Major summer exhibition ‘The London Open 2018’ – artists announced

The London Open 2018
8 June – 26 August 2018
Galleries 1, 8 & 9
Free Entry

Discover the artists to watch in London now

This summer the Whitechapel Gallery presents The London Open 2018, bringing together the most dynamic and critical contemporary art being made in the capital today. 22 artists have been selected who have come from all over the world, from Manchester to Hong Kong, to work across London’s 32 boroughs. The display will draw on the experience of living in a global city now.

A record-breaking 2,600 applications were made to the Gallery’s historical open-submission exhibition, which has been running since 1932. There will be new works exhibited in all media, including painting, sculpture, performance and video.

The artists selected for The London Open 2018 are:

-Larry Achiampong (b. 1984, London, UK)
-Rachel Ara (b. 1965, Jersey, Channel Islands)
-Gabriella Boyd (b. 1988, Glasgow, UK)
-Hannah Brown (b. 1977, Salisbury, UK)
-Rachael Champion (b. 1982, New York, USA)
-Gary Colclough (b. 1977, Exeter, UK)
-George Eksts (b. 1978, London, UK)
-Ayan Farah (b. 1978, Sharjah, UAE)
-French & Mottershead (French b. 1973, London, UK; Mottershead b. 1968, Manchester, UK)
-Vikesh Govind (b. 1990, Leicester, UK)
-Richard Healy (b. 1980, London, UK)
-Des Lawrence (b. 1970, Wiltshire, UK)
-Tom Lock (b. 1981, Norwich, UK)
-Céline Manz (b. 1981, Zürich, Switzerland)
-Uriel Orlow (b. 1973, Zürich, Switzerland)
-Rachel Pimm (b. 1984, Harare, Zimbabwe)
-Renee So (b. 1974, Hong Kong)
-Alexis Teplin (b. 1976, California, USA)
-Elisabeth Tomlinson (b. 1991, New York, USA)
-Jonathan Trayte (b. 1980, Huddersfield, UK)
-Tom Varley (b. 1985, Keighley, UK)
-Andrea Luka Zimmerman (b. 1969, Munich, Germany)

The selection panel consisted of: Emily Butler, Mahera and Mohammad Abu Ghazaleh Curator, Whitechapel Gallery; Cameron Foote, Assistant Curator, Whitechapel Gallery; Ryan Gander, Artist; Paul Hedge, Hales Gallery; Amy Sherlock, Frieze Magazine and Robert Suss, Collector.

The London Open is a triennial exhibition open to all artists aged 26 or over living or working in London. For over 80 years it has given a platform to local artists. With a legacy for launching the careers of many generations of artists including – Peter Doig, Anish Kapoor, Cornelia Parker, Grayson Perry, Bob & Roberta Smith, Richard Wentworth and Rachel Whiteread, and more recently – Caroline Achaintre, Rebecca Ackroyd, Sam Belinfante, Alice Channer, Adham Faramawy, Emma Hart, Chantal Joffe, Heather Phillipson and Ruth Proctor.

Notes to Editors

The London Open: With a rich history, first known as the East End Academy, then the Whitechapel Open, and finally The London Open, the Whitechapel Gallery has been open for submissions to exhibit since 1932. From the 1970s when the area around the Gallery in East London was home to some of the UK’s most important artists, it also became a launch pad for many artists at different stages of their careers.

Curators: The London Open 2018 is curated by Emily Butler, Mahera and Mohammad Abu Ghazaleh Curator, Whitechapel Gallery with Cameron Foote, Assistant Curator, Whitechapel Gallery.

Whitechapel Gallery: For over a century the Whitechapel Gallery has premiered world class artists from modern masters such as Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, 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, dining room and bookshop, the Gallery is open all year round, so there is always something free to see. It 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.

Supporters: With generous support from Ravi Chidambaram and Yana Fray, Evgeny Tugolukov and Natalya Pavchinskaya.

Visitor Information

Admission: Free
Opening times: Tuesday – Sunday, 11am – 6pm; Thursdays, 11am – 9pm
Whitechapel Gallery, 77 – 82 Whitechapel High Street, London E1 7QX
Nearest London Underground Stations: Aldgate East, Liverpool Street, Tower Gateway DLR
T + 44 (0) 20 7522 7888 | E info@whitechapelgallery.org | W whitechapelgallery.org

Press Information

For more information, interviews and images, contact:

Bridie Hindle, Media Relations Assistant
T + 44 (0)20 7539 3360 | E bridiehindle@whitechapelgallery.org

Lucy Hawes, Senior Media Relations Manager
T +44 (0)20 7522 7871 | E lucyhawes@whitechapelgallery.org

Press Release - The London Open 2018 (Announcement) (PDF)