The art world has a notoriously complex relationship with transparency and openness. Unfortunately, it’s still more monochromatic than viewing a Rothko painting on a black-and-white TV. In recent years, however, there has been a shift toward greater transparency, with more people voicing their opinions about the pervasive snobbery and gatekeeping.
There’s a lot of virtue signalling as the industry tries to present a more inclusive image of artists and art lovers, aiming to welcome newcomers who want a chance to enjoy some art without the shadow of exclusivity lurking over them.
Image courtesy of Helm Gallery
Me and my business partner Luke, sat down and discussed what we thought the art world needed, what we thought it lacked and the idea of Helm was born
Eden Maseyk
One gallery that is leading this change is Helm Gallery, Brighton’s largest space for contemporary art. Known for its focus on transparency, openness, inclusivity, and community engagement, Helm Gallery is taking the reins and doing things differently. Founded in 2023 by curator Eden Maseyk and her business partner, entrepreneur Luke Davis, Helm aims to break away from traditional gallery conventions. Their goal is to create an unprecedented exhibition space with a more welcoming environment in one of the country’s most creative cities.
More than a traditional gallery, Helm strives to attract visitors who avoid galleries due to the often exclusive nature of contemporary art. With an all-encompassing philosophy favouring bold and unique artists, they curate diverse exhibitions, events, and performances that appeal to a broader audience in a warm and welcoming space.
Over the past year, the gallery has showcased several notable artists. To mark its first anniversary, Helm continues its transparent ways with its latest exhibition,“Work in Progress,” transforming the space into a live artist habitat. Visitors can get up close to the working practices of nine artists, including Margo in Margate, AROE, Poppy Faun, Euan Roberts, Graphic Rewilding, Dave Towers, Veera Sorri, and Miles Takes, as they work live in the gallery. We spoke to Maseyk to learn more about Helm and what’s in store for the gallery.
Work in Progress is on view until 29th September, 2024 at Helm Gallery
What inspired you to co-found Helm Gallery, and how did the vision for the space come about?
Eden Maseyk: I was inspired to co-found Helm based on the lack of inclusive art gallery spaces available. Me and my business partner Luke, sat down and discussed what we thought the art world needed, what we thought it lacked and the idea of Helm was born.
Image courtesy of Helm Gallery
Can you tell us about the concept behind the “Work in Progress” exhibition and what you hope visitors will take away from it?
Eden Maseyk: The concept of Work in Progress aligns perfectly with our ethos, centred around transparency. We want people who visit helm to feel welcome in art spaces, we do this through various different means, including our bar. But for WIP we did this by inviting the artists in to paint live in front of an audience, this invited people to ask questions and just engage with art on a whole different level, it was inspiring to see.
How do you select the artists featured in your exhibitions, and what criteria do you consider important?
Eden Maseyk: Selecting our artists for exhibitions is a very natural process, we have some planned in advance that we have approached based on their art practice and some of our exhibition ideas come through interesting conversations which sparks and idea for a show. We aim for each show to look and feel completely different to the last so this is very important when we consider what’s in the future.
Image courtesy of Helm Gallery
Helm Gallery aims to engage the community with contemporary art. How have you seen this mission reflected in your first year?
Eden Maseyk: This mission has been reflected in our first year by the various community driven projects we have put at the forefront of our plans. One being our first ever open call exhibition ‘Unity’ – we had over 400 applicants and selected 60. Alongside this all of our exhibitions are free of charge, we’ve hosted free Q&A sessions with artists and offered the community a chance to see so many different sides to the art world first-hand.
What challenges have you faced in the art market during your inaugural year, and how have you navigated them?
Eden Maseyk: We have faced the same challenges as any other art business has done in 2024. Sometimes this may have seemed harder as a brand new business but I am proud of how we’ve faired. We have had some exceptional stand out shows and some slightly quieter ones, overall we have remained firm and steadfast in our mission to keep driving people in to be around art, see an exhibition and feel something, have a coffee and add to their collection.
Can you share more about the recent launch of your podcast series, “Jo Brooks at the Helm,” and its significance for the gallery?
Eden Maseyk: This is incredibly important to the gallery for many reasons, Jo for one, being an integral part of the art world for the last 2 decades and her unique touch and standpoint on contemporary art. Having focused solely on a career in PR she now has turned to managing artists so she has a really authentic nature which each artist being interviewed can feel comfortable around. And secondly Artists’ stories are incredibly important and I’m proud that we have a platform which champions that.
Image courtesy of Helm Gallery
How does the live creation of artwork during the “Work in Progress” exhibition enhance the visitor experience?
Eden Maseyk: It allows visitors the rare opportunity to see the whole process that leads up to the finished work. Viewing the work as it evolves and develops, it demystifies the creation of art and helps clients engage directly with the creatives behind their favourite works.
What role do you think art plays in building community and fostering connections among diverse groups of people?
Eden Maseyk: Art brings people together, it brings people together over emotion, opinion, feeling and prompts discourse on so many different levels. It is an integral part of life.
Image courtesy of Helm Gallery
Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for Helm Gallery in the next few years?
Eden Maseyk: We’re looking to expand our vision further. A lot of this includes developing the artists that we currently work with and also adding to our international roster, as well as placing more of an emphasis on prints and multiples that are produced in-house. We want to use our blueprint on a global scale. We’re constantly thinking of unique and exciting events and refining our schedule – you’ll just have to wait and see!
How do you envision the future of contemporary art galleries, and what innovations do you hope to bring to Helm?
Eden Maseyk: Contemporary art galleries have to steer themselves towards accessibility and transparency. We’re seeing that brick and Mortar galleries have to adapt their model to survive, this means transparency and forward-thinking planning to appeal to a new generation of potential collectors. We pride ourselves on striving towards new ways to bring art to people on a global scale, we’re looking at leaning into prints and multiples and expanding on the kinds of events and attitudes we’ve put forward in the past year.
©2024 Helm Gallery, Eden Maseyk
Len is a curator and a contributing writer at Art Plugged, a platform for contemporary art; he also engages in web development, design, and marketing.
