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For over a century the Whitechapel Gallery has premiered world-class artists from modern masters such as Pablo Picasso, Jackson Po***ck, Mark Rothko and Frida Kahlo to contemporaries such as Sophie Calle, Lucian Freud, Gilbert & George and Mark Wallinger. With beautiful galleries, exhibitions, artist commissions, collection displays, historic archives, education resources, inspiring art courses, d

ining room and bookshop, the Gallery is open all year round, so there is always something free to see. The Gallery is a touchstone for contemporary art internationally, plays a central role in London’s cultural landscape and is pivotal to the continued growth of the world’s most vibrant contemporary art quarter.

11/09/2024

★★★★ – The Guardian

It’s the final week to visit Dominique White’s highly praised exhibition ‘Deadweight’ at Whitechapel Gallery, closing this Sunday.

‘Deadweight’ comprises four large-scale sculptural works which continue the artist’s interest in creating new worlds for Blackness and a fascination with the metaphoric potency and regenerative power of the sea.

Plan your visit, before it's too late.
https://www.whitechapelgallery.org/exhibitions/dominique-white-deadweight/

Video: Gordon Beswick.

10/09/2024

“On a chilly Saturday in 1993 I came [to the gallery] to see Lucian Freud's portraits of the performance artist Leigh Bowery in what was possibly his most important exhibition in this country. The grandeur of these great paintings was unforgettable in the pale Whitechapel light.” - Jonathan Jones, The Guardian.

In 1993, Whitechapel Gallery opened its doors to ‘Lucian Freud: recent works’ which was on display from 10 Septmeber - 21 November.

Lucian Freud (1922–2011), a British artist famed for his figurative paintings, is regarded as one of the 20th century's leading portraitists. Born in Berlin, he moved to Britain as a child, and his early surrealist influence shifted to realism by the 1950s. Over a six-decade career, Freud's sombre, thickly textured works often portrayed friends and family in unsettling interiors.

Whitechapel Gallery's retrospective of Freud drew both international crowds as well as local audience. You can still purchase the rare original poster from this iconic exhibition in our gallery shop via our website.
https://ow.ly/q09R50Tk2nc

Did you visit this exhibition?

Image: Courtesy of Whitechapel Gallery Archives.

07/09/2024

14 curators, 6 artists, 1 space.

Set sail and explore ‘Archipelago: Vision in Orbit,’ a new exhibition curated by students from the MA Curating Art and Public Programmes course.

Bringing together a diverse range of artists, perspectives and mediums, the exhibition takes the physiology of an archipelago – a cluster of distinct but connected islands – as a metaphor to frame and relate seemingly disparate artistic positions.

The exhibition speaks to, and of, the Gallery’s historic location in Whitechapel, East London, a place that has and continues to see the coming together of migrant communities in a time of political polarisation.

Drop anchor today and chart your weekend plans to Whitechapel Gallery.

Find out more: https://ow.ly/XBlW50ThCNT

05/09/2024

Shake off the post-summer blues and step into September with Whitechapel Gallery.

On the first Thursday of every month, Whitechapel Gallery showcases the best of the East End’s art scene with a list of curated recommendations.

1. Palm* PHOTO PRIZE 2024 at 10-14 Gallery ()
2, Simnikiwe Buhlungu, hygrosummons (iter.01) at Chisenhale Gallery (, )
3, Twenty Artist Group Show: A Place (Closing Party), at Sarabande Foundation ()
4. John Stezaker, Spell at The Approach ()

Visit our website to find the walking route.

Find out more via: https://ow.ly/l9i450TgnBB

04/09/2024

‘A powerful pick and mix of paintings, installations, sculpture, and film... exploring the work and influence of black artists across genres and geography.’ - The Observer.

we look back to Whitechapel Gallery’s groundbreaking exhibition ‘Back to Black: Art, Cinema And The Racial Imaginary’ in 2005.

‘Back to Black’ was a unique transnational and interdisciplinary exhibition centered on the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and ’70s.

This monumental exhibition featured works by forty-five artists from the US, Britain, and the Caribbean, highlighting a vast array of diasporic art and concepts. It explored themes such as music, fashion, anatomy, mysticism, and hair, fostering a rich dialogue between nations. Notable featured artists included Romare Bearden, Melvin Van Peebles, David Hammons, among others.

Did you visit this exhibition?

Image. Courtesy of Whitechapel Gallery Archive.

03/09/2024

‘White looks at the submarine world as an Afrofuturistic space for emancipation, a world of possibilities both dangerous and filled with the potential of the unexplored' - Wallpaper.

Final few weeks to visit ‘Deadweight,’ the critically acclaimed FREE exhibition by Dominique White, the ninth recipient of the Max Mara Art Prize.

Explore the captivating sculptures at Whitechapel Gallery until 15 September.

