There's more to London's art scene than white cube commercial galleries and massive museums, you know. A whole lot more...
Context, sometimes, is everything. Yes, most contemporary art galleries follow the White Cube model in order to place the emphasis on the work on show, but thankfully, by force of ideology or simple necessity, not every gallery is like this.
At the tail-end of 2010, the curators of Decima Gallery predicted that, with space in London at an all-time premium, artists and gallerists would have to get ever more innovative in their search for places to exhibit work. “We'll be seeing art shows in saunas, strip bars, health clubs, WI meetings, bus stops and maybe even trees,” they reckoned. And they're not far off. Here then is Spoonfed's guide to some of London's most oddly located galleries:
In the pub
Charlie Smith / Bun House
These are two of Spoonfed's favourite London art spaces and with good reason. Charlie Smith is one of the most consistently interesting and directional galleries in town and it's housed above The Reliance on Old Street. The Bun House, meanwhile, is the home of a pair of DIY Peckham art innovators, and located in a tiny room through the back of a classic old man's boozer.
Image credit: © Mariona Otero
In the cemetery
Intervention Gallery
Inside the crumbling Anglican chapel in the sprawling Kensal Green Cemetery is Intervention Gallery. Opened in June 2010, Intervention Gallery hosts a range of exhibitions, events, talks, screenings and workshops. A valuable and unique addition to the London art scene, in an area not exactly blessed with galleries. 
In the home
Kabin
There's lots of galleries in semi-domestic spaces, but Kabin is something a little bit different. Contemporary art collector Pasquale Guarracino has filled his Lewisham home with some of the most exciting works around right now – to such an extent that one wonders how he lives amongst it all. Visits are by appointment only and highly recommended: there's something amazing about seeing work in this unusual context. 
In the window
Vitrine Gallery / Bay Window Project
2010 saw the launch of two different galleries occupying nothing but vacant windows. Bermondsey Square is home to Vitrine Gallery, a 16-metre-long window that's 'open' 24 hours a day. Meanwhile, a bay window on Cleveland Street hosts micro-exhibitions put on by roaming arts organisation SybinQ.
In the toilet
Toilet Gallery / White Cubicle Toilet Gallery
Conceptual art is often derided as 'just a load of crap', but apart from the works of Chris Ofili, the proximity of art and excrement has never been so pronounced. Toilet Gallery consists of a converted public toilet in Kingston, whilst White Cubicle is actually in the toilets of the George and Dragon on Hackney Road.
In the subway
Subway Gallery
Nothing to do with the foul-tasting sandwich place that's taking over the UK, Subway is in fact an art gallery situated in the subway below the Edgware Road and Harrow Road crossing. Established in 2006, the space itself is a 1960s glass-walled kiosk that plays host to a series of monthly exhibitions.
In the carpark
Bold Tendencies
Just a boring old multi-storey carpark somewhere in Peckham? Well it was, until back in 2007 Hannah Barry decided to launch Bold Tendencies. Consisting of outdoor sculpture and a Campari bar on the roof of the carpark, Bold Tendencies has put Peckham, its art scene, and its carparks, firmly on the map. 
In the crypt
Crypt Gallery
Beneath the imposing presence of the St Pancras Parish Church lies the Crypt Gallery. Cold and damp and dark, it's a maze of corridors, alcoves, old family vaults, broken masonry and wonky flooring. And it also plays host to art shows. Sometimes the setting overwhelms the work, but sometimes – in recent shows by Tessa Farmer and Andrew Rafferty – art and space combine with unforgettable results
In the hairdresser
Flaxon Ptootch
Flaxon Ptootch is a designer hairdressers with steep prices, wiggy 'artistes' on the scissors, pounding house music and everything you'd expect from a trendy North London 'salon'. Plus it is a party venue and an art gallery. You can see some great shows here and the parties are good... but it's also a surreal experience, beyond any parody. 
In the train station
Banner Repeater / Art on the Underground
In 2009 Ami Clarke set up a contemporary art space on platform 1 of Hackney Downs overground station. With exhibitions, talks, a reading room and a regular programme of publications, Banner Repeater is a strange but valued addition to the area - credit to Hackney Council for letting this one fly. It certainly beats the patronising pap so often commissioned by Art on the Underground. 
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