Contemporary Art London Reviewed

Vyner ST is in Bethnal Green, East London and is the hotbed of cutting edge contemporary fine art in London. You'll find other fine art galleries showing interesting fine art throughout London, centrally and in West London.

In East London, you'll locate a small enclave of fine art galleries. Arriving at Bethnal Green Tube and after walking for about ten minutes along Cambridge Heath Road is Vyner ST. Upon arriving, there exists nothing to suggest you will discover fine art galleries here.

Upon entering Vyner ST there can be a garage on the appropriate hand side specialising in repairing black cabs and the overall feeling is one of neglect. Slowly you start to get the picture. The galleries here are all hidden in unmemorable buildings with iron bars over the windows and it can be only the door buzzer displaying the gallery name that gives the game away. Walking past them; Madder 139, Kate Macgarry and Nettie Horn to mention but three walking further along it even becomes a bit creepy.

Arriving at the end of Vyner ST you see Wilkinson. The perception that all East London contemporary fine art galleries have corroding brick function and barred windows is shattered. This magnificent gallery is like no other building in the area. It seems surreal to locate such a structure in these surroundings; the ultra modern facade of Wilkinson is something to behold.Contemporary art London is really growing.

Pressing the buzzer and the immense black door swings open. The inside can be a shell made up of customary "white space." On the upper level there exists an exhibition of the function of Renzo Martens. You'll find numerous sofas and a projector, the exhibition isn't of paintings but can be a film and the theme is "enjoy poverty." It truly is a magnificent film.

Martens trys to bring across an notion, namely the western world trying to turn African poverty into a commodity; photographers taking pictures of malnutrition and despair and selling them to the media; UNICEF giving rain covers to use as roofs on shelters, yet somehow the covers all have the UNICEF logo on them, like some kind of corporate sponsor. It truly is a really clever, well thought out and excellent exhibition. Hopefully Vyner ST will remain a vibrant hotbed of fine art for years to come with many a fine contemporary art gallery London.