LONDON.- London Gallery Weekend, the free public event which celebrates art galleries in the UK capital, returns stronger than ever this year, with details of over 150 participating galleries announced so far for its new edition. New galleries from across the city have signed up to take part in the initiative, joining a growing list which includes the city’s most renowned international galleries alongside emerging art spaces. Together they offer an exciting programme of exhibitions and public openings scheduled for the weekend of 13-15 May 2022.

Justine Simons, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries said: “I’m delighted and excited that London Gallery Weekend is back and bigger than ever. With more than 150 galleries taking part there is something for everyone, from contemporary painting to sculpture, from the world’s finest artists to the newest emerging talent. London is a global powerhouse when it comes to art and this weekend is a fantastic showcase of the incredible galleries we have here in the capital – and all for free!”

Following the success of its inaugural edition, London Gallery Weekend broadens its reach this year by expanding its perimeter to include a swathe of new galleries in neighbourhoods all over London. The first new participants announced for 2022 include Addis Fine Art in Fitzrovia and Annely Juda Fine Art in Mayfair; Corvi-Mora and greengrassi in Kennington; Seen Fifteen, a contemporary photography space based in Peckham, southeast London; and a number of galleries based at Cromwell Place in South Kensington.

The 2022 edition of London Gallery Weekend also sees the launch of a new partnership with Art Fund which will strengthen relationships between London’s galleries and the UK’s regional institutions, through the provision of an annual fund to support travel and accommodation costs for up to 20 regional curators from across the UK to visit London Gallery Weekend. The fund will help to facilitate the visits of representatives from those institutions who would otherwise not be able to finance the journey, and to develop new and existing connections across the broader UK art community.

National and international visitors to London Gallery Weekend this year will discover the rich and diverse range of exhibitions that the city’s galleries have to offer, with the opportunity to see contemporary painting, ground-breaking new sculpture, immersive installations, and performance work – all in a single weekend, and all totally for free. Art-lovers, collectors and curators, travelling around the city, can see new work by a dynamic group of artists who traverse generations and geographies, some of whom are presenting for the first time in the UK, together with museum-quality shows of established international names.

Jeremy Epstein, Director and Founder of London Gallery Weekend:

“For this year's LGW, London’s galleries have programmed an extraordinary range of ambitious exhibitions, providing a representative cross section of the capital’s very distinctive, dynamic gallery scene. Our mission this year is to deepen our community’s engagement with the public through an expanded list of galleries encompassing west London, alongside a stand-out programme of public events that include performances, talks, exhibition tours and children’s activities.”

Exhibition highlights include:




Central

In Central London, early highlights of the gallery programme include an exhibition of works on paper by Ukrainian avant-garde artist Kazimir Malevich and a presentation of Japanese tea bowls by Raku Kichizaemon XV at Annely Juda Fine Art, a newcomer to LGW. Another new LGW arrival, IONE & MANN, will show an intimate and poignant series of paintings by Spanish artist Bárbara Alegre, the artist’s first UK solo exhibition. Canadian artist Jeff Wall will have an exhibition at White Cube Mason’s Yard; Timothy Taylor will stage an exhibition of paintings by Alex Katz; and Thaddaeus Ropac gallery will present Rosemarie Castoro’s first UK solo exhibition. At Waddington Custot, a historical exhibition shows Hans Hartung’s remarkable abstract photography for the first time in London. A major solo exhibition of US-based artist and musician Lonnie Holley will take place at Edel Assanti, including a special live performance and coinciding with the launch of a new Artangel commission. Sadie Coles HQ Davies Street will host four Indian galleries who together will present a special collaborative exhibition of work by contemporary Indian artists, timed to coincide with the anniversary of Indian independence, while October Gallery will stage a group exhibition featuring work by El Anatsui, Rachid Koraïchi and Alexis Peskine. Hauser & Wirth will stage solo exhibitions by Larry Bell and Luchita Hurtado, while Michael Werner Gallery will present Per Kirkeby - Geological Messages: Paintings from 1963–2015, a show which focuses on the artist’s lifelong engagement with landscape, geology and the natural world. Finally, Goodman Gallery will present acclaimed Egyptian artist Ghada Amer’s first exhibition in London in over 20 years.

South

Early highlights from galleries in South London include a solo exhibition of new paintings by Baltimore-based artist Cynthia Daignault at The Sunday Painter, and a collaborative project by Brian Griffiths and Frank Kent at Sid Motion Gallery. LGW newcomer greengrassi will show a solo exhibition by Italian artist Catherine Biocca. At Cooke Latham Gallery, artist Rafał Zajko presents an inquiry into the ongoing violence and suppression of LGBTQI+ communities in Poland, first-time participating gallery Corvi-Mora will show a solo exhibition of work by young Ethiopia-born, Milan-based painter Jem Perucchini, and indigo+madder will present an exhibition of works by Shailee Mehta and Caroline Wong.

East

In East London, Maureen Paley presents new works by Jane and Louise Wilson - the artists’ first exhibition with the gallery. Soft Opening will show new sculpture by London-based artist Rhea Dillon while, at Kate MacGarry, Francis Upritchard presents a series of rubber-like Balata and bronze sculptures. DADA Gallery, a newcomer to LGW, will show a photography exhibition featuring Cameron Ugbodu, Nuits Balnéaires and Daniel Obasi; while returning galleries Union Pacific and mother's tankstation present solo exhibitions by Philip Seibel and Yuri Pattison, respectively. Songs for living (2021), a large-scale video installation and collaboration by Korakrit Arunanondchai and Alex Gvojic will be on show at Carlos/Ishikawa; and new participant Doyle Wham, the UK’s only gallery to focus on Africa's contemporary photography scene, presents the first solo exhibition outside South Africa of the artist, photographer and stylist Trevor Stuurman.

Details of all participating gallery exhibitions will be available on the London Gallery Weekend website, which has been designed and built by Artlogic. The website is the event’s key information and navigation tool, providing visitors with the ability to map their gallery visits across the city.

The exhibitions programme runs alongside an expanded public events programme that includes live performances, engaging educational talks and activity workshops for families. Further details about the performance and events programme will be announced in the coming weeks.

Each of London Gallery Weekend’s three days focuses on one area: starting with central London on Friday, followed by south London on Saturday and culminating on Sunday with galleries in the East End. All participating galleries will be open across the three days, and until 8pm on their respective focus days.

Last year’s edition recorded more than 40,000 visitors to participating galleries over the course of the weekend, which featured 90 public events and saw over 20 museum patron group visits.