Text Dzenana MUJADZIC
What makes the experience of art contemporary today? Rosa Park, founder of the Francis Gallery in Bath and Los Angeles, has a clear answer to this: Art needs proximity, atmosphere, and context. She explains why the space is always part of the work for her—and why she has turned her own home in Los Angeles into a stage for her new exhibition concept »Casa Francis«.
Chapter How did you come to adopt a holistic, more approachable concept for the gallery experience—one that considers not only the art but also the overall setting and mood—and why?
Rosa Park I’ve always held the belief that you cannot separate anything from its environment; there’s an inextricable link between the artwork and what surrounds it. At Francis, we’re constantly striving to create a warm, easeful setting that complements the viewing experience. Art has a tendency to feel impenetrable to those on the ›outside‹. To move away from that paradigm, we’ve pursued a softer, more domesticated interior space to build a bridge between the works we show and our audience—which includes specialists and generalists alike.
Casa Francis, Los Angeles; Group exhibition: «Have you eaten today?», 2025
Ash Roberts, «Mujō», 2025
Chapter In a time when so much visual material goes uncommented, why is it important to you to present works with greater context?
Rosa Park Without context, art exists in a vacuum—and that’s paradoxical. Art is inherently created in response to its culture and a moment in time. It is an expression of the artist, yes, but also in dialogue with what the artist is immersed in. Thus, art and context are co-dependent, and it is paramount to the gallery to show works with as wide-reaching a context as possible.
Francis Gallery, Los Angeles
Chapter Your latest project, Casa Francis, is located in your former family home in Los Angeles. Can you talk a little bit about the concept and what inspired this intentional choice?
Rosa Park The first iteration of Casa Francis had to take place in my former family home, because the concept is based on how I live with art and my objects. It had to be that personal, because the intimacy of how we curated came from that source.
Francis Gallery, Bath: Grace Watts, «Evolution Impression», 2024; «A Note, Beauty & Love», 2023
Chapter What are your thoughts on living with art?
Rosa Park In a world where almost everything serves a function or utility, I take joy in living with pieces that exist solely on their cultural and aesthetic merit. The art on my walls says more about me than any other piece at home. When I hang the first painting or position the first sculpture, that’s when my house becomes a home.
ARTICLE FIRST PUBLISHED IN CHAPTER №XII »SIMPLICITY« — SUMMER 2025
