How did you and your partner Nigel Dunkley meet?
We were both running separate project spaces in Peckham, and because the neighborhood is quite small, the projects are very supportive of one another.
Union Pacific appears as a natural development of your personal experiences in the art world. How would you define the gallery’s focus?
As we were friends with all the artists prior to opening, the gallery is an organic platform that allows us to work together under the same umbrella. Our focus is to continue this genuine foundation into the future structure of the gallery — with good communication and ambitious projects being the primary interest.
What are the biggest challenges you are encountering?
The biggest challenge so far was opening. With both of our past spaces, they were things we fell into, whereas to open a space consciously has taken an a lot more preparation and research.
The first show, “UNION,” inspired by sea exploration and the Pacific Ocean, is structured around the number eight — or the “Holding Together” hexagram in the I-Ching.
The I-Ching is an ancient Chinese oracle used for consultation and directional purposes. We think the particular pertinence of the “Union / Holding Together” (hexagram number eight) is relevant in terms of how it speaks about the importance of beginning in the right way. In these first steps of the gallery we all feel very pleased to be working together; beginning in this way will hopefully create a momentum that will continue to reverberate moving forward.
What are some highlights of your future program?
Our next show, a solo presentation by Alfred Boman, will be a really exciting spatial takeover integrating sculpture and painting. We also have very exciting projects coming up by KERNEL and David Douard, among others.