Minnie Weisz Studio, London

Yesterday I spent the day with Minnie who is co-curating the TROVE exhibition as part of The Event, opening next month in Birmingham.  A day of meetings, a lunch at the newly refurbished Grand hotel in Kings Cross, it was time for Carl Hopgood's preview at her studio/gallery.

The Grand Hotel

 Carl Hopgood's pieces at Minnie's Studio

And finally some work by Adam Zoltowski, which will be turned into multiples for the 

Creative Machine's show.

Bharti Parmar studio visit

Bharti Parmar is an incredible Birmingham artists who I am working with toward an exhibition at Aedas Presents next year.  Today I popped by her studio for an update and I was amazed by what I saw.  For part of the exhibition Bharti is making a 6m squared rug - out of human hair!

Some gorgeous European hair samples - these were pieces in their own right, soft and the most exquisite variation of colours from blondes through to reds.  

 Bharti showing me how to make a rug out of hair -

 this is a very specialised technique used in wig making 

Here is a little film of Bharti in action

Here is the rug as it looks at the moment hung up - Bharti is brushing it in this pic

And here is another project Bharti is working on, making an acorn shaped charm ouf of woven hair

October cross overs

This is a little how my October is panning out and how there are some lovely cross overs happening between the three shows

TROVE at The Event

Recently I had to design a little advert for the TROVE exhibition as part of this years The Event.  

I passed the reigns over to new local creative agency, Studio BC - and below is our ad!

October 2011 exhibitions

October is going to be a busy month with three large scale exhibitions opening all over the West Midlands.

In order, first - Aedas Presents: Craig Marchington

Opening Thurs 6th October 6-8pm

'Panoramic' Craig Marchington 

Next up is The Event

An exhibition curated by me, Charlie Levine, and Minnie Weisz

Artists include:Alex Chinneck, Stephen Cornford, Jaime Jackson, Markus Kayser, Rob Mullender, Alex Pearl, Ben Rowe, Laura Skinner, Luke Williams and Adam Zoltowski

'Nightsky' Luke Williams

And finally, as part of the Hereford Photography Festival, 

Change the World or Go Home: TROVE No. 26 Non obsolescence 

a photography exhibition at DownStairs Gallery, Hereford

Photographers include: Matthew Andrew, Jo Gane and Minnie Weisz 

'Ancient and Modern' Jo Gane

Some Domestic Incidents, mac preview

The preview at mac for Some Domestic Incidents went really well! Lovely to have the all the artists in Brum and the show looked simply amazing.  Here are some snaps.

Graham Chorlton and Oliver Clegg's painting

Caroline Walker and Anna M R Freeman with their work

Busy launch night!

Justin Mortimer's painting, centre

Some Domestic Hub

For the Some Domestic Incidents exhibition opening tonight at mac birmingham, the education team have created for it, its own blog.  Called the Domestic Hub it is being updated with interesting information surrounding the show, useful links and additional thoughts inspired by the works.

Check it out > HERE

Some Domestic Incidents install day

The install at mac birmingham for Some Domestic Incidents has started! Here are some pics of Matt and I 'curating' and Silas and Tim beginning the hang, loving all the new pieces added to the show for mac and great to see the gallery opened out again (first time since the first show in this new space) and filled with gorgeous British painting.

Oliver Cleggs paintings

The back of Anna M R Freemans boards

Matt being an important curator type

Silas and Tim hanging Graham Chorlton's work next to Justin Mortimer's

Some Domestic Incidents, mac, Birmingham

Very excited to currently be working on/installing the British painting show from this years Prague Biennale at mac, Birmingham.  It's so nice to be able to bring this show home - hope you can make the preview this coming Friday.




Some Domestic Incidents: An Exhibition of New Painting from Britain

Preview: Fri 23rd Sept 6-8pm

Sat 24 Sep – Sun 13 Nov Gallery, 
Free admission Open Tuesday until Saturday, noon – 8pm Sunday, 11am – 4pm. 
Closed Monday
mac, Birmingham
Cannon Hill Park
For most people in the developed world, most of the time, home is a place where we can be at ease. It is a site of sanctuary from the world outside, for everyday activities such as sleeping, cooking a meal, reading, or raising a family.

While many of us are fortunate to live in houses and apartments where we are happy and can relax, we all experience things in our homes that adversely affect our physical, psychological and emotional relationships with the places in which we live. This might be a burglary, the death of a loved one, an accident or a visit from the bailiffs. For others, home is a place that is constantly oppressive and filled with melancholy, loneliness or misery – a site of entrapment, discomfort or abuse.

Some Domestic Incidents presents works by seven artists from Britain that connect to the theme of domesticity and explore how normative relationships with homes can be changed or damaged.

The exhibiting artists are Graham Chorlton, Oliver Clegg, Anna M R Freeman, Philip Hale, Justin Mortimer, Sally Payen, and Caroline Walker. The exhibition has been curated by Matt Price assisted by Charlie Levine for the fifth edition of the Prague Biennale.


Some Domestic Incidents at mac, Birmingham

Dean Melbourne at Bryant Priest Newman

Birmingham based architects, Bryan Priest Newman, have the perfect reception space for artists to use and exhibit in, and like Aedas Presents, they open their doors occasionally to putting on art exhibitions. On Friday they opened their current show by painter Dean Melbourne, and it looked a little like this.

And Dean, I said it ont he night and I'll say it again - if this one wants to make its way over to my house, that would be ok with me!

Pics from last nights Aedas Presents : In to view

The preview for the latest Aedas Presents was held last night. The exhibition, by Caitlin Griffiths, was brilliant, a mix of film, text and illustration, and here are some images from the show!

Aedas Presents : In to view

AEDAS PRESENTS IN TO VIEW
PREVIEW SHOW 6 PM THURSDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 2011
COLMORE PLAZA, BIRMINGHAM

For the latest Aedas Presents, Birmingham based artist, Caitlin Griffiths debuts a new video work and several - Aedas specific - text pieces. Returning to themes of identity and relationships, Griffiths' new video looks into one of the closest relationships of all: that of father and daughter. In the text pieces the artist cuckoos herself into the lives and memories of Aedas employees.

Aedas Presents welcome you to join us at this exclusive invitation only preview show from 6 pm - 8 pm on Thursday 15 September 2011. If you cannot make this date, Caitlin's work will be displayed in Colmore Plaza until Friday 30 September. Please contact aedaspresents@aedas.com to arrange a visit.


Further details can be found at:

http://aedaspresents.blogspot.com

http://www.aedas.com/
http://www.caitlingriffiths.com/
http://www.charlielevine.co.uk/
Follow us on Twitter: @AedasPresents

Change the World or Go Home at Downstairs

Yesterday I popped over to Hereford to pick up some paintings by Sally Payen for the return show of Some Domestic Incidents to the UK, and then we all went along to the launch of Downstairs Gallery's latest show 'Change the World or Go Home.'

I really liked five of the film pieces in particular and they are definitely worth a mention:

Tom Crawford 'Concrete Action'

Jeremy Hutchison 'The English tourist and the Oslo Agreement'

Mark McGowan 'WAKE UP ARTISTS YOU STUPID GITS'

Charlotte Young 'Artists Statements' (click and watch this piece on youtube!)

Hennessy Youngman 'ART THOUGHTZ: How to make an art.' (click and watch this piece on youtube!)

TROVE's 24 months/24 shows anniversary