Plan your visit, https://ow.ly/Sv2T50Tenco

Video: Gordon Beswick.

02/09/2024

Back-to-school blues? We feel you.

Starting the new academic year doesn’t have to be such a bore! If you're 15-24 and passionate about art andmeeting creative people, we're on the lookout for new members to join our youth collective, Duchamp & Sons.

Duchamp & Sons is a collective of young people from across East London who collaborate on creative projects with artists. They experiment with art, share space for food and conversation, and create exhibitions, events and new artworks as a collective.

We’re particularly interested in hearing from those…
• Aged 15-19
• From East London
• From backgrounds underrepresented in the arts
• Who haven’t taken part in similar opportunities in the past

Apply by Fri 6 Sep, 10 am.
Eligible applicants will be invited to the Taster Evening on Wed 18 Sep, 5pm-7pm.

Apply now, https://www.whitechapelgallery.org/events/duchamp-sons-taster-evening-9/

Image: Anne Tetzlaff

01/09/2024

‘Guernica was the most ambitious modernist painting of the 1930s’ - art historian, Cristopher Green.

we look back to Picasso’s ‘Guernica’ visit to Whitechapel in 1938.

This painting, condemning the German bombing of the Basque town of Guernica, was originally commissioned for the Spanish Pavilion at the 1937 World Fair in Paris. A few months later, with support from the Stepney Trade Union Council, Whitechapel Gallery exhibited the painting to help increase awareness about the ongoing conflict in Spain.

Picasso used cubism and surrealism to draw global attention to the Spanish Civil War, which saw the Republican government fighting against Nationalist rebels supported by fascist Italy and N**i Germany.

Pictured here is Clement Attlee, who led the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955 and served as Britain's Prime Minister from 1945 to 1951.

Do you have a favourite Picasso painting?

Image: Courtesy of Whitechapel Gallery Archives.

31/08/2024

‘Fierce and subtle’ – The Observer.

Tomorrow is your last chance to see Gavin Jantjes’ unmissable and timely retrospective ‘To Be Free!’.

This exhibition offers a unique opportunity for audiences to explore the full breadth of Jantjes’ career and his influential role in furthering the discourses around and representation of Africa and its diasporas.

Visit now before it's too late!

Book today, https://ow.ly/oSt150TaSji

Image. Dan Weill.

30/08/2024

‘She approaches Lorde as one would a mentor, mother, sister, auntie, lover – with curiosity and mutual respect.’ - The Guardian.

Join us on Thursday 5th September at 6:30pm for an unmissable talk with celebrated poet, scholar, and activist Alexis Pauline Gumbs. She will explore her latest book, Survival Is a Promise, which sheds light on the extraordinary life of the renowned 'Black feminist le***an warrior poet' Audre Lorde.

Alexis Pauline Gumbs is a Q***r Black Troublemaker, a Black Feminist Love Evangelist, and aspires to be a supportive presence to all living beings. Her mission is to foster the practice of infinite, unstoppable ancestral love.

Gumbs will be in conversation with writer and editor Vanessa Peterson.

Book now, https://ow.ly/mEhT50TavZU

Image: Courtesy of Artist

29/08/2024

‘His latest works are vast and serene [...] emitting an uplifting light.’ - The Observer

In 2017 Jantjes returned to painting, having largely paused his artistic practice while working as a curator in museums in the UK, Germany and Norway since the 1990s. Jantjes’ recent paintings are completely non-figurative but are part of an ongoing search for artistic freedom.

The final room of the exhibition at Whitechapel Gallery contains Jantjes’ latest paintings from his Kirstenbosch (2023–ongoing) series, named after the national botanic garden in Cape Town. Jantjes explains that, in his recent works, he intends to engage viewers in ‘a shared meditation’ rooted in the act of looking.

Last Chance! Book your visit, https://ow.ly/H5av50T9Ag9

1. Untitled I From The Witney Series, 2021
2. Untitled II From The Witney Series, 2021
3. Untitled From The Kirstenbosch Series, 2023

Image: Damian Griffiths.

28/08/2024

we wish Sir Michael Craig-Martin a very happy birthday!

Michael Craig-Martin (b. 1941) is a pivotal figure in British art and has played a significant role as both an artist and educator. He is especially recognised for his connection to the Young British Artists (YBAs), many of whom were his students, and for his distinctive line drawings of everyday objects. Throughout his career, Craig-Martin has honed a distinctive style - defined by his use of color, line, and form - which remains central to his artistic practice.

Pictured here is an installation view from a retrospective of his work presented at the Whitechapel Art Gallery, London, in 1989.

Do you have a favourite Michael Craig Martin work?

Image: Courtesy of Whitechapel Gallery Archive.

26/08/2024

It’s the final week to visit Gavin Jantjes' critically acclaimed ‘To Be Free!’ at Whitechapel Gallery, closing Sun 1 Sep.

