I’m in London for a couple of days, and I unexpectedly had more free time today than originally planned. Judith Clute suggested that we go and consume some culture, as they would say on Galactic Suburbia. So I allowed myself to be educated, and we went to an art gallery.

To be precise, we went to the Saatchi Gallery on King’s Road, near to Sloane Square tube station. It is an amazing place. The building it occupies is a former military barracks called the Duke of York’s HQ. Presumably it is where the ten thousand men lived when the grand old fellow wasn’t marching them up and down hills. But inside it is thoroughly modern, all glass and steel. And the lighting is fantastic. Clearly a huge amount of effort has gone into thinking about how art can best be displayed. I particularly love the fake skylights that make it look as if the galleries are bathed in natural light.

The exhibition is called Gesamtkunstwerk, which apparently means “total art”, and features a selection of works by many of the most talented of Germany’s young artists. As I generally find with modern art, some of the pieces were amazing, and others left me completely cold. Unusually, the Saatchi Gallery allows photography inside the exhibitions, so I’ve been able to share photos of some of my favorite pieces with you. There’s even one containing a working train set, just for Kevin.

On our way back to Sloane Square Judith and I stopped off at Holy Trinity Church, which is an absolute must visit location for anyone who is a fan of William Morris and similar artists. I have included one photo of that as well.

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