1000 Words

City Guides

#1 London

Flowers Gallery
82 Kingsland Road, London, E2 8DP
+44 020 7920 7777
www.flowersgallery.com

Not exclusively a photography gallery, Flowers nonetheless exhibits work by a range of important photographers, among them, Tom Lovelace, Nadav Kander, Simon Roberts, Lorenzo Vitturi and Esther Teichmann. Founded in London’s West End by Angela Flowers in 1970, the gallery now has two spaces in London – on Cork Street in Mayfair and Kingsland Road, Shoreditch – as well as a space in New York. Its former London-based Director of Photography, Chris Littlewood, has been instrumental in masterminding Flowers’ direction, cultivating a programme of exhibitions that is challenging, bold and relevant, now overseen by Hannah Hughes and Lieve Beumer. Known for engaging with socio-cultural, political and environmental themes, Flowers stages between six and eight exhibitions per year.

Michael Hoppen Gallery
3 Jubilee Place, London, SW3 3TD
+44 020 7352 3649
www.michaelhoppengallery.com

Since 1992, Michael Hoppen Gallery has been at the forefront of photography in the UK. Nestled in the heart of Chelsea, the gallery prides itself on nurturing careers and showing new work alongside photographs by masters of the genre stretching back to the 19th century. Thanks to the efforts of founder and director Michael Hoppen, the gallery has established a strong relationship with Japan and now boasts one of the most extensive collections of post-war Japanese photography outside of Asia. Several important estates and photographers from Japan grace its roster and the gallery also runs online-only exhibitions to facilitate the sale of more affordable prints.

Seen Fifteen
Unit B1:1, Bussey Building, 133 Rye Lane, London, SE15 3SN
+44 07720 437100
www.seenfifteen.com

Located in Peckham’s Copeland Park, Seen Fifteen is rapidly establishing itself as a go-to place to see and experience contemporary photography, video and installation art in London. At three years old it may be young, but in that short time Seen Fifteen has presented an eclectic, dynamic programme featuring international artists that include Taisuke Koyama, Maya Rochat and Laura El-Tantawy. Focusing on artists who work within photography’s expanded field, gallery founder and director Vivienne Gamble also curated an exhibition at the Centre Culturel Irlandais during Paris Photo 2017, and is one of the driving forces behind Peckham 24, a festival of contemporary photography that takes place during Photo London.

The Photographers’ Gallery
6–18 Ramillies Street, London W1F 7LW
+44 020 7087 9300
www.thephotographersgallery.org.uk

Established in 1971, The Photographers’ Gallery is the UK’s longest running gallery devoted to photography. From its beginnings in Covent Garden to the current site in a converted textiles warehouse in Soho, the gallery has long championed photography’s myriad forms. After it re-opened in May 2012, the registered charity and its staff were in a stronger position to engage with the medium in diverse ways. Increased exhibition space across several floors, a print room, digital wall, bookshop and café allow experimentation and creativity to flourish. Perhaps best known for its association with the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize, the gallery also runs courses, workshops and talks.

Webber Gallery
18 Newman Street, London, W1T 1PE
+44 020 7439 0678
www.webberrepresents.com

Webber Represents is an artist agency with an enviable roster of cutting-edge talent. In November 2014, it launched its own gallery in Fitzrovia dedicated to showing work by represented artists such as Daniel Shea and Thomas Albdorf as well as affiliated artists. Led by Dominic Bell, the gallery’s aim is to explore contemporary photographic themes in an immersive and engaging manner, which it does through a carefully-curated programme of exhibitions, talks and book launches. With regular appearances at international fairs including Photo London and Unseen Amsterdam, Webber Gallery is rapidly making a name for itself in the art world.

Gemma Padley

Image: View of the exhibition Boo Moon at Flowers Gallery, 2014. Courtesy: Flowers Gallery London and New York