Chisenhale Gallery

25/02/2025

Chisenhale Gallery congratulates alumni and former trustee Lubaina Himid on being selected to represent Britain at the Venice Biennale in 2026! 🎉

Her Chisenhale solo exhibition, 'The Ballad of the Wing', took place in 1989.

"Lubaina Himid constantly redefines painting—its surface, its audience, even its rhythm and cadence. From her training in theatre design to her tireless support of fellow artists and curators, she makes contemporary art consistently witty and purposeful.

"Having paved the way for so many, she never fails to experiment formally and aesthetically with text, found objects and patterning while remaining socially relevant. Her works, simultaneously beautiful and political, also pay homage to those who have battled for recognition, reminding us that painting belongs to us all." – Zoé Whitley, Director, Chisenhale Gallery

1. Lubaina Himid. Photo by Adama Jalloh.
2. Lubaina Himid, 'The Ballad of the Wing', 1989. Installation view, Chisenhale Gallery, London, 1989. Commissioned and produced by Chisenhale Gallery, London.

13/02/2025

📣 Opening soon at Chisenhale Gallery is Claudia Pagès Rabal's new commission, ‘Five Defence Towers’.

Claudia Pagès Rabal’s practice intertwines words, bodies, music, and movement. ‘Five Defence Towers’ marks Pagès’ first institutional solo exhibition in London and the premiere of a major new moving image commission.

Continuing her exploration along the Silk Road, Pagès’ new commission locates five defence towers built throughout Catalonia’s former borderlands. During the 9th and 10th centuries European forces established the Hispanic March, a military buffer zone that delineated the border between their own territories and Al-Andalus – the Arabic name for the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula from 711–1492. These historic frontiers of legal, economic, political, and cultural power struggle are the starting point for Pagès’ new moving image work, which spans scripted dialogue, choreographed dance, light, and sound.

Join us for the Public Opening:

📅 Thursday 27 February, 6.30–8.30pm
📍 Chisenhale Gallery, 64 Chisenhale Road, London, E3 5QZ
🎟️ Free entry, all are welcome

'Five Defence Towers' is produced by Chisenhale Gallery, London and within the Call of ”la Caixa” Foundation Support for Creation’24. Production. Commissioned by Chisenhale Gallery, London and mumok, Vienna, developed in collaboration with Tractora Koop, Bilbao.

With the support of Hangar, Center for Artistic Production and Research & MACBA Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona.

Lead Supporter: The Foundation Foundation.

Headline Supporter: Maria Sukkar.

With additional support from Acción Cultural Española (AC/E) and the Chisenhale Gallery Commissions Fund.

With special thanks to our Events Drinks Sponsor: Estrella Damm.

A new associated publication will be published by Chisenhale Gallery, London and mumok, Vienna.

Chisenhale Gallery’s Schools’ Programme 2025 is made possible through the generosity of Goodman Gallery.

The 2025–26 Asymmetry Curatorial Research Fellow is hosted by Chisenhale Gallery.

05/02/2025

🌐 Now online: 38+ years of commission projects at Chisenhale Gallery!

Our extensive archive is accessible on our website, offering a deep dive into our history of bold and influential commissions.

Here are some highlights from the 20th century at Chisenhale:

Rosie Leventon's ‘Wake’, 1988, represented a momentary uncovering of the metaphorical river that flows unseen through life, examining themes of death, rebirth and the journeys from one state to another – the journey from oblivion to rebirth.

In Darrell Viner's 'Semaphore', 1990, windmill-like structures are made of fearsomely solid timber, violently swinging within an inch of the gallery floor. The work is an emblem of energy, pent up and aggressive dynamos, confined to the pool of light in the centre of the gallery, a boundary which is well respected by the audience.

Yoko Terauchi’s 'Air Castle', 1990, is a solid graphite drawing applied directly to the walls, floor and ceiling over a vast segment of the gallery, reflecting light with a grey sheen. The work suggests the intersection of floating spherical forms with the planes of the gallery space, thus altering the viewer’s perception of what lies beyond the space, and beyond perception.

Gillian Wearing’s '10–16', 1996, consists of seven short films back projected onto a screen 18 feet wide. The films show adult actors lip-synching to a soundtrack taken from interviews that Wearing recorded with children between the age of 10 and 16.

