The Photo London guide nobody asked for

Nobody asked for our Venice Biennale guide, but apparently, you loved it. Nobody asked for a Photo London one either, yet here you are.

Next week, the 9th edition of Photo London will kick off (16th-19th May). Expect a week of photographic discovery, some post-fair optical fatigue and to return home with a collection of prints and photo books you definitely didn’t need (but just couldn’t leave without).

We’re pretty into our photography at Plaster, so we’ve asked around our network for the best things to see, and where to shop, eat, drink and stay over the weekend.

TL;DR: here’s our Google Map. Use it or lose it.

See

Photo London

There’s a lot to see, and if you know Somerset House, you’ll know it’s easy to lose yourself. Start with the emerging artists and galleries in the Discovery section, curated by Charlotte Jansen. But what’s on the radar of Plaster’s creative directors? Finn Constantine is excited about work by Chloé Jafé (Galerie Echo 119), Kennedi Carter (Cierra Britton Gallery), Sakiko Nomura (Galerie Echo 119), James D Kelly (Guerin Projects), Joseph Rodriguez (Galerie Bene Taschen), Janez Korošin (Photon Gallery), Hüseyin Bahri Alptekin (Galerist) and Birgit Naomi Glatzel (Nüüd Berlin); David Spence is looking out for work by JK Lavin.

Photo London runs from the 16th to the 19th May. Tickets available here.

Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA.

Peckham 24

Peckham 24 takes place annually in Copeland Park, the industrial estate around the back of Peckham’s Bussey Building, and opens the same weekend as Photo London. For its 8th edition, the curatorial team (Emma Bowkett, Iona Fergusson, Vivienne Gamble and Raquel Villar-Perez) have set the theme ‘back to the future’. Featured artists include Alba Zari, Amin Yousefi, Eleonora Agostini, Rachel Maclean, Sunil Shah and more. Here, the crowd is a little younger, a little more laid-back, and much more likely to party. There are plenty of bars in the area, so if you’re in for a late one, start here.

Peckham 24 runs from the 17th to the 26th of May.

Copeland Park, 133 Copeland Rd, London SE15 3SN.

The Photographers’ Gallery

When The Photographers’ Gallery first opened in 1971, it was the only public gallery in the UK dedicated to the medium. Over the years, it’s shown the work of Juergen Teller, Sally Mann, Sebastião Salgado, Francesca Woodman, Catherine Opie, Martin Parr and more. Right now, it’s hosting the annual Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize show starring Vallie Export, Gauri Gill & Rajesh Vangad, Lebohang Kganye and Hrair Sarkissian.

The Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize continues until 2nd June.

The Photographers’ Gallery, 16-18 Ramillies St, London W1F 7LW.

Soft Opening

With his Anonymous Homosexual painting and moody black and white photos, Dean Sameshima is one of the most talked about artists in Adriano Pedrosa’s Venice Biennale exhibition. Now, an expanded version of the display is staged at Soft Opening. In ‘being alone’ he commemorates the slowly dying culture of gay porn cinemas – trench coats, glory holes and police busts – killed by hookup apps. For Sameshima, these spaces weren’t sleazy, rather they were somewhere to safely and anonymously explore sexuality and other men’s bodies.

Dean Sameshima ‘being alone’ continues until 8th June.

Soft Opening, 6 Minerva St, London E2 9EH6 Minerva St, London E2 9EH.

Gagosian

Some of Nan Goldin’s earliest photographs are being shown in a special exhibition at Gagosian’s shop in Burlington Arcade. Taken between 1972 and 1974, they show Goldin figuring out the subjects and styles that would come to define her best-known work, including her slide show The Ballad of Sexual Dependency (1985) – from domestic scenes with her queer friends to exuberant nights on the town at Boston’s premier drag club. From 30th May, Goldin will stage her three-channel projection, Sisters, Saints, Sibyls in London’s former Welsh chapel in Charing Cross, the second instalment of Gagosian Open.

‘Nan Goldin’ runs 14th May to 22nd June.

Burlington Arcade, 51 Piccadilly, London W1J 0QJ

10 14 Gallery

10 14 is the gallery and project space run by photo agency East. It’s headed by curator Jamie Allan Shaw, who’s also known for his photo book design and art direction under EYM Studio. The gallery is currently hosting ‘BUMPS’, an exhibition of the “tumultuous and euphoric” experience of youth, curated by photographers Lola Paprocka and Pani Paul of Palm* Studios and former i-D creative director Alastair McKimm.

‘BUMPS’ continues until Friday 14th June, by appointment only.

