Chisenhale Gallery
London Learn more about what's on at Chisenhale Gallery and the artists shaping its programme.Chisenhale Gallery is a leading non‑profit contemporary art gallery in London’s East End, located on Chisenhale Road in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, near Victoria Park and the Hertford Union Canal. The gallery occupies the ground floor of a former industrial factory building, historically associated with CHN Veneers, a furniture and veneer manufacturer, which forms part of the broader Chisenhale Art Place complex shared with Chisenhale Studios and Chisenhale Dance Space.
Founded as part of an artist‑led initiative to convert disused industrial premises into affordable workspaces and a public gallery, Chisenhale Gallery has, since the early 1980s, developed a reputation for presenting ambitious contemporary art and supporting artists to produce new work. The gallery’s programme has grown out of this artist‑driven history, and it continues to be informed by a spirit of experiment and production: a place where art is made, not just displayed.
Chisenhale Gallery is known for its commissions‑based programme, working closely with UK‑based and international artists over extended periods to develop and produce new artworks for public exhibition, often marking significant moments in an artist’s practice. Research at Chisenhale Gallery encompasses long‑term curatorial enquiry, the gallery’s decades‑long history, and its current commissioning process, through which artists are invited to develop projects that respond to the social, historical, and material context of the gallery and its neighbourhood.commonpractice.
Located between Mile End and Bethnal Green stations, and forming part of Chisenhale Art Place on Chisenhale Road, the gallery offers an intimate, industrial‑warehouse environment that supports exhibition‑making, production, and public events, and remains free to visit during exhibitions.
Discover Chisenhale Gallery and its artist‑centred approach to commissioning, research, and community engagement on your next visit to East London.
Chisenhale Gallery FAQs
Where is Chisenhale Gallery located?
Chisenhale Gallery is located at 64 Chisenhale Road, London E3 5QZ, in Bow, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, close to Victoria Park and the Hertford Union Canal. It sits within Chisenhale Art Place, between Mile End and Bethnal Green Underground stations.
Who founded Chisenhale Gallery?
Chisenhale Gallery was founded in 1986 by a group of artists who established Arts Place Trust to convert a former veneer factory into studios and exhibition spaces. It officially became an independent charitable organisation under its current name later that decade.
Who founded Chisenhale Gallery?
Chisenhale Gallery emerged in the early 1980s from an artist‑led collective that transformed Chisenhale Works, a former factory building, into studios and a gallery. Artists negotiated a lease on the building, carried out the renovation work themselves, and established Chisenhale Studios and Chisenhale Gallery as part of what is now Chisenhale Art Place.
What kind of art does Chisenhale Gallery focus on?
Chisenhale Gallery focuses on contemporary art, with an emphasis on new commissions and artist‑led projects. It supports artists to develop and produce new work, often over an extended period of research and production, and presents solo exhibitions, commissions, and context‑driven projects by UK‑based and international artists at various points in their careers. The gallery also engages in research, publishing, and public events, connecting artistic practice with local and international audiences.
What are Chisenhale Gallery’s opening hours?
Chisenhale Gallery’s opening hours during exhibitions are Wednesday to Sunday, 12–6pm, with free entry. Office hours are listed as Monday to Friday, 10am–6pm. Visitors are advised to check the official website before attending, as opening times may vary outside exhibition periods or for specific events.
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