At the Wieden + Kennedy Gallery, our aim is to make art accessible to everyone, whether you’re a veteran collector looking for an original or someone who’s simply looking for a print to put on your wall, or even if you’re just there for the experience. Because that is what’s important for us – the experience of the work itself. Be it a painting, a sculpture, an installation, a performance or even a book, how you experience it is what’s important.
We believe that art shouldn’t have to be ‘arty’ and that culture is not something that should put on a pedestal and worshipped. So our endeavor is to create that experience for you, stripped of jargon, mumbo-jumbo and pretention. Just the experience, and you. But we are not simply a gallery. We aim to use our 1000 sq. ft. gallery space in Sheikh Sarai and our upcoming online facilities to create a space where creative minds from all fields can come together for an experience that goes beyond the traditional notions of ‘art’. We’ve got big plans for the coming year – exhibitions, workshops, readings, performances and film screenings. What’s more, we’re always on the lookout for new ideas. If you feel there’s something you can do with our space, we’ll be glad to hear you out – the more unconventional the idea, the better.
Alice Cicolini
Q&A with Alice Cicolini, Curator, W+K EXP
How did the idea of the gallery first come about?
Art in India has experienced a major boom over the last 5 years, with prices for work rocketing and galleries opening all over the country. Whilst this has been a hugely important time, both for the financial stability of artists themselves, and for the profile and perceived value of the visual arts, its also been problematic. The rarefied atmosphere of many galleries, openings and writing around the arts (as well as the prices) have served to keep a new generation of Indians who are showing a growing interest in art at arms length. Projects like the India Art Summit have started a conversation over the last 12 months about how the art world starts to reach out to people who want to get involved, who want to start to own art, but have so far been alienated by the experience. At the same time, the space for experimental practice is getting smaller and smaller as the commerce of art takes over and funding gets harder and harder to come by. The W+K Gallery in Delhi came about because of conversations between Sunil and myself about the need for a commercial space that both opened up this world to people newly interested in art, but also provided a space for artists to experiment and to connect with new audiences.
What’s new about the W+K Gallery?
We’re opening up the art world to a wider audience of people who are alienated by it at the moment: financially and intellectually. To do this, we’re looking at developing an atmosphere that is devoid of “art-speak”, a service that is available to people to give them confidence in their own responses to the work, and taking a fresh approach to multiples that goes beyond gallery shop poster reprints.
What are the plans for the coming few months?
We’re starting with Bharat Sikka, one of India’s most celebrated fashion photographers, showing some of his best fashion images. Bharat and Sunil have been close collaborators for some time, so its appropriate that this new W+K venture in India celebrates that partnership. The show will be followed by a focus on design, on printmaking and the launch of a philosopher’s guide to appreciating art – wherever you find it.
Just drop us an email at gallery@wk.com if you have any ideas you’d like to share or even if you’d like us to keep you informed of upcoming events. We’re looking forward to hearing from you.