Open Close Gallery is created to challenge viewer and audience perception of what a “typical” or “traditional” gallery looks and feels like. Utilising uncoventional spaces ; Open Close gallery is a shopfront turned pop-up gallery that will be “open” in real life (“irl”), and “closed” but exists online for the rest of the year.
A key influence in establishing the gallerywas Karima’s desire to create a spacethat is lead by a woman and specificallywoman of colour – where their art, their experiences and and complex selves are supported, elevated and celebrated.
A major focus of the Open Close Gallery project is to remind us that women and non – binary artists of colour have always existed through out history and continue to exist, we create diverse; multi-faceted art that cant be easily defined orstereotyped – and that we
are staying around.
Open Close Gallery pays respect and acknowledges the Ancestors, Elders
and families of the Boonwurrung, Woiwurrung (Wurundjeri) and Wathaurung (Wadawurrung) on our Melbourne and Footscray area where our homes and spaces resides. We acknowledge that sovereignty has not been ceded and
pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.