Alison Jacques expands in London
Melanie Gerlis, Financial Times
April 2023
London’s Cork Street will get a significant boost when Alison Jacques gallery opens its 6,000 sq ft headquarters at number 22 in the autumn. Jacques will keep her existing space on Berners Street, a mile north of the new gallery, where she has been since 2007. “We’ve completely outgrown our premises and Mayfair is where it’s at,” she says. “We want to give our artists the best possible platform.”
On Cork Street, which has been gradually reinvigorated by the landlord Pollen Estate since 2016, Jacques joins Goodman Gallery at number 26 and Frieze’s gallery hub at number 9. Stephen Friedman is also revamping a building at 5-6 Cork Street, also to open in the autumn. Jacques says the history of the street is also part of the attraction: “Robert Fraser, John Kasmin, James Mayor, Bernard Jacobson were all here and are examples of gallerist-dealers who were true connoisseurs.”
Architect Mike Rundell takes on the “substantial eight-month renovation” of the building, she says. The first show will be of new work by 88-year old textile artist Sheila Hicks. This will be followed by an exhibition of late American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.