Whether it’s because they have been working together or in competition, London’s museums and art institutions have clustered to establish the city as the art quarter of the world. With excellent and innovative exhibitions year round, there isn’t a good time to visit London or good reason to wait.
BARBICAN CENTRE
WEBSITE: WWW.BARBICAN.ORG.UK
VISIT TIME: 1 HOUR (IF YOU CAN FIND IT, FOLLOW THE YELLOW LINE)
The Barbican Centre is all things cultural: a cinema, theatre, concert hall, art gallery, restaurant, library, botanical garden (I’m sure I’m missing something) all enclosed in the most extreme brutalist experiment architecture has ever seen. Chamberlin, Powell and Bon architects are to thank for it, for me it was an acquired taste. Now, I love it. The main gallery spaces are a bit awkward but I have seen very good retrospectives here. The Curve Gallery is a great project space to discover or be disappointed, but do pop in as it is free.
CAMDEN ARTS CENTRE
WEBSITE: WW.CAMDENARTSCENTRE.ORG
VISIT TIME: 30-40 MINUTES
The CAC started its life as an arts community centre offering locals studio space, workshops and classes. Though a sense of the original mission remains, with the herculean efforts of the previous director Jenny Lomax, the CAC has placed itself as a contender on the world stage for contemporary art exhibitions. I myself have discovered here really interesting artists from across the globe. The bookshop is fantastic and will keep you busy until you realise there is a delightful coffee shop for cake and a comfortable seat to read.
FRIEZE ART FAIR
WEBSITE: FRIEZE.COM
VISIT TIME: 4-5 HOURS IF YOU DO BOTH FAIRS
Arguably the most important of all the art fairs of its kind, Frieze is essentially a trade show pulling the best galleries from the world over to Regent’s Park for a week of displays, sales, talks, and parties. It has become so popular that it is now split into two simultaneous fairs: Frieze London for the more contemporary, and Frieze Masters for the modern and historical galleries. They are 15 minutes walk from each other and usually take place at the beginning of October. You can buy a ticket for the weekend but if you are a serious buyer, you want to get in early with the VIP passes that give you first dibs. This is worth it as the galleries usually compete and will save their best works for the occasion. Wear comfortable shoes…
HANNAH BARRY GALLERY
WEBSITE: WWW.HANNAHBARRY.COM
VISIT TIME: 20 MINUTES
I remember when people started to whisper about the Hannah Barry Gallery in Peckham about 10 years ago. It was where the latest in edge and cool decided to take root having been elbowed out of East London by bankers. But where others have lost their pop-up steam, super-sharp dealer and entrepreneur Hannah Barry only gained momentum and has become a London institution. As well as running a gallery space noted for choice artists (I really want a Nick Jeffrey and Colden Drystone…), Hannah Barry transforms the top floor of a multi-storey car park every summer into a site-specific sculpture and music event Bold Tendencies and the much coveted Frank’s Cafe, which is perfect for people watching.
JAPAN HOUSE
WEBSITE: WWW.JAPANHOUSELONDON.UK
VISIT TIME: 30 MINUTES
Further proof that London really does have everything, Japan House occupies three floors of a revitalised Art Deco department store on Kensington High Street showcasing the best of Japanese production. The space is the third of the houses to open following a successful launch in São Paulo and LA, and is under the auspices of a highly distinguished advisory panel of Japanese designer Hara Kenya (think Muji), and interior designer Katayama Masamichi. What you will see there is an array of Japanese product, books, crafts, and design before descending to a library and art gallery in the basement floor with spotlight exhibitions of Japanese architects, artists and designers. There is an emphasis on craft, which is exquisite, while on the top floor you can sample some exceptionally good Japanese cuisine.
PACE GALLERY LONDON
Photography by Damian Griffiths, courtesy Pace Gallery
WEBSITE: WWW.PACEGALLERY.COM
VISIT TIME: 20 MINUTES
Occupying the west corner of Burlington Gardens, Pace shares the building with the Royal Academy of Arts. The heigh ceilings and elegant surroundings offers a great setting, especially when seeing an exhibition which is in contrast to the architecture. It often doesn’t take long to whip round the exhibitions, but the shows tend to be excellent, with artists such as TeamLab, James Turrell, Michal Rovner, and Leo Villareal on show in recent years.
PHOTOGRAPHERS GALLERY
WEBSITE: WWW.THEPHOTOGRAPHERSGALLERY.ORG.UK
VISIT TIME: 45 MINUTES
Walking down Oxford Street is insufferable but should you have foolishly found yourself there, make a sharp exit down Ramillies Street to the (just) new Photographs Gallery. The building was designed by O’Donnell + Tuomey who added two floors to the redeveloped warehouse. As the title suggests, the gallery is devoted to the exhibition of photography in all its forms and also holds the now prestigious annual Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize.
GALERIE THADDAEUS ROPAC
WEBSITE: ROPAC.NET
VISIT TIME: 30 MINUTES
The new kid on the block, but in no way new on the scene, Austrian gallerist Thaddaeus Ropac has been promoting and selling some of the best and most exciting contemporary artists from across the globe. Not content with the four spaces he already has (two in Paris, two in Salzburg, all worth visiting), he has recently renovated and moved into the Mayfair space of Ely House. It is beautiful and elegant, and the ornate listed interiors make an interesting backdrop for the art. A welcome break from the classic ‘blank cube’ gallery space.
