LONDON.- London Gallery Weekend, the biggest gallery weekend event in the world, returns for its fourth edition from Friday 31 May to Sunday 2 June 2024 uniting the city’s network of world-class galleries for a three-day programme of exhibitions and events. With more than 130 participating galleries – ranging from established galleries to emerging spaces and featuring 16 new participants – London Gallery Weekend demonstrates the vibrancy and variety of the London gallery scene.

Bringing new public art and performances to the city’s streets, and with more than 70 free events across the duration of the weekend, London Gallery Weekend offers visitors, curators and collectors from around the UK and abroad, an exceptional opportunity to engage with art and artists in a variety of ways.

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 in the East End. Participating galleries will be open across the three days, from 11am - 6pm on Friday 31 May and Saturday 1 June, and from 12 - 5pm on Sunday 2 June.
Founder & director Jeremy Epstein and co-director Sarah Rustin: “Anticipation is building for the notable unveilings at this year's London Gallery Weekend, including works that will debut for London audiences by two artists who are central to this year's Venice Biennale, John Akomfrah and Nil Yalter, and the selection of the Government Art Collection's acquisition of an artists' work from one of the participating gallery exhibitions. Each year the curated routes attract huge public followings, so we are thrilled to have had routes this year contributed by icons spanning fashion, dance, performing arts, broadcast and of course visual art.”

Live Programme

Highlights of the 2024 Live Programme across Central London include: Michaël Borremans in conversation with writer and broadcaster Ben Luke at David Zwirner; a tour of Kiki Kogelnik: The Dance led by artist Paulina Olowska at Pace; an education workshop exploring the art and ideas of Harmony Korine and Isa Genzken at Hauser & Wirth; a walkthrough of Goodman Gallery's Atta Kwami exhibition with Turner Contemporary’s Melissa Blanchflower; artist Jeremy Hutchison performing in one of his wearable sculptures at Pi Artworks London; a talk with art historian Bronac Feran and artist Analivia Cordeiro at The Mayor Gallery; a conversation between artist Jodie Carey and De La Warr Pavilion’s Joseph Constable at Edel Assanti; an in-conversation with artist Giulia Andreani and writer Hettie Judah followed by a book signing of the artist's newly published catalogue at Galerie Max Hetzler; a tour by artist Kenturah Davis at Stephen Friedman Gallery; an in-conversation with artist Laura Lancaster and Workplace Co-Founder Miles Thurlow at Workplace | London; a tour and in-conversation with James Fuller at South Parade; and a performance by artist Eddie Ruscha and poetry reading by poet Matthew Holman at Cedric Bardawil.

In South London, highlights include: a breakfast and exhibition walkthrough with artist Isabella Benshimol Toro at ZÉRUÌ; a series of performances by artist Fani Parali at Cooke Latham Gallery; a tour by artist Tim Garwood at Sim Smith; a talk and tour by artist Amy Beager at Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery; food, drinks and afterparty to celebrate a new installation and performance piece by artist duo Theresa Weber and Nathanael Amadou at Studio/Chapple; and a party at Copperfield to celebrate 10 years of the gallery.

In East London, highlights include: a book launch and readings by selected guests curated by artist Ana Viktoria Dzinic at Nicoletti; a Sunday brunch to celebrate Marieke Bernard-Berkel and Tom Bull at Sherbet Green; a workshop for children at A.I.; a brunch with artist Nina Davies at Seventeen; a performance by artist Anna-Lena Krause at Guts Gallery; a daily ‘pastry power hour’ at Doyle Wham; and a brunch at Haricot Gallery to celebrate exhibiting artists Liliane Tomasko, Bijanka Bacic, Emma Stone Johnson, Hetty Douglas, Caroline Jackson, Lydia Hamblet, Ana Benavides and Helen Bermingham.

Cork Street Banner Commission

Cork Street Galleries is pleased to announce John Akomfrah as the artist for its Cork Street Galleries Banners Commission 2024, which will be unveiled on Cork Street for London Gallery Weekend. Akomfrah's new work, The Secret Life of Memorable Things (2024) follows on from the artist’s presentation at the Venice Biennale, Listening All Night To the Rain, commissioned by the British Council for the British Pavilion, and continues to investigate themes and motifs that explore memory and the personality (ties) of the object, in a new form.

The commission comprises five lines of double-sided banners across Cork Street, with three banners per line and a total of 30 individual artworks, with one exhibition running from north to south of the street and another exhibition south to north.
Performance Programme

The annual Performance Programme, developed in collaboration with public art organisation UP Projects, offers an unprecedented opportunity for the public to engage with free site-responsive performance artworks by leading contemporary artists. Selected by a committee including Fatoş Üstek and Sepake Angiama, and with advisory input from independent curator Rose Lejeune, the programme this year foregrounds artists Adelaide Cioni and Nil Yalter, who will both also be the subject of solo exhibitions at their respective galleries – The Approach and Ab-Anbar – timed for London Gallery Weekend.

Adelaide Cioni works at the intersection of textile, painting, and performance. The constant elements at the core of her practice are drawing, an absence of narration and a feminist approach. Touch Song is a new performance – developed especially for London Gallery Weekend – about relationships, curiosity, and the desires and fears that surround getting close to others. Delving deep into the awkwardness of being in our own body, the work centres on the physical experience of being bodies in the world. In the work, two hands engage in a silent dialogue of comings and goings; of tentative, mostly failed attempts to get closer. Deeply romantic and equally as ironic, the work is punctuated by elements of slapstick and comedy, forming a playful tribute to awkwardness. With concept, direction and costumes developed by Cioni, the performance takes place to an original score by Dom Bouffard, with choreography by Evelyn Hart and Hobie Schouppe.

