Melbourne's Gertrude Contemporary has found that creative people don't just break ground for new ideas, but also for property developers. After 28 years of setting the scene, the not-for-profit space is a victim of the gentrification of Gertrude Street, which has gone from grunge to glamorous shopping strip in a generation. "We've gone from the days of bullets in the window from the Macedonian gangsters across the road, all the way to the first hairdressers and soy lattes", Gertrude Contemporary director Alexie Glass-Kantor said.
The Age reports that a for sale sign is expected to go up this week and that it is unclear whether the gallery will be able to remain until its lease expires. However, Alexie Glass-Kantor says: "The sale will not affect Gertrude Contemporary's status as a leading centre for the creation and presentation of contemporary art in Australia, nor our capacity to carry out our vision for the future. In the face of Fitzroy's ongoing gentrification, we will continue to deliver our internationally acclaimed program of exhibitions, publications, education programs and, most of all, artists' studios consolidating our reputation as Melbourne's leading generator for contemporary art and ideas."
Since 1983, Gertrude Contemporary has supported the careers of Australia's top thinkers makers and writers, charting movements, trends and revolutions in thought and art across its complex of galleries and studios. It has a big reputation in Australia and also across the Tasman and artists and colleagues in New Zealand will be on the lookout for news of moves to secure the space's future.
Image: Gerturude Contemporary, Melbourne
