Whitechapel Gallery

The Whitechapel Gallery, which was founded in 1901 to deliver great art to the people of the East End of London, is housed in a remarkable arts and crafts structure designed by Charles Harrison Townsend. It does not have a permanent collection but instead hosts a rotating series of exhibitions throughout the year. The program has featured art from Africa, India, and Latin America, as well as debuts by budding artists such as Pablo Picasso, Mark Rothko, and Jackson Pollock. The London Open, a triennial open submission competition held by the gallery, was recently renamed.

Tree of Life, Rachel Whiteread's magnificent commission for the building's front, was unveiled in June 2012 with help from the Art Fund. It is the artist's first permanent public commission in the UK, and it consists of clusters of leaves cast in bronze and plated in gold leaf that adorn the gallery's exterior. It's an Arts and Crafts pattern gracing the gallery's towers, and 'Hackney weed', the urban plants that grow on buildings in the region, were both inspirations for the piece.

Address: 77-82 Whitechapel High St, London E1 7QX
Website: https://www.whitechapelgallery.org/