Adelaide Cioni’s performance will take place on Friday 31 May 2024 at 2pm & 5pm, within Southwood Gardens at St James’s Church gardens in Piccadilly. Further information can be found on the London Gallery Weekend website here.

Widely considered a pioneering feminist video artist, Nil Yalter seeks to question the male gaze and give a platform to socially marginalised groups through her work. Born in Egypt, raised in Turkey and now based in Paris, Yalter is working with curator Övül Ö. Durmusoglu to pay tribute to the Anatolian nomadic oral tradition of Âşıklık and the worldly wisdom of aşık poetry that have inspired the artist’s work since the 1970s. In the land of troubadours (Aşıklar Diyarı), will be a new departure for the artist, as the first live performance of her career. Taking the record “Le Chant des Troubadours de Turquie: Achik Nesimi'' that Yalter produced with ethnologist collaborator, Bernard Dupaigne, in 1979 as a starting point, the gathering will commemorate the great bard, Aşık Nesimi.

Aşık Nesimi was famed for following the aşık tradition from the age of 12, and writing famous songs on revolution and justice. By collaborating with contemporary performers Ali Yıldız, Gülseven Medar, Zöhre Ülger, Dursun Can, Seda Ates, Oylum Yilmaz and Canan Batur, Yalter commemorates this great bard. Named after a song by Nesimi where he compares the attitude of 16th century bard Pir Sultan Abdal to that of 20th century bard Aşık Veysel – and in which he sings “Tyrants are not fond of the people's poets" – the new work is composed of songs, poetry, stories, research excerpts and a short talk between Nil Yalter and Övül Ö. Durmusoglu, to introduce the roots of aşık poetry.

Nil Yalter’s performance piece will take place on Sunday 2 June 2024 from 3pm, at Halkevi Turkish and Kurdish Community Centre in Dalston, E8 3DF. Further information can be found on the London Gallery Weekend website here.

Curated Routes

The Curated Routes initiative, bringing together personal guides from notable Londoners, had a big uptake last year, with thousands of visitors downloading the interactive routes to follow over the weekend. For 2024, London Gallery Weekend is pleased to present routes designed by leading figures including artists Lubaina Himid and Flora Yukhnovich, writer-curator Charlie Porter, photographers Nick Knight and Mary McCartney, artist and fashion designer Roksanda and curator Ekow Eshun amongst others.

Following the success of the Live Curated Routes – launched in 2023 and comprising in-person tours to enable the public to explore the event in an exciting way – the initiative returns in 2024. Available alongside the online Curated Routes, the in-person tours will run at specific times during the weekend, and are open to all. Visitors will be led from one gallery to the next by a dedicated team of Event Assistants employed by London Gallery Weekend via ArtFund’s Students Opportunities bursary. Further information can be found on the London Gallery Weekend website here.

Further exhibition highlights

London Gallery Weekend features more than 130 galleries putting on group and solo exhibitions with highlights including: a Gagosian off-site exhibition of Nan Goldin’s Sisters, Saints, Sibyls, in a former Welsh chapel; a group exhibition Angel with a Gun: Homage to Guy Brett at Alison Jacques; an exhibition of new paintings by N.Dash inaugurating Levy Gorvy Dayan’s new London space; Giorgio Morandi & Alexis Ralaivao at Nahmad Projects; a duo show by Plum Cloutman and Naomi Workman at Arusha Gallery; oil paintings by Araminta Blue at Gallery Rosenfeld; a group show including Luchita Hurtado and Alicia McNamara at Lamb Gallery; an exhibition by Adriano Costa drawing on the history of Emalin’s new space, The Clerk’s House; Cara Benedetto’s series of prints examining white victimhood at Rose Easton; a solo exhibition by Richard Aldrich across both of Modern Art’s spaces in London; the debut UK solo by Kolja Kärtner Sainz at Tabula Rasa; a suite of digitally-manipulated uncanny painted selfies by Christina Peschek at ANNKA KULTYS GALLERY; video and digital art by Fran Hayes at IMT Gallery; expressive and fantastical paintings by Klodin Erb at Bernheim; an exhibition of paintings concerned with feelings of unease, comfort and dependency by David Micheaud at Xxijra Hii; a proposal for a rainwater-harvesting drinking fountain by Can Altay at Arcade; a new body of work by Sophie Goodchild responding to the healing and nurturing properties of wool at Trafalgar Avenue; abstract clay sculptures by Sam Bakewell at Corvi-Mora; and transportive sculptural works by Harminder Judge at The Sunday Painter.

European Curator Bursary Fund

In 2023 London Gallery Weekend established a European Curator Bursary Fund for colleagues from international institutions. Increasing the fund for 2024, London Gallery Weekend will support travel and accommodation for five curators from European institutions to visit London for the weekend, inviting them to engage with the rich gallery and events programme during their stay. The five international curators selected for 2024 are:

● Adam Budak, Director, Kestner Gesellschaft, Hannover
● Elsy Lahner, Curator of Contemporary Art, Albertina Museum, Vienna
● Tess Praun, Director & Chief Curator, Magasin III, Stockholm
● Gražina Subelytė, Associate Curator, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, Venice
● Marianna Vecellio, Curator, Castello di Rivoli, Turin

Separate from the European Curator Bursary Fund is the Art Fund Travel Bursary, through which London Gallery Weekend supports trips for curators from UK regional museums and galleries to visit and stay in London, in partnership with Art Fund.