The Wrong Gallery: Group Exhibition
The Wrong Gallery was conceptualized by Maurizio Cattelan, Ali Subotnick and Massimiliano Gioni in 2005. It is a 1:6 scale reproduction of New York’s smallest exhibition space of the same name, which they founded together in 2002. Subsequent versions have been shown all over the world including at Tate Modern (2005). Our rendition of The Wrong Gallery will be installed in our Kitchener St Gallery and will, fittingly, be filled with miniature artworks by gallery artists.
The Wrong Gallery and the bare walls at Kitchener St will make you look twice. A featured artwork installed in the mini-gallery will change every few days and over the duration of the exhibition a group show will evolve. Some artists have chosen to recreate existing works in a miniature form while others have created new works. A record of all the works will be added to the website as they are unveiled. Participating artists include Judy Millar, Dick Frizzell, Darryn George, Chris Heaphy, Hye Rim Lee, Reuben Paterson and Karl Maughan.
At the end of the exhibition Gioni’s piece along with the original mini artworks will be for sale as a set.
About The Wrong Gallery and its creators
Massimiliano Gioni (b.1973, Italy) is a significant figure in the international art world. He is Associate Director and Director of Exhibitions at the New Museum, New York. Notable contributions include curator of the 55th Venice Biennale, co-curator of Of Mice and Men, the Berlin Biennial (2006); co-curator of Manifesta 5 (2005) and curator of 10,000 Lives, the 8th Gwangju Biennale (2010).
He founded The Wrong Gallery in Chelsea, New York with Ali Subotnick, then editor of cult magazine Parkett and Italian sculptor Maurizio Cattelan. The gallery was a one metre square space which although it opened in 2002, never actually opened. It was rather a permanently locked glass door with a similar frontage to the Chelsea white cube galleries it satirised. Viewers could all but peer into the doorway and see the exhibited works. In its three year history 40 internationally acclaimed artists exhibited works, the most compelling of which was perhaps Adam McEwens “Closed” sign.
When the lease ended they rehoused the gallery at the Tate Modern. Following this exhibition an edition of 2500 mini galleries were produced and have been shown all around the world. The Wrong Gallery thereafter became a call to owners to become curators of their own shows - “you open the door, turn on the light, install a work and become the curator you’ve always imagined you could be by organizing your own personal gallery program.” Conceptually it’s a jibe at the art world and its systems; as the creators say ‘The Wrong Gallery is the back door to contemporary art, and it’s always locked.’
Read more about the Tate exhibition here on their website or in this The Guardian review by Christopher Turner.
