THE ROOM… came as an idea in the summer of 2019. Its founder had a wish to transform a familiar format of gallery space into a studio, urging it to be something more than just a white cube – to be an empty space which immerses in the artistic act, a platform for cultural exchange and a touchpoint of various creative practices. Giving preference to the medium of photography, cinema, performance art and sound art, with her project, Alessandra emphasises the importance of the awareness of such a creative process, as opposed to the subjective perception of the final result, the 'consumption' of art.
'THE ROOM is the place of the Uncanny, which breaks into the space and tears it, subverting its connotations. The gallery temporarily changes its condition, as well as its intimate essence. While the artist, orchestrating this disconcerting farce through a phase of creation and production, becomes cause and symptom of the metamorphosis of space.' - Alessandra Chiericato
*The term 'Uncanny' or 'Unheimlich', referring to both psychology and aesthetics, was first used by German psychiatrist Ernst Jench in his 1906 essay "On the Psychology of the Uncanny ". And it was further examined in more detail by Sigmund Freud in an essay entitled “The Uncanny” in 1919. In Freud's concept, the psychological phenomenon 'unheimlich' means something that provides dual sensations of something understandable, attractive and at the same time unfamiliar, repulsive. Something that came to the surface became visible when it was invisible before, when it was meant to be hidden.
THE ROOM… aims to reveal the Uncanny by representing an artistic creation, by organising residency programmes for artists and launching a series of online podcasts entitled Square Meters.
What The Room... has been up to
© THE ROOM...Photo by Fran Hales [www.franhales.com]
Artwork by Daniel Tollady [www.danieltollady.co.uk]
Design by Dubbio Gusto (@dubbio_gusto)
In April 2020 during the global lockdown, 11 international sound artists [Laura Agnusdei, Tomas Bodén, Malvern Brume, Camboja, Seif Gaber, Paolo Ielasi, Kuupuu, memotone, Andrés Saenz de Sicilia, Gaspare Sammartano, J. TRIPP] were asked to reflect on their perception of the following two notions – Indoor and Outdoors – by composing two personal soundscapes. As a result, Window A / Window B project was realised.
Window A / Window B – a Fundraiser compilation for Sportello TiAscolto.
Сo-curated and co-produced with Sagome, London.
Square Meters
‘Each episode will take you into the studio of a visual artist, a musician, a philosopher, or a writer, to explore and understand their vision and practice…’ - Alessandra Chiericato
THE ROOM… proposes a more intimate approach – a visit to the artist's studio. Each episode is centered on the personality of the artist, who has a possibility to describe in their own words his/her creative process, to show what is behind the surface of their art and to express their internal vision. Each monologue – a presentation of the artist's studio – is available on Spotify and Apple Podcast.
Ep.1 / KING’S STUDIO
King Houndekpinkou, Franco-Beninese ceramist.
Ep.2 / NICOLA’S STUDIO
Nicola Ratti, Italian musician and sound designer.
Ep.3 / REBECCA’S STUDIO
Rebecca Brodskis, French painter.
Ep.4 / DORIAN’S STUDIO
Dorian Cohen, French painter.
Ep.5 / ADRIEN’S STUDIO
Adrien van Melle, visual artist and writer.
Ep.6 / ALEXANDRE'S STUDIO
Alexandre Lenoir, French Caribbean painter.
© THE ROOM...
Residency Programme
The main mission of THE ROOM's annual Residency Programme is to rethink the gallery space. In the presence of the artist, the function of the gallery is transformed. Initially visible as a place for the presentation of the finished project and its subsequent sale, the gallery, which was at the disposal of the artist for several weeks, is directly involved in his/her creative process. After a certain period of time, the gallery participates in the organisation of a temporary exhibition and presents the artist's work to the public.
Residency Programme / KENSUKE’S ROOM, Forever Mine, SEPTIEME Gallery, Paris, France
The residency: November 25, 2019, to December 13, 2019
The exhibition: December 14, 2019, to January 18, 2020
‘Kensuke’s Room. Forever Mine is the story of the obsession for that archetypical object from which the artwork originates. The repetition, the elaboration of the portrait in multiple declensions, the infinite resonance of the image itself are, simultaneously, the symptom and the result of the artist’s drive.’ - Alessandra Chiericato