10 14 Gallery, 10-14 Crossway, London N16 8HX.

Michael Hoppen Gallery

Head to Michael Hoppen Gallery in Holland Park to see works by Japanese masters Masahisa Fukase, Noboyushi Araki, Gen Ōtsuka and Eikoh Hosoe. They’re collected together in ‘Okashi’, an exhibition of gallerist Michael Hoppen’s personal collection of Japanese art and ephemera. Shown together, they present a strange, dark, brooding, artistic vision of a country struggling to define its identity in the wake of the Second World War.

‘Okashi’ continues until 30th June.

Michael Hoppen Gallery, 10 Portland Rd, London W11 4LA

Flowers Gallery

Flowers gallery is known for its strong photography shows; Nadav Kander, Edward Burtynsky and Gabby Lauret are among those represented by the gallery. From Wednesday the 15th of May, video, still lifes and sculpture by the photographer and filmmaker Lisa Jahovic will be on display in the gallery’s Cork Street location.

Lisa Jahovic ‘The Third Drawer’ runs from from the 15 May – 22 June 2024

Flowers Gallery, 21 Cork Street, London W1S 3LZ

Italian Cultural Institute

‘What We Already Think We Know’ brings together a selection of photographs by five past winners of the Young Italian Photography | Luigi Ghirri Award: an open call competition that celebrates new and upcoming Italian photographers under the age of 35. This exhibition, curated by Ilaria Campioli and Daniele De Luigi, features the work of Marina Caneve, Giulia Mangione, Giulia Parlato, Iacopo Pasqui and Vaste Programme.

‘What We Already Think We Know’ runs from the 15th until the 31st May.

PV: May 14th, 6:30pm. RSVP required.

Italian Cultural Institute London, 39 Belgrave Square, London, SW1X 8NX.

National Portrait Gallery

Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron, two female photographers separated by seventy years and connected by their shared interest in pushing portraiture to its limits. Julia Margaret Cameron lived between 1815 and 1879, and in the late 1850s was an earlier adopter of the new technology of photography, photographing her children and family; Francesca Woodman was born in 1958 and died in 1981, in that short time she produced tens of thousands of negatives and hundreds of hallucinatory self portraits.

‘Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron: Portraits to Dream In’ continues until 16th June.

National Portrait Gallery, St. Martin’s Place, London WC2H 0HE

Swedenborg House

Depending on who you ask, the photographer John Deakin was either a fallen angel or the devil himself. Dekain’s “blistering personality, bad behaviour and total disregard for others” ruined careers and friendships, but resulted in some of the most revealing portraits of the century. His favourite subjects were the drinkers of The Colony Room in Soho: Francis Bacon, Frank Auerbach, Lucian Freud and the rest. This exhibition, curated by Iain Sinclair, shows rare original prints of Deakin’s work, originally owned by Francis Bacon, alongside art by Jock McFadyen, Susan Stenger and Anonymous Bosch.

‘Pariah Genius: John Deakin, The Psychobiography of a Photographer’ continues until 24th May.

Swedenborg House Gallery, 20-21 Bloomsbury Way, London, WC1A 2TH.

Shop

Offprint London

This annual fair of art and photo publishing, held in the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, is one of the biggest and the best in the country. It’s free entry and runs from Friday to Sunday. If you’re there to buy, go early; Friday afternoon if possible, that way you have the pick of the best books and the sellers won’t yet be suffering from fair fatigue. If you’re there to be seen (almost everyone is) go at the weekend. Don’t miss: Art Book Collection, Art Paper Editions, BOOKS Peckham, Claire de Rouen, Loose Joints, RVB Books and Witty Books.

Offprint runs from Friday 17th to Sunday 19th.

Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG

Reference Point

Reference Point is a library, bookshop, and private members’ bar just a short walk from Somerset House, that hosts weekly book clubs and chess nights as well as trendy magazine launches (does Plaster count?). Founded by Jonah Freud, it’s particularly popular with the more creative end of the sleb spectrum, who are sick of Soho House and looking for somewhere with more style and fewer estate agents. This weekend, photo publishers MACK and SPBH are taking over the space to host a series of unmissable talks, screenings and performances. On 14th Reference Point will host the launch of Plaster photographer Daniel Adhami will launch his debut book, Icon Stations

‘in-ter-play: a weekend of screenings, performance, and conversation’ runs from Saturday 18th to Sunday 19th May.

