Saving the landlord from business rates

• Artists as co-operative
• Site-specific group exhibitions
• Developing careers

Managed by a small, informal co-operative made up of artists, the ConTemporary Gallery took on premises on short-term licences, typically while new tenants were being found, and used them to curate group exhibitions which mixed site-specific work alongside a showcase of existing work.

For an exhibition in Hove’s old Post Office, this included sculpture made from postage stamps, work in situ on existing shop counters, and film projections in the building’s basement and vaults which were inspired by the spaces themselves.

In The Argus building, the basement of the former newspaper office housed paintings, sculpture and film alongside an installation of printed material in the pit left when the printing presses were removed.

These relatively small-scale shows highlighted the need for exhibition space in the city, while giving local artists and makers the chance to either showcase existing work or respond to a live brief to create new work. Each show was funded by the artists sharing costs.

By engaging artists to work alongside each other, create new work, and plan and curate exhibitions, the ConTemporary Gallery was able to deliver informal but highly effective professional development and many of the artists involved have used the skills learnt to strengthen their careers.
The project’s founder now runs an arts and interiors boutique in Saltaire as a full-time business.