Tipped

National treasure

January 25, 2009

We are incredibly lucky in London: there are hundreds of commercial and public galleries offering an ever-changing array of art. It's quite hard to rate a gallery as much of the experience depends on the exhibition on at the time, and the debate as to what is 'good' and 'bad' art is as old as art itself. White Cube is no exception to this rule, but it definitely stands out as a good gallery for connoisseurs and a great introductory gallery for those new to the contemporary scene.
White Cube is synonymous with BritArt, but the gallery, spread across two locations, Mason's Yard and Hoxton Square, offers much more - Britart is so last century. It represents celeb-artists (Hirst, Emin, Chapman Brothers, Taylor-Wood) as well as international (Crewdson, Gursky, Keifer, to name a few) and less high-profile - often younger - ones (including Runa Islam, nominated for this years Turner Prize). Going to contemporary art galleries can be an intimidating experience even for industry insiders: the art is often visually challenging and/or intellectually complex, staff too cool for school or snooty, but White Cube is a private gallery with a public gallery feel. From the architecture to the staff it is geared to making contemporary art open to all.
Big glass doors on two sides of the building open onto a front desk manned by friendly, helpful staff (you can buy artist books and catalogs here too). Pick up an information sheet and wander the spacious galleries at your leisure. If you think you don't understand the art, go with your gut instinct. Don't be afraid to think something's good or bad - it probably is. Whether it's diamond encrusted skulls or something more subtle, the regularly changing programme of exhibitions by world-class artists is never dull, and often the talk of the town. Much of the work on display is out of the price-range of most museums and will end up on an oligarch's wall. And unlike many museums, this gallery is free to enter. Join the debate!

Keywords: art gallery, contemporary art