Clemence Cocquet and Mike Kilkelly - Tout est trop familier pour feindre l'onirisme

The contemplative atmosphere of the gallery is shattered twice in this show. Firstly, by the clubby hordes of the Arches bar, secondly by Clemence Cocquet's urge to play with her work. She has made a huge abacus, with rectangular cubes that can be rotated to show letters or images. Someone's spelt the word carnal when I go in to see it. Mike KilKelly has made a series of paper cutouts, showing a man smoking or a skull, the lines drawn by holes in the paper. Both share an element of play, evoking childhood toys or the first art-making methods taught to children. I wonder if anyone notices the art in The Arches bar - the staff certainly looked at me a little strangely as I sat pintless, scribbling away. But the space lends itself to exhibitions with a little pizzazz, any less and the surrounsings and pumping house would swallow them up. [Johnny GoGo]