PRESS RELEASE
JUNE 2023

London Gallery Weekend reports strong growth in footfall from public and international collector visits for third edition

The third edition of London Gallery Weekend, now established as the biggest gallery weekend event in the world, drew to a successful close on Sunday 4 June, with more than 50,000 visits to participating galleries and events over the course of the three days.

The number of international collectors in London for the weekend was beyond expectations with visitors from countries including South Korea, US, Italy, Belgium and France attracted by the gallery exhibitions as well as the wide-ranging VIP programme that included artist studio visits, private collection visits, curator-led museum tours and parties. There was also increased engagement in the public programme on a local level with the Curated Routes from notable figures including Katy Hessel and Gilbert & George - offered for the first time as guided in-person tours as well as online - and an expanded performance programme both proving a big draw.

“London Gallery Weekend was delightful for London visitors to access its great art community! From terrific gallery shows, to wonderful collector visits, to special museum treats, it totally delivered on its goals. Can’t wait for next year’s edition.” Michael Rubel and Kristin Rey, Collectors, Los Angeles

“LGW presents a great opportunity to really concentrate on each of the art districts and see as many galleries as humanly possible! At this time of year, there’s a good energy and good weather, so it’s the perfect time to enjoy the art. This year I’ve found some great additions to my collection and it’s a totally different feeling to collecting at a fair.” Yan Du, Founder, Asymmetry Art Foundation

“This year’s LGW exceeded last year’s attendance in both my gallery and Studio M every day we were open. It was exciting to see so many visitors old and new. With each year LGW goes from strength to strength.” Maureen Paley, Founder Director, Maureen Paley

“To have succeeded in drawing more visitors this year and such positive feedback on the buzz and excitement around the expanded London Gallery Weekend offering is exactly what we’d hoped for. Deepening engagement between collectors, curators and the public with our outstanding London gallery scene is what drives the initiative.” Founder & Director Jeremy Epstein, and Co-Director Sarah Rustin

Drawing collectors and curators from around the UK and internationally, as well as the art-loving public for a city-wide celebration of London’s vibrant gallery scene, the packed programme of events included performances, talks, tours and children’s activities, as well as exhibitions. Major international names and emerging talents were on display at galleries spanning the capital, including several new participants and a record number of new exhibitions opening especially for the weekend.

Curator Bursaries

The London Gallery Weekend curator bursary scheme was increased in 2023 to support visits from four international institutions, in addition to the existing partnership with Art Fund to bring 22 UK regional museums and galleries representatives to London. Designed to strengthen relationships between London’s galleries and colleagues at institutions from further afield, the new scheme saw international curators from CAPC Musée d'art contemporain de Bordeaux (France), Kunsthalle Mannheim (Germany), MAMbo - Museo d'Arte Moderna di Bologna (Italy) and Wiels (Belgium) join curators from institutions around the UK, including Aberdeen Archives, The Hepworth Wakefield, Spike Island and Brighton CCA.

“What a fantastic London Gallery Weekend. I’m so pleased Art Fund was once again able to support the curators’ bursaries through our successful partnership. It was brilliant to see the bursary programme expand for 2023 to bring curators from not only UK regional institutions, but also from across the EU, to London, boosting the development of networks and relationships with the international art community.” Jenny Waldman, Director, Art Fund

“LGW was very inspiring. You could really feel the energy and creativity as you walked around the city. Bringing so many galleries together under one event gave it a festival feel while allowing me to discover lots of galleries I otherwise wouldn’t have visited. The support and focus on clustered areas and introductions by the LGW team meant that I could plan my route and make meaningful connections with the galleries and in some cases artists. The funding and support to visit LGW via Art Fund and LGW was essential, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to go. Just as important as getting down to see and speak to the galleries was also making connections with colleagues from around the country.” Martin Craig, Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow

"London Gallery Weekend provided a very generative platform for me to connect with artists, galleries and curatorial colleagues in the UK. I’m looking forward to strengthening ties with some of the curatorial colleagues I was able to meet in person for the first time and I was very impressed in particular by the strong presentations of a younger generation of artists. LGW’s decision to focus on a particular area each day proved to be instrumental in helping me to not feel completely overwhelmed by the London geography and I was glad to follow their recommendations." Helena Kritis, Curator, Wiels Brussels

Performance Programme

The annual performance programme, developed in collaboration with public art organisation UP Projects, was expanded to offer site-specific performance artworks by three artists – Nicole Bachmann, Li Hei Di, and Minh Lan Tran – resulting in new and innovative work that captivated audiences in Central, South and East London across the three days.

