City Racing
| Company type | Artist-run cooperative |
|---|---|
| Industry | Art gallery |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Founder | Matt Hale, Paul Noble, John Burgess, Keith Coventry, Peter Owen |
| Defunct | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Kennington, London , England, United Kingdom |
| Products | Art exhibitions |
City Racing was an artist-run venue established through squatting at Oval Mansions, Kennington, in South London, which operated between 1988 and 1998. The cooperative, created by artists Matt Hale, Paul Noble, John Burgess, Keith Coventry, and Peter Owen, utilized a former betting shop located near the cricket ground known as The Oval, from which the gallery derived its name. Over time, City Racing developed into a key platform for exhibitions and a nexus for emerging artistic talent.
History
The gallery was founded by Keith Coventry and Peter Owen as a means to showcase their art independently of the commercial galleries in London's West End, which were largely inaccessible to lesser-known artists. For the second exhibition, Matt Hale joined the initiative, staging it within the squatted betting shop that also served as Coventry’s workspace. Hale’s vision was to establish a polished "white-cube" gallery atmosphere.
Among the early participants were prominent figures such as Sarah Lucas and Gillian Wearing. The venue received financial support from the London Arts Board to sustain its activities.
Influence
In its later stages, City Racing achieved a degree of recognition from the mainstream art world and became regarded as an important stepping stone toward more commercially oriented galleries. It gained exposure through magazines like Time Out and City Limits, positioning it within London’s burgeoning alternative art movement. This attention culminated in a benefit event organized by Karsten Schubert. According to David Burrows, City Racing balanced aspirations for institutional acknowledgment with a commitment to its independent origins.
A comprehensive retrospective titled City Racing, The Life and Times of an artist Run Gallery was published by Black Dog. Additionally, in 2001, the Institute of Contemporary Arts presented an exhibition reflecting on the gallery’s decade-long history under the title City Racing 1988-98: a Partial Account.
See also
Further reading
- 2002 City Racing: The Life and Times of an Artist-Run Gallery John Burgess, Keith Coventry, Matt Hale, Paul Noble, Peter Owen Black Dog Publishing Ltd, [1]
External links
References
- Defunct art galleries in London
- English artist groups and collectives
- Artist cooperatives
- Art museums and galleries established in 1988
- Art museums and galleries disestablished in 1998
- 1988 establishments in England
- 1998 disestablishments in England
- Co-operatives in England
- Former squats
- Squats in the United Kingdom
- The Oval