a sort of simulacrum of that environment.”
Image Credit: Peter Otto
The exhibition isn’t just a critique, it’s an experience. Visitors are drawn upstairs by the glitchy drone of Communication Breakdown emanating from a ceramic phone, a tactile and auditory metaphor for a call waiting to be answered but likely never will be.
“We often think about that sort of transitional moment, when you can kind of hear this sound that’s almost drawing you up the stairs to that first floor,” Hector adds.
Kyveli Zoi’s debut UK solo exhibition, Communication Breakdown, hosted by Soup Gallery, is a powerful example of contemporary art that is both understood and felt. It’s also a reminder that you don’t have to look far to experience international art that resonates on a global scale.
Image Credit: Peter Otto
IMT Gallery
After hearing from the gallerist’s perspective, we crossed over to IMT Gallery in Bethnal Green to speak with Anna Sebastian about her solo exhibition, The Same Dust. The exhibition emerged from a conversation with Lindsay, director of IMT Gallery, who sparked Anna’s curiosity about her older paintings, works she collectively calls “portal paintings”.
Interestingly, the inspiration for these paintings stems from an intersection of poetry and interpretation. “The River Merchant’s Wife: A Letter,” originally written by Li Bai, was later interpreted by Ezra Pound, who constructed his own version of the story. This piqued Anna’s interest in the ideas of translation and perception, leading her to create visual worlds that feel familiar yet elusive.
“This work was a way of placing someone in a potential other world, or another planet, or maybe an island that you don’t quite know exists but can travel to in your head.”
As a drawer first, Anna’s love for colour and contrast in her work stems from the limitations of working with pencil. To create this fusion of colour and contrast in her paintings, particularly her portals, she admits she often removes layers of paint, sometimes nearly entirely. Through this process, she blurs the line, offering impressions of objects for the viewer to interpret rather than defining them explicitly.
“Finding ways of representing elemental forms—an impression of water, an impression of plant-life—without it being so distinctly described.”
The Same Dust has been extended until 15 November 2026, following confirmation from IMT Gallery. Supported by Lindsay and IMT Gallery, which has been operating for nearly 21 years in a creative hub, Anna reflects on the significance of the moment. Many of her friends have also been involved with the gallery, and she feels deeply connected to the community. You can see how much it means to both the artist and the gallery to work so closely to achieve their respective aspirations.
After Frieze, spaces like Soup and IMT continue to support artists throughout the year. Visiting these galleries offers a chance to spend time with the work and speak with the people behind it. That connection lasts beyond the fair.
Communication Breakdown at Soup ran from 17 September to 24 October 2026. The Same Dust at IMT Gallery has been extended until 15 November 2026.
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Read our wider Frieze coverage in Inside Frieze 2026: From Regent’s Park to the Gallery Floor.