Contemporary art gallery Paradise Row has announced its return as a one-year, not-for-profit curatorial project, Paradise Row Projects, opening on September 15th. Paradise Row Projects builds on the legacy of Paradise Row, formerly based in East London between 2006 and 2014, which supported the work of London and internationally based artists. A registered Community Interest Company, Paradise Row Projects will raise awareness and generate funds for critical social and environmental issues. Charities and causes benefiting from the proceeds will be chosen by exhibiting curators and artists, selected in accordance with each show’s theme and content. Led by curator Nick Hackworth and collector and patron Pippa Hornby, the programme will bring compelling, ground-breaking group shows and cultural experiences rarely seen in London’s central gallery district, starting with:
Hawala (15th September – 29th October), a group exhibition exploring the parallels between Hawala, the originally South Asian trust and ledger-based money exchange system and blockchain technology. Artists will show both physical and digital works that will be presented as a single NFT with a smart contract engineered to facilitate collaboration and giving. Donated proceeds in aid of covid relief in India and Pakistan. Curated by Shezad Dawood.
Ka’a Body: Cosmovision of the Rainforest (4th November – 22nd December), an exhibition of contemporary Indigenous art from Brazil, comprising a physical show and digital festival, exploring the relationship between the body and territory, and the cosmologies of Indigenous cultures from the Brazilian rainforests of the Amazon and the Atlantic. The exhibition especially focuses on female makers and creatives. Ka’a Body will be the first international presentation of Indigenous art and culture from Brazil staged by an Indigenous curator. Donated proceeds in aid of Instituto Maracá and AmazoniAlerta. Curated by Sandra Benites and Anita Ekman.
“We revived Paradise Row as a one-year project to platform compelling art and culture, while showcasing a different model for a commercial gallery – one which explores some of the key social issues concerning practitioners today and intends to deliver social impact. We hope our project may serve as a pilot for the wider commercial art market in London and influence our peers in some of the ways they approach their social impact in the future.”
Nick Hackworth
Additional exhibitions will be announced throughout the year. The programme will culminate in summer 2022 with a Project Credit takeover, showcasing the best emerging spaces in London and bringing them to the heart of Mayfair.
The Mayfair home for Paradise Row Projects has been supported by property company Grosvenor Britain & Ireland enabling the initiative to maximise its potential to fundraise for its nominated causes. The interior redesign of the gallery’s new space in Mayfair is led by GOLEM in its debut UK project.
“We’re thrilled to be bringing a different type of programme to the heart of Mayfair, thereby opening the space to an audience that may not have traditionally been present. We hope our exhibitions will have a lasting impact on people’s imaginations and that we can bring something fresh to the collector scene here.”
Pippa Hornby
About Paradise Row
Launching in September 2021, Paradise Row Projects is a one-year, not-for-profit, curatorial project that showcases outstanding cultural projects, drawn from across London, the UK and the world, that foreground social and environmental impact. Each exhibition and event will be fundraising for specific, urgent, social and environmental needs and causes. The project is presented by curator Nick Hackworth and collector and patron Pippa Hornby. Paradise Row Projects is a registered Community Interest Company. The project builds on the legacy of Paradise Row, an emerging contemporary art gallery, founded by Nick Hackworth, that ran between 2006 and 2016 where Hornby was a Director. For information on Nick Hackworth, visit nickhackworth.com
About GOLEM
GOLEM engages with the digital and physical realms through various means such as visual art, architecture, stage design, augmented reality and text, reflecting its holistic approach to Design. The individuals behind GOLEM have acquired international experience in world-renowned design studios and Pritzker prize-winning architecture firms in Paris, Los Angeles, Kyoto, Tokyo, Haïti and Rotterdam. golem.jp
