Co-Working Space, Bankside, London, for FORA, October 2023
We've worked with FORA for a number of years, so we understand the aesthetic and design of the spaces, we know their "look". We also know that's why they want to work with independent curators like us, because no one space is the same, but every space is totally high-end and beautiful. In mid-2023, they approached us again to work on the art collection for their newest co-working and office space, opening in the Bluefin Building, next to Tate Modern.
Research from the Freelands Foundation tells us that in 2021, Tate acquired 637 new works, and only 36% of those were by women. In the previous year, that figure was 32%. Across the art world, female and female identifying artists are substantially less successful than male artists. We made it clear to FORA from the start that we wanted to create an all-female selection, and they were very up for this! It forms an elegant counterpoint to the predominantly white male narrative of contemporary art museums; right next door to Tate Modern is a contemporary space highlighting a diverse array of women artists, including women of colour and older artists.
We are so lucky that the FORA team all appreciate and love art, so it becomes a true collaboration. Early on, we are given budgets, floor plans, colour palettes, moodboards and a general brief for how they want the space to feel. We discuss a few different artists at this early stage, with FORA also suggesting a few that they would like us to consider. They wanted to include a good proportion of figurative work, and for the first time, some small sculptures, which made this brief even more interesting.
FORA chose to make the art the centrepiece for their marketing campaign for the new space; connecting art with wellbeing in the workplace. We were very happy to be a part of that conversation; you can even see Kitty in a very embarrassing Instagram reel, on their feed.
The artists are:
Sumuyya Khader
Kris Lamorena
Caz Hildebrandt
Kate Matseyvych
Lucy Gregory
Susie Olczak
Millie Toyin Olateju
“After working with Subject Matter on two projects, any insecurities I had about buying art vanished. Kitty and Liezel exhibited such patience and guided me along every step of the way. From budgeting to specification to printing and framing; their expertise made those projects possible. When it came to the Blue Fin Building project, I knew I wanted to work with Subject Matter again. Kitty immediately understood the brief and together we curated a wonderful collection of artworks including framed bespoke prints, one-off paintings and original sculptures by a fantastic range of artists. I was so pleased with the end result and will be forever grateful for the confidence and knowledge that Subject Matter has instilled in me.”
Ellis Brooke Morgan - FF&E Consultant and Stylist
Highlighted Artist - Kris Lamorena
We would like to highlight the five small pieces we chose by Kris Lamorena, which are displayed on shelving units right next to a large communal desk. Kris is an artist we have worked with for some time, and we really admire and appreciate her work. She paints abstract portraits which meld together faces she has observed from the street, from social media, from film and TV. By abstracting the portraits, she imbues them with a certain identity - we can always catch a glimpse of someone we recognise. In a fracturing world, these little glimpses of humanity and representation become even more important.
Her work gives the FORA tenants something to connect with in their day to day working life. In a co-working space, where a constant mix of people are working, meeting and socialising, these small faces become a part of the general flow of the space. They feel human, and yet are not.
