We want to celebrate and learn more about the characters driving the renaissance of the London gallery scene, and what better way than to resurrect THAT’s Interesting.
Last time we had Julia Gardener this time out we have Ilenia Rossi.
I am the founder and director of Ilenia, a gallery located in East London. The gallery’s focus is to present exhibitions of emerging and mid-career artists, many of whom have not yet been exhibited in the UK.
What’s interesting in Art:
I am very lucky to live in a city which hosts so many incredible museum shows. I’ve recently loved Monet and London: Views of the Thames at the Courtauld. Monet had planned to show these paintings in London during his lifetime but the project never materialised, until now. It was such a special experience to see all of these paintings together in a space so close to where they were originally painted.
What’s interesting in Design:
Concorde, a design duo from Milan. They are currently showing a new body of work at my gallery- a series of game tables made of domestic wooden objects, collected over the years and now assembled together to create a punkier and more playful version of this otherwise classic furniture object.
What’s interesting in Culture:
I have always been slightly obsessed with all things Japanese, from the food to ukiyo-e prints, Japanese pottery, and antiquities such as inro (the precursor of the handbag).
I recently rediscovered ukiyo-e prints after seeing the Van Gogh show at the National Gallery and reading the letters to his brother Theo, in which he discusses his interest in Japanese prints and their influence on his work. I am now planning a show of these at the gallery, so stay tuned!
What’s interesting in Style/ Fashion:
I like buying vintage clothes- right now I am in a Tom Ford era Gucci vortex- little black dresses, low rise skirts and crop tops, exotic leather handbags, strappy sandals etc.
I usually shop at Nordic Poetry, which is conveniently next to the gallery, Portobello market (on a Friday), and of course Vestiaire Collective. The absolute best place for inspiration is One of a kind archive.
What’s interesting in Tech:
Ray Ban Meta Glasses. An artist came to see me one day wearing these and I was almost shocked when she told me she could take pictures with her sunglasses– I had no idea such a thing existed until then! I still haven’t bought a pair but they would be a fun tech gadget for the summer.
What’s interesting in Music:
Rainbows by Radiohead is always a great album to listen to. I am anxiously waiting for Rosalia’s new album which is set to be released this year.
A museum show and a gallery show recommendation
Peter Hujar at Raven Row is such a beautiful exhibition of the artist’s photography, shown alongside a selection of works by his partners and friends- Paul Thek, David Wojnarowicz and Andy Warhol. I found the show to be deeply moving, intimate and beautifully presented.
I very much enjoyed the Mike Kelley show at Hauser & Wirth recently. His retrospective at the Tate was another highlight of mine this year.
I’m nominating Fatima Geffrin, managing director of the fashion label 16Arlington AND Matthew Peers who runs Wc2e 9ha
