During Frieze London 2026, Aesop transformed its Marylebone store at 116 Marylebone High Street into a temporary gallery, presenting four photographs by Indigenous Australian artist Michael Cook. Running from 14 to 25 October, the exhibition marked the launch of the brand’s first Aesop Gallery and extended its engagement with contemporary art beyond the museum setting.
The presentation coincided with Aesop’s support of Rising Voices: Contemporary Art from Asia, Australia and the Pacific, a major exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, for which the brand served as partner. On view until 10 January 2027, the exhibition brings together more than 70 works by artists from across the region, with a particular focus on perspectives and artistic practices that have received limited international exposure.
“Rising Voices has been carefully curated to celebrate the great depth and dynamism of contemporary art from the Asia Pacific region, signalling influential moments and featuring pioneering artists across its immense range of artistic contexts. Through rich material practices and diverse approaches to art-making, the exhibition will draw focus to how histories, belief systems and social conditions are expressed by artists of the region today, while revealing how cultural knowledge is carried and nurtured through communities and across generations.” Tarun Nagesh, Curatorial Manager, Asian and Pacific Art, QAGOMA said.
Cook, an artist of Bidjara heritage, is known for carefully staged photographs exploring history, identity and belonging. His work challenges established narratives and examines how representation has shaped understandings of Indigenous people and their histories. Its presentation at Aesop Marylebone established a direct connection between the brand’s neighbourhood gallery and the wider cultural programme it supported at the V&A.
Developed in collaboration with Brisbane’s Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), Rising Voices showcased work spanning diverse artistic practices and cultural contexts across Asia, Australia and the Pacific. Many of the works were presented outside their home regions for the first time, placing greater international attention on artists whose practices engage with cultural knowledge, history and contemporary social issues.
The Marylebone initiative reflected Aesop’s broader approach to art, architecture and design. Founded in Melbourne in 1987, the brand has developed a retail identity shaped by considered materials, distinctive interiors and an emphasis on the relationship with its surroundings. The temporary gallery extended this approach into a curatorial context, positioning the store as a space for cultural presentation as well as retail.
The choice of Marylebone also connected the project to the wider cultural activity taking place across London during Frieze Week, when the city’s galleries, museums and independent spaces hosted exhibitions and events alongside the art fair.
Together, the two initiatives demonstrated the different ways in which corporate sponsorship and independent cultural programming can support contemporary artists and museums.
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