Close: Curated by Russell Tovey
GRIMM is pleased to present a group exhibition curated by Russell Tovey, opening at the gallery’s London location on 4 March, 2023. The exhibition brings together a selection of works by Ellen Altfest (b. 1970, US), Jean Claracq (b. 1991, FR), Lenz Geerk (b. 1988, CH), Nathanaëlle Herbelin (b. 1989, IL), Ulala Imai (b. 1982, JP), Fiza Khatri (b. 1992, PK), Xie Lei (b. 1983, CN), Aubrey Levinthal (b. 1986, US), Jean Nipon (b. 1977, FR), Paula Siebra (b. 1998, BR), Hugh Steers (1962–1995, US), Alexandria Tarver (b. 1989, US) and Salman Toor (b. 1983, PK) - a selection of artists whose work honours the rituals of daily life within the home, revelling in the overlooked beauty within the seemingly mundane.
A catalogue will be published on the occasion of this exhibition.
Reflecting on the exhibition, Tovey has shared his own passage of prose that muses on his own experience of this quiet celebration of domestic joy:
I used to fall fast asleep as my mother vacuumed our home around me, a metronome of electricity, the dishwasher cycle, tumble dryer, low level melodic droning, a buzz, constant, peripheral, comforting. Satsumas, apples, something more exotic, seasonal, a fig, pomegranate, shrinking into themselves, vibrant tones shifting, as a captive audience reaches for more palatable, gratifying snacks. To be expected, they remain overlooked, decaying, quiet, calm, beautiful.
We pass on the stairs, swap rooms, the roar of an empty bath, hot water swelling echoes from behind a bathroom door, dull, predictable, safe. Your instinctual shift from the cooker, the sink, an adjustment allowing access to the cutlery drawer, pairing our metalware, glass, the thump of heavy chopping board cradling plump tomatoes, they bleed into the grain. Fresh folded towels, beds made, dry dust moved, side boards, tv stands, lamps and window sills, the afternoon sun tickled by a breeze.
This exhibition celebrates daily practices, ingrained moments, a passing of time taken for granted, routine, satisfaction, contentment. The artists chosen for this exhibition are creating work that amplifies a magnificence to be found within these moments. The mundane, ordinary, unguarded and connective - honoured, creating a deeply personal and highly intimate exhibition told through our domestic relationships and the objects that we choose to surround ourselves with.
About the curator
Russell Tovey is an award-winning actor and podcaster. His podcast Talkart has had over 5 million downloads and his first book, 'Talkart: everything you wanted to know about contemporary art but were afraid to ask', co-written with his podcast partner Rob Diament, became a Sunday Times Bestseller. Their second book, 'Talkart: The Interviews' will be released on May 11, 2023. He has curated multiple exhibitions in and around the UK, Paris and New York and he is a patron, benefactor and ambassador for many institutions and museums.
With special thanks to all participating artists and their representing galleries.