“I loved seeing people – bypassers, children, neighbours – looking in from the outside and feeling part of it. Their curiosity is testament to the decision to do these performances in public spaces, which is what makes them so special. It was great to see people stay often for the whole programme and even the Q&A that followed – it clearly left them wanting to learn more.” Bengi Ünsal, Director, Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) and member of the Performance Programme Selection Committee

“UP Projects were delighted to expand on our collaboration with London Gallery Weekend this year to offer more artists the chance to present new and experimental work to public audiences who may not normally cross the threshold of a gallery to experience contemporary art. Building on our audience figures from last year, over 800 people joined us from Peckham to Piccadilly across the weekend. It was a priority for both UP Projects and London Gallery Weekend to connect directly with communities through the performance programme and our collaboration with Peckham Platform enabled us to do this with Lesley Asare’s performance being informed by a collaboration with the Southwark Refugee Association.” Moira Lascelles, Executive Director & Head of Partnerships, UP Projects

“I very much enjoyed being part of the performance programme this year. It enabled me to experiment with new work and take to the stage myself which is something that is new to my practice. Working across three different sites allowed me to engage with different audiences and each site evoked a different response and atmosphere that I really enjoyed. I would absolutely recommend being part of the programme to any artist who may be looking to find new contexts in which to show their work.” Nicole Bachmann, artist

“Being part of the performance programme gave me the opportunity to take my work outside the gallery walls and into public spaces across London. This was one of the first times I had developed a performance work and I felt very supported to explore this new way of working.” Li Hei Di, artist

“Seeing public audiences engage with my work and its associated themes of violence and grace was a powerful experience for me. The performance programme enabled me to be bold and collaborate with some amazing people including my choreographer Lena Hetzel as well as the fighters and performers who were part of the work. Travelling across three very different sites in London was also fascinating as the work took on new meaning depending on the context. Thank you to London Gallery Weekend and UP Projects for making such an exciting programme happen and for trying to reach new and different audiences to experience contemporary performance art.” Minh Lan Tran, artist

More from the participating galleries

“London Gallery Weekend was very special this year. It gave us a new perspective on how we wish to operate as a space and how to better serve the artists we work with. Last year was mainly press focused for us but this year the LGW team went out of their way to introduce us to curators and institutions also from marginalised areas within the UK. We also felt very fortunate to be at the forefront with Minh Lan Tran given a platform through the UP Projects Performance Programme” Jonny Tanna, Founder, Harlesden High Street

“There was a wonderful collaborative spirit between the participating galleries. The gallery was introduced to great new collectors and we were happy that so many people enjoyed our show.” Jona Lueddeckens, Gagosian

“London Gallery Weekend has created a special moment for artists and galleries across the city. We welcomed a cross-section of curators representing the incredible breadth and depth of museums and galleries across the UK, international collectors and many, many enthusiastic visitors.” Hannah Barry, Founder Director, Hannah Barry Gallery

“London Gallery Weekend is clearly gathering pace. Galleries opening all weekend was excellent for bringing collectors to London.” Alison Jacques, Founder Director, Alison Jacques

NOTES TO EDITORS

PRESS CONTACT
Matthew Brown | matthew@sam-talbot.com
Isabel Davies | isabel@sam-talbot.com

ABOUT LONDON GALLERY WEEKEND

London Gallery Weekend is the world’s largest event of its kind and unique among global gallery weekend events in the breadth and diversity of its participating galleries. The event takes place over three days, each focusing on a different area of London. Free for all to attend, it provides an opportunity to discover and explore London’s world-class gallery scene, celebrating the city’s diverse cultural and creative communities. An extensive programme scheduled by galleries specially for the weekend includes talks, family workshops and special events, with extended opening hours. Londongalleryweekend.art