★★★★ – The Guardian
★★★★ – The Arts Desk

Bringing together more than five decades of the artist’s diverse and distinctive practice, this retrospective is not one to miss.

Join us tomorrow, 10am - 12pm, for our ‘Summer Season Relaxed Hours’, offering a quieter time to visit our exhibitions. Find out more online.

Book your visit, before it's too late: https://ow.ly/tTCe50T50OM

Image: Gavin Janjtes in a studio at the West Indian Association Club in Coventry, 1986. Courtesy of Artist.

25/08/2024

, we reflect on the opening of Yoko Ono's installation ‘Mend Piece’ at Whitechapel Gallery in 2022.

Ono’s installation invited visitors to create new objects from broken ceramics, string, sellotape, and glue. Through this participatory process, the installation explored themes of peace, collaboration, and the transformative power of art. This approach is part of what art historian Midori Yoshimoto describes as Ono’s series of “do-it-yourself art-making kits,” continuing her tradition of engaging audiences directly in the creative process.

Head over to our podcast ‘Hear, Now’ and listen to Episode 11 to delve deeper into Ono’s broader practice and themes of mindfulness, collective making, and activism.
https://www.whitechapelgallery.org/

Image: Theo Christelis

24/08/2024

Happy August bank holiday!

This long weekend, embark on a cultural getaway at Whitechapel Gallery. Discover the work of South African artist Gavin Jantjes in his largest UK retrospective, explore the mysterious sea-soaked sculptures of Dominique White, and take a stand with Peter Kennard's Archive of Dissent, showcasing 50 years of political protest.

We look forward to welcoming you to London’s East End, open as usual over Saturday and Sunday, but closed on Monday.

Plan your visit today: https://ow.ly/SszY50T4Scx

Image. Dan Weill.

23/08/2024

‘Delicate yet mordant: that is Jantjes’s way’ - The Guardian.

Pictured here are Gavin Jantjes’ earliest and still most acclaimed series of screenprints in ‘A South African Colouring Book’ (1975).

The series offers a sharp commentary on the complex and brutal history of apartheid. Alluding to both art and early learning, the title cleverly invokes images of children’s art education while simultaneously revealing the stark realities of apartheid.

In April 1978, the work was banned under the South African Publication Act. At a time when few South African artists dared to directly confront the apartheid regime, Jantjes challenged the status quo by promoting awareness of apartheid's devastating impact. This work can now be viewed at Whitechapel Gallery.

Book your visit today: https://ow.ly/CxJ750T4Q9q

Credit: Gavin Jantjes, Detail fromA South African Colouring Book, 1974–75, Folder containing 11 screen prints and collage, 60 x 40 cm each, Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre,LondonImage courtesy the artist © Gavin Jantjes,licensed by DACS.

Installation Images: Damian Griffiths.

21/08/2024

Calling all performers!

This autumn, Whitechapel Gallery presents 'The I and the You,' the first major UK public gallery survey of pioneering Brazilian artist Lygia Clark.

We are seeking dynamic performers to bring to life two of Lygia Clark’s 1970s participatory works: Corpo Coletivo (1970) and Elastic Net (1974). These interactive pieces explore themes of collective identity and interdependence through unique physical interactions and movement.

Apply today: https://ow.ly/nomQ50T2Rkx

Deadline: 2nd September 2024.

Image: Lygia Clark Corpo Coletivo (collective body) 1974, Paço Imperial, Rio de Janeiro, 1986. Photo Sergio Zalis Courtesy Associacão Cultural O Mundo de Lygia Clark.

20/08/2024

‘I had a need to cry rage, yet simultaneously I wanted a voice that could sing a visual song for and of Black people’ - Gavin Jantjes, 1976.

Jantjes studied graphic design and fine art in South Africa before moving to Germany in 1970, where he continued his studies in Hamburg and was granted political asylum in 1973.

His screen prints of the 1970s and 1980s articulate the far-reaching repercussions of racist oppression. The series A South African Colouring Book (1975) provides a sharp critique of the historical narrative of apartheid, while City Late (1977), No More (1977) and Freedom Hunters (1977), bear witness to the violence of the Soweto Uprisings of 1976.

Jantjes’ prints incorporate journalistic photographs, drawings, news cuttings and found texts by anti-colonial intellectuals such as Frantz Fanon, Amílcar Cabral and Paulo Freire.

Book your visit today, https://ow.ly/5TxH50T1UcE

1. Gavin Jantjes, The First Real AmeriKan Target, 1974
2. Gavin Jantjes, City Late, 1976
3. Gavin Jantjes, No More, 1977
4. Gavin Jantjes, Freedom Hunters, 1977

Images. Damian Griffiths.

18/08/2024

'Deadweight,' an exhibition at Whitechapel Gallery by Dominique White, the ninth recipient of the Max Mara Art Prize, is submerged in waves of critical praise.

