Established in 2015 and named after Peckham’s eponymous postcode SE15, Seen Fifteen is a space dedicated to contemporary photography, video and installation art. Launched as a series of acclaimed pop-up exhibitions in two derelict Victorian houses (Safehouses) in Copeland Park – from early 2016 it moved into a large, airy, white-bricked gallery on Bussey Building’s first floor.
The gallery’s curatorial focus lies within artists who work within photography’s ‘Expanded Field’, which crosses inter-disciplinary boundaries and experiments with non-traditional modes of display. Understanding the importance of a Peckham gallery address, and the community ethos of the occupants of Bussey Building / Copeland Park, director Vivienne Gamble operates the gallery in partnership with local gallerists South Kiosk and KitMapper.
Having spent close to a decade working in advertising, Vivienne opted for a life-changing move into the art world and, armed with an MA in History and Theory of Photography at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, set up Seen Fifteen. Alongside Jo Dennis, a Bussey based artist, Vivienne also co-founded the annual Peckham 24 at Copeland Park, a pop-up photography festival that tees up with the juggernaut that is Photo London.
With shows by emerging talent such as Alexander Mourant, Maya Rochat, Laura El-Tantawy and Ciarán Óg Arnold, Seen Fifteen is now a successful, thriving and welcoming space with a distinct voice amid London’s art scene.