Art & Design blog

XETH caught up with Curator Lily Brooke prior to the opening of her exhibition, time: ephemeral – everlasting, on 30th June. We asked the young creative about her next project, favourite London galleries, what inspires her and the challenges she faces every day in this line of work.

At what age did you start to take an interest in the field you work in?

During my third year at Chelsea College of Arts , I created spatially orientated installations. Eventually my practice became secondary to the curation of the work I was producing.

What’s your proudest achievement so far?

The exhibition programme I’ve begun in my home. I find it exhilarating working in unconventional spaces and often try to avoid the white cube space so it’s been a nice challenge. It also provides a nice friendly atmosphere among visitors which has felt a lot more inclusive compared to many traditional galleries. I also pride myself in searching for different artists to avoid the typical cliques in the art world so that always brings a nice element working with new interesting people.

What’s the most challenging aspect of your work?

Keeping level headed and choosing artists wisely. It’s relatively easy to find lots of great artists and work in London but I have to be careful creating the right combination and composition within a show.

What is your favourite London gallery and why?

Bosse & Baum Gallery in Peckham. I’ve been helping recently with their upcoming event, Plantón Móvil, which will take place in July. They have an incredibly interesting events programme which engages the local community in immersive activities. The exhibitions themselves are often installation based.

Name three creatives who have inspired you over the past 10 years?

Olafur Eliasson

Hans Haacke

Nairy Baghramian

Have you got any exciting projects coming up in the near future?

Next week will be the second exhibition I have curated in my house. The show titled time: ephemeral – everlasting will present the work of 10 artists; an extensive collection of works will grapple with identifying the past, present, future and everything in between. This exhibition will take place throughout my living room and dining room but will also extend out into the garden.

Details:

Private View: 30th June 2016, 7-9pm

1st – 6th July 2016 [by appointment only- info@lily-brooke.com]

Address: 3 Ada Road, SE5 7RW

If you weren’t a curator what other career would you have chosen?

I find a lot of enjoyment in collaging for posters and designing the publications for CHROMA collections- so probably doing something along those lines.

What advice would you give to people working in the creative industry?

Create your own opportunities