In many ways, the Tate has come to govern the London art gallery scene, but trust me when I say you will be missing out if you ignore the
Saatchi Gallery.
Considering the classy Sloane Square location, the free admission to all of the shows comes as a welcome surprise. But personally, I feel this is one occasion where it's worth forking out the £1.50 for the programme/guidebook. With a lack of information elsewhere, your visit will make a lot more sense!
If you're a traditionalist when it comes to art, then the Saatchi Gallery probably won't be for you. You will not find any of the 'classical' masters here, but you will find artwork that pushes the boundaries; sometimes more successfully than others.
Current highlights in the gallery include American duo, Guerra de la Paz's
'Nine' – a great jumble of old clothing propped up on a series of human legs and Aaron Young's
'Greeting Card 10a' where the swirling ribbons of colour running across 6 panels were etched out by the screeching tyres of 12 high-octane motorcycles.
By far the strangest exhibit must be in the basement.
'Old Person's Home' by Sun Yuan and Peng Yu consists of 13 electric wheelchairs occupied by eerily realistic old gentlemen. The life-like models are meant to represent an 'old-school establishment' which, very much like these listless geriatrics, has all but expired. The artists' hidden inferences aside, watching the old men and their awkward clashes is strangely captivating.
There's a distinct lack of the usual art-gallery stuffiness here and you can take a close look at the exhibits without being ushered back. Many people were openly taking photographs when I visited, though you should probably do this subtly.
Art galleries don't just have to be about being 'cultured' and Saatchi proves it. This gallery might make you laugh, give you the creeps or make your head hurt (via the optical illusions or just pure bafflement) but one thing's for sure – you won't forget a trip here for a long time.
