Niki Russell

Director

Niki is an artist, curator and writer. As Director of Primary since 2018, he has worked with the organisation to join the Arts Council England National Portfolio, secure freehold ownership of the site and undertake first stage capital redevelopment to transform a disused school into a new cultural resource.

Previously, he worked as a Curator at Primary initiating a programme focussed on creative research. Since 2014 he has curated different programme strands including Multiple points in this crude landscape and Object Performance, commissioned new exhibitions and projects by artists including Larry Achiampong, Carmen Argote, Parker Ito, Anna K.E., Rebecca Lennon, Hardeep Pandhal, and developed collaborations with Tensta Konsthall (Stockholm), Matts Gallery (London), Maraa (Bangalore) and Grand Union (Birmingham).

Wider curatorial projects include Tall Tales and Wayward Narratives with Beth Collar, Matt Copson, Patrick Coyle and Heather Phillipson at Nottingham Contemporary, Not ready yet at the Exchange Building (Nottingham), Folk Variations with Serena Korda, Sally OʼReilly, Olivia Plender, Patrick Staff, and Tris Vonna-Michel, This is not a performance or a lecture! at Radar (Loughborough), and Playing Life at Elastic Residence (London).

As an artist he works with the collective Reactor, whose recent projects include The Gold Ones at Bonington Gallery (Nottingham), Gallery North, (Newcastle) and xero, kline & coma (London). Prior to this, Reactor have presented work at Kunst Vardo (Oslo), KW Institute for Contemporary Art (Berlin), MoMA (New York), MoBY (Tel Aviv), Schirn Kunsthalle (Frankfurt), The Model (Sligo), Donau Festival (Krems) and Grizedale (Cumbria). Alongside this, Reactor curate the Reactor Halls performance events series working with artists including Pil and Galia Kollectiv, Benedict Drew and Plastique Fantastique.

His published writing includes an essay on John Lawrence for the artist publication Sickly Revelations, Arts Editions North, and contributions to Come Together: The Rise of Cooperative Art and Design, Princeton Architectural Press, and Playing the City, Sternberg Press. Alongside this he occasionally writes reviews and texts for art publications including Art Monthly, Camera Austria, Photomonitor and Realtime amongst others.