A new london art space Emily Cooper Gallery is to open with When I take a hint, I take it pretty hard, a selection of works from UK artist Ryan Gander’s Phantom Ambition series. Initially exhibited earlier this year at Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Helga de Alvear, this marks the first UK presentation of Gander’s most recent speculative exhibition posters and the inaugural exhibition for the gallery.
Phantom Ambition unfolds as an accumulation of dreams. On sleepless nights, Gander curates an imagined exhibition populated by artists, writers, designers, and even celebrities. For every work, Gander develops a title, selects a venue, and assigns dates—sometimes in the past, other times in the future. Each poster is designed in the style of the institution it references, situating these fictitious exhibitions as though they might truly occur. Collectively, they form a sculptural archive of personal ambitions, with one poster displayed on the surface while the remaining forty-nine in the series lie layered and concealed underneath.
This process functions as a sort of conceptual melatonin for the artist, easing the persistent stream of thoughts that fill his waking moments. The resulting works become markers of what software developer Garth Kidd termed The Tetris Effect: a hypnagogic state where after-images of persistent waking activity dissolve into a fluid autosymbolism.
Launching the gallery programme, dealer Emily Cooper notes:
“This feels like the perfect moment to enter the market. In a climate of uncertainty regarding culture’s direction, we aim to safeguard the arts and advance exhibitions that remain thoughtful and tasteful amid so much horror. We are honoured to open with Ryan Gander, whose work affirms the imaginative resolve needed to meet the anxieties of the present.”
Emily Cooper Gallery is situated in an apartment in SE4 and is the second announcemnet this week of a new apartment gallery following on from Christopher Taylor’s announcemnet of his Parisiene apartment gallery.
Ryan Gander, When I take a hint, I take it pretty hard, October 7th – October 19th, 2025 Emily Cooper Gallery
Coinciding with Frieze London, When I take a hint, I take it pretty hard will be on view at Emily Cooper from October 7th-19th, 2025, by appointment or invitation only. A private view will be held on Tuesday, October 7th, 2025, from 6PM-8PM, RSVP required. Viewings/ appointments can be scheduled via info@emilycoopergallery.com.
