(Above) Wilkinson Gallery, Vyner Street: www.wilkinsongallery.com
With more than 180 galleries in the area, London’s East End is a great place to visit for art. Here is a Culture24 pick of ten venues to get you started.
Whitechapel
77-82 Whitechapel High Street, London
It was founded in 1901 to bring art to the East London masses. Now Whitechapel brings masses of visitors to East London. Director Iwona Blaswick oversaw a 2009 expansion and today the Gallery is one of the most exciting venues in the world.
Admission free for most exhibitions. Open 11am-6pm Tuesday to Sunday (Thursday to 9pm). See website for current exhibitions.
Rivington Place
Rivington Place, London
The Shoreditch gallery is shared by Iniva and Autograph ABP who also share a commitment to diverse perspectives in contemporary art and photography. An £8m building is the first new-build public space in London since the Hayward opened in 1968.
Admission free. Open 11am-6pm Tuesday to Saturday (Thursday to 9pm/Saturday from 12noon). See website for current exhibition.
The public gallery at Whitechapel is a gateway to the area's vibrant art scene
Carl Freedman
44a Charlotte Road, London
In a small white box tucked behind a buzzer in trendy Hoxton is Carl Freedman. The Gallery represents 11 international artists and, in a capacity of writer/curator, founder Freedman once worked with Damien Hirst to establish the Brit Art phenomenon.
Admission free. Open 12pm-6pm Wednesday to Saturday. See website for current exhibition.
White Cube
48 Hoxton Square, London
Art world rosters don't come any bigger. Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and the Chapman brothers are all on the books at Jay Jopling's Hoxton gallery. White Cube's arrival in 2000 was a key factor in the boom in East End art.
Admission free for most exhibitions. Open 10am-6pm Tuesday to Saturday. See website for current exhibition.
Barbican Art Gallery
Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London
Not too far from Hoxton is another major London space. The Barbican Art Gallery mixes art with the best in international architecture, design and photography. Successful shows often leave East London bound for all four corners of the world on tour.
Admission fee varies. Open 11am-8pm daily (Tuesday/Wednesday to 6pm/Thursday to 10pm). See website for current exhibition.
White Cube in Hoxton Square: www.whitecube.com
Maureen Paley
21 Herald Street, London
Paley opened one of the first private galleries showing contemporary art to the East End. In 1984 she opened Interim Art in a terraced house, moving to current premises in 1999, and changing the name to celebrate 20 years in business in 2004.
Admission free. Open 11am-6pm Wednesday to Sunday. See website for current exhibition.
Wilkinson
50-58 Vyner Street, London
The black shell of a former factory opens up to reveal 560m² of white walled space over two floors. Wilkinson was the first purpose built gallery in the thriving E2 postcode and it now represents 31 artists.
Admission free. Open 11am-6pm Wednesday to Saturday (Sunday from 12pm). See website for current exhibitions.
Fred, London
45 Vyner Street, London
Another former factory, Fred was converted in 2005. Visitors can expect solo exhibitions by one or more of their talented pool of emerging and established international artists. Plus, you can just wander in, making this one of the more approachable Vyner Street galleries.
Admission free. Open 12pm-6pm Wednesday to Sunday. See website for current exhibition.
Transition Gallery, Regent Studios: www.transitiongallery.co.uk
Nettie Horn
25B Vyner Street, London
Nestled in the sort of dead end where you might expect to get mugged, Nettie Horn is another lucrative operation running out of Vyner Street. Although it bucks the local trend for near complete discretion with a backlit poster advertising the current show.
Admission free. Open 12pm-6pm Wednesday to Sunday. See website for current exhibition.
Transition Gallery
Unit 25A Regent Studios, 8 Andrews Road, London
Those who venture off the beaten track will be rewarded by a visit to Transition, base of artist, gallerista and publisher Cathy Lomax. Uncommercial shows feature a diverse mix of work by emerging and established artists.
Admission free. Open 12pm-6pm Friday to Sunday while shows are on. See website for current exhibition.
Finally, if you think there’s safety in numbers, here are two great ways to explore London’s East End.
On TimeOut First Thursdays, 100 galleries in the area stay open until 9pm. This draws a crowd on the first Thursday of each month, as the name suggests. See www.firstthursdays.co.uk for map and further details.
Alternatively, you could join a guided tour. Artfeelers (artfeelers.com) will escort you round the hood for two hours and let you meet gallery owners, artists and curators, all for just £10 (£5 students).
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