Visit the Chisenhale online archive: https://chisenhale.org.uk/archive/

Images:
Rosie Leventon, ‘Wake’, 1988. Installation view, Chisenhale Gallery, London. Commissioned and produced by Chisenhale Gallery, London.
Darrell Viner, ‘Semaphore’, 1990. Installation view, Chisenhale Gallery, London. Commissioned and produced by Chisenhale Gallery, London.
Yoko Terauchi, ‘Air Castle’, 1994. Installation view, Chisenhale Gallery, London. Commissioned and produced by Chisenhale Gallery, London.
Gillian Wearing, ‘10–16’, 1997. Installation view, Chisenhale Gallery, London. Commissioned and produced by Chisenhale Gallery, London.

03/02/2025

✨ Thank you to everyone who visited 'License to Live' by Bruno Zhu over the last eight weeks!

We are truly grateful to all those who made the effort to visit the gallery and experience the commission, or who joined one of our talks or events.

This month, we’re excited to launch Claudia Pagès Rabal's exhibition, opening on 28 February. Stay tuned for more details!

Bruno Zhu's 'License to Live' is commissioned and produced by Chisenhale Gallery, London. Licensed by CAM-Centro de Arte Moderna Gulbenkian, Lisbon.

Major Supporter: Cherry Xu.

Lead Supporter: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

With additional support from the Chisenhale Gallery Commissions Fund and Mondriaan Fund.

With special thanks to our Events Drinks Sponsor: Estrella Damm.

With the generous support of: Mondriaan Fund, Mercedes Vilardell, Frank Bowling and Rachel Scott.

Volume I of Bruno Zhu’s new reader Fiction Non Fiction is co-published by Chisenhale Gallery, London and Mousse Publishing, Milan.

With the generous support of Frank Bowling and Rachel Scott.

Chisenhale Gallery’s Schools’ Programme 2024 is made possible through the generosity of Goodman Gallery and Freelands Foundation.

The 2023–24 Asymmetry Curatorial Research Fellow is hosted by Chisenhale Gallery.

Images: Ali Hussein Mohamed

27/01/2025

🗓️ It's the final week to visit Bruno Zhu's exhibition 'License to Live' at Chisenhale Gallery!

‘License to Live’ marks Zhu’s first institutional UK solo exhibition which centres a written licence agreement as his response to the invitation to develop a new commission. Authored by Zhu, the agreement details a step-by-step guide to exhibition design that traverses colour, display, ornamentation, and orientation.

Find out more here: https://chisenhale.org.uk/project/bruno-zhu/

Image: Bruno Zhu, License to Live, 2024. Installation view, Chisenhale Gallery, London, 2024. Commissioned and produced by Chisenhale Gallery, London. Photo: Andy Keate.

24/01/2025

📖 Join Asymmetry Curatorial Research Fellow Rachel Be-Yun Wang for the launch of her digital publication on the pedagogy and practice of documentation for commission.

'Underpinning the research is an attempt to understand how we produce and enact artistic labour with historicity and posterity in mind. As inherited systems of organisation, archival documentation reveals priorities of the held record, which are sometimes at odds with the practical and often unwieldy realities of ongoing production.' – Rachel Be-Yun Wang

The first chapter of this publication will be released on the day of the event, with a few words from Chisenhale Gallery, Asymmetry Art Foundation, and a reading from Rachel. Following the reading, join us for a celebratory drink to end the season.

📅 Tuesday 11 February, 7–8pm
📍 Chisenhale Gallery, 64 Chisenhale Road, London, E3 5QZ
🎟️ Free entry, book here: https://chisenhale.org.uk/whats-on/research-20241211-1900/

Please follow the link above for more access information.

Image: Rachel Be-Yun Wang, research image, 2024. Courtesy of Chisenhale Gallery.

23/01/2025

Take a deeper dive into Bruno Zhu's 'License to Live' with a new Walkthrough Video, narrated by the artist.

‘For the visitor, the experience starts with a choice between two doors, but what if it prompts you to leave the gallery instead? Remember that the entrance is also the exit. So don’t stay here. Get out, and go live your life!’ – Bruno Zhu

‘License to Live’ is on view at Chisenhale Gallery until Sunday 2 February.

Entry is free and open to all from Wednesday to Sunday, 12–6pm.

Video by Arturo Bandinelli.

Watch a new video tour of Bruno Zhu’s show ‘License to Live’. The exhibition continues at Chisenhale Gallery until 2 February 2025. To read an…

21/01/2025

📣 There's still time to apply for the position of Director of Chisenhale Gallery.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a gifted and committed individual to shape the future of one of London’s most important contemporary art spaces at a pivotal point in its development.

The new Director will combine a compelling curatorial vision, proven managerial skills, outstanding ambassadorial and fundraising skills, and a deep commitment to developing artists’ practices and bringing their work to the widest possible audiences. The successful candidate will also have an excellent track record of building communities, both local and international, and the ambition to lead Chisenhale Gallery through a crucial juncture.