Dive into the reviews and explore the exhibition today.

Find out more: https://ow.ly/CQck50SZsJN

Image Credit: the swelling enemy, 2024, Dominique White: Deadweight, Max Mara Art Prize for Women (2022-24), Whitechapel Gallery, London ©️ Above Ground Studio (Matt Greenwood)

17/08/2024

‘I would want to make an exhibition to urge the audience to re-think humanity’ - Gavin Jantjes.

Pictured here is artist, Gavin Jantjes at the Museum of Mankind, part of the British Museum in 1974.

Jantjes visited London in 1974, spending time inmuseums and galleries including The Museum of Mankind, an off shoot of the British Museum, which contained displays about the art and visual cultureof the African continent.

Book your visit today: https://ow.ly/IpPl50SZmML

Image: Courtesy of Gavin Janjtes.

14/08/2024

‘They’re collaged aesthetic manifestos, calls to action, visual poems that still resonate today.’ - Time Out.

Tomorrow, join us at 6:30 pm for a BSL-led tour of Gavin Jantes’ exhibition, ‘To Be Free!’—his largest solo presentation in the UK to date, bringing together more than five decades of the artist’s diverse and distinctive practice.

To book a free place, please email [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 7522 7888.

Please note that this tour is for blind and partially sighted visitors. Sighted companions and guide dogs are welcome

Book Now: https://www.whitechapelgallery.org/events/gavin-jantjes-bsl-led-tour/

Image: Dan Weil

$‘The archipelago is diffracted, fractal, necessary in its totality, fragile or contingent in its unity, passing through ...$

13/08/2024

‘The archipelago is diffracted, fractal, necessary in its totality, fragile or contingent in its unity, passing through and remaining, it is a state of the world.’ — Édouard Glissant

Announcing the exhibition Archipelago: Visions in Orbit, the MA Curating Art and Public Programmes 2023/24 cohort’s final project.

14 curators, 6 artists, 1 space. Navigating a metaphorical Archipelago represented by a series of multidisciplinary works that explore place, belonging and identity.

Delving into a world of contemporary myth-making and artistic visioning - this exhibition invites audiences on a voyage through the works of Güler Ates, Jade De Montserrat, Jakob Rowlinson, Esther Teichmann, Cameron Ugbodu and Daniela Valz Gen, offering space for connection, reflection and imagination.

Alongside the exhibition, a series of events will carry you through to December.

Join us for FREE from the 15th August 2024 - 5th January 2025 in Gallery 4!

Find our more: https://ow.ly/E1sz50SWKs0

Image:
1. Cameron Ugbodu, Love and Anger (2024)
2. Esther Teichman, Untitled from Mythologies (2012)
3. Jakob Rowlinson, Mask V (peppered moth) (2022)

10/08/2024

‘The heavens are the most neutral space – no nations lay claim to the heavens. They are undefined... and are accessible to every human being’ - Gavin Jantjes, 1996.

In a series of works titled Zulu, which means ‘the space above your head’ in the Zulu language, Jantjes began to examine the cosmic realm through the lens of African heritage. He drew on ancient Egyptian, West and South African belief systems relating to the sky and female Creativity.

Works such as the Sky Charts (1988) reimagine European astronomical constellations with mythological imagery of the Khoisan indigenous peoples of Southern Africa. They serve as a reminder that the imaginative act of stargazing can transcend cultural, political and artistic boundaries.

Book your visit today, https://ow.ly/9Yn250SPh7z

1-2. Gavin Jantjes, Sky Chart III, 1988
3-4. Gavin Jantjes, Untitled, 1988

Images: Damian Griffiths.

08/08/2024

Refresh. Refuel and relax.

Introducing our new evening drinks offer, now part of Whitechapel Lates!

Our summer pop-up, Alba Caffè, has launched a late-night drinks offer available every Thursday from 5-9 pm. Join us for a refreshing spritz and homemade focaccia snack, all for just £8!
Whitechapel Lates provide a relaxed, after-hours opportunity to explore all our exhibitions for FREE!

What’s not to love?

Sip, Savour, and Socialise!

06/08/2024

‘You have to move with the work [...] the work occupies space in a way that one isn’t used to.' - Dominqiue White

Dominique White, winner of the ninth edition of the Max Mara Art Prize for Women, presents a new commission, ‘Deadweight’ on display at Whitechapel Gallery until 1 September.

Combining force and fragility, White's sculptures are formed of metals manipulated into shapes evocative of anchors, a ship’s hull, mammal carcasses, or skeletons. White poetically envisions an Afro-future empowered by the boundless expanse of the sea, offering fluid, rebellious realities liberated from capitalist and colonial influences. These sculptures are symbols of defiance.

