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FAD Magazine covers contemporary art – News, Exhibitions and Interviews reported on from London

Whitechapel Gallery’s triennial exhibition The London Open 2015 opens this week.

The London Open 2015 opens this week Whitechapel Gallery’s triennial exhibition, which is open to all artists aged 26 or over living and working in London.

Presenting a cross-section of the most dynamic work being made across the capital today the exhibition will feature painting, sculpture, moving image, photography, drawing, performances and installations.

The display includes a fully functioning fish counter in the galleries by multi- media artist and fishmonger Sam Curtis; a brick sculpture built on site by father-daughter team bricklayer Brian Watts and artist Demelza Watts; a tense video work by Nelmarie Du Preez of a robotic arm, programmed by the artist to repeatedly stab a knife between her spread fingers; and wall-paintings by Lothar Götz.

Lead image_1
The London Open (15th July – 6th September 2015) Courtesy Whitechapel Gallery

The exhibition which acts as a barometer of contemporary art includes works by 25 female artists, 22 male artists and one collective, who are originally from across the UK, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Peru, Romania, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, USA and all now live and work in London. Established artists such as Emma Hart, Mary Ramsden and Tim Stoner are shown alongside emerging artists including Tim Ellis, Eva Stenram and
Dominic Watson.

Tim Ellis, United in Different Guises CXCVII, 2014
Tim Ellis United in Different Guises CXCVII 2014 Acrylic, varnish, cotton and bulldog clips 76x45cm Image courtesy of the artist and FOLD

From a record number of 2,133 applicants, 48 artists have been selected from open submission by a panel of high profile art world figures, including artist Angela de la Cruz, collector Nicoletta Fiorucci, writer and critic Ben Luke, gallerist Jake Miller and Whitechapel Gallery curators Daniel F. Herrmann, Eisler Curator and Head of Curatorial Studies, and Poppy Bowers, Assistant Curator.

Lothar Goetz, Double-take on show at Sunken Gallery, MAC Belfast, 2013
Lothar Götz Double-take on show at Sunken Gallery, MAC Belfast, 2013 2013 Acrylic on wall Dimensions variable Photo: Jordan Hutchins Image courtesy of the artist

The artists in The London Open 2015 are: Rebecca Ackroyd, Holly Antrum, Ryuji Araki, Salvatore Arancio, Zehra Arslan, Alexander Baczynski-Jenkins, Sam Belinfante, Karl Bielik, Isha Bøhling, Jane Bustin, Jodie Carey, Ben Cove, Sam Curtis, Nelmarie Du Preez, Alexander Duncan, Tim Ellis, Adham Faramawy, Gaia Fugazza, Marco Godoy, Lothar Götz, Athene Greig, Buster Grimes, Mark Harris, Emma Hart, Dominic Hawgood, Mary Hurrel, Lucy Joyce, Dominic Kennedy, Sophie Mackfall, Damien Meade, Guy Patton, The Grantchester Pottery, Heather Power, Mary Ramsden, Sarah Roberts, Julie Roch-Cuerrier, Mitra Saboury, Lizi Sanchez, Laura Santamaria, Frances Scott, Eva Stenram, Tim Stoner, Roy Voss, Caroline Walker, Dominic Watson, Brian and Demelza Watts, Ben Woodeson and Madalina Zaharia.

Tim Stoner, Essex, 2014
Tim Stoner Essex 2014 Oil on linen 206 x 266.5 cm Image courtesy of the artist

The London Open 2015 goes on show 83 years after the Whitechapel Gallery’s first open submission exhibition in 1932. Called the East End Academy, it was ‘for all artists living or working east of the famous Aldgate Pump’. From the 1970s onwards the area around the Gallery in east London become home to many of the UK’s most important artists and the Whitechapel Open (as the East End Academy was later called) became a launch pad for artists in the early stages of their career, showing the work of artists such as Anish Kapoor, Julian Opie, Cornelia Parker, Grayson Perry, Bob & Roberta Smith, Richard Wentworth, Rachel Whiteread and Antony Gormley, often for the first time. Since 2012 the Whitechapel Gallery has expanded the reach of the exhibition to artists from all of London, recognising the Gallery’s cultural role in the city.

Sam Curtis,Launch event at Sluice Art Fair, Centre for Innovative and Radical Fishmongery 2013
Sam Curtis,Launch event at Sluice Art Fair, Centre for Innovative and Radical Fishmongery 2013

Daniel F. Herrmann, Eisler Curator and Head of Curatorial Studies, said:

‘The London Open 2015 received the greatest number of applications in the history of the Whitechapel Gallery’s open submission exhibition. The entries were of exceptionally high quality – their level of execution, creativity and critical sense are testament to London’s status as the art capital of the world and we are delighted to present some of the most interesting artists working in the city today.’

Nelmarie du Preez, to stab, 2013
Nelmarie du Preez to stab 2013 Single channel video with sound [still] Image courtesy of the artist

The London Open 2015 at the Whitechapel Gallery 15th July – 6th September 2015, Galleries 1, 8, Victor Petitgas Gallery (Gallery 9) and Gallery 2

Opening times: Tuesday – Sunday, 11am – 6pm, Thursdays, 11am – 9pm. Admission free. Whitechapel Gallery, 77 – 82 Whitechapel High Street, London E1 7QX. Nearest London Underground Station: Aldgate East, Liverpool Street, Tower Gateway DLR. T + 44 (0) 20 7522 7888 info@whitechapelgallery.org whitechapelgallery.org

Don’t Miss London Open Live as series of live events including performance, talks, tours, music and more details: www.whitechapelgallery.org/london-open/

FAD would like to thank The Whitechapel for its continued support

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