EB and flow

Next month sees the opening of EB & Flow, a new gallery in London’s Shoreditch which will see two floors of a former print works (formerly the Vice offices, no less) converted into a showcase for emerging artists.

The gallery is founded by Margherita Berloni and Nathan Engelbrecht, and it aims to nurture young artists at a formative stage in their career and build long-term relationships with them as their practice develops.

Berloni and Engelbrecht met while studying MAs in art business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. They have been planning the gallery for about two years, and fell in love with the space due to its two levels, allowing them to create contrasting shows split between the two floors.

Neil Ayling Cut  Fold courtesy the arists and EBFlow
Neil Ayling, Cut and Fold, courtesy the arists and EB & Flow

The gallery is launching with a roster of eleven contemporary artists on their books, including a designer and a musician.

Engelbrecht says that although the artists were ultimately selected due to the ‘personal taste’ of the gallery founders, their work is linked by the theme of reactions to space.

He explains, ‘That’s what the group show is about – the curatorial theme is the reaction to space, from rural space to urban space to personal space.’

The gallery will support all the artists on a two-year rolling contract.

Engelbrecht says, ‘That gives them security that we’ll pay them on time and promote them but a lot of the galleries don’t do that – so many artists don’t get paid.’

He adds, ‘The first thing is they all get a solo show – its important for their careers and once we’ve given them that show there’ll be more curatorial and group shows.

‘We want to follow their entire career – as they become established artists we become an established gallery. We’re in it in for the long haul.’

Dylan Culhane, Asakusa Roboto, Driven to Abstraction, 2006-7 courtesy the artist and Eb and Flow
Dylan Culhane, Asakusa Roboto, Driven to Abstraction, 2006-7 courtesy the artist and EB & Flow

There will also be a partitioned off space for non-gallery artists, alongside the education programme on collecting, curatorial practice and artists professional development.

The inaugural exhibition at the space will be Since Tomorrow, celebrating the first wave of the EB & Flow artists, including Briony Anderson, Gemma Anderson, Neil Ayling, Ross M. Brown, Shannah Bupp, Sue Corke, Dylan Culhane, Alessandro Librio, Nicholas McLeod, Katie Louise Surridge and Cristian Zuzunaga.

Sue Corke, Night Mare, 2009, photo-gravure print, courtesy the artist and EBFlow
Sue Corke, Night Mare, 2009, photo-gravure print, courtesy the artist and Eb & Flow

Since Tomorrow is curated by Attilia Fattori Franchini, and features work across various media including installation, painting, sculpture and photography.

Since Tomorrow runs from 2 April – 26 May at EB & Flow gallery, 77 Leonard Street, London, EC2A

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