MOT International, formerly MOT Gallery, was a

contemporary art Contemporary art is a term used to describe the art of today, generally referring to art produced from the 1970s onwards. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a ...

gallery in east London run by Chris Hammond. It opened in 2002 and closed in 2016.

History

The MOT gallery was founded in 2002 by Chris Hammond, Floyd Varey and Mally Mallinson.Waddell, Heather (2006). ''London Art and Artists Guide'', 10th edition, p. 156. London Art and Artists Guide. , It was run as an "independent space and curatorial project". In August 2002, as the first of two projects taking place during that summer, Louise Harris showed new works, which addressed a subject via a particular medium, including watercolours of blondes, landscape images made from felt and abstract collages with paper on the theme of sex. In 2005, Hammond curated Shezad Dawood's ''Paradise Row''.Grimshaw, Chloe. '' The Independent on Sunday'', "Interiors: Welcome to Paradise", 19 June 2005. Retrieved fro
findarticles.com
28 January 2009. Dawood bought a run-down Georgian house in Paradise Row,

Bethnal Green Bethnal Green is an area in London, England, and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in east London and part of the East End of London, East End. The area emerged from the small settlement which developed around the common la ...

and renovated the property with the interior being white throughout. It was then put up for sale through an estate agent, Blake Stanley, the result being simultaneously an art exhibition and a conventional property vending. Hammond said, "Fantasy is really important, both in terms of architecture and where you want to live. Architecture is all about a projection of where you want to live, it's about imagining space that doesn't actually exist yet." Although the initial idea was a hoax to confuse the estate agent as to the nature of the enterprise, he took to it as a good marketing venture to local creatives and a novel way to enhance his new business. In July 2006, MOT invited Shai Ohayon to curate "The Real Canadian", a group exhibition featuring emerging Canadian artists Elizabeth Fearon, Jason Kronenwald and Robert Waters. In December 2006, the PM Gallery in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada, presented ''Bubble & Squeak'', curated by London-based Shai Ohayon, to showcase artists who had been exhibited at MOT. Also in 2006 the gallery was renamed to MOT International and was incorporated as a limited company"MOT INTERNATIONAL LIMITED"
"Companies House", Retrieved 2 September 2016 In 2007 Iwona Blazwick chose Elizabeth Price's film ''At the House of Mr X'' (2007), shown at the gallery, for her most significant show and artist of the year for ''

Frieze In classical architecture, the frieze is the wide central section of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic order, Ionic or Corinthian order, Corinthian orders, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Patera (architecture), Paterae are also ...

'' magazine. The gallery's first location was at Unit 54/5th floor, Regent Studios, 8 Andrews Road,

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

E8 4QN. It was housed in Regent Studios, which is also home to the Transition Gallery and Five Years Gallery. The nearest tube station is

. In September 2011 MOT International opened its first location in Brussels on Rue Vandenbrandenstraat 1. The gallery was subsequently concurrently located at Avenue Louise and Place du Petit Sablon from spring 2013 until 2016."Notice timeline for MOT INTERNATIONAL LIMITED (05865714)"
"The Gazette", 25 July 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016 In April 2012 MOT International opened a new London location in Mayfair at 72 New Bond St. Curated exhibitions and projects continued at the original Regent Studios location which was renamed MOT International Projects. In early 2016 it was announced the gallery would be moving to a new central London location at 5 Babmaes St, St. James's that Autumn. Artists exhibited at the gallery include

Jeremy Deller Jeremy Deller (born 30 March 1966) is an English people, English conceptual, video and installation artist. Much of Deller's work is Collaboration, collaborative; it has a strong political aspect, in the subjects dealt with and also the Idealiz ...

, Liam Gillick, Martin Creed, Martin Kippenberger, Simon Patterson, Sarah Lucas, Matthew Collings, Matthew Higgs, and Mark Wallinger. Artists represented by the gallery in mid 2016 were:

BANK A bank is a financial institution that accepts Deposit account, deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital m ...

, Ericka Beckman, Simon Bedwell, Pavel Büchler, Braco Dimitrijevic, Karl Haendel, Susan Hiller, Seung-taek Lee, Liu Ding, Simon Mathers, Helmut Middendorf, Beatriz Olabarrieta, Dennis Oppenheim, Katrina Palmer, Elizabeth Price, Laure Prouvost, Dan Rees, Clunie Reid, Florian Roithmayr, John Russell, Marinella Senatore, Elisa Sighicelli, Ulrich Strothjohann, Amikam Toren, Ulay, Stephen Willats, Nil Yalter."MOT International Artists"
, "Artsy", Retrieved 2 September 2016 It received funding from the Arts Council of England. In July 2016 MOT International Limited was voluntarily wound up due to insolvency and went into liquidation.

Notes and references

External links

* {{webarchive , url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426070354/http://www.motinternational.org/ , date=26 April 2016 , title=Official website Defunct contemporary art galleries in London Media and communications in the London Borough of Hackney Art museums and galleries established in 2002 2002 establishments in England Tourist attractions in the London Borough of Hackney