Condorelli is the third Artist in Residence to be chosen since the launch of the Gallery’s new Modern and Contemporary Programme, following the appointment of Rosalind Nashashibi in 2019 and Ali Cherri in 2021. The award is a collaboration with the Contemporary Art Society, while the UK Partner Museum for this residency is the Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Exeter (RAMM).

Céline Condorelli’s work addresses the boundaries between public and private, art and function, work and leisure, in order to reimagine what culture and society can be, and the role of artists within them. Often using forms of architecture, design, or sculptural objects, Condorelli’s installations make interventions to the way that people navigate or use a space, whether that is in the context of a museum or gallery, or a children’s playground, a public garden or an artist’s studio.

Condorelli has been invited to respond to works in the collections of the National Gallery and RAMM. She will begin her residency in September 2022 and will work over the course of a year in the National Gallery’s on-site artist’s studio, benefiting from the close proximity to the collection and archives. This will culminate in a publication and a display featuring Condorelli’s work at the National Gallery (13 September 2023 – 7 January 2024.) With the support of the Contemporary Art Society, one of the works relating to the residency will enter RAMM’s collection.   

The jury was impressed by Condorelli’s ability to engage a range of audiences through her imaginative architectural interventions in gallery spaces, while drawing focus to materials, and the notions of leisure and labour in society. The panel consisted of Caroline Douglas, Director, Contemporary Art Society, Lara Goodband, Contemporary Art Curator & Programmer, Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Exeter, Hugh Mulholland, Senior Curator, The MAC, Belfast, Francesca Bertolotti-Bailey, CEO, Cove Park, Peaton Hill, Argyll and Bute, Sunil Gupta, Artist, and Daniel F. Herrmann, Curator Modern and Contemporary Projects, the National Gallery, London. 

The Artist in Residence position is designed for an artist in the middle of their career who will benefit from unparalleled access to the Gallery’s collection. The partnership between the National Gallery and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery allows the artist to respond to one of the greatest collections of paintings in the Western European tradition, as well as an outstanding collection of visual arts with an engaging contemporary art programme. In a move to enrich regional collections, the Residency enables a work by Condorelli’s to travel to the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter, where it will be acquired by the Contemporary Art Society for the Royal Albert Memorial Museum’s permanent collection. 

Céline Condorelli says: ‘I feel hugely honoured to have been invited to be artist in residence at the National Gallery. Being given the opportunity to spend time in the company of such a rich collection is incredible, and I look forward to getting to know the museum inside and out. This feels like an important moment to address cultural institutions and their social responsibilities with fresh eyes, as well as the role of artists within them.’

Dr Gabriele Finaldi, Director of the National Gallery, London, says: ‘I am looking forward to Céline Condorelli’s residency at the National Gallery and the work that this will inspire for us and for our partner museum in Exeter (RAMM). Her thoughtful and striking objects and installations will provide new insights into our museums and our collections.’

Caroline Douglas, Director of the Contemporary Art Society, says: ‘We are delighted to be working with the National Gallery and RAMM on the third iteration of the residency programme.  It will be exciting to see how Céline Condorelli engages with both institutions, she will undoubtedly bring entirely new insights to much-loved collections.’

Camilla Hampshire, Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Museums Manager, says: ‘Working with the National Gallery on the artist-in-residence programme this year is a fantastic opportunity for cross-collaboration and sharing our collections and teams. Céline Condorelli’s artistic practice is sure to create exemplary new work that engages in thoughtful and unexpected ways with RAMM’s world-class collections. This is an extraordinary opportunity for our visitors to experience contemporary art by this internationally acclaimed artist. We look forward to seeing the work develop and hosting a permanent legacy of the residency through acquiring the work for RAMM.’

The National Gallery Artist in Residence is a collaboration with the Contemporary Art Society.

Programme sponsored by Hiscox