Gasworks Exterior, © Ioana Marinescu. Courtesy of Gasworks.

Gasworks reopens in Vauxhall

First established in 1994, the newly revamped South London gallery opened its doors at the end of September. The charity’s £2.1 million project has been partially funded through the Arts Council England and a fundraising auction hosted by Christie’s in October 2013. Artworks were donated to auction from internationally renowned Gasworks alumni, including Turner Prize winner Chris Ofili and nominee Lynette Yiadom-Boakye. These vital funds have enabled the creation of a brand new gallery, artist’s studios and education space, allowing Gasworks to host up to nine London-based artists on a five-year basis. The artists, in addition to exhibiting at the gallery, provide open studio workshops to encourage interaction and dialogue between artist and the public.

Grace Weinrib, Open Studio, Gasworks, 2015. Residency supported by Fundación AMA. Courtesy the artist. Photo: Andy Keate.

The first show to coincide with Gasworks opening is a solo show (Sincerely Yours) by Kemang Wa Lehulere, his first in the UK. For this exhibition, the South African resident artist draws upon a personal heritage and a collective history. By employing eerily recognisable international motifs, such as partially whitewashed chalk boards or segregated mass-produced black/gold ceramic dogs, Wa Lehulere shows a past which still haunts the present. Similar to this theme, he also readdresses his culture’s history through external projects such as at Centre for Historical Reenactments in Johannesburg, of which he is the founder.

Kemang Wa Lehulere, Sincerely yours, 2015 exhibition view. Commissioned by Gasworks. Courtesy the artist. Photo: Andy Keate

Sincerely Yours is a show indicative of what this non-profit contemporary visual art organisation can achieve. By providing an intersection of understanding that brings together multiple perspectives, it does not only allow for an audience to see an exhibition as a finished product, but to also experience and converse with artists during the creative process.

Gasworks provides an informative and engaging experience, proving itself to not only be a cultural hub, but a pipeline for artistic exchange across the globe. For anyone keen to cremate the “Sorry mate, I don’t go south of the river” mantra, Gasworks certainly provides the fuel to do so.

Sincerely Yours is on show at Gasworks, 155 Vauxhall Street, London SE11 5RH until November 8, 2015. Opening Times: Wednesday-Sunday, 12–6pm (during exhibitions only) or by appointment. Free Admission.

Luke Strong is a MLitt Modern and Contemporary Art student at Christie’s Education London.

A version of this article was originally published on the C# blog on October 25, 2015.