Arnolfini, Bristol 19 February to 12 June 2022 So the show’s already been at the Museum of the Home, London. How is the Arnolfini show different? Polly Braden: When the Arnolfini show opened on Saturday 19 February, there were queues to get into the space. It was jammed all day with people reading the text,... Continue Reading →
The Last Gig Before Covid: A Chat With Philippa ‘Phil’ Tomlin About ‘My Place In The Crowd’
During lockdown last year Philippa ‘Phil’ Tomlin signed up for Inktober. When the drawing challenge gave her the word ‘Cheers’ as a prompt, she found herself having an idea that would eventually lead to her art show – ‘My Place in the Crowd’ – centred around the last gig she attended before Covid-19. “I wanted... Continue Reading →
Feminine Space: post-pandemic communities and the power of togetherness
Three days before I remember consciously registering the word “coronavirus” for the first time, I was at an art gallery. The space was a small, concrete pop-up in Merchant City that teemed with work from punk femmes. Physical performance interspersed the afternoon and artists mingled with audience members, chatting warmly about their recent projects. Perusing... Continue Reading →
Watching A Man Crying at Love & Chaos
In the basement of Alchemy Experiment there’s a film of a man crying. Over the course of 15 painfully slow minutes we watch him, the steady camera focused on the emotions in his eyes and the bob of his Adam’s apple as he swallows. The film, ‘Unfeeling’, is directed by Babar Suleman and stars Omer... Continue Reading →
The Necessity of Unions in the Arts and Culture Sector
If I’m honest, I don’t know how much hope or desire I have to work in the arts sector anymore. I’ve completed both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in art history and my love for the subject has not dwindled in the slightest, despite the amount of money, tears and mental duress that has gone into... Continue Reading →
S/He into Flesh: Skye & Kham Answer Our Questions
Artists Skye Reynolds and Khamlane ‘Kham’ Halsackda discuss their live Zoom performance piece ‘S/He into Flesh’. This conversation is based on questions by Ana Hine. Kham: So the first question is, “What were the circumstances that led to the ‘S/He into Flesh’ online screening with Tramway?” Skye: We arrived at an idea we were delighted... Continue Reading →
Karla Black: There Is No Hierarchy In Materials
Inside the newly refurbished Fruitmarket gallery the wall of text introducing Karla Black’s ‘sculptures (2001 – 2021): details for a retrospective’ tells us that the artist is searching for a paint that never dries and a sculptural material that never hardens.I carry this beautiful sentiment with me as I ponder the works in the Lower... Continue Reading →
Hopepunk at the Abertay Digital Graduate Showcase 2021
The Abertay Digital Graduate Show features a smorgasbord of brilliant projects. There are over 100 digital projects in the online exhibition, which spans videogames, interactive technologies, animation, digital design, and more. These are all created by the honours students at Abertay University’s School of Design and Informatics. This year, the showcase was held at V&A... Continue Reading →
Art Night
Art Night is a festival that utilises unusual public spaces to bring art to those who might not normally set foot in a gallery. Starting on 18 June and running until 18 July this year’s festival includes a series of billboards by Guerrilla Girls, as well as new work by Alberta Whittle, Isabel Lewis, Oona... Continue Reading →
Staring Death In The Face – Jo Spence: From Fairy Tales To Phototherapy
On a recent trip to Bristol I was introduced to the Arnolfini, the main contemporary arts centre and gallery in the city. On the day of my visit a number of exhibitions were taking place, including A Picture Of Health: Women Photographers From The Hyman Collection and Jo Spence: From Fairy Tales To Phototherapy. I... Continue Reading →