Volume Gallery, opening its doors for the first time on March 19th, is a new, event-based design gallery with the specific focus of promoting young American design by providing a platform from which to present new work. I caught wind of their first show, Jonathan Nesci: THE NEW, when it was announced earlier this year, and have just received images of selected pieces from the collection, rolled out in preparation for this Friday's opening.

About the collection: Each piece in THE NEW is born from Nesci's observations of the world around us and the banal designs that inform our lives in ways many of us never stop to consider—the edge of a curb, the base of a street light, etc.

The gallery, founded by Sam Vinz and Claire Warner, will occupy existing spaces, hand-picked to best fit the work of each show. For Nesci's minimalist body of work, they've chosen to take over the Andrew Rafacz Gallery in the West Loop. The location for the next show, with Felicia Ferrone, is to be determined.

Vinz and Warner both used to work at Wright, a 20th and 21st century design auction house (that we've written about here). When asked how this experience informed what they are doing now, Vinz pointed out that though their project is a bit different, what was most important was "learning that it was possible to exist in this business in Chicago."

From a curatorial perspective, Vinz commented that they are interested in designers who can think both outside and inside production: objects need not necessarily be made for mass consumption, but, at the same time, practitioners should know how to produce. No argument there.

Look for the duo at their upcoming opening this Friday or when they pop by the grad shows this summer, in search of American designers.

Jonathan Nesci: THE NEW March 19, 6pm Volume Gallery @ Andrew Rafacz Chicago, IL