Interview: No.9 Cork Street Director, Selvi May Akyildiz
THE WICK: Talk us through your typical Monday. How do you like to start the week?
Selvi May:
When I wake up and open my eyes, I look around my room. My boyfriend tells me I’ve been sleep-talking about photography exhibitions.
I see my artworks by Behrang Karimi, Helena Foster, Kira Freije and a smiling sun painting by an unknown Madhubani artist hanging on my bedroom walls. There are plants and flowers dotted around the room, which have all somehow survived some heavy exposure to joss sticks. I cherish an early DIY zine by Raymond Pettibon on my kitchen counter, a spoon box from Dagestan hanging above the stove and various art prints and exhibition posters in my hallway.
I have accumulated many memories during my career working in galleries, and I appreciate the artworks, objects, textiles, ephemera and all the bits of paper I surround myself with.
I then make my breakfast and zoom off to Cork Street on my e-bike.
TW: You’re the Director of No.9 Cork Street, Frieze’s first permanent exhibition space for visiting galleries, located in the historic heart of Mayfair. What makes this space unique, and how do you see it shaping or responding to London’s evolving contemporary art scene?
SM:
Frieze No.9 Cork Street serves as a home away from home for national and international galleries. We are currently hosting three Indian galleries, Vadhera Art Gallery, Chemould Prescott Road and Jhaveri Contemporary.
These galleries, all female-led, are at the forefront of the art scene in the Global South. Artworks currently on display range from Rashid Rana’s photo assemblages, Lubna Chowdhary’s ceramic sculptural works to Biraaj Dodiya’s abstract paintings. We welcome many visitors throughout the day and were welcomed with queues of guests on the opening night.
There’s a great energy in Cork Street and it’s fun to sit at the reception desk with my colleagues Jason and Julia, watching the gallery in action.
Concurrently to these exhibitions, Arprita Singh who previously exhibited with us, is on view at The Serpentine Galleries. Shireen from Chemould Prescott Road tells us she has just run into the author Salman Rushdie at the exhibition, and he is now on his way to No.9 Cork Street.
Frieze No.9 Cork Street has a significant address, bang in the heart of Mayfair. This historic location gives us an exciting backdrop for contemporary exhibition-making. We recently welcomed Tiwani Contemporary, Alison Jacques and Stephen Friedman to Cork Street, it’s great we have good neighbours!
TW: Frieze is one of the most influential names in the contemporary art world. How does No. 9 Cork Street reflect, or reimagine, what Frieze stands for today?
SM:
No. 9 Cork Street and the fairs are very different experiences, but their activities meaningfully support each other across the year. No other art fair has a space quite like No.9 Cork Street, it’s a key part of what sets Frieze apart.
What we do have at No. 9 Cork Street is the luxury of time – our exhibitions generally last three weeks rather than the five days of the fairs – and we also have a slightly different focus with three spaces to enjoy rather than 100+ galleries under one roof.
TW: Which artists should we have on our radar right now?
SM: Biraaj Dodiya, Eunsil Lee, Joanne Burke, Anna Patterson, Lucas Dupuy, Amanda Moström, Lara Ögel, Stéphanie Brossard, Kenny Rivero, Dan Coopey, Camila Rocha, Ziggy Grudzinskas, Lucy Mercer, Mamali Shafahi and Sienna Murdoch.
“Frieze No.9 Cork Street serves as a home away from home for national and international galleries.”
