Is New York ready for more attractions like Rain Room, the environmental installation by London-based collective Random International that drew thousands to the Museum of Modern Art this summer? Restoration Hardware, the home furnishings marketer that brought you that spectacle, is launching RH Contemporary Art, its first venture into the gallery business, on Nov. 9. The gallery will occupy a recently renovated building at 437 West 16th Street in the Chelsea art district.
With 28,000 square feet of space, the new venue will open with a selection of concurrent solo shows featuring newly commissioned work by emerging artists Nathan Baker, Toby Christian, Peter Demos, Samantha Thomas and Natasha Wheat (through Jan. 25, 2014).
A curatorial committee of 15 yet-to-be-announced art world figures will advise on the gallery’s programming. Based on the team’s recommendations, international artists will be chosen through a further selection process of portfolio assessments, studio visits and research. In addition to Random International, the gallery will work with Toby Christian, Jason Gringler and Samantha Thomas, among others.
In addition to the physical gallery space, RH Contemporary Art will offer an online gallery where visitors may purchase works. The gallery will also publish an art journal, both in print and online. An international artist-in-residence program will run alongside these operations.
The Chelsea venue is the first of a number of gallery spaces Restoration Hardware intends to open in selected cities in the U.S. A Los Angeles location is slated to open in 2014.