⏰ DEADLINE: Monday 27 January at 5pm (GMT).

Find out more about the role and to apply through our website:
https://chisenhale.org.uk/opportunities/

30/05/2024

Join us for our next crit on Tuesday, 4 June, with Edward Thomasson. Two artists from the audience will share new work for discussion by the group, expertly facilitated by Peer Sessions (artists Kate Pickering and Charlotte Warne-Thomas).

📆 Tuesday, 4 June
⏰7–9pm

The event is free and open to all. To find out more and reserve a ticket, follow the link below.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chisenhale-crit-with-edward-thomasson-tickets-907463165757?aff=oddtdtcreator

Image:
Edward Thomasson
Grace and Harmony, 2023, digital video with sound, 11 minutes

21/05/2024

Thank you to everyone who joined us in April to launch Migrate Journey! Look out for the installation as it travels around Tower Hamlets and neighbouring boroughs in the coming months.
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Migrate Journey is a new project and installation exploring untold migration histories to the East End. It is a collaboration between Mile End Community Project (Nurull Islam), architect Shahed Saleem, and photographer Rehan Jamil.

Alongside the launch, there was a brilliant programme of events: a zine-making workshop delivered by Khizr and the team at KYNSI, talks and discussions examining migration and politics in the East End with Dr Fatima Rajina, Kinsi Abdulleh, Dr Georgie Wemyss, and David Rosenberg, poetry readings with Samira El Bhaja, Jamal Mahmood, and Muneera Pilgrim, and a fascinating open conversation around art, migration and representation held by writer and theatre director Hassan Mahamdallie.

Recordings of the events will be available soon - for more information about the project, follow our bio link (or visit: https://www.mileendcommunityproject.org/projects #/migrate-journey/)

The installation was funded by Untold Stories, part of the Mayor of London’s Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm, and supported by Chisenhale Gallery and the University of Westminster.

The project is a collaboration between Nurull Islam , Rehan Jamil & Shahed Saleem .saleem






rajina




LDN_Culture

08/05/2024

Family Open Day 2024 🎉
Saturday 18th May
12pm–6pm
Free, all ages welcome!

Chisenhale Art Place invites you and your family to a fun-filled, art-packed day celebrating culture and community in Bow this Spring. Take part in interactive art & dance workshops and meet artists connected to our three organisations: Chisenhale Gallery, Chisenhale Studios, and Chisenhale Dance Space.

What’s on offer?

🌟 Fun taster creative dance sessions for the whole family by Olly Otley
🌟 Community picnic – free light lunch including samosas by Deshi Shad from 12–2pm.
🌟 The chance to visit 40 artists’ studios and learn about their work and take part in interactive creative activities.
🌟 A SEN quiet hour at 1pm–2pm for those who need it (Please email [email protected] to book onto this) with creative activities led by artist Sara Heywood
🌟 Guided tours of Turner Prize nominee Rory Pilgrim’s latest exhibition
🌟 An interactive textile & casting workshop by artists Cecily Loveys Jervoise and Renata Minoldo
🌟 Tours of the building and learn about what we offer all year round

📍 Chisenhale Art Place, E3 5QZ
🔗 For a full list of timings and to book your free tickets, please follow the Eventbrite link in our bio!



This event is made possible thanks to our funders: Action for Bow and Tower Hamlets Mayors Small Grants Programme.

Chisenhale Art Place invites you and your family to a fun-filled, art-packed day celebrating culture and community in Bow this Spring.

08/05/2024

Family Open Day 2024 🎉
Saturday 18th May
12pm-6pm
Free, all ages welcome!
Chisenhale Art Place invites you and your family to a fun-filled, art-packed day celebrating culture and community in Bow this Spring. Take part in interactive art & dance workshops and meet artists connected to our three organisations: Chisenhale Gallery, Chisenhale Studios and Chisenhale Dance Space.
What’s on offer?
- Fun taster creative dance sessions for the whole family by Olly Otley
- Community picnic - free light lunch including samosas by Deshi Shad from 12-2pm.
- The chance to visit 40 artists’ studios and learn about their work and take part in interactive creative activities.
- A SEN quiet hour at 1pm - 2pm for those who need it (Please email [email protected] to book onto this) with creative activities led by artist Sara Heywood .heywood
- Guided tours of Turner Prize nominee Rory Pilgrim’s latest exhibition
- An interactive textile & casting workshop by artists Cecily Loveys Jervoise and Renata Minoldo
- Tours of the building and learn about what we offer all year round
📍 Chisenhale Art Place, E3 5QZ
🔗 For a full list of timings and to book your free tickets please follow the Eventbrite link in our bio!