Reference Point, 2 Arundel St, Temple, London WC2R 3DA

IDEA

You’ve seen the ‘Out to Lunch’ hats, you’ve seen the ‘DRUGS’ bags, now pay a visit to the IDEA shop. The self-appointed “coolest publisher in the world” has recently opened a “secret-ish” shop at their Soho offices. It’s appointment-only, so drop them a line before you head along for vintage fashion mags and rare art books. Fully booked? They also have an outlet on the top floor of Dover Street Market.

IDEA, 101 Wardour St, London W1F 0UG

Climax Books

This art bookshop down Wardour Mews is bringing sex and sleaze back to Soho. Outside, it’s a dingy dead end, inside it’s movie posters, artist books and a killer collection of rare Japanese editions. The keen-eyed curation is down to Climax founder and former Dazed editor-in-chief Isabella Burley. Look out for Yayoi Kusama’s ORGY, Cindy Sherman prints, Nan Goldin’s photos of the Yellow Magic Orchestra in NYC and Cosey Fanni Tutti’s 18+ VHS tape, A Study in Scarlet.

Climax Books, 5 Wardour Mews, London, W1F 8AL

Donlon Books

A little history: in 1994, Conor Donlon moved from Ireland to England to study fashion at Central Saint Martins. After graduating, he worked as Wolfgang Tillmans’ assistant, where he was introduced to photo publishing. He soon set up one of London’s first art bookshops within Herald St. Gallery, and everything grew from there. Now, he’s over on Broadway Market. His shop is a reflection of his tastes – counterculture, fashion, zines, and theory all mixed up – you simply have to visit.

Donlon Books, 75 Broadway Market, London E8 4PH

Bayeux

If you’re here to see photography, chances are you’ll be shooting some too. Bayeux is Plaster’s photo lab of choice. It’s where the negatives for our features on Urs Fischer, Julie Mehretu, Slawn and Arlette were dev’d and scanned. Go, and tell them we sent you.

Bayeux, 78 Newman St, London W1T 3EP

Rapid Eye Darkrooms

If you’re in East London and looking for analogue supplies, then head to Rapid Eye. They have some of the cheapest 35mm and 120 film in the city. They dev & scan too. And if you’re really keen, you can even rent out space in their darkroom. While you’re waiting for your snaps, you can browse the bookshop or visit Photobook Café, just around the corner.

Rapid Eye Darkrooms, 79 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4QS

Food

Spring

Spring is the modern European restaurant run by chef Skye Gyngell in the New Wing of Somerset House. The restaurant specialises in seasonal, modern European cooking –  fruit and veg are its jam, and few do them better.

Spring, Somerset House, New Wing, Lancaster Place, London, WC2R 1LA

Toklas

A few roads down from Somerset House is Toklas, set up by Frieze founders Amanda Sharp and Matthew Slotover. As you might expect, it’s sleek and chic and features a number of artworks on the walls, – including a Wolfgang Tillmans. The restaurant’s menu is modern European: think negronis, olives, boquerones, puntarelle, rabbit pappardelle, monkfish, sorbet and choux. While the Toklas bakery makes the best fresh bread, patisserie and sandwiches in the city centre.

Toklas, 1 Surrey Street, London WC2R 2ND

Lasdun

The in-house restaurant of the National Theatre, just over the river from Somerset House. Lasdun was opened in May last year by Jon Rotheram, Tom Harris and John Ogier, the same team behind The Marksman in Hackney. If you’ve been there, you know the variety and quality to expect. Food critic Tim Hayward described it as “classic modern British, with that austere aesthetic that derives from St John and its descendants… I don’t just love Lasdun. As a Brit, I’m actually proud of it.”

Lasdun, National Theatre, Upper Ground, London SE1 9PX

Speedboat Bar

One of the newest and best Thai restaurants in Chinatown. Its odd name is down to the national passion for speedboat racing. The vibe is cool and casual while the food is cheap and spicy. It’s also one of the few late-opening restaurants in central (happy hour, 10pm-close) Café-style tables and cutlery, small plates of fried food and bottles of hot sauce. Order the chicken skin with zaep, black pepper sea bream, and pineapple pie with taro ice cream.

Speedboat Bar, 30 Rupert St, London W1D 6DL

Lin’s Restaurant & Bar

Near the Tate Modern? Avoid the tourist trap food vans alongside the south bank and visit Lin’s. One of the few genuinely independent restaurants in the area, and seriously cheap. Lin’s serves real Szechuan food: fish, tripe, cauliflower, liver. Sit in or takeaway.

