How the Mayor Gallery Has Helped Define Contemporary Art for 100 Years

"In the story of art history-the art and artists, movements and trends-a select number of galleries have played a defining role in the evolution and trajectory of art itself. Among them, the Mayor Gallery in London is surely one, as it has maintained a position fostering and promoting some of the most significant developments in art for an astounding 100 years."

"On view through February 20, 2026, " Celebrating 100 years - Part 2: European Art " showcases post-war European artists who reinvented technical and thematic approaches to artmaking through interrogations of medium, form, and perception. With movements like ZERO, Arte Povera, and Concrete art represented, and including work by over a dozen artists like Armando, Lucio Fontana, François Morellet, Man Ray, and more, the show offers a comprehensive glimpse into the dramatically shifting art world in the shadow of World War II."

"Established in 1925 by Fred Mayor, the Mayor Gallery was one of the first to introduce the European avant-garde and international Modernists to the United Kingdom. Staging some of the first exhibitions in England of Alexander Calder, Paul Klee, and Joan Miró, just to name a few, the Mayor Gallery quickly established itself at the forefront of Modern art. In 1973, following the death of Fred Mayor, his son James Mayor took the helm of the Mayor Gallery and the mantel of its mission."

The Mayor Gallery in London has fostered and promoted major developments in art for 100 years and is presenting a three-part exhibition series revisiting its history. "Celebrating 100 years - Part 2: European Art" (on view through February 20, 2026) showcases post-war European artists who reinvented technique and themes through interrogations of medium, form, and perception. Movements represented include ZERO, Arte Povera, and Concrete art, with works by Armando, Lucio Fontana, François Morellet, Man Ray, and others. The gallery was established in 1925 by Fred Mayor and introduced the European avant-garde and international Modernists to the UK. James Mayor assumed leadership in 1973 and published a 2020 multi-part editorial recounting major moments from 1973–1990.

Read at Artnet News