David Zwirner, 24 Grafton Street, London, W1S 4EZ
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It’s hardly a surprise that there are good things to see at David Zwirner, generally considered to be one of the four biggest ‘mega-galleries’ in the world. It’s the youngest of them, being founded in 1993 – later than Pace (1960), Gagosian (1987) and Hauser & Wirth (1987). And it’s still expanding, as both a cultural platform and exhibitor, with two LA spaces opening on May 23rd, bringing the total to nine covering over 20,000 metres in total – four in New York and others in Hong Kong and Paris as well as London, which has two main floors and a 3rd floor project space.
Looking back over the decade of the programme since the opening London show of Luc Tuymans in late 2012, highlights have included major solo shows (Neo Rauch, Francis Alÿs, Rose Wylie and Ruth Asawa come to mind) and the occasional surprising group show, such as ‘Concrete Cuba’ and ‘So let us all be citizens too’, the current exploration of the work and convincingly-demonstrated influence of the little-known Bob Thompson, whose own career lasted only 1958-66. Above, from that, is a sparkling new example of Chris Ofili’s mythic mode. Not surprisingly, with 80 artists and estates represented, some haven’t cropped up much here (Arbus, Koons and Kusama, for example), though others have recurred, and Marcel Dzama has had not just two London solos but also a two person show with Raymond Pettibon.
London’s gallery scene is varied, from small artist-run spaces to major institutions and everything in between. Each week, art writer and curator Paul Carey-Kent gives a personal view of a space worth visiting.
