Georgian architecture, opulent arcades and gentlemen’s clubs have traditionally been the main draw in London’s St James’s, though recent years have seen an influx of contemporary art and design galleries, joining more historic institutions such as Christie’s and the ICA. Lured by its visual delights, Wallpaper* first joined forces with St James’s last October to offer the inaugural St James’s Art and Design Walk, highlighting our favourite shows in the area. One year on, we are back with the second iteration of the walk, even more comprehensive and diverse than the original. Here’s a preview of the new programme, scheduled for evening of Wednesday 17 October and daytime of Saturday 20 October.
We will convene at Christie’s, whose lobby is the first stop of a multi-venue exhibition by British sculptor Emily Young, for a welcome drink and an introduction from Wallpaper’s commissioning editor.
Following this we will proceed to St James’s Street for a group show of contemporary masters at Stern Pissarro, and a solo presentation by American painter Sue Williams at Skarstedt.
We then move over to Duke Street, visiting White Cube for the monumental paintings of Ethiopian-American artist Julie Mehretu, Sims Reed for original prints by pop art pioneer Derek Boschier, and Thomas Dane Gallery for the sculptures of Young British Artist Michael Landy.
Back on King Street, David Gill Gallery offers a double dose of art and design, with rooms dedicated to Cuban painter José Yaque and Polish-American architect Daniel Libeskind.
Passing by St James’s Square to see more Emily Young sculptures, we head to Alan Cristea Gallery to admire a print exhibition dedicated to Anni Albers, currently also the subject of a major textile show at Tate Modern.
The walk concludes at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), where you’re invited for another complimentary drink at the bar while taking in the video work of Dutch duo Metahaven.
The St James’s Art and Design Walk is free of charge and open to the public – advance registration is required. Organised in association with St James’s. Click here for our interactive map with further details.
Covering the full breadth of her artistic output from the past decade, Emily Young’s sculpture exhibition at Christie’s will include Green Lake Head, carved in 2018.
Sextant at White Cube Mason’s Yard is a substantial solo exhibition of paintings by Ethiopian-American artist Julie Mehretu. © Julie Mehretu. Courtesy of the Artist, White Cube and Marian Goodman Gallery, New York.
Stern Pissarro will offer a broad presentation of works by contemporary masters including this intricate, mixed media paper sculpture, Aggregation 12-MY019 Blue by Korean artist, Chun Kwang Young
Sims Reed Gallery is hosting modern, post-war and contemporary works including gouache work Untitled, 1962, by British pop artist Derek Boshier. Courtesy of Sims Reed Gallery
New paintings by American artist Sue Williams, such as These, will dominate Skarstedt gallery with their vibrant, cacophonous lines. © Sue Williams and 303 Gallery, New York.
Michael Landy’s show, Scaled-Down at Thomas Dane Gallery reimagines a series of the artist’s work from 2004 onwards, compacted into cubic forms to mark a new phase in his path of artistic ‘destruction’. Courtesy of Thomas Dane Gallery.
Alan Cristea Galery offers a retrospective of geometric prints by textile titan Anni Albers, including her copper plate etching Second Movement III, 1978.
David Gill Gallery’s presentation includes Kind of Blue, new large-scale paintings by Cuban artist José Yaque, in an evocative series exploring the properties of pigment.
The ICA will host Version History, an exhibition of three film pieces by experimental design studio Metahaven, including the immersive Information Skies, 2016 (pictured, installation view at Futura Prague in 2017)
INFORMATION
The walking tours will take place on Thursday 17 and Saturday 20 October, beginning at Christie’s – register for the event here
ADDRESS
Christie’s
8 King Street
London WC2E 8HN
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