Running a commercial gallery in any environment is a challenge. Doing it in the Northern Territory is especially so. RAFT artspace has survived 22 years and two locations (and a brief stint in Hobart as RAFT South). It first opened in Larrakia/Darwin in 2001 – where it presented more than 150 exhibitions – before moving to Mparntwe/Alice Springs in 2010.
‘If I can’t keep raising the bar and doing my job better, I would rather not do it. Attempting to respond to an important “movement” in art, sales are not the primary driver for me, whereas for a lot of galleries it is about who they sell, and who they sell to,’ he continues.
