A new Photography Museum is to open in London’s East End near the White Chapel Gallery. Swedish photography curator Fotografiska’s first gallery outside Stockholm has agreed on a deal to move into property developer Derwent’s new buildings in the area. The building was used as one of the venues for Art Night which took place in July.
“Whitechapel is one of London’s most dynamic areas. It will be a perfect location for Fotografiska.”
Fotografiska, which already runs a photography museum in Stockholm, will take the whole of the second phase of a Derwent development in Whitechapel The ambitious new project will be called the London Museum of Photography. Fotografiska, currently runs a private museum of photography on the waterfront in Stockholm opened in 2010.
Fotografiska will occupy the new White Chapel Building located close to the Whitechapel Gallery. According to Derwent London, the property investment company that owns the building, “Fotografiska will occupy the whole of Phase two comprising 89,000 sq. ft on a 15-year lease”. Completion of phase two is scheduled for next year.
Tommy Rönngren, chairman of the Fotografiska board, says in a statement: “Fotografiska has for a long time been searching for suitable facilities in London, one of the world’s most dynamic cities when it comes to photography. Whitechapel, which is one of London’s most dynamic areas, will be a perfect location.” A spokesman for Fotografiska declined to comment further on the London outpost.
Fotografiska the Stockholm-based 5,500 sq. m centre for contemporary photography was founded by brothers Jan and Per Broman. The gallery is based in a former Art Nouveau building; the SKr250m (£24m) restoration was funded by the city of Stockholm. It hosts four major temporary exhibitions annually, and has organised shows dedicated to artists such as David LaChapelle, Irving Penn, and Helena Blomqvist.
Meanwhile, the publication Commercial Observer reports that Fotografiska will also lease a 45,000 sq. ft space in New York on Park Avenue South. The building, located near Gramercy Park, is owned by the company RFR Realty.