44 Great Russell Street is a listed Georgian building that dates back to 1710. We decided to leave many of its charming original features untouched; carved wooden door and window surrounds, plaster cornicing, wood-paneled doors and marble fireplaces all created a unique backdrop for our exhibition. The building was full of nooks and crannies to discover, and we embraced the space’s idiosyncrasies. Determined to make our mark, and regain some of the property’s former glory, we added vivid colours from the Georgian period: burnt orange, carmine red, soft pea green, pale pink and dark grey.
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Plinth at 44 Great Russell Street
The building extended over four floors, and, sequestered behind the main space, across a flagstone courtyard, was a unique gallery space.
In February and March 2016, Plinth transformed an untouched Georgian house opposite the British Museum into a unique pop-up space – part home, part gallery. The building extended over four floors, and, sequestered behind the main space, across a flagstone courtyard, was a unique gallery space. We sold and displayed a carefully curated selection of products and limited editions by leading contemporary artists – all for sale on our website, too. Pieces by Cornelia Parker, Beatriz Milhazes, Richard Deacon, Richard Wilson and Ding Yi featured, and proceeds from the sale of these limited editions still support Ikon’s 50th Anniversary Investment Fund, established last summer to celebrate their recent anniversary.
Determined to make our mark, and regain some of the property’s former glory, we added vivid colours from the Georgian period: burnt orange, carmine red, soft pea green, pale pink and dark grey.
Many of our first series of editions were on display in the ground-floor gallery space – which retained many of its original shop fittings – while the fabric-lined walls on the first floor were hung with prints and paintings by artists such as Richard Wentworth, Cornelia Parker, Gavin Turk and Paul Huxley. Our second floor space featured gorgeous vintage furniture by Alvar Aalto and Arne Jacobsen alongside unique work by Hurvin Anderson and Marcel Dzama. Everything in the house was for sale, down to the light fittings. The third floor was a dedicated Ikon space, used as a studio by Susan Collis, who created an incredible site specific installation which evolved over the course of her residency.
Susan Collis at Great Russell Street
Everything in the house is for sale, down to the display cabinets.
Plinth is not only about providing a new platform for unique artist-designed products and limited editions. It’s a project centered on a spirit of openness, and creating a means by which a wider audience can access and own contemporary art. We welcomed a broad range of creatives to take part in conversations, dinners and events at Great Russell Street. We hosted talks from Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, Richard Wentworth, Dr. Gilda Williams, Richard Wilson and Richard Deacon and many more. We held artist workshops from Rebecca Jewell and Nathalie de Leval. Jacques Nimki filled the house with variously visible and invisible flower vinyls, and turned the courtyard space into a artist's green house.
Feel free to get in touch if you’d like any more information: Emily@plinth.uk.com
Jacques Nimki at Plinth