This installation will mark the official launch of ROLLO Contemporary Art, and will coincide with a five-week solo exhibition of Giancarlo Neri’s smaller sculptures and photographs of 'The Writer' at ROLLO’s Islington gallery, until 27July 2005. From June until October 2005, Parliament Hill Fields will be the setting for Neri’s installation: a giant table and chair reaching 30 ft in height, a work aptly described by the artist as, ‘a monument to the loneliness of writing’. Neri will challenge the notion of the writer’s inherently private work place by installing the sculpture in one of the most public of contexts - Hampstead Heath – an ideal location because of its local literary traditions.

Simon Gillespie, Director of ROLLO, states, ‘I am delighted to be representing Giancarlo in the UK. He is internationally renowned for his large installation pieces and it is exciting to be extending his reputation by bringing his work to the UK. For me, 'The Writer' works on many different levels but succinctly, it summarises the pressure one can feel in front of a blank page. I believe that 'The Writer' and Neri’s exhibition at ROLLO will encourage a greater interplay between sculpture and the general public. ROLLO looks forward to working on future large-scale installations in imaginative locations outside the commercial gallery space.’

Roberta Cremoncini, Director of the Estorick Collection comments that, ‘It is great to see a new organisation like ROLLO being so active in their support of outside projects. There is a long legacy of Italian artists exhibiting in Great Britain and I am delighted to see this initiative coming to fruition.’

Born in Naples in 1955, Giancarlo Neri moved to New York to play professional football. He studied painting and sculpture at the Art Students League and became a full time artist in 1980. Neri’s first solo show was at the Kornblee Gallery in 1983 and since then he has been working on large scale site-specific installations in the USA, Europe and Brazil. His strangely surreal chair installations stretching from Washington to Capri have earned him an international reputation. Reminiscent of Dada, these works challenge our own conception of familiar everyday objects which seem to take on a new physicality and identity. 'The Writer' is no exception.

Previously exhibited at Villa Ada Rome between 2003 – 2004, The Writer dwarfs the viewer and blurs the boundaries between reality and fantasy. The sculpture adopts the status of a monument and redefines the shape of the landscape. In contrast, Giancarlo Neri’s exhibition at ROLLO will consist of a collection of smaller scale sculptures offset by the intimacy of this new gallery space.

For further press information on ROLLO Contemporary Art, the installation of 'The Writer' and associated events and images, please contact:

Benjamin Ward on 020 7936 1297 email bward@brunswickgroup.com or
Merrie Ashton on 020 7396 5339 email mashton@brunswickgroup.com

Gallery contact details:

Simon Gillespie – Director
Diana Ewer – Gallery Manager
ROLLO Contemporary Art
17 Compton Terrace
London
N1 2UN
T + 44 (0) 20 7493 8383
F + 44 (0) 20 7493 0955
E info@rolloart.com

Exhibition dates: 22 June to 23 September 2005, with the installation on Parliament Hill Fields running until 9 October 2005.

Gallery opening hours: 10am - 6pm Tuesdays to Saturdays (closed Sundays and Mondays), or by appointment.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- 'The Writer' is made from 6 tons of steel, 1000 pounds of wood, 200 gallons of paint and several hundred nuts and bolts.

- Simon Gillespie is Director of ROLLO Contemporary Art. A restorer of paintings for over twenty-five years, Simon has been involved in the conservation of gold ground paintings, early English portraiture, old masters and frescoes. For the last decade, he has focused on contemporary paintings and the different painting techniques used by modern painters. Simon is also an experienced consultant, advising potential buyers on new acquisitions of paintings. He recently assisted on an important private US collection currently on loan to the Denver Art Museum. His clients range from international private collectors to large institutions in the City, as well as West End galleries and museums, including English Heritage and the Palace of Westminster.

An active supporter of the Arts, Simon is a patron of the Royal Academy of Arts and a member of the International Institute for Conservators of Historic and Artistic Works. Simon is a keen mountaineer and he climbs one 18,000ft mountain every two years. He recently raced a winning team up Kotakinabalu, Borneo in competition with the Gurkhas Regiment.

Through ROLLO Contemporary Art, Simon Gillespie will promote emerging and mid-career artists. He also seeks to run large outside installation projects in public spaces in conjunction with corporations and institutions throughout the UK to encourage access to art. In addition, ROLLO will also promote video art in public spaces as well as in the domestic sphere and aims to make it more accessible to the private collector.

- ROLLO Contemporary Art is located in a Grade II Georgian house in Islington at 17 Compton Terrace, London N1.

The Gallery is managed by Diana Ewer. Having recently completed a masters at the Courtauld Institute specialising in modern art, Diana has four years experience working in the London commercial art world. She started her career with an International art broker and managed a Cork Street gallery for two years. A freelance writer for artnet, she is currently involved in blood, a new initiative of the Contemporary Art Society.

- Giancarlo Neri’s 'The Writer' is sponsored by The Italian Cultural Institute – the official Italian government agency for the promotion of cultural exchanges between Italy and the U.K. The Institute promotes collaboration between universities, academies and learned societies in the two countries and assists in the organisation of major Italian cultural events in Great Britain.

- 'The Writer' has been made possible thanks to The Corporation of London, Atkins and Hadham Engineering.

- Hampstead Heath is the collective name for Parliament Hill and Golders Hill, a total of 791 acres (320 hectares). The Heath is situated just four miles from the centre of London and falls within two London Boroughs, Camden and Barnet. The Corporation of London has managed all of Hampstead Heath, apart from the Kenwood area, since 1989, and has a long established policy of protecting open spaces in and around London for the enjoyment of the public, at no cost to the local ratepayer.

In addition to providing local authority services within the Square Mile, the Corporation of London provides a large number of facilities for the benefit of London and to the nation as a whole. These include the Barbican Centre, 10000 acres of open space, three wholesale London markets and maintaining five Thames bridges.

- Atkins has been appointed to design the foundations for 'The Writer' and will oversee the process of its installation, ensuring that the correct health and safety measures are carried out. Established in 1938, Atkins plans, designs and enables the delivery of complex infrastructure and buildings for clients in both public and private sectors. Its head office is based in Epsom, Surrey. A global organisation, Atkins is the largest multi-disciplinary consultancy in Europe; the largest engineering consultancy in the UK and the seventh largest design firm in the world.

- Hadham Engineering has been appointed to construct 'The Writer'. Established 20 years ago, Hadham specialises in architectural and structural engineering. Based in Bishop’s Stortford, Herts, Hadham carry out all forms of MIG, MMA and TIG welding, producing high standards of fabrication in steel, stainless steel and all non-ferrous materials. They have their own team of CAD design engineers and offer a range of services including the manufacture and installation of structural steel works.

- ROLLO Contemporary Art is a participating gallery in Art Fortnight London 2005 with which the Giancarlo Neri installation coincides. Inaugurated last year, Art Fortnight London (20 June to 4 July) is a two-week programme that celebrates the richness and diversity of London's art market. Involving commercial galleries, museums and auction houses, the events provide a series of vivid snapshots that present London's art activity at all levels, from Old Master pictures to cutting edge Contemporary art. For more information, please contact the Art Fortnight London office: 020 7839 8139 or visit www.artfortnightlondon.com