Poetry of place

Is London a model city or a sink of iniquity? Defining things in terms of extremes is of course a typical dialectical strategy intended to stimulate discussion. London is a melting-pot, a vast stew of energies and lassitudes, of good and evil. In this exhibition we are offered a taste of how artists respond to its present-day reality: ten contemporary painters and one sculptor interpret London as she lives and breathes. Subtitled ‘A Provocative Exhibition’, this display has been put together by Mireille Galinou of the London Arts Café. It’s worth a visit, not because it will resolve any debate about the state of the capital, but because it features some rather good painting and serves to draw attention to one of the city’s all-but-invisible treasures — the Guildhall Art Gallery.

Once you’ve passed the security guards and had your luggage X-rayed (getting into this museum is like boarding a plane), proceed downstairs.