The Invisible Line – seeing is believing

Caiti Grove at ease in the new gallery space

A new art gallery, aiming to appeal to creative minds, is building up its presence in Dalston.

Located next to Coffee@Ridley’s on Dalston Lane, The Invisible Line is calling for talented Hackney artists to fill its space with their work.

Organisers are keen for the venue to exhibit a range of art and are welcoming propositions from painters, sculptors, photographers, designers, writers and other like-minded folk.

While the project is still at an early stage, creative directors Caiti Grove and Sheila Ruiz are hoping to champion Dalston’s artistic scene as well as adding something new.

“The area has become so creative in the last few years and that trend is growing. That’s why we thought of doing this here,” Ms Grove told the Hackney Citizen.

Ms Ruiz added: “There’s just such an abundance of local talent. Our aim is to contribute to this and offer Dalston’s creative minds the opportunity to come together in this space.”

Although the duo are planning an official launch later this month (Friday 20 April), The Invisible Line has been open on an informal basis for the past few weeks.

The gallery held a small exhibition opening on Friday 23 March, and the organisers were encouraged by the reception it received. Over 100 people attended the evening. Ms Ruiz says the event was a real confidence boost for the project.
“We’ve had our first opening night, we’re starting to get our names out there, and now people are showing a lot of interest,” she said.

The Invisible Line is run in conjunction with Coffee @ Ridley’s and Ms Grove believes this can also work in its favour. She said: “The Invisible Line is not your traditional art gallery – it is a creative, interactive and social space.

“The idea is for the cafe next door and our space to bounce off each other. People can go to the cafe, get a coffee, then come and sit in here, use the wi-fi and discuss their work with other artists.”

Plans for the official unveiling of the gallery have not yet been announced, but the launch will exhibit at least three different artists’ work representing the gallery’s diverse and mixed media approach. “We’re still building our foundations, but we’ve got a lot of exciting ideas,” said Ms Ruiz.

“We want to add value to Dalston and add to what’s already happening in the area by making everyone – especially local artists – welcome.”

The Invisible Line
87 Dalston Lane
E8 2NG