“Make it real, your summer dream,” goes the mushy song by the Beach Boys and the same holds true for art galleries: this is the season dedicated to pursuing projects, insights and stakes that are labeled as “don’ts” at the height of the season. This approach is most popular in the capitals of the anglophone world—New York, Los Angeles and London—where July is the month for experimenting, taking risks, establishing reckless synergies and playing around (often while brushing up the overstocks). As if gallerists had lost their ties, changing their button-up for a t-shirt and their Church’s for a pair of Havaianas.

Like a party, it takes a well-assembled group of people to make a summer show work. It is often organized by an independent curator or an artist; it frequently includes work by artists who are not represented by the gallery, thus becoming an opportunity to scout talent, test collaborations, estimate feedbacks. To celebrate this magic formula, we have ranked this year’s best summer shows. After a long and animated debate that eliminated exhibitions of the caliber of Andrew Kreps‘s “Commercial Psycho,” curated by Will Benedict; David Kordansky‘s “Drawing a Blank,” curated by Matthew Brannon and Jan Tumlir; and Eva Presenhuber‘s “Painting Now!,”  we have decided on ten shows that we will unveil in this blog over the course of the next two weeks. And for the winner, what better reward than an ice cream cone-shaped trophy? (Alessio Ascari)