To coincide with the International Year of Light, Gallery 286 has scheduled a number of exhibitions in which the use of light is the unifying factor. In January there were cutting edge holograms from Dora Tass and August Muth, alongside three-dimensional light paintings from Andrew Ryder’s Solstice Lights series, which became one of the gallery’s most popular ‘selfie’ opportunities of recent times.

In May Jonathan Ross has brought together Athens-based photographer Ziggy Hadjipateras with British artist Ben Yates and the results should prove spectacular.

Ziggy Hadjipateras’s collection of light photography is inspired by the natural process in which energy is absorbed by a substance and then slowly released as particles of light – comprising delayed timescales of re-emission associated with “forbidden” energy state transitions in quantum mechanics. The collection is the artist’s interpretation of the living energy matrix of Mother Earth and the sacred pathway to parallel dimensions and realities of existence. The ‘Phosphorescence’ pieces are meticulously produced, tweaked over many weeks in a creative process where each cut, each line and each reflection is carefully considered. The finish is also of the highest quality, in line with the artist’s own aesthetic: printed onto both Aluminium and Perspex to maximize the impact of colour and light.

Ben Yates’s installation, ‘The Electric Microcosm’ was inspired by a love of science, geometry, counter-culture and all things Japanese. In the past few years he has been working to produce a series of works best viewed in dark spaces. These pieces all involve electronics and provide their own illumination. He has a love of the aesthetics of electronics, particularly circuitry, to which he adds LED lighting, and a populace of tiny model people, reinterpreting the recycled circuit boards into sprawling cityscapes which are encased inside clear acrylic and glass coffee tables. They conjure a highly detailed glimpse into a colourful yet somewhat dystopian future, which double as practical pieces of modern furniture.

A Victorian townhouse in London’s Earl’s Court might seem an unlikely setting for such ultra contemporary works, but Gallery 286 is well known for its eclectic mix of artists and for being the champion of pioneering 3D media. After 17 years in business, 286 continues to surprise first time visitors with the delights on show in its domestic interior and to welcome back the regular visitors who help create the salon-like atmosphere.

The gallery has Open Days on Wednesdays May 20th and 27th, from 12.00 – 6.00pm. Viewing is by appointment at other times.