John Hansard Gallery Verified listing

John Hansard Gallery is a major contemporary art gallery in Southampton, operated by the University of Southampton. Established in 1979, the Gallery emerged from the merger of the University’s fine art and photographic exhibition spaces, with its original home in a converted tidal model laboratory on Highfield Campus John Hansard. It was named in honour of benefactor John Henry Hansard, a patron of the visual arts, and has since gained recognition as one of the UK’s leading venues for contemporary art, selected as a partner in the Plus Tate network in 2015.

In May 2018, the Gallery relocated to the heart of the city centre within the newly developed Studio 144 arts complex, situated on Guildhall Square. This move—part of a £7.2 million collaboration involving Southampton City Council, the University, and Arts Council England—tripled its exhibition and public programming space, significantly expanding its capacity for large-scale shows, learning programmes, and partnership projects.

Today, John Hansard Gallery presents a dynamic programme of exhibitions, artist commissions, film screenings, workshops, talks, and community-led projects. Notable past exhibitions include the 2018 debut of ARTIST ROOMS: Gerhard Richter, and “Time After Time,” curated by long-time director Professor Stephen Foster, revisiting significant commissions by artists such as John Latham, Charlotte Posenenske, Caroline Bergvall, and Hamad Butt.