SERCHIA’s artistic profile is composed of contemporary, mostly emerging, artists with an emphasis on photographers or lens-based artists who use light, or time. Although, photography is a specialism, all artists are welcome, and we are always looking for people who do things differently. The exhibition programme is directed and facilitated entirely by one person, the curator, with specialised skilled work (art handling, framing, writing, filming and photographic documentation) outsourced to local artists and members of our residency programme for artists, writers, curators, and theorists. Everything is completely artist-led, which defines processes and programmes with sensitivity and in response to individuals who share an experience of creating.
Whenever dreaming of or envisioning what vocational path felt right, curation and translating visual work into experience felt like a natural choice. I had always found myself creating visual work, speaking with artists about their work and process, visiting cultural institutions (museums, galleries, et al), and responding to artwork which left a permanent impression on me; a conceptual compass for navigating thought. I began Serchia Gallery in 2021 after a really difficult time (the global pandemic). Coming from a place where I felt I had nothing more to lose felt like a major catalyst in offering art in a time where connection which art offers as a unifying force, more essential than ever, a time when people were really seeking human connection and a redefined sense of purpose, and this empty room seemed to become a starting point for voices to be heard, and a place to shine a light on the unseen.
Completely without external investment, SERCHIA is funded through sale of artwork and artist books, through donation, and through a variety of creative offerings which take the form of mentorship for artists, artist-lead events and workshops; as well as, agency offerings and photoshoots. We also participate in art fairs and book fairs within the UK, and have partnered with brands and independent makers to provide additional resources, printed matter, refreshments, and furnishings. If additional funding is ever needed, this is a conversation between artist and curator to see what is possible. As an art director, another means of income comes from my freelance career directing campaigns and photoshoots for independent brands, studios, and agencies.
Over the years, opportunities for grants and public funding have become less and less available and more and more competitive in the arts in the UK. It has always seemed more hopeful to create partnerships with artists, independent brands, and organisations which care about culture, connection, and creative dialogues to help make things happen. As difficult as survival can be to financially sustain a career in the arts, we will always find a way; it is a vital part of our lives. One meaningful idea thoughtfully executed is all it takes to make it real. Everything we do and make possible in the context of this gallery is in thanks to the artists who always find a way to make it real in the most individual way derived from the uniqueness of their own observation and experience.
From the start it was immediately clear how deeply the local audience desires to form connection, to express themselves creatively, and to learn things they never have before. We create events, workshops, and talks which reveal unique viewpoints in genuine yet often untraditional ways from a variety of voices. Because of the small size and shape of our gallery, our events are incredibly personal and offer the chance to have conversations you may never get to have otherwise. We recently have also begun collaborating with larger organisations to share our communities and make this great big world seem smaller and bring people together often showing work that has never been seen before or only exists in this one place.
I always look forward to collaboration and am always excited to imagine possibility for. I’ve been approached and also invited a variety of individuals, organisations, publishers, magazines, brands and creative platforms to create beautiful work, exhibitions, experiences, workshops, objects, artist talks, podcasts, and creative engagements digitally and in physical form or real time. More and more, I am looking to share what we do internationally. Our artwork has begun to be exhibited at other galleries (big and small), we’ve curated events for others, participated in portfolio reviews, and created digital and real exhibitions together. Adapting to others’ formats, processes, and technologies to share things in new ways and continue to translate the unique work we share.
Artists who make work that I can’t stop thinking about are always who I invite to collaborate. This is the only true criteria I use. While I appreciate the way things like publications, awards, press and acquisitions can act as catalysts for artists and make it possible for their work to be visible, and their practice sustainable - the only thing I consider before inviting an artist is the duration of time which I spend thinking about their work and getting drawn further and further in. That duration of time is the most meaningful currency, it leaves indelible marks in my heart and mind, and when considering how art is experienced it’s the ability to make you feel and reconsider the things that you felt you knew that I want to share with the audience and community within this little gallery.
When asked what themes and characteristics are important, I looked at the greater picture and noticed that a significant portion of the work is about surviving grief, loss, or a disappearance (of people, of place, or even a certain time) and finding a new way to live inspired by the beauty of loving someone, some place, some moment in time so much that you devote your life to making the quality of that experience able to be witnessed perceived or felt by others who could never know it any other way. In many ways, that’s what caused this gallery to exist, which is possibly why it keeps attaching to others who have been affected by their own memory and indelible experience.
If including independent curators, what influences your choice on invitation?
I love to collaborate, I work with independent curators, editors on a variety of projects, usually as a voice; a writer, or moderator. Their sensibility of work, how they collaborate with artists, our shared interests, as well as our differences, and the quality of work they bring to light plays a significant role. Every person is unique, and as with artists, I try to bring out the best of what they do and what they love to do.