This event is made possible thanks to our funders: Action for Bow and Tower Hamlets Mayors Small Grants Programme.



https://www.eventbrite.com/e/family-open-day-2024-tickets-877450637477?aff=ebdssbdestsearch&keep_tld=1

03/05/2024

Family Open Day 2024 🎉
Saturday 18th May
12pm-6pm
Free, all ages welcome!

Chisenhale Art Place invites you and your family to a fun-filled, art-packed day celebrating culture and community in Bow this Spring. Take part in interactive art & dance workshops and meet artists connected to our three organisations: Chisenhale Gallery, Chisenhale Studios and Chisenhale Dance Space.

What’s on offer?

- Fun taster creative dance sessions for the whole family by Olly Otley
- Community picnic - free light lunch including samosas by Deshi Shad from 12-2pm.
- The chance to visit 40 artists’ studios and learn about their work and take part in interactive creative activities.
- A SEN quiet hour at 1pm - 2pm for those who need it (Please email [email protected] to book onto this) with creative activities led by artist Sara Heywood .heywood
- Guided tours of Turner Prize nominee Rory Pilgrim’s latest exhibition
- An interactive textile & casting workshop by artists Cecily Loveys Jervoise and Renata Minoldo
- Tours of the building and learn about what we offer all year round

📍 Chisenhale Art Place, E3 5QZ
🔗 For a full list of timings and to book your free tickets please follow the Eventbrite link in our bio!



This event is made possible thanks to our funders: Action for Bow and Tower Hamlets Mayors Small Grants Programme.

28/04/2024

Today is the last chance to see Migrate Journey at Chisenhale Gallery!

The gallery is open from 12-6pm. We have another fabulous programme today with performances from Muneera Pilgrim, Samira El Bahja and Jamal Mehmood at 1:30pm followed by and an open conversation around art and migration with the artists, facilitated by Hassan Mahamdallie at 3pm.

saleem

23/04/2024

✨ Gallery test today with & before the launch of Migrate Journey this Friday!

/////

Join us on Friday, April 26, at 5:30 for the launch of Migrate Journey, a new public sculpture celebrating untold histories of migration to Tower Hamlets. The project is a collaboration between Mile End Community Project, Shahed Saleem, and Rehan Jamil.

Alongside the launch, there is a programme of free events across the weekend with talks on migration, politics and change in the East End, vibrant spoken word, zine making and an open conversation on the role of art in responding to migration and other stories of our time.

with .rajina Kinsi Abdulleh David Rosenberg, Dr Georgie Wemyss ,

&

For the full programme and tickets, visit our link in bio.

Migrate Journey is a collaboration between .saleem &

Funded by the GLA & support from Chisenhale Gallery and the University of Westminster

20/04/2024

Join us for the launch of Migrate Journeys, a new installation and weekend of events exploring stories of migration in Tower Hamlets.

17/04/2024

Join us for the launch of Migrate Journey at Chisenhale Gallery, from 26-28 April, a collaboration between Mile End Community Project, Shahed Saleem and Rehan Jamil.

A new installation displaying untold stories of migration to Tower Hamlets will be unveiled alongside a weekend of events connecting diverse migration experiences across generations and cultures - with talks from key speakers, family-friendly workshops, food and more. For the full programme and to book free tickets, follow the link below.

Join us for the launch of Migrate Journeys, a new installation and weekend of events exploring stories of migration in Tower Hamlets.

04/01/2024

A few (free!) tickets are left for our upcoming crit with poet, artist and filmmaker Julianknxx on Tuesday, 9th January, 7-9 pm.

Open to artists, students, and the general public, Peer Sessions will facilitate the crit (artists Kate Pickering and Charlotte Warne Thomas), with Julianknxx invited as a guest contributor.⁠ Two artists from the audience will share work for discussion by the group. If you’d like to attend the event or receive feedback on recent work as part of the crit, follow the link in our bio for more information.⁠

———————-

Julianknxx is a resident artist at 180 Studios, London, and has exhibited in the UK and internationally, including in the current exhibitions A World in Common: Contemporary African Photography, Tate Modern, London (2023), and Chorus in Rememory of Flight, The Curve, Barbican Centre, London (2023). Recent group shows include Rites of Passage, Gagosian, London (2023); To Be Held, Carl Freedman Gallery, Margate (2023); Whitechapel Gallery Open, London (2022).

Peer Sessions is a London-based nomadic crit group founded in 2009 by artists Kate Pickering and Charlotte Warne Thomas. As experienced artists and educators, they use a unique approach to facilitate the generation of constructive feedback and engage with current concerns in art and society.







Photo: James Anastasi