Back to art, back to reality

The galleries are opening again and it’s exciting times. Never before did I think I’d go over three months without seeing art in person. In swept the pandemic and now, ever so slowly, the galleries and museums are starting to open up again. It’s so refreshing to be at galleries again and I wanted to share my experiences of it so far, having made four separate trips to see galleries.

Getting there

At first I was worried about public transport so I only drove to locations, firstly into West London to see a few galleries and then to a sculpture park in Farnham. After that I did make two trips into London on the Underground.

Wearing the face mask felt uncomfortable, especially given I’m an asthmatic, but you get used to it if it’s not for too long. Though it’s worth noting many galleries require a face mask as well.

Thankfully travelling off peak on a Tuesday meant I had a bank of seats to myself on the Northern line, both travelling in and out of London.

The artist’s room at Ordovas was one exhibition I visited during my Tuesday trip into Mayfair

When I travelled in on a Saturday it was a tad busier and the Victoria line was worse than the Northern. However, if a train ever felt too busy I would simply wait for the next one where there was enough room to socially distance.

One of my biggest concerns was the practical issue of access to a bathroom, given not all galleries will let you use theirs. Thankfully the lockdown loo website is one step ahead and is ready to provide some relief.

Accessing the galleries

This is the trickier element as for most galleries you do need to book an appointment ahead of time, and I’ve had a few incidents of emailing and not getting a response - in only one instance did it mean there was nobody there to let me in. There were also a few where it wasn’t clear an appointment was needed, but given they weren’t busy they simply signed me in.

Some like White Cube, Mason’s Yard have a one way system for going around both floors. Though I did disrupt that a little by going back to the first room before exiting and they had to check it was clear before I went back in.

The clever systems and signs they have at Marian Goodman Gallery

Marian Goodman also had a neat system of a red light warning you not to go upstairs or into the screening room if it’s at capacity. I assume it’s manually operated, rather than some fancy motion sensing technology, though it’s a nice touch.

It’s worth noting that many galleries are operating reduced hours and that means many in Mayfair and Soho aren’t open on Saturdays yet, so wouldn’t fit into my usual Saturday of gallery wanderings. I had to take a Tuesday off and head into town to see all the shows I wanted to see in one visit.

The National Gallery

This is the first major institution to open to the public and I had a sneak peek on the weekend before it opens to the public.

Until the pandemic I took for granted that on any day I could hop on the Underground and see works by Monet, Rembrandt, Turner, Van Gogh and so many more for free. To re-visit these old acquaintances was a real treat and it made me realise how much I’d missed it.

The one way system is intuitive and the three set out routes are relatively easy to follow, though I did get sidetracked a couple of times. Visits must be pre-booked for free to control numbers. Yes it will be strange to book to see something we’re used to simply rocking up and seeing. On the plus side it will be a lot quieter and that’s a great way to appreciate all these masterpieces without having to battle through hordes of tourists.

A quiet and peaceful visit to The National Gallery before it opens to the public again.

Afterwards I walked across to the Garden Museum to see their excellent new Derek Jarman exhibition. That was not an intense day, at least not by my usual art Saturday wanderings, though I was shattered afterwards. I’m clearly out of practice, though the anxiety of masking up and social distancing may have added to the tiredness.

What next?

I’m planning to slowly get into the swing of things again and plan to see more shows and galleries once they open up again. Most have announced opening dates, though we’re still waiting on the South Kensington museums and The British Museum to give us a date.

Here’s to seeing more art and exhibitions in the coming weeks and months. Though I imagine it will be quite some time before we get back into the regular rhythm that was the thriving London art scene pre-pandemic.