MOST Australian country town have their Acropolis or Patheno milkbars. Queanbeya now has a Constantinople art gallery.

Gallery owners Ex de Medici an Neil Roberts say the name is a bi tongue in cheek. Constantinople is dead city, which is how many Canberran view "struggle town" across th border. Neil Roberts and Ex de Medic think it's a great place with more t ofTer than is given credit by the slic city dwellers who inhabit the capita metropolis of Australia.

"Galerie Constantinople is the firs contemporary art space to be establishe in Queanbeyan. De Medici an Roberts bought an old warehouse o Uriarra Road a couple of years ag with the intention of setting it up as private residence, studio space fo themselves and a gallery to exhibi their own and other non-mainstrea artists' work.

"We see the gallery is an antidote t the formality, the distance between artist and the exhibiting process," Robert said. "Artists need to feel that the have some self-determination again.

Something more flexible has been i Canberra and other, places before.

Over time the necessity arises for artist to be able to work outside forma structures again."

Unlike most commercial gallerie which host a show for a period of thre weeks, Galerie Constantinople wil have short, sharp shows lasting thre days.

"Because the shows will only be o for three days there will hopefully b an intensity about them. We had t find something that can work in place like Queanbeyan, which is on th outskirts of a place like Canberra," d Medici said.

The very first show at Galerie Constantinople,

Club Asbestos, will ope tomorrow and features a collaborativ installation by Ex de Medici and Nei Roberts.

"We are benevolent dictators," d Medici laughs, "This is not a colle Neil Roberts and Ex de Medici of the Galiene Constantinople. Hel Neil Roberts and Ex de Medici of the Galiene Constantinople.

tive. We arc interested in people wh are involved in marginal practice,

work that's a bit difficult."

Roberts said that Galerie Constantinopl will be an open venue. "We'r not going in with aims and objectives.

We want this to be a place that i responsive."

Galerie Constantinople has alread stirred interest from some well-know artists who are keen to show their wor in a venue offering something differen to other galleries in Canberra.

From the sound of it, this gallery wil have something different to offer o every occasion it opens its doors to th public. There will be one-perso shows, group shows, performances, installation of film, sculpture and livin art. One show which de Medici an Roberts are planning to curate is bikies' show. Medici says this exhibitio would look at tattoos, bikes, lifestyl and hopefully include work b bikies.

"We don't actually know what it wil become," de Medici said.

"It will be an event style space rathe than a gallery' exhibition space."

Openings will be the focal points o Galerie Constantinople's shows, whic promise to shake up the art establishmen (and Queanbeyan) with challengin work from artists from both in an out of town.

The first of these extravaganzas is a event not to be missed. Club Asbesto opens tomprrow and continues til Sunday when it will disappear.

Galerie Constantinople, Urinrr Road, Queanbeyan.

— LISA WALLER