Damien Hirst’s Gallery opened in Vauxhall in 2015. The Newport Street Gallery has already picked by an award by way of the RIBA Stirling prize awarded to architects Caruso St John.
The building itself (or rather three buildings joined into one) used to house workshops for building sets for the London Theatres. Now the architects, with Hirst as you might expect, being heavily involved in the planning, have created an exhibition space that offers up five galleries. Linked by walkways, spiral staircases and offering up double height galleries it offers a sensational space for exhibiting Hirst’s own work and the exhibitions that have been and that are upcoming.
The factory style roofing and the brickwork are artwork in themselves and worth a view from the inside, outside and from the mainline rail that runs past the gallery.
The Jeff Koons exhibition that fills the building with 35 years’ worth of artistic output has been a huge crown puller and the current exhibit is in town until October 16.
Koons presents inflatables and stainless steel as part of his lifelong investigation into the representation and the expression of objects. The exhibition, the first on seven years for Koons, also looks at the ways alcohol is advertised to different demographics in Luxury and Degradation and also includes exhibits of toys evocative of childhood and a study of his times with his then wife Ilona Staller.
Get down to the gallery and take a look while there is still time and then get ready for the next exhibition which is Gavin Turk: ‘Who What When Where How and Why’, that will open on 23rd November. It is free entry as well.
Newport Street Gallery
Newport Street
London, SE11 6AJ
Free entry for all exhibitions
Tuesday – Sunday
10am – 6pm
Closed Monday