Find out more and plan your visit today, https://ow.ly/thV850SP0s0

Image: Dominique White, dead reckoning, 2024. Forged Iron Dominique White: Deadweight, Max Mara Art Prize for Women (2022-24), 2 July-15 September 2024, Whitechapel Gallery, London ©️ Above Ground Studio (Matt Greenwood).

05/08/2024

★★★★ – The Guardian
★★★★ – The Observer
★★★★ – Time Out
★★★★ – The Arts Desk

Critics are rallying with praise for the newly opened and highly anticipated exhibition ‘Peter Kennard: Archive of Dissent.’

March on over to Whitechapel Gallery today and let your voice be part of the conversation.

Find out more: https://ow.ly/LHHQ50SOZBi

Image: Peter Kennard: Archive of Dissent, 23 July 2024-19 January 2025, WhitechapelGallery, London. Photo: Lucy Dawkins.

03/08/2024

‘Because the South African state never provided any amenities for culture [...] communities were forced to make their own culture [...] most importantly for me, it had a Children's Art Centre. That's where the story begins.’ - Gavin Jantjes.

Pictured here is artist Gavin Jantjes, mounting an exhibition at The Artists’ Gallery in 1969 with the assistance of August Hopely, principal of the Children’s Art Centre

In 1969 Jantjes opened his first solo exhibition at The Artists’ Gallery in Cape Town. It included a series of small-scale etchings on paper titled Home Truths that showed figures within impossible architectural spaces, broadly in the style of Dutch graphic artist M. C. Escher.

To accompany his retrospective, ‘Gavin Jantjes: To Be Free!’, we also have an archive display that tells the story of Jantjes’s life and work from the 1970s to the present day. It explores the multiple roles he has occupied as an artist, curator, and political activist. This weekend is your last chance to visit the archive display.

Book your visit today: https://ow.ly/Ybsz50SOYKy

Image: Courtesy of Gavin Janjtes.

01/08/2024

The sun is shining, and it's time to get outside!

August has arrived, bringing with it the new edition of First Thursdays. On the first Thursday of every month, Whitechapel Gallery showcases the best of the East End’s bustling art scene with a list of curated recommendations.
Step outside and dive into our curated picks!

1. I am Who I Am Now: Selection from the Bengali Photo Archive at Four Corners
2. Muntjac: Fleeting correspondences on invasion, invitation, ill-logics and brown bodies. at Microscope Gallery
3. Bow Open x Lindsey Mendick present A Personal Treasure (performances by Sadegh Aleahmad and Harriet Richardson) at Bow Arts
4. Summer Readings at Benjamin Rhodes Arts
5. A Place at Sarabande Foundation

Visit our website to find the our walking route, around 1:30 min long

Find out more: https://ow.ly/K9XV50SP5tC

31/07/2024

‘Blackness’ refers to the lived experience and political context of people racialised as Black. This includes the aspects of [our] lives that [we] haven’t necessarily signed up for, like being seen as Black in the first place’ - George The Poet.

Dominique White’s new commission ‘Deadweight’ explores concepts of Afrofuturism, Afro-pessimism, and Hydrarchy.

This thought-provoking exhibition delves into themes of rebellion and transformation, continuing the artist’s interest in creating new worlds for 'Blackness' and her fascination with the metaphoric potency and regenerative power of the sea.

Head over to our website to learn more about the concepts and theoretical frameworks behind the artist’s practice.https://ow.ly/PmTn50SO1cw

Image: Dan Weill.

30/07/2024

in 1986, Whitechapel Gallery opened its doors to the legendary ‘From Two Worlds’ exhibition.

From Two Worlds included work by artists all living and working in Britain, but from a wide variety of cultures spanning Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Middle East.

The exhibition was premised on the notion that all of the artists drew ‘a common inspiration from the reconciliation of the two worlds to which they belong’ and it aimed to increase awareness of the contribution to global culture that these artists were making.

The exhibition toured from the Whitechapel Gallery in London, where it was selected with the assistance of Sonia Boyce, Gavin Jantjes and Veronica Ryan.

Gavin Jantjes: To Be Free! Is currently on display at Whitechapel Gallery until 1 Sep.

Book now, via the
Image. Courtesy Whitechapel Gallery Archive

28/07/2024

‘In exploring these characters, I’m trying to speculate about what they are holding for us. What does the god hold for the human, and what does the myth hold for history?’ - Daniella Valz Gen

Head to our website to read the first installment by Daniella Valz Gen, Whitechapel Gallery’s Writer in Residence: ‘You Can Call Me Horse - After Chiron.’

During this residency, Valz Gen continues their ongoing research project, ‘All Tangled Up with Beasts,’ through a series of expanded poetry, performances, and texts. This project reclaims, reimagines, and embodies mythological characters that have been othered, misunderstood, or misrepresented.

This newly published text is an excerpt from a work first performed by Daniella Valz Gen with Belladonna Paloma at a Whitechapel Gallery event on May 23, 2024.

