During the jam packed with New York Art Week, you may find an unremarkable U-Haul truck parked outside any major exposition in the city or a high-profile gallery opening. This makes sense – Ukhall, whose relatively affordable van and truck rental plays a role in the art market. But if you think the role must be logistics, be prepared to be surprised. In the art and wonder of the week, we saw what attracted the audience of a truck of such a cargo bay, with people showing up in their hands and sometimes beer.
What we found is U-Haul Gallery, a nomadic program that experiments with an alternative mobile model for displaying and cycling art while also circumventing penalties for physical spaces in cities. “The cost of space for the gallery was born in New York City,” James Sundquist, director and founder, told Observer.
The busy week of the Art Fair marks the first anniversary of this crafty resourceful gallery, which is able to deliver programming to any hot pocket of any real estate at a modest price for truck rentals, for $29.99 per day. “The first show was held in Soho and was to recycle the residences of many artists in history,” Sundquist said. “Using this truck, we created a temporary building to create the gallery.”
The first show was considered one-off: more performing arts than the actual gallery. However, according to Sundquist, the audience's reaction was unexpectedly enthusiastic, which gave them the confidence to keep moving forward. “I think people like its freedom-punk quality, the feeling that the boundaries of the art world can be destroyed in a guerrilla way,” he said. He added that artists have embraced the accessibility and agility of galleries and are often accomplices in shaping the exhibition. “There is always a plan, but plans always change. We can adapt to situations on the ground in ways that a fixed gallery cannot be chosen.”
Since its inception, the U-Haul Gallery has performed several shows, mainly related to better weather in New York. Last October, Sundquist collaborated with Jack Chase and Victoria Gill for a “stolen goods performance” and was the first time outside the curator was participating in a competition. “Jack and I developed an incredible synergy in that show and I felt together that we could continue to push the gallery to new terrain,” he said. After this collaboration, Chase officially joined the gallery as head of global strategy. “We have been a partner in crime ever since.”
When it comes to programming, Sundquist reflects that the gallery is writing stories. “We attract artists who are interested in exploring outside the traditional gallery space, but mentally and spiritually. Artists want to work under alternative conditions at U-Haul and develop a collaborative approach for each show.”
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Their show last week was not only a keen proof of their collaborative model, but also involved their tricks to solve problems and adaptability in real time. BenNuñez's concept video work is played on multiple screens installed on the back of the truck Today, last yearstarting from his four days Panopticon Endurance project, he used Axon Police Department cameras to record a full year of waking life. In these videos, Nuñez captures the blandness of everyday life with unwavering intimacy, which is more socially related to self-reflection than social violence, touch, solipsistic and shooting. The project responds to the internalized echo of power structures and surveillance, which inquires about the entangled relationship between digital media, social code and identity construction, thus eliminating the boundaries between self and screen until the double boundaries online are more real than life experiences.
“It’s a conceptual video show that presents new technical challenges,” Sundquist said, power requirements for the screen and logistical quirks to equip the U-Haul to current screen-based works. “We gave a speech that really resonated with the audience. We wanted to do a show that would challenge us.”
Sundquist sees the gallery as a vessel that collaborates with cultural spaces as mediums. “I'm interested in expanding the terrain of the gallery,” he said, noting that despite the small art world, the world itself and occupies a land. “I think there is a lot of room to grow, and it just takes curiosity. We are not bound by brick space, so we can show the show in multiple locations on the same day. We have to keep going.”
The low-altitude off-head model allows U-Haul Gallery to take greater risks with the works it displays, while also providing artists with greater sales than traditional gallery structures allow. When it comes to collectors, Sundquist says the trend is changing. “It's been persevering. We're not simple, but very serious. We're a real business and sell jobs at accessible prices.” In other words, the programming may be mobile, but the intention is by no means arbitrary.
Accessibility is at the heart of the spirit of the U-Haul Gallery. This applies to prices, from $3 for stickers to thousands of dollars in unique artwork, as well as audiences. “Everyone can buy and participate,” Sundquist said. “We want to be approachable and welcome to everyone, not just the audience in the art world. We love to perform on the street level because it invites anyone and everyone.” It’s worth noting that the U-Haul Gallery not only set up an external art fair to capture the crowds, but also parked outside Madison Square Garden during the Knicks to bridge culture rather than just cater to collectors. “The art world is an island and we are building a bridge.”
Moving forward, U-Haul Gallery will continue its informal shadow tour along with the city’s art fair. “We’re going to keep kicking out of the trim,” Sundquist quipped. “We have already introduced the group show in February in Los Angeles and are scheduled to be held in London, Paris and Miami this year.” There are also several solo shows in New York, while the gallery remains committed to featuring local artists in each city.
Meanwhile, the gallery is preparing for its own fair: applications are now open for U-Haul Art Fair, which is planned to match this year's Armory show in early September. The event, known as a low-cost alternative to other expos in the city, will feature ten stalls (carrying their own trucks, all placed on the same street), which promises to be like a ruthless neighborhood party. “As always, we will take advantage of the buzz of the art world and use our destructive models to attract attention to the fair.”
