London is host to hundreds of art galleries, big and small from unknown galleries dedicated to showcasing the talents of one or two local artists, to large globally renowned galleries housing the world’s most celebrated works.
When it comes to the latter, the Barbican is a definite must-visit location, especially if you’re staying in our Montcalm luxury hotel in London Finsbury Square or any of the other hotels the city of London has to offer. We wanted to showcase a handful of those galleries that aren’t as well known.
Pure Evil Gallery
The Pure Evil gallery is a fantastic place to visit if you’re looking for raw, contemporary London Street art. Curated by street artist and gallerist Charles Uzzell-Edwards, Pure Evil displays works from some of the world’s most acclaimed street artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Shannon Crees.
As well as a commercial gallery featuring visual art, Pure Evil has a podcast available which features music from the curator and collaborators that is recorded within the Pure Evil studio. The gritty works within this gallery are only a short eight minute walk from our Montcalm luxury hotel in London’s centre.
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The Red Gallery lies within the heart of Shoreditch, near some of the best boutique hotels in the city of London. The gallery offers a full 360 event space and hosts a wealth of multimedia art productions and exhibitions from live music and club events to literary readings and symposiums to film screenings year round.
The story behind the gallery, which has been running since 2010 is almost as fascinating as the art within its walls; the building was saved from dereliction after being abandoned for almost two years, and has since blossomed into a collective cultural hub in London’s East End. The Red Gallery isn’t just a public space; areas can also be hired for private film screenings, special occasions, book readings and pop up retail events.
They’re part of a thriving creative scene within the Shoreditch area, with performances happening throughout summer. They have a highly active social media presence, so to see the latest goings on follow along on their Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Arcade
A short 17 minute walk from Montcalm luxury hotel, London will take you to Arcade, a wonderful, vibrant gallery found to the west of Shoreditch. Christian Mooney leads a three person creative team which curates a number of interesting and eclectic exhibits from all over the world. Contemporary artists who work in a range of media are showcased throughout the year here, including the ground-breaking work “EMPTY YOUR LUNGS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND REPEAT THE EXERCISE”.
Since 2008 Arcade has featured award-winning artists such as Caroline Achaintre, Peggy Franck and Jeremiah Day. Check out their social media to find out what’s coming up for Arcade, and to discover more about the Bauhaus centenary in 2019, which Arcade will be commemorating.
