In this series Romina Provenzi, a specialist of the London art scene, discusses a number of non-profit spaces in London

A keen public interest fostered a strong resurgence of non-profit art spaces in London over the past ten years. Despite their general contribution to the art scene, each space commits to a clear mission. But only a handful number of spaces claim to have unsettled strategies and unforeseeable programs. Raven Row is one of those.

Raven Row is a new and promising entry in the London scene. Since its opening in 2009, it is located in Artillery Lane in the City of London, a short walk away from the Spitalfields market, in an 18th-century publicly listed building and its adjoining 1970s warehouse. The gallery underwent a major three-year refurbishment, by the renowned 6A architects, which transformed the original building in a modern and well-equipped space capable of hosting contemporary art. The refurbishment itself is regarded as a contribute to contemporary architecture in the UK as Raven Row is shortlisted for the ‘Brit Insurance Design Awards 2010,' still on show at the Design Museum in London until October 31.
Raven Row was founded and directed by Alex Sainsbury, son of Tim Sainsbury, a renowned businessman and a generous art patron of the National Gallery. Before opening Raven Row, Alex Sainsbury was involved in contemporary art and non-profit projects for many years. He was the founder and editorial board member of ‘Peer' in London, a critically acclaimed project space aimed to spur art exhibitions and off-site projects in the capital. He also directed ‘38 Langham Street', an art project space in Mayfair, central London. It was during this experience that he matured the idea of establishing its own non-profit art space. He decided to both sponsor and direct the gallery since he felt that being relegated merely to the role of an art patron was too passive for him, and joint responsibilities could steer positive synergies and new ideas in the art scene.

OUTSIDE MARKET

In the words of his founder, Raven Row's broad aim is "to showcase artists who have somehow escaped London's attention" and the gallery "is led by a desire to test art's purpose outside the market place". Since many artists could pass unnoticed in the competitive and overcrowded London contemporary art scene, we asked Alex Sainsbury how artists are selected. The answer was clear: "Good artists! We aim to show, but not exclusively, the so-called ‘mid career artists', who often are international and not well known to a London audience". In the view of many Raven Row's distinguishing feature is the lack of foreseeable planning, as proudly stressed in its website: "The program will remain improvisatory and un-dogmatic, and the qualities that might constitute Raven Row's success, its ‘cultural value', will remain open to question".
The exhibition ‘A History of Irritated Material,' which ran until 2 May 2010, sampled art's relation to politics, using examples from each decade since the Second World War. The forthcoming show ‘Unto This Last,' which runs from 20 May to 25 July 2010, takes its cue from John Ruskin's eponymous book to consider the complicated relationships between contemporary art and craft.
Asked about the impact of Raven Row on the London art scene Alex Sainsbury said: "Privately funded spaces seem to enrich the London art scene. However, these spaces are funded by collectors and therefore relate as much to the commercial art world and to galleries as they do to the art institutions that are normally aligned with. Raven Row tries to show art that does not come from the mainstream commercial art world. Still it is like a privately funded space in the sense that its program is too idiosyncratic and hard to categorize for publicly funded institutions".
To maintain its independent operations Raven Row doesn't access public funding from the Arts Council England in order to be able to develop projects without a long-term strategy. Surely many consider this an uncommon strategy in the costly London contemporary art scene, but it might well be a winning approach for London private non-profit art spaces to foster alternative forms of art.

Romina PROVENZI
is a writer and lives in London. She writes on contemporary art and is a specialist of the Cuban art market and of the London art scene.

Raven Row, 56 Artillery Lane, London E1 7LS, www.ravenrow.org