“Round the Corner” the inaugural show at Industry Gallery opens this Saturday, and when we stopped in to check out the exciting new design exhibit location (in a sea of fine art galleries in DC) everyone was hard at work. Thankfully, they obliged us with a little tour.
When Industry owner Craig Applebaum first considered the idea of a gallery specializing in (functional) design installation, where designers could do absolutely anything they wanted in a great big space, he was sure someone must have thought of it already. “It turns out there’s only one or two galleries in New York that do stuff even remotely like this, and they either don’t exclusively have design or have exhibitions from other time periods,” he told us Tuesday afternoon. “But really there were no galleries that specialize in 21st century work that allow artists to use, well, all this!” and he swept his arm around the giant white room (4300 sq.ft) where his first exhibiting artist Shlomo Harush was powerdrilling an enormous aluminum chair (which, as you sit on it, feels almost unsettlingly comfortable, nothing you’d expect from what looks like a (lovingly) bundled piece of metal) to the stone floor.
A couple of feet away was what looked like a 1993 Ford Explorer completely covered in hard metal, though apparently with enough room around wheels and windows that it was driven up the stone ramp at the rear of the building, which used to be an automotive repair shop, into the antechamber of the gallery. Shlomo, who according to Applebaum, almost never does gallery shows because of the usual limitations on time and materials, looked absolutely ecstatic setting up the front room to look like a robot intersection, complete with traffic light.
Meanwhile Craig waited in the back for the metallic desk to get set up under his desktop–his office, currently an empty corner, is going to be part of the show. “As you can see my office is not even set up”-he laughs-”Because Shlomo insisted in creating a sitting room space in here for the show”
“I didn’t think places like this could exist in DC,” he said, “But when I saw this space I just knew it couldn’t be anywhere else. I was hesistant at first, wanting to be in Logan circle, but Leigh said “Come see this space, and I know you will want it.” So I came, and I did. I did want it”
Leigh in question is Leigh Conner, who owns the building and whose Conner Contemporary’s terrific gallery space (which is also hosting an opening this weekend) is located on the ground floor of the building that Industry Gallery is. The space itself the kind of raw, industrial space that one does not see very often in DC. Or many other places for that matter. It is what has attracted both press (The Post was on their way as we were leaving, and NY Times had already been for a visit) as well as someone like Shlomo (who is notoriously media shy, and does not exhibit very often if ever) to pack up and come to DC (he comes with some serious collector’s pedigree: some of his latest work was prominently featured in the latest Dolce & Gabanna campaign and the designers walked away with 5 of his chairs for their private collection) and show never before seen work.
As far as their future plans go, Craig told us that “all the shows this year will coincide with Conner contemporary shows” (now with the 2 galleries and G Fine art opening next door soon, 13th and Florida NE are claiming their own art corner in the District) and will feature some exciting lighting, environmental and other installations, making the most of the space Applebaum (rightfully) covets so much.
DC art and design world truly has something to look forward to.
For more details visit:
http://www.industrygallerydc.com/ 1358 Florida Ave., NE, 2d Floor, Washington DC 20002, info@industrygallerydc.com (202) 399 1730 and make sure to stop by on Saturday to help them celebrate their opening