Lin’s Restaurant & Bar, 134 Southwark St, London SE1 0SW

Rochelle Canteen

If you’re out in East London and looking for a decent lunch then get a table at Rochelle Canteen. The restaurant’s run by Margot Henderson (wife of Fergus Henderson, founder of St John). The menu is minimal and changes daily, but here’s a sample of what’s on this week: confit cod cheeks, asparagus and pecorino, braised courgettes, and hispi cabbage. If there’s a flat fish on the menu, forget everything and order that instead.

Rochelle Canteen, 16 Playground Gardens, London E2 7FA.

Zapote

If anyone says London doesn’t do good Mexican food, send them to Zapote and order them the native Bayo bean mole, yellowfin tuna tostadas, coal roasted sweet potatoes. As you’d hope, the cocktail menu is heavy on tequila and mezcal. You’ll find the restaurant on Leonard Street, straight across the road from Rapid Eye, and around the corner from Photobook Café.

Zapote, 70 Leonard St, London EC2A 4QX

Drink

Photobook Café

Perfect for a midday meet up. As well as serving good coffee, great brownies, and real pints, Photobook Café has an incredible, extensive collection of photo books, free to browse. If it’s missing from your library, it’s probably here. There’s also an exhibition space on the lower floor. Over the weekend, the café’s hosting, ‘Those Who Came Before Us’, an exhibition “celebrating the creative talents within Photobook Cafe.”

Photobook Café, 4 Leonard Circus, London EC2A 4DQ

The ICA bar

The Institute of Contemporary Arts isn’t just a gallery, cinema and bookshop, it’s also got a decent bar. It’s got a stripped-back look and Alvar Aalto furniture that contrasts nicely with the neo-classical galleries upstairs. The drinks aren’t too bad either. It’s often booked for events, so check ahead of visiting.

Institute of Contemporary Arts, The Mall, St. James’s, London SW1Y 5AH

The Kings Arms

If you’re hankering for a pint on the walk between Photo London at Somerset House and Offprint at Tate Modern, stop by The King’s Arms. It’s a small neighbourhood pub just behind Waterloo East station. Pints, crisps, a little room inside and plenty out on the street.

The Kings Arms, 25 Roupell St, London SE1 8TB

Dram Bar

London isn’t really a late night city, however if you’re looking for after-hours cocktails, there are a few city centre options. Dram, in Seven Dials, is a contemporary cocktail bar which specialises in whisky. The cocktail menu is short – the focus is on quality not quantity – but the whisky shelf is extensive.

Dram Bar, 7 Denmark St, London WC2H 8LZ

Freud Bar

Round the corner is Freud Bar. This daytime cafe, nighttime bar, sometimes gallery was a favourite of the art and publishing scene in the 1980s, and it still is today. On Fridays and Saturdays it’s open until 2am.

Freud Bar, 198 Shaftesbury Ave, London WC2H 8JL

Garlic & Shots

Garlic & Shots is exactly what it sounds like: a shots bar where “no dishes are served without garlic, you can always order extra garlic, but never less.” It’s worth the hangover.

Garlic & Shots, 14 Frith St, London W1D 4RD

Stay

The Standard

You can’t miss The Standard. The ten-storey tower stands directly across the street from King’s Cross and St Pancras stations. It’s a popular spot for its brutalist charm. It’s also renowned as one of the best hotel bars in the city. So even if you’re not checking in, you should probably check it out.

The Standard, 10 Argyle St, London WC1H 8EG

The London Edition

To the west of the city is The Edition. We like it so much that we hosted our launch party in its basement back in October. Yes, ok, the loos flooded, but that was one time…

The London Edition, 10 Berners St, London W1T 3NP

The Hoxton, Shoreditch

There’s nothing like the original, and the Hoxton’s first location in Shoreditch has been a mainstay since 2006. Despite its global expansion, it remains one of the coolest pit stops in London and a favourite hub for London’s creative set – not bad for a former car park.

The Hoxton, 81 Great Eastern St, London EC2A 3HU

Dean Street Townhouse

A home from home for much of London’s creative scene, Dean Street Townhouse (run by Soho House) is a classic of the genre, and a stone’s throw from Plaster HQ. With just 39 bedrooms, you’ll need to plan ahead. Bookings are open to everyone, however club members do get a discount.

Dean Street Townhouse, 69-71 Dean St, London W1D 3SE

Zedwell

Remember the capsule hotels of 1990s Japan? Well, London has its own at Zedwell. If you’re looking for sleep and no frills, distractions or windows, this is your spot. The hotel prioritises “sleep and wellbeing”, and is decked out in minimalist Scandi-chic rooms. You’ll find branches at Piccadilly Circus, Tottenham Court Road and Greenwich.

Zedwell, Great Windmill St, London W1D 7DH