So what do you do if you’re a New York gallerist, after you’ve closed up shop in Soho and Chelsea?
If you’re Sara Meltzer, you partner up with architect and interior designer Suchi Reddy. You form a joint venture called weR2. And you buy yourself a 31-foot Airstream trailer, circa 1978.
Then you call on your contemporary artist friends for help in designing a new concept in art and retailing: a moveable feast of decorative objects for the home.
And you name your pop-up shop the Dream Machine.
“The idea behind weR2 was that together as a business we become one, and that we collaborate with artists to work as two,” Meltzer says. “They’re artists we love, admire and support, and we want to put their beautiful things in peoples’ homes.”
Among the items offered are playing cards by Moyna Flannigan, rolling papers by Francesca Gabbiani, candlestick holders by Kelly Lamb, and cloth napkins by Kate Shepherd.
“They’re gift items, or hostess gifts, all priced between $15 and $450,” she says.
There are also serving trays by George Venson, throw pillows by Eric Brown and candles by Jason Middlebrook, who also wrapped the bullet-shaped, silver trailer in a zebra-like, wood-grain mural.
The Dream Machine makes its debut at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, Conn. on Saturday, Nov. 15., with a portion of sales from the pop-up shop going to the museum.
From 1 P.M. to 3 P.M., Middlebrook will lead a hands-on workshop for children. At 3 P.M. a panel discussion will be moderated by Evan Snyderman, the co-founder of R & Company, with conceptual artist Mary Ellen Carroll, designer and artist Sebastian Errazuriz, Executive Director and Chief Curator of Storefront for Art and Architecture Eva Franch i Gilabert, and New York magazine Design Editor Wendy Goodman.
Next, the pop-up shop heads to Art Basel from Dec. 1-7 , as part of the Unified Art Fair at 12th Street on the beach.
After that, the Dream Machine will go on the market, its price still under consideration.
But chances are, it’ll be worth every penny.
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