Cris Contini Contemporary opens new London gallery in Notting Hill

Cris Contini Contemporary has inaugurated a new two-level space at 1 Lonsdale Road, W11 2BY, in London's Notting Hill, near Portobello Road. The gallery, founded in 2018 by Cristian Contini and Fulvio Granocchia, also has locations in Milan and Brussels and managed the San Marino Pavilion at the 2022 Venice Biennale. Its roster spans from Roy Lichtenstein and Lucio Fontana to contemporary artists like David Begbie, Endless, Ferruccio Gard, Michal Jackowski, Jeff Robb, and Simon Berger. The opening exhibition, VIVID, is a solo show by Mark James, coordinated by Sandra Sanson with participation from Prof. Pasquale Lettieri. It features 22 new paintings and two limited-edition prints. James trained at Goldsmiths College during the Young British Artists era and specialized in film at the Royal College of Art; he previously directed the BBC documentary FREEZE on Damien Hirst. His style is described as "suprematist pop," with bright colors and modernist structures, incorporating contrasts and jazz/swing influences. James names his works after songs, though they are not directly inspired by specific music, aiming to evoke emotions and shared human experiences.