The Long Now: The Saatchi Gallery at 40

Interesting exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery marking 40 years of the groundbreaking gallery.

I liked the fact that the show blended iconic pieces which have been shown at the gallery over the years alongside new works by their established artists and work by new artists.

Spread over two floors this was quite a mix of work some of which I liked but some I didn't get. I discovered a lot of artists who were new to me such as Polly Morgan and her wall sculptures incorporating snake skin, John Squire's remarkable painting of a fragmented face and Chino Moya's wonderful small digital pictures set in settings reminiscent of the Renaissance in which the figures gently moved.

Classic pieces included Richard Wilson's "20:50", a room filled with recycle engine oil which messes with your mind. Evidently it has been shown in every iteration of the gallery. I liked the room bringing together two installations, Allan Kaprow's Yard, which presents a floor covered in tyres which you are invited to move and interact with, and Conrad Shawcross's "Golden Lotus (Inverted)" in which a car hangs from the ceiling and rotates with its headlights on. The two pieces went so well together.

My favourite piece however was a more traditional painting made in lockdown of the Thames by Henry Hudson using a technique called scagliola from 17th century Italy.

Closes 1 March 2026


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