Imagine owning a piece by Yayoi Kusama. Victoria Miro Gallery makes dreams like this a reality for some. It is a British contemporary art gallery. Victoria Miro herself runs it.
Victoria Miro first opened her gallery in 1985. The original location was in Cork Street. Later, in 2000, the gallery moved to Islington. It found a larger space there. Eventually, a second space opened in St George Street, Mayfair.
The Victoria Miro Gallery we see today on Wharf Road is impressive. It is housed in a converted Victorian furniture factory. The space is huge at 10000 square feet. This is ten times larger than the original Cork Street gallery. Trevor Horne, the conversion architect, kept some original features. He saved the worn staircase and rough roof beams.
Before the conversion, a group show attracted 4000 visitors. The Cork Street gallery would have needed six months to attract that many.
Victoria Miro’s move to Wharf Road was strategic. Glenn Scott Wright, her co-director, noted the area’s “buzz.” Other galleries were following suit. Rents in the West End of London were quadrupling. Gerard Goodrow, a Christie’s curator, called Miro a leading figure. She made the East End the center of contemporary art in London.
The gallery’s yearly turnover is in the tens of millions of pounds.
One notable exhibition at Victoria Miro Gallery was Chris Ofili’s “The Upper Room”. It featured 13 paintings of rhesus macaque monkeys. David Adjaye designed a purpose-built room for the paintings. Adrian Searle, from The Guardian, urged the Tate to buy it. In 2005, the Tate acquired the work. It became the centerpiece of a new display at Tate Britain.
In 2013, Victoria Miro Gallery expanded. A second space opened in St George Street, Mayfair. It was in a converted bank office. Claudio Silvestrin designed the space. Michael Drain served as the project architect. Then, in 2017, Victoria Miro Gallery went international. An exhibition space opened in Venice. It was in the former Galleria il Capricorno. The building dated back to the 17th century.
Victoria Miro represents many living artists. These include Doug Aitken and Njideka Akunyili Crosby. Others are Jules de Balincourt and Hernan Bas. Varda Caivano and Verne Dawson are also represented. You will find Peter Doig and Stan Douglas here. Elmgreen and Dragset add to the list. There is also William Eggleston and Inka Essenhigh. The gallery manages artist estates too. These include Alice Neel and Paula Rego. Francesca Woodman’s estate is also managed by the gallery.
Victoria Miro has nurtured British talent. Idris Khan and Conrad Shawcross are among them. The gallery’s roster includes Turner Prize winners. Chris Ofili and Grayson Perry are on that list. Turner Prize nominees include Peter Doig and Ian Hamilton Finlay. Isaac Julien is a nominee as well.
Victoria Miro participates in many art fairs. These include Paris+ par Art Basel and Frieze London. You can also find them at The Armory Show. They attend Art Basel Miami Beach too.
So as you stand before Victoria Miro Gallery. Remember its journey. From a small space on Cork Street to an international presence. Victoria Miro has shaped London’s contemporary art scene.