Stars shine at White Cube opening

YBAs, models and rock stars mingle at new gallery launch

Michael Stipe, Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst and Lily Cole were among the guests at the opening of White Cube Bermondsey, South London on Tuesday night. The gallery is the latest addition to Jay Jopling’s White Cube which originally opened in 1993 in St James's, Piccadilly. Bermondsey is the largest commercial gallery space in Europe.

Movers and shakers of the art world mingled in the large forecourt drinking champagne and eating hot dogs before entering the £15 million warehouse conversion through huge glass doors.

Damien Hirst at the opening of the new White Cube Bermondsey gallery

White Cube Bermondsey's impressive inaugural show ‘Structure & Absence’ includes works by Agnes Martin, Robert Ryman and Jeff Wall. It also featured one of Jacob Kassay’s fantastic mirrored canvases which proved a popular talking point and was constantly surrounded with spectators getting up close and personal (Kassay had his own opening to attend at the ICA the same night).

Other guests included the art world’s favourite duo Gilbert & George in characteristic matching tweed suits and Sam Taylor-Wood with fiancé Aaron Johnson.

Gilbert and George at the opening of the new White Cube Bermondsey gallery