London Gallery Weekend: Saturday Guide | South London

The countdown has officially started: London Gallery Weekend is kicking off this Friday 4th of June, until Sunday, the 6th of June. We are super happy that the art world is back with exciting events and new exhibitions. This is also the first-ever edition of the London Gallery Weekend, and we’d love to see this becoming a new tradition of the London summer. 

We are doing a mini-series of tours to highlight the best exhibitions happening throughout the weekend in each geographical area of London. (Psst, if you missed the guide to the exhibitions for Friday in Central London, you can find it here!). Today we will focus on South London that will be the highlight of the London Gallery Weekend on Saturday, the 5th of June. 

As some galleries are distant from each other, this route is a mix of walking and public transport. 

1.Bosse & Baum

Unit BGC, Bussey Building,

133 Rye Lane

SE15 4ST

Starting off in Peckham, we will first look at Bosse & Baum gallery. This is quite a special time for the gallery as it's their first time showcasing a solo exhibition by the artist Jade Montserrat. It is quite a strong topic for an early morning, but why not? One of the roles that Art plays is to open up uncomfortable conversations, and Jade Montserrat's works are one of those conversation openers. Displaying only new works on paper, "In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens' is an exhibition that forces the viewer to think about Black women's bodies and African heritage. Jade Montserrat's work is often an exploration of the intersection between art and activism through painting, performance, film, sculpture, installation, print and text. Although this exhibition is more contained in mediums, it is still a promising gallery-crawl day-opener. 

Click here to book your slot. 

2.Seager Gallery

Distillery Tower

2 Mill Lane

London, SE8 4HP

As mentioned earlier, this route is somewhat more costly in terms of travel time, but trust us, it’ll be worth it! Heading to our second stop, Seager Gallery, you may wish to take a bus or cycle; otherwise, it will be a 50-minute walk. "Faith is a Cascade" by Sofia Albina Novikoff Unger is a multimedia exhibition investigating the urban environment through "digitally printed textile, video, 3-D prints, pocket-sized tech and a wearable". Inspired by the local history of Deptford, the artist brings us a hyper techy and eerie exhibition with a focus on the development of the cities across time: past and future.

Click here to book your slot. 

3.Sid Motion Gallery

24a Penarth Centre

Hatcham Road

SE15 1TR

Before moving to Sid Motion Gallery, we think this might be the perfect time to sit down and have a refreshing break and some nourishing food. Our next stop is "Bathers: An installation by Tom Lovelace", and this particular exhibition has performances scheduled throughout the day. We aim to watch the 3 pm slot where you will also meet the artist, Tom Lovelace. This exhibition is a mix of performances and photographs "which seeks to disrupt the traditions of viewing and display". The complex installation (aka performance) exhibition promises to be one of the highlights of your day, providing you space for contemplation and interaction with the art pieces. 

Email info@sidmotiongallery.co.uk to book an appointment.

4.White Cube Bermondsey 

144 – 152 Bermondsey Street 

London, SE1 3TQ

White Cube Bermondsey presents us with a nostalgic exhibition of Takis - the artist that merged physics, art and engineering throughout his career. This is the first European exhibition following the artist's death in 2019. It brings us some key works from his private collection. This is an inspiring exhibition to get acquainted with the artist's long career and understand his interests and ideas a little more. It will feature some of his most admired works, such as the “Signals” series from 1973. 

Book here your slot in advance. 

5. Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery

2 Melior Place 

London, SE1 3SZ

“Wabi-Sabi” is the title of this beautiful group exhibition at Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery. The exhibition's title is intriguing and tells us a lot about the concepts that drove the curation of it. Wabi-Sabi is synonymous with imperfect, anomaly, and flawed in ancient Japanese philosophy. This exhibition explores the beauty of the imperfect through the voice of nine different artists that “investigate process, materiality and the complexities of human perception”. Even though there is an explicit search for beauty in the flawed, there is a unique mutual sense of balance, peace and perfection throughout all artworks. Plus, if you love earthy tones and aesthetics, this one's for you! 

6. Sulger-Buel Gallery

The Loft, 51 Surrey Row

Unit 2 La Gare

London SE1 0BZ

Lastly, “Ancestry” is the perfect ending to close your route. You started the day by looking at Jade Montserrat's uncomfortable works around heritage and Black women's bodies. To complete the loop, Maliza Kiasuwa analyzes the same topic with different approaches. “Ancestry” is a celebration of the African heritage through tribal collages and sculptures. The artist wants the viewer to appreciate the “raw beauty of African wilderness and the African art of recycling, stitching and mending”. The self-taught artist reflects on the act of collecting bits and pieces from different places and bringing them together, confronting their materiality and history. 

As our route finishes near the Thames river, South Bank, this is a really vibrant area of London to get yourself a nice drink and snack and enjoy the rest of your evening. We hope you enjoyed it!

Artscapy would love to see your pictures! So, if you visit these exhibitions, make sure you share them with us using the hashtag #ArtscapyLondon on your social media.

Our last note is to not forget to book your slots for each exhibition ahead of time. We are still in Covid times, and booking is therefore a requirement for most galleries. Find the links throughout the article to book your favourite exhibitions. 

If you prefer to visit Central London on Friday instead read our article here. And stay tuned to read our last East London guide in the next few days!

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