VITRINE is focused on artistic experimentation and emerging interdisciplinary practices. The gallery was founded in 2012, from a project space, in Bermondsey, London. In 2016, a second space in Basel opened, followed by a digital space in 2020, and a third space in London’s Fitzrovia in Spring 2022. Over this decade, we have established a reputation as a selector and nurturer of new talent, supporting artists’ careers and the development of their ideas.
Our programme is focused on interdisciplinary approaches in a variety of media, concentrating on artists working in installation, sculpture and performance. We are committed to supporting experimental practices that flourish site-responsively, in alternative environments to the traditional white cube, and that are often underrepresented in the art market. Our online exhibition space VITRINE Digital has enabled us to further engage with new media as a defining medium of contemporary art.
Our spaces are transparent: In Bermondsey, glass windows cover the entire 16-metre-long, panoramic space; In Basel, our space – custom designed by Swiss architects PanteraPantera - offers a 360 degree ‘in-the-round’ viewing experience. This transparent architecture allows all exhibitions to be viewable 24/7 from the surrounding public squares. Our Fitzrovia space is a more conventional gallery space. Glass remains a defining feature of the architecture, with windows flanking aground floor exhibition space. All our spaces are wheelchair accessible. We further our programme through international satellite exhibitions, gallery collaborations and art fairs.
Our business model is a hybrid. We operate an expanding commercial gallery; representing a core group of artists and advising international clients. Our experience is principally in the primary market and notably with institutions, foundations and outdoor sculpture projects, mirroring the ambition and experimental commitment of the programme. Our work in the public realm and commitment to supporting artists with ambitious experimental exhibitions has allowed us access to public funding, which we have carefully used over our 10-year history for specific large-scale non-profit projects. We founded the Sculpture At commissioning programme in 2014 and have an extensive portfolio of producing outdoor sculpture in both public and private space.
Our aim since foundation ten years ago, has been to capture a sense of the diversity of emerging contemporary art practices and to disseminate this to the widest audience. At the heart of our activity is an unwavering commitment to nurturing artists through exhibition-making and representation; supporting entry to the international art market and creating a platform for artistic experimentation.
- Alys Williams, VITRINE Founding Director, 2020