Fotografiska London, London’s largest permanent dedicated photography gallery set across 89,000 sq ft of space in London’s Whitechapel, will open to the public in November 2018.
Showing up to seven exhibitions at any one time, all of which are accessible with one entry ticket, Fotografiska London follows the successful model of its current site in Stockholm, which since opening in 2010 has become one of the city’s top visitor attractions. The gallery will present major solo exhibitions of work by the world’s greatest photographers – past exhibitions in Stockholm include David LaChapelle, Annie Leibovitz, Bill Brandt, Helmut Newton, Sally Mann, Irving Penn and Andres Serrano – alongside work by new talent, commissioned series documenting current affairs, exhibitions drawn from Fotografiska’s growing collection and a wide range of themed group shows. As each show runs into the next, the result is a journey through a unique mix of programming, presenting different and varied insights into the ever-evolving world of photography with each visit.
The space will include two top-level restaurants, offering sustainable cuisine, a café open seven days a week and a bar. The restaurant at Fotografiska in Stockholm was recently named Restaurant of the Year at the Leading Culture Destinations Awards, with a similar level of operation set for London.
Bridging the gap between investing in cutting-edge technology and safeguarding cultural heritage, Fotografiska has introduced an app and is innovating to make all exhibitions more interactive, with a particular focus on social media and community. To bring this community together, Fotografiska will expand its membership programme from Stockholm, offering members unlimited access to Fotografiska venues world-wide and further benefits for an annual fee. The Store at Fotografiska London will stock everything from limited-edition coffee-table books to the latest photographic gadgets, while Fotografiska’s new retail concept, F Edition, enables a modern generation of art collectors access to limited editions from the world’s finest photographers.
Fotografiska London will incorporate an Academy staffed by professional photographers and educators, running a series of classes through the week for amateur photographers focussed on theory-based and practical training across subjects including creativity, human perception and design. A large-scale conference venue at the site will offer 360-degree projection in each venue, an on-site cinema and private dining, envisioned to become the go-to for the world’s top companies for product launches, conferences and charity events.
Furthermore, Fotografiska London will see an expansion of Fotografiska’s ground-breaking Fotografiska for Life initiative, which seeks to present new perspectives on important world events and people living on the margins of society. Run in collaboration with charities and media partners, these exhibitions are programmed to raise the profile of issues in the world, and materially help their subjects. A recent exhibition in Sweden, Refugee Phones, looked at the isolation of child refugees in Europe. Visitors were encouraged to donate their old mobile phones on entry, all of which were donated to child refugees so they could call home. The exhibition has since travelled to the United Nations, NYC Public Library and US Senate, raising money for UNHCR’s work with refugees globally.
Jan Broman, CEO of Fotografiska International, said:
“Photography is an art form that can evoke emotion, inspire ideas and serve as a vehicle for self-expression. In Stockholm we believe we have created the finest space to view and exhibit photography world-wide, as well as a unique venue for people to meet, and it is this combination that we think will prove innovatory for London when Fotografiska opens next year.”
