In less than five years, Zabludowicz Collection — Anita and Poju Zabludowicz's private art foundation in a former North London Methodist church — has become a flagship for emerging young talents. Best known for its large group exhibitions curated with and around works from the collection, Zabludowicz Collection will widen its scope from next January with the inauguration of Zabludowicz Collection Invites, a new program of solo shows dedicated to U.K.-based artists not yet working with a commercial gallery.
"With the previous organization, we would have an opening in March and then none until July, so I felt that we weren't really optimizing the building, nor the energy we have," said exhibition curator Ellen Mara De Wachter, who is spearheading the project. "I felt it would be really great to operate on a different speed, and seize the opportunity to work with artists at a really crucial stage of their career, before they get involved with gallery representation and the market."
"While our main program is really premised on artworks that are already in the collection, this is not," she continued. "This is premised on artists who we think are really interesting, and would benefit very much from this platform." The new program will operate as an independent project space, complete with its own visual identity — not as a complement to the main strand of exhibitions. "I see them initially as separate things," De Wachter said, "but I think conversations will arise." The strict U.K. focus "has to do with wanting to work very closely with the artists," she added. "It's about working together, not just showcasing."
Zabludowicz Collection Invites will start with multimedia artist and performer Benedict Drew, followed by Anthony Green, Hannah Perry, Lucy Woodhouse, and John Summers. Each of the invited artists will be given a production budget, a fee, and the assistance of the curatorial and technical team. With the Zabludowiczs are said to acquire about 100 new artworks every year, it would be easy to imagine the program as a breeding ground — and Drew's piece is already set as a commission for the collection — but De Wachter made it clear that it would not necessarily be the rule. "There's not an overt commitment," she said, "but there is an interest."
The foundation will be open throughout the year for the new program, as opposed to just during the exhibitions (although it has always been available for viewing anytime by appointment). "I think this will change the demographic and the way that the space is used," said De Wachter, "making it more like an art center."
Next year will be a big one for the Zabludowicz Collection: in the summer the Finnish outpost of the foundation will formally open on the island of Sarvisalo, one hour east of Helsinki. The team is also increasingly active in New York City, most recently with their "An Echo Button" project, showcasing works by Ed Atkins, Haroon Mirza, and James Richard in Times Square during the last Performa. Could De Wachter imagine Zabludowicz Collection Invites extended to Finland and the U.S.? "It's not something we've discussed in these exact terms, but the way we work allows for this kind of circulation and fluidity between our different operations," she answered. "Sarvisalo is a residency project, so that's the least likely crossover, but possibly New York."