The 8 best independent and alternative art galleries in London

Culture | Exhibitions The 8 best independent and alternative art galleries in London From Bloomsbury townhouses to Camberwell print workshops, explore eight of London’s best independent, artist-run, and alternative art galleries shaking up the city’s contemporary scene Agnes Dauti1 minute ago COMMENTS The gallery scene in London is booming far beyond the traditional white cubes. From Bloomsbury to Camberwell via artist-run galleries, warehouse-scale projects and performance spaces hidden above antiques fairs, the sector is buzzing despite high rents and costs. Many of these galleries have just opened or relocated within the past year, but most are the product of years of effort and experience. They present the work of established artists, experimental concepts and innovative collaborations. Here are some of the best in London. Galerina 1 Guilford Street, WC1 Guilford Street in Bloomsbury has often been the home to the diamond in the rough. In the 1990s, No 64-65 housed artists and Milch Gallery, but the street is now home to Galerina. From its beginnings in a founder’s bedroom, Galerina’s obsession with intimate spaces and avant-garde style has earned it a cult following. The space may be small and awkwardly shaped but it feels much bigger: home to a unique artistic community. It’s showing the work of DeSe Escobar, who explores her relationship with toys as a child experiencing gender dissonance, filtered through her sensibility as a glamorous artist and stylist. Pep Rally 12; galerina. net Piccalilli The Penarth Centre, SE15 Michael Andrew Page at Piccalilli South Bermondsey’s Penarth Centre is home to Piccalilli, an artist-led gallery where collaboration is the basis of the enterprise. Artists are given the time and space to explore, experiment and implement their projects in a manner which doesn’t involve filling up the gallery space. That makes for exhibitions that are open-ended and alive to their surroundings. Piccalilli isn’t just a showroom but a place where concepts can brew. Its latest collaboration, with Michael Andrew Page, explores the emotional and historical weight of objects, and their connections to home, memory, loss and personal value. The Price of Home opens on August 21; piccalilli-gallery. com Chisenhale Gallery 64 Chisenhale Road, E3 Chisenhale Gallery near Victoria Park features one of the biggest spaces in the entire list, namely a warehouse that manages to transcend its scale. The gallery is famous for its ability to discover artists and work with them for two years to create new commissions from their concepts.