Simon Wallis is running on adrenaline, fired up with enthusiasm, buzzing on the long hours and hard work.
Well, wouldn’t you be if you were heading up a brand new £35million art gallery, designed by an internationally renowned architect and celebrating the work of one of the UK’s most influential 20th century artists?
As busy as he is, Wallis is warm, chatty and pleasingly unconventional.
He has the look of a man who views wearing a jacket and tie as an acceptable compromise; a man whose passion is art but who also relishes the logistical, strategic and political challenges that being director of a gallery such as The Hepworth entails.
This is a building loaded with expectations, and while architectural plaudits and glowing exhibition reviews are of course in the mix, they're just part of a much bigger picture.
There is a lot at stake. For Wakefield’s solidly-Labour council, The Hepworth is no less than the West Yorkshire city’s Guggenheim Bilbao. It’s the anchor point for a £100million regeneration project conceived in a rather more buoyant economic climate.
Yes, there will be great art presented in the exquisite white spaces of this daring building, but, well, it’s also about the (local) economy, stupid.
A big job then, and a world away from the Chisenhale Gallery, where Wallis was director before moving from London in June 2008.
A converted 1930s factory in the East End, Chisenhale focuses on artists at a formative stage in their career.
By sharp contrast, The Hepworth draws heavily from the city’s extensive collection of 20th century art and features over 40 pieces by Wakefield-born sculptor Barbara Hepworth.
The largest purpose-built gallery space outside London, its ten galleries boast a combined floor space of 1600 sq metres.
And yet Wallis is determined to build a bridge between the art of the 20th century and architecture of the 21st.
He’s well qualified to do so, having worked with permanent collections as a curator at Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge and Tate Liverpool, before becoming Senior Exhibitions Organiser at the ICA. He wants The Hepworth to have the feel of a lively contemporary art space, a social hub rather than a reverential museum.
David Chipperfield’s building helps considerably with this. Wallis clearly loves it, talking of its sculptural qualities, of it being designed from the inside out with art in mind.
And while its brutalist concrete exterior will continue to divide opinion, its first floor galleries are a revelation.
A delightful conundrum of sloping ceilings and unusual angles, many of the spaces are drenched in natural light. "The best suite of gallery spaces in the UK" says Wallis. He’s probably right.
Chipperfield has created a building that embraces rather than overpowers the art within it. Its combination of large, airy galleries and more intimate spaces is perfect for the breadth of Hepworth work on display.
It also allows for the kind of large-scale contemporary sculpture made by an artist such as Eva Rothschild, whose Hot Touch is the opening temporary exhibition. 'I think a contemporary programme is a vital part of the offer here,' says Wallis, who has given over three of the ten galleries to new work.
Barbara Hepworth’s beguiling sculptures, the best in contemporary art, a landmark building from an in-demand architect at the height of his powers; some things really are worth putting on a jacket and tie for.
©Chris Sharratt, May 2011
Watch the rest of The Director's Cut series on Axis
More Information
For information on The Hepworth Wakefield's programme of exhibitions and events, visit www.hepworthwakefield.org
The following exhibitions were showing at The Hepworth Wakefield during filming:
Eva Rothschild, Hot Touch, 21 May - 9 October 2011
Collection displays 21 May 2011 - 21 May 2012
These exhibitions are also part of Art in Yorkshire - supported by Tate, a programme of exhibitions at 19 venues throughout Yorkshire in 2011. You can download the Art in Yorkshire iPhone App FREE from the Apple App Store which includes more information, videos and podcasts about The Hepworth Wakefield's exhibitions and the other participating galleries.
art.yorkshire.com/get-the-app
Credits
The Director's Cut is a collaboration between Axis and Creative Times in association with Lumen.
Concept, Interview and Art Direction: Chris Sharratt (Creative Times)
Editor: Lucy Bannister (Axis)
Camera and titles: Phil Slocombe (Lumen)
Sound production: Stuart Bannister (Lumen)
The video and The Director's Cut series is also available to view on creativetimes.co.uk
Watch the rest of The Director's Cut series on Axis
