All the best art moments from Soho House in 2022

Art has always been an integral part of the Soho House vision. It’s not only about Soho House’s global art collection, which is one of the biggest privately owned assemblages in the world, but also the growing international community of artists. 2022 has been a big year for international art fairs and showcases, with many returning for the first time since 2020. We were also lucky to host our many art collaborators, artists and members during Frieze London, Gallery Weekend Berlin, Paris+, and Miami Art Week.  

To round up an eventful year, we have asked our Global Director of Art, Kate Bryan, to pick her highlights – from acquisitions and art at the newly opened Houses to international fairs and events. 

Brighton Beacon collection

‘It was a very special moment for me to see the Brighton Beacon collection unveiled this summer. Featuring an international line-up of LGBTQIA+ artists and lovingly assembled by guest curator Gemma Rolls-Bentley, it became a landmark collection and one of the only permanent queer art collections in the UK.’ 

Venice Biennale

‘Venice Biennale felt different this year and I hope it’s remembered as a moment when inclusion and a revisionist approach to art history became the norm. The Milk Of Dreams was impeccably curated by Cecilia Alemani, with a selection of 200 artists from 58 countries and the largest ever percentage of women artists (over 80%). It was surreal, epic and gave me a strange feeling of looking back into a different version of the past with an urgent consideration of the future.’ 

Little House Balham

‘I live near Little House Balham in south London, so it’s always going to be a particularly satisfying art collection for me, mainly because I see it so often in my downtime. I love Miranda Forrester’s ceiling art, the first of its kind in the collection and beautifully painted panel by panel in her home in the early period of having a newborn with her partner. Seeing the artists in the Houses always makes me feel good, and I’m not sure I’ve ever gone to this House and not bumped into someone like Flora Yukhnovich and other artists based nearby.’

Art Basel Miami artist lunch 

‘Bringing artists together for what we like to call thoroughly unproductive meals is such a distinct kind of pleasure, and this year’s annual artist lunch during Miami Basel was one of our largest yet. With more than 90 people seated at a long table in the beach tent, it was a special moment to reconnect after the distance imposed during the pandemic and for emerging names to hang out with legends like Hank Willis Thomas.’

Soho House Nashville collection 

‘Soho House Nashville opened at the start of the year, and although the art scene is small we were keen to keep the collection locally focused – every work was acquired from an artist born, based or trained in the city. What quickly began to emerge in a way that’s more obvious than larger arts centres, was that the House was acting as a strong anchor and focus for the artists in the collection who kept telling us this was the first place they would regularly meet their peers and forge new relationships. It’s a huge privilege to play a small part in bringing artists together.’

Diedrick Brackens 

‘It’s hard to pick out one acquisition when we have made well over 2,000 this year, but we were very excited to acquire a Diedrick Brackens for Holloway House. I have admired his work for some time and was delighted when his extraordinary tapestry was installed. As one of the most in-demand artists of his generation, it means a lot for Soho House to be the custodians of one of his museum-worthy pieces.’