London Gallery Weekend welcomes the world with open arms
Now in its third edition, the capital-wide event is finding its place in the international art calendar
London Gallery Weekend’s third edition is kicking off on June 2. And now more than ever, its ambition is to make the British capital an unmissable stop for collectors and enthusiasts en route to Zurich and Basel – and doing so to restore a bridge with the continent.
This 2023 vintage is truly a coming of age for an event that was born in the middle of the pandemic on a WhatsApp group set up to share resources among London’s galleries during the COVID-19 crisis. Its first edition bustled with a unique kind of energy and euphoria, powered by collective relief as the UK finally opened up. The launch edition drew significant numbers of visitors and collectors through the doors of galleries in Central London, but, with travel restrictions still in the air and Brexit now in place, it remained a local affair.
Yet, from the start, the idea was to attract international audiences to London outside of Frieze Week in October, taking inspiration from existing gallery weekends in Berlin, Zurich, or Paris. As the directors Jeremy Epstein (Edel Assanti) and Sarah Rustin (Thaddaeus Ropac) put it, it stemmed from the belief that the gallery scene in London was ‘sufficiently dynamic to justify this second moment of global focus in the art world international calendar.’
‘We had a modest but visible number of Europeans that came last time, and we want to grow on that on a global level too,’ explains Jo Stella-Sawicka, Senior Director at Goodman Gallery and a cofounder of London Gallery Weekend. ‘Post-Brexit, it’s about finding ways to connect with our European friends.’
With 125 galleries taking part, this year’s event is the biggest of its kind. It’s also a reminder that despite the unavoidable legislative, bureaucratic, and economic setbacks brought about by Brexit; the soaring inflation caused by the war in Ukraine; and the aftermath of the pandemic; the UK art scene is still going strong.
According to The Art Basel and UBS Art Market Report 2023, in 2022 Britain regained its place as the world’s second largest art market after the US, with an 18% market share. On the ground, this newfound energy certainly shows: this year’s edition of London Gallery Weekend counts 15 new galleries, among them the young ventures Vardaxoglou and Doyle Wham alongside more established dealerships such as Grimm, which opened in the capital last year adding to spaces in Amsterdam and New York City.
The list of participants features a diverse ecology ranging from global blue-chip galleries to emerging spaces. Each day will have a geographical focus (Central, South, and East London) supported by curated routes designed by personalities from the art world and beyond. The idea is to ‘encourage people to break their habits of gallery-going and explore areas that they don’t usually go to,’ Rustin and Epstein explain.
In Soho and Mayfair, some of the more established galleries are staging ambitious group exhibitions. These include a major survey of abstract painting by artists from across Europe and the US taking over Gagosian’s two spaces, and ‘One that includes myth’ at Goodman Gallery which will bring together artists from the Global South who use manual processes and time as their material. Down south, greengrassi will be showing Moyra Davey’s film tribute to the city of New York, while the ever-cool Sundy will present new paintings and an installation by Shaan Syed. Looking east, Soft Opening will dedicate its space to Narumi Nekpenekpen, while Nicoletti is planning a group show exploring ties between ecology and colonization with works by the likes of Ali Cherri, Karrabing Film Collective, and Candice Lin. A program of performances by Nicole Bachmann, Li Hei Di, and Minh Lan Tran will be staged across the city.
London Gallery Weekend squarely aims at strengthening relationships between the institutional and commercial sectors at home and abroad. Last year, the organizers piloted a travel bursary scheme with Art Fund, enabling curators from UK institutions to attend the weekend and network. This year, the bursary has been expanded to include four curators working at institutions in Europe, in addition to 22 from Britain. ‘We’re all part of the same ecology’ says Rob Dingle, Programme Partnerships Manager at Art Fund. ‘If we support museums, museums support artists, and commercial galleries are a part of that conversation.’
Cédric Fauq, the chief curator at CAPC Museum of Contemporary Art in Bordeaux – and one of the invited EU-based curators – sees the bursary as an opportunity to strengthen his collaborations with artists and other actors in the UK. Once a Londoner, he locates the event alongside other important efforts to rebuild a bridge with Europe. ‘Being part of the jury for the Turner Prize this year was a great way to stay connected, and new initiatives are emerging,’ says Fauq, pointing to Magnetic, a Franco-British fund for artist residencies set up by Fluxus Art Projects, or the British Council’s International Collaboration Grants scheme.
Another fundamental initiative bolstering the gallery exhibitions is the VIP program. ‘People are not traveling the way they were,’ say Rustin and Epstein, adding that collectors are increasingly seeking ‘a more intimate, curated experience that only the galleries can grant you.’ It’s all about ‘opening up pathways into the art scene,’ continues Stella-Sawicka, one of the gallerists overseeing the VIP program, which offers access to artist studios and private collections that have never been open before. The directors have also been discussing potential collaborations with the organizers of other gallery weekends including in Berlin and Paris.
‘There is no question Brexit has been the biggest challenge to the art market and remains a continuing challenge,’ Stella-Sawicka admits, but the gallery community in London is hoping that London Gallery Weekend can be part of a wider effort to make audiences and art professionals feel welcome again. ‘UK gallerists have always been close to colleagues in Europe, sharing interests and research areas,’ she continues; ‘[when it comes to] the actual technical issues [caused by Brexit], we can lobby for change as a trade body, but it’s out of our hands… What we can do though is transform how people feel emotionally about the UK by reconnecting through all our shared passions.’