Read more, https://ow.ly/3B9750SKUBY

Photo: Sophie Le Roux

27/07/2024

‘They painted the whole thing grey’ - Gavin Jantjes

Pictured here are young children and families celebrating artist Gavin Jantjes’ mural ‘The Dream, The Rumour and The Poet’s Song’.

In 1985, Jantjes was commissioned by the Greater London Council to create an anti-racist mural for Dexter Square on Railton Road. However, in the mid-1990s, new construction led to the mural being destroyed and painted over without his consent.

Nearly forty years later, a reproduction of Jantjes’s lost mural makes its return to Brixton. Whitechapel Gallery, in partnership with JACK ARTS, part of BUILDHOLLYWOOD, presents a large-scale poster reproduction of this pivotal work by the South African artist.

Visit the reproduction at Brixton Academy, Stockwell Road, SW9 9SL.
https://ow.ly/qBLN50SKTP6

Image. Courtesy of Gavin Jantjes.

25/07/2024

This evening, join us as we celebrate the work of Peter Kennard featuring artist conversation, musical and spoken word performances as part of our Thursday Whitechapel Lates.

This event marks the opening of ‘Peter Kennard: Archive of Dissent,’ an exhibition on display until Jan 19, 2025.
No booking is necessary for this free, drop-in event. Due to limited capacity, please arrive early to secure your spot and avoid disappointment.

Tonight also marks the first evening drinks offer from our summer pop up Alba Caffe.

Find out more: https://ow.ly/ohWN50SK25Z

Image: Peter Kennard: Archive of Dissent,23 July 2024-19 January 2025, WhitechapelGallery, London. Photo: Lucy Dawkins.

24/07/2024

‘It may seem undignified to crawl on all fours in a furniture shop, but wise shoppers will go to any extreme in buying furniture to see that they are getting a well-made piece and value for their money’ - Rostrum Plastic Tiles.

On this day in 1952, Whitechapel Gallery closed the doors on ‘For Bill and Betty: Setting Up Home’ organised in partnership with Oxford House. The exhibition ran from 5 June to 24 July, and showcased furnishings for the newly married.

Similar to a contemporary trade show, it featured the best artisans and manufacturers from across the country. Rumour has it, Richard Attenborough attended the opening!

Oxford House in Bethnal Green was founded to provide a centre for religious, social, and educational work in East London. This year they are celebrating 140 years, and we are deighted to be supporting their ongoing work as a community partner.

From our archive, we've uncovered these wonderful images of the exhibition.

Images: Whitechapel Gallery Archive.

23/07/2024

‘Kennard’s work is haunting. He is a master of photomontage’ - John Berger.

Now open, ‘Peter Kennard: Archive of Dissent’ at Whitechapel Gallery.

Mark your calenders, this thursday join ‘Peter Kennard and Friends’ for the opening celebration on Thu July 25, from 6-9pm. The programme includes a conversation between artist Peter Kennard and artist and curator Harris Elliott, performances by Kae Tempest and Arfoud Brothers & Sisters.

Find out more: https://ow.ly/n5Qe50SI4nl

Image. Peter Kennard, Union Mask, 2007 Screen print in colours with varnish on 300gsm Somerset Satin white paper 83 × 66.5 cm. Courtesy the artist.

20/07/2024

‘In the right hands, art can be a devastating weapon. And South African-born artist Gavin Jantjes uses it with brutal force.’ - Time Out.

Pictured here are artworks that make up a series of seven large-scale paintings is titled ‘Korabra’, named after a proverb from the Akan people of Ghana that translates as to ‘go and come back’. Jantjes completed the works while on a residency at the Coventry West Indian Association.

Each scene is set in a symbolic landscape that recalls the oceans, fields, marketplaces, cemeteries and cities of the African continent. Jantjes blended sand, cotton, wool and sometimes sugar with his paint to create the textured surfaces of these works. Together, the materials and images evoke the de-humanising history of the transatlantic slave trade.

Now dispersed across museum collections, this is the first time that the series has been displayed together in the UK since the 1980s.

Book your visit today, via

Image: Damian Griffiths.

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http://www.whitechapelgallery.org/

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Videos

★★★★ – The Guardian It’s the final week to visit Dominique White’s highly praised exhibition ‘Deadweight’ at Whitechapel Gallery, closing this Sunday. ‘Deadweight’ comprises four large-scale sculptural works which continue the artist’s interest in creating new worlds for Blackness and a fascination with the metaphoric potency and regenerative power of the sea. Plan your visit, before it's too late. https://www.whitechapelgallery.org/exhibitions/dominique-white-deadweight/ #DominiqueWhite #MaxMaraArtPrize #MMAP9 Video: Gordon Beswick.

