Soho Unlocked by Dougie Wallace

Soho Unlocked by Scottish photographer Dougie Wallace explores a new era for one of London’s most iconic areas.

Wallace is internationally recognised for his long-term social documentary projects and distinct style of expressive street photography.

His ongoing project exploring Soho is on show at the Motel Collection Gallery, London, until October 2.

The exhibition charts the re-emergence of life in the pubs, clubs, theatres and streets of one of London’s most diverse areas.

Soho Unlocked

Soho has long-been at the epicentre of the global zeitgeist.

Its mix of edginess, sleaze and high class, combined with its ability to constantly change, creates a fascinating and fertile ground for social documentary.

Soho Unlocked captures a distinct new chapter in the history of London’s popular destination.

It starts to unfurl in July 2021 following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions on the entertainment and hospitality industries – Soho’s bread and butter.

After receding from public spaces during lockdown, Londoners, with a notable lack of foreign tourists and weekend trippers, started to descend on Soho once again for events.

To accommodate socialising under new conditions, several streets were closed to traffic.

This activated the area and, against the backdrop of social distancing rules, a new defiant spirit emerged.

Although Soho is cross-generational, there is nevertheless a dominant feel in Wallace’s work that a new generation has arrived, challenging old hegemonies.

If Soho is a precursor sign of our times, the future is rainbow: open-minded and inclusive.

Dougie Wallace

Dougie Wallace is an internationally-recognised social documentary photographer.

He has spent the last 10 years working on subjects as diverse as the Premier Padmini taxi drivers of Mumbai to the hen dos of Blackpool and the gentrification of London’s East End.

He has won numerous prestigious awards, exhibited as a solo artist and in group shows worldwide.

Wallace has featured in a wide range of professional and consumer media.

This includes being the subject of the coveted BBC TV documentary series, What Do Artists Do All Day?.

He has published seven critically-acclaimed books.

The Motel Collection Gallery

The Motel Collection Gallery is a new photography gallery in the heart of London’s East End.

It is dedicated to exhibiting the best in contemporary and modern photography.

Dougie Wallace: Soho Unlocked is on until October 2.

The exhibition is part of a series of events planned as part of a partnership between Spectrum Photographic, MOTEL, Crane Kalman Brighton and 123 London.