Joseph Nahmad opens new Cork Street gallery space

Joseph Nahmad continues the family dynasty by launching a brand new London gallery space on Cork Street, dedicated entirely to performance art and site specific installations

(Image credit: Photography: Benedict Johnson. Courtesy the artist and Nahmad Projects London)

By Emma O'Kelly

last updated 14 October 2022

If you could change one thing what would it be? Greek performance artist Tomàs Diafas asks the question to visitors to the new Cork Street home of Nahmad Projects. We write our answers on a piece of paper, and he gathers them up and bellows them out with his back to the audience. ‘Grandmother.’ ‘Job.’ ‘Girlfriend.’ Everyone laughs. He remains impassive.

The event marks the opening of the new gallery space, founded by Joseph Nahmad, 27-year-old member of the Nahmad art dealing dynasty. The revamped space will focus on contemporary emerging artists, main operations (post war and modern art) having decamped to St James’s Square last year.

‘We want to change the gallery model,’ says Nahmad Projects co-director Tommaso Calabro, ‘in here, there’s not really anything to buy.’ Calabro and Nahmad who have a combined age of 53, will bring in performances and site specific installations chosen by a mix of international curators and there’s little to take away but experiences.

The opening show, entitled 'I am NOT Tino Sehgal', is curated by Francesco Bonami and features 30 young artists across 30 days. Expect a band performing live without instruments, choreographed sleep sessions and unusual language lessons, all with full audience participation.

‘It’s no longer valid to just think of a gallery in fixed terms,’ urges Calabro. ‘It should be a boundary free space for everyone,’ adds Nahmad, who has been immersed in art since birth and was attending auctions aged 10.

Diafas' voice suddenly interrupts. ‘Nothing’ he cries. Who’s the one with the perfect life, we wonder. Nahmad admits it was him.

The opening show, entitled 'I am NOT Tino Sehgal', is curated by Francesco Bonami and features 30 young artists across 30 days. Pictured: a choreographed sleep session

The gallery model — ‘We want to change the gallery model,’ says Nahmad Projects co-director Tommaso Calabro, ‘in here, there’s not really anything to buy.’ Instead, all you can take away with you are experiences

Greek performance artist Tomàs Diafas asks visitors 'If you could change one thing what would it be?'

INFORMATION

’I am NOT Tino Sehgal’ continues until July 2016. For more information, visit the Nahmad Projects website

Photography: Benedict Johnson. Courtesy the artist and Nahmad Projects London

ADDRESS

2 Cork St, London, W1S 3LB

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TOPICS

Performance art Creative Catalysts

Emma O'Kelly is a contributing editor at Wallpaper*. She joined the magazine on issue 4 as news editor and since since then has worked in full and part time roles across many editorial departments. She is a freelance journalist based in London and works for a range of titles from Condé Nast Traveller to The Telegraph. She is currently working on a book about Scandinavian sauna culture and is renovating a mid century house in the Italian Lakes.