Sadie Coles HQ is a contemporary art gallery in London, owned and directed by Sadie Coles. The gallery focuses on presenting the work of established and emerging international artists. It was at the forefront of the Young British Artists movement. [1]
Sadie Coles HQ opened in April 1997 and has since operated from a variety of distinctive spaces. Its inaugural exhibition at 35 Heddon Street, by American painter John Currin, [2] was followed by Sarah Lucas’s exhibition "The Law" in lofts on St John Street. Sadie Coles's first gallery was located in Heddon Street, London, next to where the cover for David Bowie’s album "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" was photographed. [3]
Between 2010 and 2013, Sadie Coles HQ was located at both New Burlington Place – a 5,000 square feet (460 square metres) space on the site of Nigel Greenwood's gallery during the 1980s and 90s – and on South Audley Street. [4]
In 2013, Sadie Coles HQ moved to its current location, a 6,000 square feet (560 square metres) first floor gallery on Kingly Street in what was formerly the La Valbonne nightclub. [5] [4] In November 2015, it opened a third location in a glass-fronted 3,000 square feet (280 square metres) space on Davies Street in Mayfair designed by 6a architects [4]
Since her inaugural exhibition, Coles has followed the same formula for each of her invitations. Taking the graphic identity of the gallery itself – a grey block that represents the gallery space and is found on all her branded material – she uses the same block on the invitations, allowing each artist to choose their own colour. A piece of the artist’s work is then shown on the inside of the card. [6]
In 2014, Sadie Coles was listed as one of 'the most powerful people in the art world' by The Guardian. [7]
From February to December 2012, Situation, a temporary space, showed works by Sarah Lucas. [8] The extended display included works both new and historical, mainly by Lucas and occasionally involving other artists.
Sadie Coles HQ represents numerous living artists, including:
In addition, the gallery manages various artist estates, including:
The Young British Artists, or YBAs—also referred to as Brit artists and Britart—is a loose group of visual artists who first began to exhibit together in London in 1988. Many of the YBA artists graduated from the BA Fine Art course at Goldsmiths, in the late 1980s, whereas some from the group had trained at Royal College of Art.
The Whitechapel Gallery is a public art gallery in Whitechapel on the north side of Whitechapel High Street, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The original building, designed by Charles Harrison Townsend, opened in 1901 as one of the first publicly funded galleries for temporary exhibitions in London. The building is a notable example of the British Modern Style. In 2009 the gallery approximately doubled in size by incorporating the adjacent former Passmore Edwards library building. It exhibits the work of contemporary artists and organizes retrospective exhibitions and other art shows.
Sarah Lucas is an English artist. She is part of the generation of Young British Artists who emerged in 1988. Her works frequently employ visual puns and bawdy humour by incorporating photography, sculpture, collage and found objects.
Angus Fairhurst was an English artist working in installation, photography and video. He was one of the Young British Artists (YBAs).
White Cube is a contemporary art gallery founded by Jay Jopling in London in 1993. The gallery has two branches in London: White Cube Mason's Yard in central London and White Cube Bermondsey in South East London; White Cube Hong Kong, in Central, Hong Kong Island; White Cube Paris, at 10 avenue Matignon in Paris; and White Cube West Palm Beach, which opened at 2512 Florida Avenue in 2020 and operates annually in West Palm Beach, Florida, from winter through to spring.
John Currin is an American painter based in New York City. He is most recognised for his technically proficient satirical figurative paintings that explore controversial sexual and societal topics. His work shows a wide range of influences, including sources as diverse as the Renaissance, popular culture magazines, and contemporary fashion models. He often distorts or exaggerates the erotic forms of the female body, and has stressed that his characters are reflections of himself rather than inspired by real people.
The Victoria Miro Gallery is a British contemporary art gallery in London, run by Victoria Miro. Miro opened her first gallery in 1985 in Cork Street, before moving to larger premises in Islington in 2000 and later opening a second space in St George Street, Mayfair.
Lisson Gallery is a contemporary art gallery with locations in London and New York, founded by Nicholas Logsdail in 1967. The gallery represents over 50 artists such as Art & Language, Ryan Gander, Carmen Herrera, Richard Long, John Latham, Sol LeWitt, Robert Mangold, Jonathan Monk, Julian Opie, Richard Wentworth, Anish Kapoor, Richard Deacon and Ai Weiwei.
Sadie Judith Coles is a British art dealer. She is the owner of Sadie Coles HQ, a contemporary art gallery in London, that has been at the forefront of the Young British Artists movement.
Sarah Kent is a British art critic, formerly art editor of the weekly London "what's on" guide Time Out. She was an early supporter of the Young British Artists in general, and Tracey Emin in particular, helping Emin to get exposure. This has led to polarised reactions of praise and opposition for Kent. She adopts a feminist stance and has stated her position to be that of "a spokesperson, especially for women artists, in a country that is essentially hostile to contemporary art."
Maureen Paley is the American owner of a contemporary art gallery in Bethnal Green, London, where she lives. It was founded in 1984, called Interim Art during the 1990s, and renamed Maureen Paley in 2004. She exhibited Young British Artists at an early stage. Artists represented include Turner Prize winners Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Gillian Wearing and Wolfgang Tillmans. One thing in common with many of the artists represented is their interest in addressing social issues.
Vielmetter Los Angeles is a contemporary art gallery founded in 2000 by Susanne Vielmetter. The gallery is located in downtown Los Angeles.
The Paula Cooper Gallery is an art gallery in New York City, founded in 1968 by Paula Cooper.
Thaddaeus Ropac are a group of galleries founded in 1981 by the Austrian gallerist Thaddaeus Ropac and has since specialized in International Contemporary Art.
The Pace Gallery is an American contemporary and modern art gallery with 9 locations worldwide. It was founded in Boston by Arne Glimcher in 1960. His son, Marc Glimcher, is now president and CEO. Pace Gallery operates in New York, London, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Geneva, Seoul, East Hampton, and Palm Beach.
Tanya Bonakdar Gallery is an art gallery founded by Tanya Bonakdar, located in both Chelsea in New York City and Los Angeles. Since its inception in 1994, the gallery has exhibited new work by contemporary artists in all media, including painting, sculpture, installation, photography, and video. The New York City location is at 521 W. 21st Street and the Los Angeles gallery is located at 1010 N. Highland Avenue.
Casey Kaplan is a contemporary art gallery in New York City, in the United States.
Galerie Max Hetzler is a gallery for contemporary art with locations in Berlin, Paris and London.
Martine Syms is an American artist residing in Los Angeles, specializing in various mediums including publishing, video, installation, and performance. Her artistic endeavors revolve around themes of identity, particularly the representation of the self, with a focus on subjects like feminism and black culture. Syms frequently employs humor and social commentary as vehicles for exploration within her work. In 2007, she introduced the term "Conceptual Entrepreneur" to describe her artistic approach.
Company Gallery is a contemporary art gallery located at 145 Elizabeth Street in the Lower East Side neighborhood of Manhattan. It was established in 2015 by Sophie Mörner and Taylor Trabulus became a partner in the gallery in 2022.
Sadie Coles and Jonathan Harris, "Sadie Coles HQ: Anatomy of a gallery in the age of globalised contemporary art" in Art, Money, Parties: New Institutions in the Political Economy of Contemporary Art, ed. Jonathan Harris, University of Chicago Press, 2005.