The opening of the newly refurbished Gasworks artist residency space in Vauxhall, south London, has reignited the debate about whether artists and small-scale arts organisations can afford to stay in the capital. The redeveloped venue, which was unveiled in 1994, opens today (24 September) with enlarged exhibition areas and increased studio space.
The renovations began after Gasworks management decided to purchase the building freehold from the owner for £1.1m, a move that means the organisation is on a firmer footing, says the director Alessio Antoniolli. He says: “Purchasing the freehold of Gasworks is a milestone that has secured our future at a time when artists are being priced out of London and smaller art spaces are struggling with rising rents and short leases.”
The refurbishment and freehold purchase cost £2.1m in total. Funders included Arts Council England which awarded a £1.2m grant. Gasworks alumni including Lynette Yiadom-Boakye and Chris Ofili donated works to a fundraising auction held at Christie’s in 2013, which raised £229,200.
As part of the redevelopment, overseen by the Colchester-based practice HAT projects, two new studios have been created for London-based artists, making 13 in total. A new education and events space is another new feature. The first solo show in the expanded exhibition gallery is dedicated to the South African artist Kemang Wa Lehulere (until 8 November).
Securing the freehold is a masterstroke, says Joe Scotland, the director of the Clapham-based, non-profit contemporary art organisation Studio Voltaire. “As the property market continues to grow and our lease agreements come up, we are going to be priced out of the city,” Scotland says. Many small arts venues lease buildings and are likely to pay a higher percentage of their turnover in rent.
The art organisation V22 provides studios for artists and workspaces for creative businesses across north and southeast London. Its director, Tara Cranswick, has mixed feelings about the transformation of south London. “It is only when artists are priced out of areas, and forced further and further out of the city, that we believe the effects of regeneration are deleterious, not only to artists, but to London's ability to remain an exciting and relevant city for contemporary art,” she says.
Gasworks has provided studio space and residencies for more than 300 international and local artists from 70 countries, including Yinka Shonibare and Goshka Macuga. It is also the main hub for the international Triangle network of arts organisations which champion emerging artists.