Art Fund is the national fundraising charity for art. It provides millions of pounds every year to help museums to acquire and share works of art across the UK, further the professional development of their curators, and inspire more people to visit and enjoy their public programmes. Art Fund is independently funded, supported by Art Partners, donors, trusts and foundations and the 135,000 members who buy the National Art Pass, who enjoy free or discounted entry to over 850 museums, galleries and historic places, 50% off major exhibitions, and receive Art Quarterly magazine. Art Fund also supports museums through its annual prize, Art Fund Museum of the Year. The winner of Art Fund Museum of the Year 2022 is Horniman Museums & Gardens.

UP Projects enables artists to achieve extraordinary, ambitious and risk-taking work that communities can shape, participate and relate to. We bring art to unexpected corners of the public realm, finding creative potential in unlikely situations, and our work is always responsive to its environment. Our 20 years experience champions a bold yet sensitive approach that values time, takes care, inspires learning and enables the transformational impact of public art to flourish.

Outernet Arts is a multifaceted public arts venue embedding contemporary works onto the world’s largest wrap-around screens and the iconic architecture of London’s soho neighbourhood. The organisation aims to unite an international network of both established and under-represented artists through commissions investigating the intricate concept of ‘the media space.’ In doing so, Outernet Arts functions as a platform in which artist-led projects prompt larger conversations around our lives in a world dominated by the digital era. With screens stretching across floor-to-ceiling in entirety, covering the expansive interior across four storeys, all exhibitions are free and accessible to the public and offer a year round programme that runs every Sunday between 12:00 – 18:00.

ARTSVP provides art event organisers with the tools to send invites, take bookings and sell tickets. No longer do users have to fill out lengthy forms, give away their data to third parties or download apps just to attend events.

As the leading provider of online solutions for the art world, Artlogic's innovative approach to designing and building the London Gallery Weekend website enables art lovers across the UK to discover new galleries and exhibitions throughout the weekend. The powerful map, with its route planning tool, enables art lovers across the capital to personally curate their London Gallery Weekend experience. Working with over 4,500 galleries, artists and collectors in more than 70 countries, Artlogic is shaping the art world of tomorrow. Providing a fully-integrated platform of inventory and contact management, sales CRM, and marketing tools, plus template websites, and Online Viewing Rooms, Artlogic makes running a successful art business something everyone can achieve.

For 30 years, The Art Newspaper has been covering the world of art – and the world in which art happens. Covering all the latest developments, providing analysis of events and trends, and looking at how the international landscape of art and culture shapes – and is shaped – by politics, society, the economy, technology and the environment. Offering an international audience multi-channel access to breaking news, agenda-setting investigations and stimulating insights and opinions from around the globe, The Art Newspaper has correspondents in more than 30 countries and benefits from being part of an international network of titles with editorial offices in London, New York, Paris, Turin, Athens, Moscow and Shanghai.

Frieze 91 is a membership programme that provides unparalleled access to the communities and art shaping contemporary culture. Connect with people, artists and new ideas through a year-round global calendar of curated experiences alongside premier VIP access to Frieze fairs, an international social network and bespoke members-only content and exclusive benefits. With access to our exceptional network of leading gallery and institutional partners, you will have insight into the most exciting creative voices of today.

The Groucho Club is a private members’ club based in Dean Street in the Bohemian heart of London’s Soho. It was founded in 1985 by a group of mostly women publishers and was acquired by Artfarm in 2022. For almost 40 years it has been a spiritual home for people in arts, literature, publishing, film, music, advertising and media. With celebrated restaurants and bars, famous event and party room hire, (infamous) bedrooms and exclusive member services, The Groucho Club is the benchmark for the new generation of members clubs.