The artistic and curatorial decisions of this gallery are based entirely on translating the work in the most meaningful way. Less about political movements and more about the personal as political; how individuals experience this world and their place within it; how they reveal their own thoughts, experience, and vision from a perspective only possible by the work they create as real, as vulnerable, and as uncensored as possible. Galleries and arts institutions should be aligned with the reasons we make art as a reflection of truth and human reality. We should share accounts of what is important to us as people who devote our lives to sharing our most vulnerable observations and experience. I have found, again and again and again, that these themes include family, identity and the complexity that this contains, the natural world, the impact of surviving grief/loss/trauma and what gives us hope, light, and resilience, making the invisible visible, and the way time creates context and changes meaning.
It’s absolutely essential to consider all partners as equals and to consider this for each point of view: curator, artist, artwork, audience. If one person receives a fee, everyone who contributes to it should also receive a fee (as one example). At the start of a collaboration between partners, I think it’s important for all sides to clarify your purpose, and to highlight aspects of work which are most important to you are understood by and translated correctly by those you’re in partnership with. Where many times decisions, in particular for funding opportunities, are based on criteria which glorifies quantity and quantifiable measurements, I think quality should be the more significant modifier. The extent which a single experience can benefit the people who witness it, not the number of people who witness it. Rules, and laws which protect larger organisations should apply to smaller organisations and individuals. When we think of the landscape of art in its entirety and view it as an ecosystem where each contributor is part of an ecosystem, we can create a greater good. Nurturing young artists and spaces that need guidance and support, mentorship. Communication between artists and institutions should work both ways, helping to inform best practices. Especially in photography, publishers are such a strong component of the work we create and their perspective could be massively beneficial. It’s worth reviewing every action and updating beneficial changes along the way. The world moves so quickly, and those that are always looking backward don’t always see what is right in front of them - the possibility to adapt and evolve is more essential than ever, and opening the conversation to see through every lens allows us to complete the greater picture of why we’re here and what we need to make possible.
More and more, I think it’s important to highlight the uniqueness of every collaboration, and at the start of any project to be able to express what you envision for the work, what you expect from your partners, what you have capacity to contribute in terms of research, time, resource, tools, financial support, and guidance. Every individual offers something unique to the process. I think rather than beginning with an expectation of industry standard (which can vary significantly across cultures and borders), to evaluate what is possible and prioritise what is most important to translating the work, and the experience of the work - how to do it fairly with the resources available and in a way that enhances the experience from all sides.
1.3 What role does solidarity play in the communication of art by oppressed or marginalized artists, and how is it possible to contribute to a more just and inclusive art landscape?
Whenever I work with art, I put myself in the position of the artist. I know we both want to show the work in the best light doing whatever translates it most sincerely. I endeavour to be transparent with choices that I make in terms of placement and presentation, and request the artists share their ideal selection, I share mine, and while usually the final edit is incredibly aligned, if there is work which they wish not to include, or find essential we have a conversation about it and agree to make it work. I share everything in equal measure, it’s important that we all hold equal place in the creative ecosystem which we are intrinsically a part of. The sooner we view one another as equal and collaborators the greater the things we can acheive together.
I’ve found that sometimes the best way to offer diverse voices is to unite them by universal themes and see the ways we all look at the same things differently, and reveal what are important parts of each of our lives. When we put these perspectives together it makes a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts and lets others reveal experiences that are unique to them, and that allow us as observers come closer to understanding the unknown. I also think we need to broaden our criteria of which work is selected for acquisition to offer a broader range of work and themes. I think many organisations with stakeholders only have budget to cover a specific geography, and sometimes this rules out important work by artists who are not native to the place where they live.
Even seeking new models of financial support for art can be creative and meaningful. For the duration of SERCHIA’s existence, we’ve partnered with brands and creative sponsors to make things possible, and even to consider resources and materials we otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford. We’ve been fortunate to partner with brands who care about art, as they care about culture and community. They specialise in artistic processes, (printing, creating, making) and understand it for the artform that it is and the potential it has in bringing new audiences together in unexpected ways. Time and time again, rather than applying for competitive grants or funding, I’ve found a generosity in this creative partnership which benefits both sides.
In particular with art, there is so much that we can do to create a sustainable practice for our work. Within the gallery’s practice this is a significant priority and there are simple structures we can consider to make exhibition production something which doesn’t harm our beautiful environment. With multiples, prints, and photographs which can be reproduced, we make them to order. Only ever using materials on demand (besides those on the wall). Wherever possible, we use paper over any other material as it’s one of the most sustainable resources. The papers we use for our printed matter are all made by G. F Smith, a B Corp certified business based in the country we reside in, the UK. The paint we use is bio-based and also made in the UK. We have a garden, and our bouquets are made from the leaves of our trees. We are also exploring using our plants to create natural photo chemistry which doesn’t harm the environment. We recycle reuse and repurpose everything right down to our handmade frames. Our framer, a local artist and friend, Jamie has handmade the frames to a standard size so that we can use them over and over and over for our exhibitions. He has also kindly repaired any which are damaged and keeps them in perfect condition.
