Daine Singer’s new gallery in Braunschweig used to be a tailor’s factory. Large glass doors now replace a roller shutter, and the white walls are decorated with works by some of Australia’s most exciting and collectable contemporary artists – Kirsty Budge and Kate Tucker among them.
Singer is one of the city’s most important curators and commercial art dealers. She opened her eponymous gallery on Flinders Lane in 2011, having previously worked at the Anna Schwartz Gallery, the Museum of Chinese Australian History and Experimenta Media Arts, and moved to Fitzroy with the gallery in 2018.
Singer describes the new Brunswick location as the gallery’s first permanent home — a warehouse it bought earlier this year and then renovated. It is twice the size of its Fitzroy predecessor, allowing Singer to host two exhibitions at the same time. With 15 Australian and New Zealand artists, as well as guest artists, the extra exhibition space is a welcome addition.
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Singer designed the gallery himself, with advice from a trusted circle that included Peter Davidson, one of the gallery’s artists and designer of Fed Square.
“I wanted to keep it as minimal, understated and raw as possible – staying true to the industrial building and really making our exposed concrete soffit stand out. It’s pretty brutalistic.”
The monumental concrete ceiling is undoubtedly the gallery’s most dramatic feature, but the walls of the storage room and kitchen are painted a dark olive green and the bathroom a burgundy red, softening the mood. An open-plan office features chairs by local furniture maker Daniel Barbera, a ceramic-tiled coffee table by Kate Tucker, and Italian Sam Son chairs by Magis.
“It’s a really quiet work environment, which I think is also a welcoming place for our visitors,” says Singer. “I want to strike a balance between a space that highlights the art while also feeling inviting… [Visitors] being able to park easily, beautiful design moments in the bathroom and kitchen and space to sit and linger with us.”
Singer joins a solid community of gallery owners and artists in Braunschweig, including Neon Parc, Blak Dot and Hayden’s, as well as a variety of artist-run spaces or initiatives (ARIs).
“Many artists live or have studios locally… New ARIs [are] jumps up all the time. It feels like a hub for artists, dealers and curators,” she says.
“The reality is that many clients prefer to interact online and it’s the artists who are the most loyal visitors to the galleries, so I think it’s important to be close to them with our physical space.”
Your singer
83 Weston Street, Brunswick
0410 264 036
Hours
Wed to Fri 12 p.m. to 5 p.m
Sat 12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m
dainesinger.com