ROYAL ACADEMY OF ARTS
WEBSITE: WWW.ROYALACADEMY.ORG.UK
VISIT TIME: 1HOUR
As of 2018, the RA will, for the first time, display its collection of British art, amassed over the 250 years of the institution’s existence. Because it is a membership organisation, all the decisions on governance, including what exhibitions to stage, are left to its members. Who are the members? The nations leading artists, printmakers, sculptors, and architects, including Anish Kapoor, Grayson Perry, Norman Foster, and David Hockney. The temporary exhibitions are incredibly good, with a smaller show in the upper floor Sackler galleries. There is also an art school in the building which is very exclusive and churns out the future of creative Britain, all under the watchful eye of our current giants.
SOUTH LONDON GALLERY
WEBSITE: WWW.SOUTHLONDONGALLERY.ORG
VISIT TIME: 30MINUTES
The South London Galleries has been “bringing art to the people of south London” since 1891. Set is an elegant Victorian building, the programme is dedicated to showing new works by British and international artists. Though not the artistic vacuum it once was, South London benefits hugely for the excellent, free exhibitions and numerous events on offer for all ages. The latest addition is the Gabriel Orozco Gardens, a collaboration between the artist Gabriel Orozco and 6a architects, accessible during the weekends, and The Habit Cafe where I recommend you book for a Sunday brunch.
SERPENTINE GALLERIES
WEBSITE: WWW.SERPENTINEGALLERIES.ORG
VISIT TIME: 30MINUTES
Conceived in the 1970s by the British Council to showcase the latest in contemporary art, the Serpentine Galleries (it was only one gallery until 2015 when the new addition was opened, designed by Zaha Hadid) are everything but a bureaucratic initiative. The two buildings nestled in Hyde Park have a whirlwind of fast-changing programmes of the new, the old, but always brilliant. It is a great place to discover new artists from around the globe in a manageable (and charming if sunny!) scale. Each summer, the Serpentine commission an architect to create a temporary pavilion; a much-awaited event in the art calendar, which is really worth visiting.
SUNDAY ART FAIR
WEBSITE: WWW.SUNDAYARTFAIR.COM
VISIT TIME: 1 HOUR
Small and edgy, the Sunday Art Fair is the antidote to the Frieze Art Fairs, all of which take place on the same weekend at the start of October in central London. Where Frieze is vast, vastly expensive, and utterly pristine, Sunday Art Fair is small and affordable, the organisers giving preference to a manageable 30 international galleries who specialise in emerging art. You will see here exhibitors from LA, Europe, Asia, as well as some from London, showing who they believe will be the next big thing. It is located a short walk from Frieze in what looks like an ex-communist concrete block, but this only benefits the atmosphere. Quick and fun (and free), you might be buying a future masterpiece for pennies.
TATE (MODERN AND BRITAIN)
WEBSITE: WWW.TATE.ORG.UK
VISIT TIME: 2HOURS PER TATE
Housing the national collection, Tate is now a network of several locations, the main two flanking the south-east and north-west banks of the Thames. Tate Modern displays the international modern and contemporary artworks and is a mammoth complex, particularly with the recent addition of the Switch House building to the already vast converted power station. Tate Britain displays works from 1500 to present day. Both have temporary exhibitions (paid, the permanent collection is free to visit) exploring contemporary themes, even when displaying more classical works. Tate might have become a victim of its own success and is often overcrowded and has a more ‘corporate’ feel to it as it has become more branded, but it is still the world leader in the display and interpretation of art attracting the best talent, artist, and curator alike.
V&A MUSEUM
WEBSITE: WWW.VAM.AC.UK
VISIT TIME: 2 HOURS
The V&A is a world-leading institution for art and design, most recently adding performance to their roster. The collection count has breached the millions of objects of art, sculpture, design, textiles and more. It was founded by Queen Victoria and has amassed various collections of the nation. Of late, they have become synonymous with large-scale spectacular exhibitions on popular subjects such as fashion designer Alexander McQueen or David Bowie. The main galleries are an excellent place to wander through on a rainy day and has rightly become the staple for those seeking a romantic venue for a first date.
WHITE CUBE
WEBSITE: WHITECUBE.COM
VISIT TIME: 1/2 AN HOUR
White Cube has already secured a place (first place probably) in the pages of history, representing some of the most recognisable and celebrated artists of our time. Owner Jay Joplin stages museum-quality exhibitions in the two spaces: Mayfair (Masons Yard) and Bermondsey. The gallery is associated with the Young British Artists and credited for the highly successful cool Britania branding of the 90s, which restored London to the art throne. It is a commercial gallery which means that unlike a museum you can buy what you see. You might need to let the mortgage clear first though…
WHITECHAPEL GALLERY
WEBSITE: WWW.WHITECHAPELGALLERY.ORG
VISIT TIME: 45 MINUTES
Everything about the Whitechapel Gallery has always been about being pioneering – being the first. It is the resounding mantra of the space that is true still today, a century after it first opened its doors. It is an exhibition space (no permanent display) with an excellent programme of top quality exhibitions, showcasing artists, sometimes lesser-known artists, from around the world. Finish up your visit with a curry on Brick Lane. You would have seen a great show. Guaranteed.
