London Gallery Weekend is just four weeks away so shouts the press release, this will be the sixth time the weekend has happened, this time it takes place from Friday 5th until Sunday 7th June an involves over 120 of London’s contemporary galleries. The mostly establishment art space will come together for the “annual celebration of art and creativity across the capital” that often can come over as an almost nauseating pile of self-congratulating hype and in reality, besides a few fancy window stickers. adds up to little more than any given week when you can go explore London’s galleries. As most of the galleries always are, the spaces are open and free for all and really the claim that “London Gallery Weekend offers a unique opportunity to experience London’s world-class gallery scene” isn’t really that accurate, fact is you can go explore London’s galleries any and every weekend and most week days, well maybe not Mondays and Tuesdays. True there might be a “curated route” or two for those who can’t work it out for themselves and whatever the “special event” that will be getting in the way of the actual art might be, but hey, as the press release says: “Discover exhibitions, performances, curated routes, live tours, and special events across the city all weekend. From emerging talents to established names, this year’s programme offers a diverse array of unmissable experiences”.
Hey look, walking around London’s art galleries is always rewarding, a walk down Cork Street always throws up something rewarding, we’ve document more than enough of it on these fractured pages over the years, there’s brilliant art waiting to be found, sure, you have to search, there’s some very average art as well and most of these London galleries seem to think the grass is greener anywhere other than in the artist studios of London, but hey, cynical smile parked for a moment, walking around London’s galleries is always worth your time, we do it most weeks of the year and if the truth be told , the more establishment end of the London art scene is proving to be a little more rewarding than those on the fringe at the moment. Go explore the weekend, but don’t fall for the hype and the aforementioned almost nauseating pile of self-congratulating hype that will no no doubt be press released afterwards, you can do this on any given week, buy me a pint at the end of it and I’ll take you on a walking tour myself….
Here come the links and like we said yesterday, this information is brought to you by your ever caring Organ, we do indeed care a lot about these things, almost as much as we care about the Garbage Pail Kids, they never lie, it is a dirty job… Links to previous weekends just down there, here’s the official website. Bet they won’t give us a ride in the official car again this year (Actually I’m busy with my own art and a London exhibition that weekend but that’s something for another preview on another day)
A bit more flavour from the press release, it does really kick off on the Thursday evening with the openings that, although they’re often called “private views” are generally open to everyone. I’d start somewhere around Cork Street at 6pm. Here the press release bit about Central London, more go explore the official London Gallery Weekend website
| CENTRAL |
| Focus Day: Friday 5 June |
| “The heart of London’s contemporary art scene kicks off the weekend on Thursday 4 with over 20 exhibition openings from 6pm. Highlights include:Perrotin’s opening of Daniel Arsham’s first solo exhibition with the gallery in London, Lisson Gallery’s collaborative installation Zanzibar by Lubaina Himid and Magda Stawarska, and a new exhibition by Anne Imhof at Sprüth Magers. Tiwani Contemporary stages Breaking Down Realities, a group exhibition exploring extraction, migration and memory through contemporary artistic practices. Elsewhere, Cristea Roberts Gallery launches Yinka Ilori’s first solo gallery exhibition in his home city, Larkin Durey presents Anina Major’s solo exhibition Tender Seedlings, and Holtermann Fine Art presents an in-conversation with Ahmed Umar around his exhibition Glowing Phalanges. Weekend highlights also include Patricia Piccinini’s artist walkthrough at Ames Yavuz, Ravelle Pillay in conversation with Dr Zoe Whitley at Goodman Gallery, and live performances at KRUPA and a studio visit with Winston Branch hosted by Cedric Bardawil“. |
Last year’s Organ coverage of the weekend…
And the year before that…
There’s a whole load more, hit the Art button for the non-stop rather thankless Organ coverage of the London art scene. I say thankless, there was one occasion when a gallery said thanks, it was in mid 2023 I think? Most of the time London Art Gallery people tend to look at you like you’re shit on their shoe, especially the new breed of gatekeepers…
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