‘White looks at the submarine world as an Afrofuturistic space for emancipation, a world of possibilities both dangerous and filled with the potential of the unexplored' - Wallpaper. Final few weeks to visit ‘Deadweight,’ the critically acclaimed FREE exhibition by Dominique White, the ninth recipient of the Max Mara Art Prize. Explore the captivating sculptures at Whitechapel Gallery until 15 September. Plan your visit, https://ow.ly/Sv2T50Tenco #DominiqueWhite #MaxMaraArtPrize #MMAP9 Video: Gordon Beswick.

Have you heard? On our website right now is an interview with (the man, the myth, the legend) Andrew Pierre Hart where he discusses his brand new commission for the Gallery, ‘Bio-Data Flows and Other Rhythms - A Local Story’. The London-based electronic musician and interdisciplinary artist takes us on a journey through the paintings, sculpture, sound composition and films that make up his exhibition - from the influence of conversations with local restaurant touts to a reflection on the relationship between music and painting. Find out more below: https://ow.ly/VIRb50RsCTf #AndrewPierreHart #WhitechapelGallery Video: Sophie Farrell

Head to our website to hear from artist Andrew Pierre Hart as he takes us through the stories behind his brand new commission at the Gallery, ‘Bio-Data Flows and Other Rhythms – A Local Story’. Through a sound composition, a film, a series of six oil paintings, a site-specific mural, and a bamboo sculpture, Hart explores Whitechapel’s longstanding history as a home for migrant and diasporic communities while continuing his connections between sound and painting. Watch the full film and plan your visit below https://ow.ly/wZ6m50RjNQB #AndrewPierreHart Video: Sophie Farrell

#OnThisDay last year, Whitechapel Gallery and Gallery Climate Coalition hosted Climate Crisis>> Art Action, a symposium tackling the critical environmental issues facing the UK’s public art institutions. The event featured voices from leading visual arts and environmental organisations as well as change-makers beyond the sector, including Just Stop Oil spokesperson Emma Brown, Director of Tate Modern Frances Morris , and the founder and CEO of Julie’s Bicycle Alison Tickell, concluding with an impactful performance from Love Ssega. One year on, we wanted to remind you of the resources available related to the event on our Climate Crisis >> Art Action Hub, including films of all of the talks and panel discussions and a comprehensive Decarbonisation Action Plan specifically designed for public arts institutions. Find out more via the #linkinbio Supported by AKO Foundation

Join us in the Gallery on 22 Feb for an explorative conversation on the history of Algerian cinema between artist Zineb Sedira and curator Olivier Hadouchi. During the Algerian War of Independence, cinema became a powerful tool against colonial representation, promoting another vision. It also played a pivotal role in creating a network of international solidarity. After independence, Algiers became a centre for liberation movements – from Vietnamese FNL to African MPLA, PAIGC, FRELIMO and the US Black Panther Party. To coincide with the UK debut of Sedira's exhibition Dreams Have No Titles, this talk provides insight into what can be learnt by revisiting film made during a time of utopias and grand promises. Book now via, below: https://ow.ly/6enW50QCBbu #ZinebSedira #DreamsHaveNoTitles Image: Zineb Sedira, Mise-en-scene (scene 1) - Part of the installation Standing Here Wondering Which, Way to Go (in four scenes) 2019, Video projection made out of decaying found footage rushes, 8.59 minutes

On Saturday 17 Feb, the experimental dance artist Vasiliki Papapostolou (a.k.a Tarantism) will move through the Gallery, presenting her latest performance work, Panopticon 360. This conceptual dance animates a new commission by Andrew Pierre Hart (opening 14 Feb), and explores the ways we internalise surveillance, managing ourselves, our bodies and behaviours. For information on how to book, follow the #linkinbio #AndrewPierreHart

The lid is off the box! This spring season, we open our doors to… Zineb Sedira: Dreams Have No Titles (Opens 15 Feb) Andrew Pierre Hart: Bio-Data Flows and Other Rhythms – A Local Story (Opens 15 Feb) Edge Effects (Opens 30 Jan) Booking is now open so grab your ticket now! Find out more about this season via the link below: https://ow.ly/r0Yv50QuL2I #ZinebSedira #AndrePierreHart #EdgeEffects

Wishing you a healthy and happy festive season! We want to share our immense gratitude for all your support and engagement over the last year. Whether you attended an exhibition, enjoyed an event, or connected with us virtually, you are a vital part of the Gallery’s present, and an essential part of our future. Thank you. We look forward to welcoming you in 2024 for a brand new year of eye-opening, life-affirming, thought-provoking artists, art and ideas.

