The Guardian reviews free exhibitions currently displaying in London's commercial galleries, showcasing contemporary artists exploring memory, perception and identity. Gabriel Orozco presents fragmented, disjointed objects that capture the slipperiness of memory and time; Mary Ramsden displays large abstract paintings with explosive colour that oscillate between pure abstraction and representational imagery; Martine Syms examines personal branding and identity construction through merchandise, films and installations questioning how we construct personas for public consumption. Each exhibition offers distinctive artistic approaches to understanding contemporary experience and consciousness.

The shows feature diverse media and thematic concerns. Orozco's work includes a split and reassembled Citroën, ceiling fans with toilet paper, and suspended cigarettes, creating an unsettling aesthetic that strips history of grand narratives. Ramsden's canvases employ vibrant hues—neon pinks, greens, mauves and lilacs—oscillating between abstract expressionism and suggested representations of flowers or window light, exploring the limits of perception. Syms' exhibition combines a ground-floor concept store selling merchandise with upstairs films depicting characters navigating reality and fantasy, blurring distinctions between authentic identity and performed persona. The exhibitions run until November at venues including White Cube Bermondsey, Pilar Corrias and Sadie Coles HQ.