London's latest independent, pop-up gallery space opens this week on Turnham Green Terrace in Chiswick. This leafy, river-hugging setting is a far cry from the art pop-up strongholds of Shoreditch, Hoxton and Dalston, and this is why The Unit London stands out.
Based in an empty retail space on a busy affluent shopping street, the gallery is attempting to bring both established names and unknown talent to the masses. Its mission statement is to make art inclusive: a platform, run by artists not publishers, for new work to be seen by new audiences. Opening with work from 11 different artists — both local and international – this is a bold project with grand plans for an artist-led space that brings raw contemporary art to a new part of the capital.
Chiswick is a wealthy area, and has a rich artistic history and Unit London have procured an excellent location for its collective. The focus, we are told, is not profit, but the pop-up graveyard is jam-packed with great ideas that ran out of money.
For all it's ambition, the gallery will need to do what all successful galleries do – show off interesting work and get people through the door. If it can do that, then this could be one pop-up venture that stays inflated for a long time to come.
The Unit London is based at 46 Turnham Green Terrace, Chiswick, W4 1QP, and launches on Thursday 5 September.
