FRAN GAVIN
Francesca Gavin is one of the most connected behind-the-scenes
operators in British contemporary art. Originally an arts writer for the likes of Dazed and Confused, she was instrumental in building Soho House’s vast international art collection. She has published multiple books and is the editor in chief of art magazine EPOCH, founder of consultancy Art Present Future, has curated gallery shows from London to Venice and hosts a show on NTS Radio.
What’s the most challenging part of curating for you?
Budget! But it’s incredibly fun. I describe myself as a journalistic curator because I come from an editorial background. So you come up with a theme - it’s led by what artists are doing, and you create connections between them. Essentially you’re just there to share and promote the work that they’re doing. I love putting things together that are trans- generational, or putting a big artist together with a small one.
What’s the thing that connects all the art that you love?
One, I grew up in Woodstock for primary school, upstate New York, and I’m definitely in love with the leftovers of the counterculture. People with original thinking and that midpoint between aesthetics, politics, music and visuals. Two, I come from a music background - I was a little baby-raver. And so I’m drawn to that idea of a sense of resistance or freedom or transcendence that you get with music. I’ve had a show on NTS for nine years now where I interview artists about their relationship to music. And finally, technology - unpicking how that functions.
And how does that map onto your own style?
The way I dress is more like a 1960s beatnik coming out of Paris! I like it black, I like it tailored, maybe a bit like a school uniform, if I’m going to be really honest. I like the neutrality of that kind of style, like a librarian, maybe…
How has London shaped you and your tastes?
I’m born London, third generation. I know it like a cab driver, I can tell you every back street. Here, historically, it’s always had great art schools, but actually it’s more that there’s a DIY nature to being from London. It’s a kind of hustle - the opportunities aren’t always there so you have to make them yourself. You have to find your own spaces, create your own communities, and as a result, everyone's really innovative and experimental. And it's so much more multicultural, the combinations of countries and identities and people here. It's just so special, it really is.
