Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/749295
302 culturedmag.com caling the upper echelons of the art world by reining in discriminating collectors and A-list artists—plus creating major exhibitions—has always been second nature to Pace London President Mollie Dent-Brocklehurst. But now she is embarking on a new venture in setting up Future\Pace, dedicated to securing public commissions by joining hands with Mark Davy's agency, Futurecity, which has already racked up a steady stream of art projects in public spaces. She aims to primarily tap into the gallery's formidable stable of high-tech artists for work in the public arena. "Countless bridges will boast dazzling light installations by Leo Villareal and building façades will be cloaked in mesmerizing videos, yet that's just the beginning," says Dent- Brocklehurst. "Our innovative approach to developing large-scale works is totally new, as Mark and I will collaborate with artists, engineers, computer specialists and architects," she says. "We'll have to create a new terminology for our efforts in transforming traditional public commissions." In fact, Dent-Brocklehurst's entire career has been marked by staggering achievements. She worked at Sotheby's in London and New York, orchestrated the launch of Larry Gagosian's first London gallery, and established Pace's Soho and Mayfair outposts. Along the way, Dent-Brocklehurst sealed deals with mega collector Roman Abramovich and developed Dasha Zhukova's celebrated Garage. There, she organized "Mark Rothko: Into an Unknown World," which was the first solo exhibition in Moscow devoted to his oeuvre. Even Dent-Brocklehurst's early penchant for art was extraordinary. She grew up in Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire. But rather than remain merely mired in ancestral portraits and Jacobean furniture, she turned her hand to presenting 20th- century and Contemporary art shows at the castle. Three years ago, Dent-Brocklehurst staged Pace London's exhibition "Calder at the Castle." What led her to reach out to Davy and forge Pace's newest initiative? "Quite simply, I saw that there needed to be an extension to Pace's presentation of art so that we could literally build galleries without walls by calling on our distinguished stable of artists in every specialty for public spaces throughout entire cities," she explains. What makes Future\Pace so distinctive is that they will overwhelmingly turn to the gallery's innovative Pace Art + Technology program, packed with major-league talents who fuse art and technology like the celebrated collective Random International and Studio Drift. "Digital technology is the wave of the future," says Dent-Brocklehurst, pointing to the Tokyo-based collective teamLab wrapping the Grand Palais façade in a video projection of a virtual waterfall. For Pace President Marc Glimcher, this new endeavor is a natural progression since sculptors carved out marble or welded sheet metal and artists painted. "When it comes to cutting-edge artistry, there's an experiential component to the new technology-driven work that goes far beyond an artist creating an object per se, and that's where this new initiative will lead the way," says Glimcher. And Dent-Brocklehurst isn't only zeroing in on Pace's crew who embrace technology. "The entire roster of Pace artists from Dubuffet to Claes Oldenburg is at our fingertips," she says. Even the scope of her plans is daunting. "Skyscrapers, schools and hospitals, parks and squares along with bridges are just ripe for projects," she says. "Our aim is to have artists sit down at the table as equals with architects and engineers," adds Davy. One thing is certain: With Pace galleries spanning the world, and Dent-Brocklehurst and Davy working together, countless cities will be branded as cultural capitals showing today's innovative art. S Mollie Dent-Brocklehurst is launching the new Future\Pace initiative. PHOTO BY BEN A. PRUCHNIE