Gallery dedicated to Jewish voices
Nina Sanadze has opened Goldstone Gallery, named after Lance Sergeant Aaron Goldstone who fought and died in WWI, whose parents ran their grocery business at the site.
Nina Sanadze did not intend to become a gallery curator. As an acclaimed visual artist she was focused on creating art, but it has become her calling.
Sanadze is the curator of the new Goldstone Gallery which will launch on February 16. Its website describes the gallery as “a pioneering contemporary fine art space devoted to amplifying censored, silenced, cancelled, and muted voices. It provides an opportunity in a safe space for fearless freedom of expression and tolerance in the art world.”
The launch will feature This Is Navalny, the first solo show by Jewish Russian photojournalist Evgeny Feldman, who for over a decade documented the life, activism and legacy of Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption campaigner who became the most prominent face of Russian opposition to President Vladimir Putin, and of its fight for democracy.
In 2020, Navalny survived a near-fatal poisoning and chose to return to Russia, where he was arrested and imprisoned on politically motivated charges. His death in February 2024 followed years of cruel treatment in a Russian jail and then a Siberian gulag.
The gallery’s launch coincides with the first anniversary of Navalny’s death. Feldman has been living in exile in Latvia since 2022 and will travel to Melbourne for the opening.
The choice of Nalvany for the launch seems apt, as he bravely spoke out against Russian authoritarianism. Sanadze said, “He tells an important story, which is about political oppressions and political repressions. We’re not far off from certain repressions here, like I feel I’m being repressed.”
Sanadze was born in the Soviet Union and understands the dangers of totalitarian thinking. It is a key reason she felt the need to speak out against the “totalitarianism” in the art scene which “cancelled” her after she publicly condemned Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks.
Photo: Instagram @nina_sanadze
Sanadze says she has been doxxed, harassed and was pushed out of her studio. Sadly, many Jewish artists have been “cancelled” or harassed after October 7, if they dare not support Hamas.
“Since October 2023, it became clear that most art spaces have grown hostile to Jewish creatives and independent thought. This realisation inspired a proactive response: the creation of a gallery dedicated to amplifying hidden voices, restoring their presence in cultural conversations and initiating the process of reinstatement,” its website states.
Diane and Dan Mossenson are leading Australian gallerists and are the directors of the Goldstone Gallery.
When they offered Sanadze the space to organise a collective for Jewish artists, she was at first reluctant but recognised the need to give a voice to Jewish artists as well as other non-Jewish artists who have been “cancelled”, including Chinese and Iranian artists.
The Goldstone Gallery is located in Collingwood alongside other prominent galleries, in the centre of Melbourne’s arts scene.
It is named after Lance Sergeant Aaron Goldstone who fought and died in WWI, whose parents ran their grocery business at the site of the gallery. A poignant reminder of the contributions of Australian Jews to Australian society.
The Goldstone Gallery is a positive byproduct of a distressing time. Sanadze also plans for the gallery to have educational programs and writing projects with the mission of tikkun olam – repairing the world.
The gallery’s launch is free and open to the public and Sanadze hopes to see a big crowd.
“Supporting us is not just about art. It’s about giving us a voice through the support and making a stand together. We can’t just continue standing by ourselves in silence.
“We need people who will come here to bring that energy that will help us continue feel like we should be strong.”
For more information, visit the Goldstone Gallery website.
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