Backpackers Guide to London
Saatchi Gallery
Backpackers' Guide to London's Tourist Information | Backpackers' Guide to London Tourist Attractions | Backpackers' Guide to London's Historical Attractions | Backpackers' Guide to Shopping in London | Backpackers' Guide to Sport in London | Backpackers' Guide to Entertainment in London | Backpackers' Guide to Food in London | Backpackers' Guide to London Museums Ashlee House is in the heart of Central London and only a tube ride away to see the Saatchi Gallery. This famous Gallery occupies 40,000 ft 2 of County Hall on the South Bank in Westminster, and is easily accessible by bus, train or the London underground. Founded in 1985 by advertising guru Charles Saatchi, The Saatchi Gallery displays contemporary art that comprises over 2000 paintings, sculptures and installations from new British artists. The gallery aims to introduce the audience to cutting-edge young British art, and has produced innovative works by the Chapman brothers, Tracy Emin, Damien Hirst, Gary Hume, Sarah Lucas, Jenny Saville, Richard Whiteread and many other artists who became household names. Over the years, the audience for contemporary art has increased steadily. The gallery now receives over 600,000 visitors a year. Despite a storage warehouse fire in 2004 which destroyed many of the valuable works from the collection, Saatchi has continued to display his personal collection, buying and dumping some of his purchases back to the market. Saatchi has been criticized for his overly enthusiastic collecting and when asked why he decided to open a gallery to the public, Saatchi simply said,” I like to show off art I like”. Displayed works of art offer the most interesting collection in London. Bryan Griffiths’ Beneath The Stride of Giants is a Viking ship made entirely of recycled materials. The ship appears to be made of wood, but upon closer inspection turns out to be an assemblage of postmodern consumer excess. Other exhibition houses naked bodies, or formerly human bodies. Damien Hirst’s The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living is a seventeen-foot Australian tiger shark suspended in a glass tank. The South Bank where the Saatchi Gallery is located is an important centre for culture and entertainment. Tourists visiting the Houses of Parliament are lured across Westminster Bridge to the London Eye, and to The Saatchi exhibition. Aside from comfortable accommodations, Ashlee House offers ways to enjoy the many attractions of the South Bank capital, including the Saatchi Gallery.
Introduction
History
Features
Ashlee House, 261-265 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8QT, England
Tel: +44 (0)20 7833 9400 Fax: +44 (0)20 7833 9677