Last chance call for all dancers with Tango skills! Lace up your dance shoes and submit your applications to perform in the Gallery this spring. We are auditioning performers with Tango skills to deliver routines for a production accompanying the exhibition Dreams Have No Titles by the artist Zineb Sedira. DEADLINE: 20 Dec 2023, 12pm GMT. Apply Now, via https://ow.ly/Vs7s50QihbR Video Credit: Zineb Sedira, Still from Dreams Have No Titles at the Venice Biennale 2022, Courtesy of Artist. #Auditions #Jobs #Job #ArtsJob #Dance #tango #TangoDancers #DanceJobs #DanceJob #Theatre #Audition #dancerlife #dancerslife #dancephotography #dancersofinstagram #dancetheatre #choreography #whitechapel #ZinebSedira

This is an Audio Description of Nicole Eisneman’s painting ‘The Drawing Class’ (2011) which is included in our ongoing exhibition, What Happened. Blind and visually impaired visitors are invited to join us in the Gallery, on 17 Dec, 1 pm, for a free, guided audio description tour of this exhibition which brings together over 100 works from across Nicole Eisenman’s career – many of which have not previously been shown in the UK. To book a free place, please email [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 7522 7888 Please note that this tour is for blind and partially sighted visitors. Sighted companions and guide dogs are welcome. For more audio descriptions, click here: https://ow.ly/5uw150QgNxS

What does the future of the library look like to you? This Autumn, Duchamp & Sons, our youth collective, has been collaborating with artist duo Kneed exploring ideas of libraries, knowledge exchange, and storytelling inspired by the history of part of the Gallery’s building as the old Whitechapel Library. Join us for an afternoon of sharing as they take over the Gallery’s foyer, the former entrance to Whitechapel Library, and present what they imagine the future of libraries may be. D&S x Kneed | Sat 9 Dec, 2023 1- 4 pm | Free Find out more now via the link below: https://ow.ly/RAAR50Qcz7i

‘The artist is concerned not with self-expression or even self-awareness but with human agency. Such a practice is then an act of quiet resistance, one that bears witness to the crisis in education while also making visible other forms of knowledge-making.’ - Academic, Judith Winter on Johanna Billing’s film, Each Moment Presents What Happens On the occasion of Johanna Billing's 'Each Moment Presents What Happens', Whitechapel Gallery has produced a limited-edition publication featuring a newly commissioned essay by curator, writer and educator Judith Winter. Winter draws on her research of Black Mountain College to provide further context on the educational practices at the core of Billing's project. The essay is accompanied by unseen images from the making of the film. Singer-sewn booklet, 20pp, 240 x 170mm, £6. Available from the Gallery.

‘A scratchy sound of white noise emanating from a small radio fills the dark room. A faint voice comes through. It sounds like nothing from this world, as if death itself was speaking. Somewhere else, sickly patients lay in hospital beds in hell. They don’t understand why they are still sick. They listen to the hospital radio, but it doesn’t play their favourite songs. Instead, they listen to the sounds of a life once lived.’ - Martin O’Brien, Whitechapel Gallery Writer in Residence 2023 Inspired by hospital radio and tales of spectral encounters via analogue mediums, the concluding chapter of Martin O’Brien’s trilogy delves into the primal urge to communicate and document. We invite you into this peculiar and haunting setting, as O’Brien meanders, capturing and replaying elusive voices and otherworldly sounds. This captivating exploration of human connection and the supernatural unfolds from 11 am to 9 pm. Performance | Thu 14 Dec, 2023 | Free, no booking required Find out more, via the #Linkinbio

Artist Johanna Billing’s film ‘Each Moment Presents What Happens’ (2022) is a reflection on learning through process, chance and importantly, failure. We encounter students against the backdrop of daily school life, developing a new theatrical work in response to the avant-garde American composer John Cage, and his groundbreaking (and famously undocumented) work, ‘Untitled Event (Theater Piece No.1’) (1952). Cage’s work was the first of its kind - a performance of simultaneous improvised solos by artists from different disciplines: artists, poets, and potters alike performing together. The incorporation of Cage’s exercise into the project provides a poignant message following its recent removal from the A-level music syllabus. Johanna Billing: Each Moment Presents What Happens on until 14 Jan 2024. Find out more, via the link below: https://ow.ly/4Pck50Qcy2J Video courtesy the artist.

There is just one week left to apply for the Young Writer in Residence programme at Whitechapel Gallery! If you're 18-24 and passionate about writing and contemporary art, this is your chance to enhance your creative practice. From poetry to prose, our program offers young creatives the opportunity to develop their writing skills within a contemporary art gallery setting. To apply, submit an original piece inspired by the artworks in our Autumn 2023 Season exhibition, featuring Nicole Eisenman, Johanna Billing, or Anna Menhdelssohn. Whether it's a poem, essay, article, review, experimental prose, or something entirely different, we welcome it all and look forward to reading your pieces. The winning entry will be invited to take up the residency running from Late January – April 2024. Deadline: Mon 4 Dec 2023, 9 am. Find out more, via the link below: https://www.whitechapelgallery.org/young-writer-in-residence-4/