In March 2012, Artereal Gallery launched the first iteration of our Project Space, an initiative spearheaded by the talented Matt Glenn. At the time, Matt was working as the Assistant Gallery Manager at The Serpentine Gallery in London, and he curated a lineup of internationally based artists whose paths he had crossed during his tenure there. Alongside a few Australian artists such as Tully Arnot and Charles Dennington, he showcased works by Francis Thorburn and Michael Pybus. The exhibitions curated by Matt were edgy, exciting, and like nothing else the gallery had presented before.

After a time, the program shifted to a more Australian focus, and I took over curating exhibitions by local artists, including Sarah Contos, Liam Benson, and Chantal Fraser. These early Project Space shows took place in the Artereal Gallery office space, located to the right-hand side of the main gallery, where artworks shared space with the front desk. At times, such as in the case of Sarah Contos’ monumental installation, which towered over us with lava lamps and a sense of spectacle, the works completely dominated the space. Other shows, in contrast, were subtler, more discrete interventions.

Eventually, I pushed, nagged, and cajoled Luisa into letting me completely rearrange the gallery, expanding the Project Space into the room that had previously been the stockroom. Moving our storage off-site brought about a few headaches, and the stockroom was eventually reinstated, but it was worth the logistical challenges. For a few golden years, the Artereal Gallery Project Space presented shows by an exciting roster of Australian artists, including Louise Zhang, Eloise Kirk, Emily Sandrussi, Jason Phu, Abdul Abdullah, Nathan Beard, Penelope Cain, Criena Court, Jodie Whalen, Kai Wasikowski, Jason Wing, Cyrus Tang, Laura Skerlj, Sarah Goffman, Teelah George, Cherine Fahd, Leila El Reyes, and Claudia Nicholson.

The Artereal Gallery Project Space was a deeply personal endeavour for me. It marked a fertile period where I was granted the freedom to curate for the first time—a space that allowed me to develop and grow as a curator while cultivating new relationships and enduring friendships with a group of artists who are now my artistic peers. Many of these artists went on to be represented by Artereal Gallery, while others forged long and meaningful relationships with us, presenting multiple exhibitions in the main space. Some found representation elsewhere, and many have built significant careers, becoming instantly recognizable as artists of merit. This space served as an incubator, not only for my growth as an emerging curator but also for a new generation of artists, many of whom we continue to work with or maintain friendships with.

“When people ask me why I stayed with the gallery for 16 years, I can think of no better example than this – illustrating the gallery’s willingness to try new things without fear and to back its team members and new artists.”

– Rhianna Melhem

The space is also a testament to Artereal’s Founder, Luisa Catanzaro, and her unwavering support for the growth and vision of individual team members. It also reflects my colleague Barbara Dowse’s mentorship, encouragement, and guidance as I found my footing as a curator. The Project Space, which lasted for around five years, is a perfect example of why my role at Artereal always felt dynamic and ever-expanding. It is one of the reasons I never became bored and always felt supported. When people ask me why I stayed with the gallery for 16 years, I can think of no better example than this — illustrating the gallery’s willingness to try new things without fear and to back its team members and new artists.

The Artereal Gallery Project Space ran from 2012-2017. After 19 years, Artereal Gallery closed in March 2025. This article is part of the gallery’s ‘On Reflection’ series of essays.