Red Gallery LDN, formerly situated in the heart of Shoreditch, held a 30,000 square ft space for nearly 10 years through a tenancy-at-will agreement with their landlords, the Forbes-listed Reuben Brothers. Created by the fork of Old Street and Great Eastern Street and forming a spearhead on the edge of East London, the site was already huge presence facing the City; perhaps it was this that enabled Red Gallery to become the figurehead of a movement that made East London the cultural and economic powerhouse it is today. The site now houses the art'otel.
"Sometimes we had a lease with 7 days’ notice, sometimes 3 months, The longest was 6 months. In the end we were there for 10 years. It was this immediacy that drove and my team to curate an expanding archive of of international club culture and subcultural movements (ourhistory). In the end I produced and curated about 20 exhibitions.”
At the helm of Red Gallery, Ernesto Leal would develop an extraordinary programme - the extent of its remit and influence was vast. Its DIY ethos innovated the gallery format into a dynamic, community-driven space, nurturing strong European connections that extended its reach to an international audience.
“We were a collective, placing creativity and the local community at the heart of the project. We put on on multi-disciplinary exhibitions and events, spanning art, photography, visuals, installations, sound art, graffiti, design, live art, literary soirées, theatre, symposiums and film screenings; we supported cutting-edge music and arts, from dance music to experimental and beyond; we hosted community workshops and university graduation shows; above all, we nurtured a space for inclusivity and collaboration.”
As a creative hub and business incubator, Red Gallery would offer one of the first co-working spaces in the region, ahead of the Google Campus and WeWork; Soundcloud was among the first tenants to move in.
In time, the Red Gallery ethos would be energetically applied to every single space in and around the already imposing building, resulting in massive visibility and impact. The building’s exposed façade provided a canvas for promoting street art of distinction (Banksy, Roa, Eine, Thierry Noire), attracting over 1000 visitors daily; its rooftops were one of the first to join the Urban Beehive programme; and its sizeable carpark was transformed into Last Days of Shoreditch in 2010.
“We teamed up with The Star group and Night Tales to pioneer an original idea of mixing street food with art, family-friendly events and night-time culture, promoting London’s most forward-thinking food traders and curated DJ lineups. We set a regional standard for public safety and residential relations by working closely with the police, fire service and Hackney Council to provide a valuable resource for the community. Red Gallery was one of the founder members of the NTIA, an organisation advocating in the interests of the Night-Time Industry.”
Last Days Of Shoreditch would become a destination of sight, sound and taste, visited by those from far and wide.
