We spoke with Gallery co-director, Riley Davison from NAP Contemporary to talk about their presentation for Sydney Contemporary 2024.
How do you characterize the philosophy of NAP Contemporary as a gallery?
There’s such a scarcity of private galleries in regional Australia who try and engage with contemporary art in a meaningful way. Our ambition was to bring new voices in pacific art to our growing regional city. Our philosophy is to create a space for artists to extend their practices to a new level, and to give them exposure to a collector base here and overseas. We sometimes invite recent art school graduates to exhibit with us, we also showcase mid and late career artists from across the country and abroad.
Scott Redford, Auto Rothko (Pink), 2024. Courtesy of the artist and NAP Contemporary.
You have been working in galleries for 3 years. What’s special about the gallery world for you?
When Erica Tarquinio and I opened NAP just 3 years ago we had no gallery experience, everything we know has been learned in that time, often through making mistakes and looking to other new galleries, also ARI’s, for inspiration. Prior to opening the gallery, we both worked for many years for indigenous art centres, and so our experience is largely from the other side of the sector, the benefit of that being we understand artist advocacy. Entering the gallery world has been a learning curve for us, and since then we have enjoyed working with many great artists, collectors and curators in a short time. Working alongside creative people on a full-time basis is such a privilege and we have been proud to contribute to the gallery scene and felt a warm reception to our emergence.
Scott Redford, Puppy, 2024. Courtesy of the artist and NAP Contemporary.
What are you most excited about for your first time exhibiting at Sydney Contemporary?
We first visited the fair in 2022, we were astounded by the scale and vibrancy of it and honestly at that time I don’t think we even imagined being able to participate! It was working with Scott Redford over the past year or so that we realised it would be the perfect platform for an artist of his significance and vision. It will be our first solo presentation at a fair, and it’s a thrill to really bring something of national significance – and with a generous dose of fun. At many will know, Scott has been exhibiting since 1983 with major exhibitions at NGV, ACMI, AGSA, AGNSW, GOMA including international shows, amassing 8 dedicated publications. His new work is really a knockout, and we are thrilled to showing at Sydney Contemporary.
Scott Redford, Made by Unknown Artist. Bought on Facebook marketplace and painted by Dipit Kustoms, Geebung, Brisbane, 2024. Courtesy of the artist and NAP Contemporary.
What advice would you give someone looking to start their own collection at the fair this year?
Heading into a fair like Sydney Contemporary you can’t help being overwhelmed by the variety of offerings. Starting a collection is a very personal thing of course, I believe in shortlisting works which resonate with you, and then diving a little deeper, with your own research and/or the guidance of a gallerist. In retrospect your first piece is always going to be special, but an early acquisition of an important work is a great cornerstone to a collection. I think it’s the role of a gallerist to offer guidance in terms of the kinds of value a particular artist or artwork can add to a collection. A new collection is an exciting journey, a good one embodies the perspective of the owner and represents a certain moment in art history. Come have a chat with Erica and I at booth J01.
Learn more about NAP Contemporary
