The Saatchi Gallery has always aimed to provide an innovative forum for contemporary art, presenting work by largely unseen young artists or by established international artists whose work has been rarely or never exhibited in the UK.

The audience for exhibitions of contemporary art has increased widely during the last ten years as general awareness and interest in contemporary art has developed in Britain.

When The Saatchi Gallery first opened eighteen years ago it was only those people who had a dedicated interest in contemporary art who sought out the gallery to see work by new artists. The audience however built steadily over the years, and the gallery now receives over 600,000 visitors a year and over 1,000 schools have organised student visits.

The Saatchi Gallery has worked with media sponsors on a number of shows including The Observer, The Sunday Times, the Evening Standard, The Independent on Sunday and Time Out.

Many artists showing at The Saatchi Gallery are unknown when first exhibited, not only to the general public but also to the commercial art world. Many of these artists are subsequently offered shows by galleries and museums internationally, so that in effect, the gallery operates as a springboard for young artists to launch their careers.