A great day in London with the MA Book Art Students – a road trip –
well more like a walking tour taking in 5 galleries and Bond Street. The day
was full of wonderfully insightful comments and engaging conversations as ever,
with the added layering/reading of the work through a range of cultural lenses
and youth. The day was about the lead up to the final shows – looking at
display, the use of text and spaces engagement with the work (the viewing
experience). But at the same time it’s important to see actual work and for
this work to have a diverse range of international voices - The trip took in
the American Susan Sze at Victoria Miro – http://www.victoria-miro.com/exhibitions/current/
although
still as playful as her work for the Biennale in Venice this show appeared more
focused but still playful. motinternational was showing work by the French artist Nil
Yalter that she has undertaken whilst working with Kurdish women in Turkey.
Tiwani Contemporary had Ruby Onyinyechi’s large scale hybrid drawings, a
Nigerian artist who grew up in the UK and now living in the USA. White rainbow
was showing Chu Enoki. This Japanese artist has a range of working practices –
his head shaving performance piece is still shockingly odd. The ICA has a range
of work but we focused on the ‘archive’ shows of Adrian Henri and Dor Guez. One
a ‘straight’ archive show the other more nuanced with layers of storytelling
and meaning(s). Fig 2 is also on – 50 shows in 50 weeks – exciting,
experimental – a wonderfully dynamic way of working.
Bond Street is an interesting location to consider in relation to the
idea of display – with London Fashion week in action the windows were quite
spectacular. London - another country.