Edwardian Hotels London is one of the UK’s largest privately owned hotel groups, which has been operating and developing its hospitality portfolio, including upscale five- and four- star luxury hotels, since Jasminder Singh OBE began his career within the hospitality industry in 1977; forming the beginnings of what would become Edwardian Hotels London. Edwardian Hotels London owns and operates The Londoner Hotel, a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ prestigious Legend Collection; The May Fair Hotel and The Edwardian Manchester, A Radisson Collection Hotel, both part of premium lifestyle brand Radisson Collection; and 10 Radisson Blu Edwardian, London hotels across London.

GalleriesNow.net is the world’s number one invitation-only art guide, featuring the best and most interesting exhibitions internationally across Instagram to over 340K followers, website, seasonal city-wide print maps, VR visits and essential twice weekly emailers. Sign up for free and never miss a show with our weekly opening and closing emails, weekly exhibition selection emails, VR photography programme and the ability to save your favourite exhibitions for later. The GalleriesNow Summer London Gallery Map is out early June and produced with LGW - pick up yours free of charge at a participating gallery. To apply for gallery membership email applications@GalleriesNow.net

Lime's mission is to build a future where transportation is shared, affordable, and carbon-free. As the world's largest provider of shared electric vehicles, Lime partners with cities to deploy electric bikes and scooters to serve any trip under five miles. One of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential Companies in 2021, Lime has powered more than 250 million rides in more than 200 cities across five continents, spurring a new generation of clean alternatives to car ownership. Lime is also the largest micromobility operator in the UK, having run its shared e-bike service in London for over three years, delivering over 5 million zero-emission rides to date. It also runs a successful e-scooter service in London, alongside similar trial services in Greater Manchester and Milton Keynes.

Seb’s Art List (SAL) provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date list of art exhibitions and events in London. It has been made for those who make, buy, love and work in art. SAL was started as a side project in 2015, and formally launched in 2019, has grown to a community of over three thousand artists, collectors, art professionals and those that work in the arts media. The List is produced through an ongoing proactive research process gathered from public channels and our art world network.

Cork Street Galleries, an initiative from The Pollen Estate, lies at the centre of the highest concentration of galleries in London. Since Freddie Mayor opened the first gallery on Cork Street in 1925, the street has remained at the forefront of cutting-edge art movements. As well as becoming the unrivalled hub for Surrealism during the 1930s, Cork Street launched the careers of some of the leading forces in art from the past century. Modern artists such as Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth have exhibited on the street, while Francis Bacon’s work was seen publicly for the first time in a group exhibition in 1933. In 2018, The Pollen Estate acquired 23,000 sq ft of additional gallery space on the East side of the street. This move tripled the existing space, underlining the estate's commitment to preserving Cork Street as the epicentre of the London art scene and the spiritual home of modern and contemporary art. Cork Street is currently home to fourteen galleries, including Alon Zakaim Fine Art, Browse & Darby, Flowers Gallery, Goodman Gallery, Holtermann Fine Art, The Mayor Gallery, Messums London, Nahmad Projects, No. 9 Cork Street, Pilar Corrias, The Redfern Gallery, Sam Fogg, Stephen Friedman and Waddington Custot, and will welcome Alison Jacques in the autumn of 2023.

Lockton is the world's largest independent insurance brokerage with a specialist Fine Art team who are passionate about art and cultural heritage. We understand the importance of insurance to our clients, whether it is for an art business, a private collection or public institutions.

Founded over 20 years ago, The Fine Art Group is an independent, global team of art advisor and art finance experts, dedicated to guiding clients through every stage of the art market through five core services: advisory, agency, appraisals, art financing, and art investment. The Fine Art Group has established an exceptional advisory track record, offering expert insight and transparent advice across all advisory elements, from first acquisitions and building a collection, to collection management and maintenance. The Fine Art Group has in-house expertise spanning Western Art from 1500 to the present day, with a particular focus on Impressionism, Surrealism, Modern, Post-War and Contemporary, and Chinese works of art. Headquartered in both London and New York, The Fine Art Group’s global reach has been deepened through the acquisition of Pall Mall Art Advisors, and the recent expansion into Asia through a joint venture with Patti Wong & Associates, a new Hong Kong based art advisory firm.