A London Art Week gallery map.
LAW runs from June 30 to July 7, making it the only dealer-focused event for the high season in the capital.
In recent years it has run alongside or directly after Art & Antiques Fair Olympia and coincided with Masterpiece London, but both summer editions have been called off this year (as reported in News and Dealers’ Diary, ATG No 2576).
Luce Garrigues, director of LAW, said: “We have already been approached by several Masterpiece exhibitors wishing to take part in London Art Week this summer, some of whom had expressed an interest in the past but felt they couldn’t do both Masterpiece and London Art Week as it provided too many logistical challenges with the overlap.”
LAW director Luce Garrigues.
So far, firms set to join for the first time include Connaught Brown of Mayfair, which has previously stood at Masterpiece, and Messum’s St James’s.
Launched in 2013, LAW has a traditional base in galleries around Mayfair and St James’s. However, it has recently expanded to South Kensington where it has a partnership with the arts hub Cromwell Place.
Stephen Ongpin, chairman of LAW, said the fact that it is held in galleries across central London – and not taking place in a tent – “works to our advantage”.
“We are in the fortunate position not to be restricted in terms of space, since most of our participants exhibit in their own galleries, hire a space in Cromwell Place or elsewhere, or share a gallery for the week, so there is scope for plenty of growth,” added Ongpin.
“We pride ourselves on LAW being a highly collegial event – run by dealers for dealers – and this year, as ever, will be committed to making sure that London will be putting on its best face as a key player in the international art market.”
Garrigues adds that the addition of new dealers “ties in with our desire to broaden the range of LAW exhibitors beyond paintings, drawings and sculptures to include decorative arts, furniture and rare books”.
Founded in 2013, LAW may not have the luxury-event reputation of Masterpiece or the venerable status of Olympia. However, it consistently hosts world-class shows and encourages international transactions.
Previous successes include a Triptych by the Master of the Krainburg Altar which Ben Elwes sold to the Cleveland Museum, and a black chalk drawing by Richard Wilson that Harvard Art Museums bought from Guy Peppiatt.
Since the days of lockdown, LAW has also built up its digital brand. Participants’ offerings are exhibited on dedicated pages.
LAW makes the most of its web presence with its March event Art History in Focus, an online talks programme which runs from March 22-31.
