Evaluation/ Reflection

Positive:

Through the module I feel that my curation abilities have progressed, I am now confident about the processes involved in organizing an exhibition.

I have more confidence to trust my judgment and develop my ideas further.

I am pleased with the visual representation of my virtual exhibition, the drawings clearly show what I am describing and help to show the viewer what I want to achieve in the curation concept.

Using an underground, not widely visited space inside the gallery to show work that explores hidden areas of society- areas we would not usually be allowed inside revealing their secrets. (Beautiful, strange, intriguing secrets.)

Negative:

I am unsure whether the design for Stuart Whipps work inside the filing shelves and David Rowan’s on the pull out shelves is too much. I wanted the pieces to engage with the space, creating a psychological and physical link between the subject matter of the work and the archives they are shown within. However, I think my ideas may be too over the top forcing this relationship, feeling contrived.

I would like to experiment with the positioning of David Rowans work, where each of the 18 photographs are placed and how they interact with one another. Certain pieces may look more effective with others but, this is a finer detail to consider that would perhaps change with the actual hanging of the pieces.

On an end note I really enjoyed the challenge this module provided me with. Before this module I had no knowledge I how to curate an exhibition, I have gained valuable skills that will help with my professional practice and how to show my practical work in the future.

How the work is displayed is as important as the work itself.

Press Release

NO ENTRY: New exhibition opens at New Art Gallery Walsall

23 April- 4 May 2012: ‘No Entry’, exploring the hidden secrets of spaces not usually inhabited through the work of David Rowan, Stuart Whipps and Janet and Louise Wilson.

The exhibition brings together the works of three artists who delve into locked areas of society. Located in the archives of the gallery ‘No Entry’ allows for an insightful investigation into hidden spaces and the events that happen behind closed doors.

 Jodie Wingham, curator of ‘No Entry’, said: “From the beginning of the curation process I knew I wanted to exhibit the works within a space that is not open to the general public. Therefore, it seemed a natural development to locate the works within the underground archives of the gallery. The physical act of entering the archive through the stainless steel lift provides an unnerving atmosphere. When the lift opens and you are faced with the Wilson sister’s film installation ‘Gamma’ encompassing the corridor you immediately feel trapped, unsure of your surroundings and unsure whether you should be in the space.  But ‘Gamma’ draws you into the corridor; the Wilsons’ camera evokes a sense of oppression, paranoia, and terror imparted by the prospect of War through the now deserted American military base in Berkshire, England.

It was important that the selected pieces engaged with the space. David Rowans photographs from his “Pacha Kuti X” are attached to the large movable walls used for storage, forcing the viewer to physically pull the images to view them. Stuart Whipps ‘487 Uncatalogued Boxes’ are shown on the shelves of the archive filing system with the slides projected around the room, maneuvering around the space and onto the different surfaces.

I want the exhibition to be an experience, resembling the subject matter of the pieces looking into No Entry areas devoid of human contact, abandoned and left to decay.”

END

NO ENTRY- My virtual exhibition

Corridor: After exiting lift
Janet and Louise Wilson, 'Gamma' (1999) Film installation.

There will be no lights, the film 'Gamma' by the Wilson sisters is projected onto the white walls  illuminating the space. This in turn shall reveal the underground nature of the archives and the ceiling (strangely beautiful with the pipes being visible)

Room : Stuart Whipps- '487 Uncatalogued boxes' (2011)- film installation

Located in filing room of archives.
Dim lights by shelves to illuminate the boxes but leaving the room dark enough for the projection slides to be seen.

Room: David Rowan '“Pacha Kuti X”. (2011-2012) Located in storage room with pull out wire walls. 18 c-type photographs three attached to each wall. Six walls in total

Reply - Cathy Wade

Dear Jodie.

I hope it has all gone well and seeing the spaces has resolved your queries. The amount of artists you use is up to you, it could be one or three hundred (basically whatever suits you and the space best). The choices you have so far sound great together, let me know how you are getting on, either space would suit both works so go with your own preference.

Best Cathy

On Mon, Apr 9, 2012 at 8:39 AM,

Hello Cathy,

It is jodie here, we discussed contacting Walsall Art gallery about using their archives for my virtual exhibition. I have a meeting with Cheryl on tuesday to discuss my plans and to take photographs.
However, I am still a little confused as to what is expected.
I have an idea to formulate a glass floor to my space where Christian Boltanski installation with tin boxes shall lye on the floor instead of vertically with little light to illuminate them. In the two corners of the room I would like to show the wilson sisters film statsi (the german police head quarters) However, this consists of two artists and two pieces of work- how many artists do we need to use or is it completely open?
My initial idea was to use a space not usually seen to show pieces of work about a buildings hidden secret or its past.
Any advice would be much appreciated , I have also contacted trove to visit the gallery as its appearance reminds me of a abandoned part of a building and with its history as part of the science museum it seems fitting with what I'm trying to achieve.

Thank you
Jodie

17th April- Meeting with Cheryl

Today Cheryl Jones agreed to take me around the archives at Walsall Art Gallery. My original idea was to use this space to hold my virtual exhibition or use it as inspiration for my own designed area.

The tour consisted of walking down a dark stair well that ended with a white door opening through to the large archive space.

I felt that I was entering a space not usually visited which fits perfectly with my concept.

The area consisted of one large room filled with the gallery's collection. Massive crates containing sculptures and a pull out grid wall system where paintings and drawings are hung upon for storage.

A small room containing a extensive filling system on pull out shelves.

A large room with high metal shelves for storage of tools and equipment.

A large corridor leading to the end of the archive space.

Opposite the corridor was a large metal stainless steel lift for transporting pieces of work to the exhibition space.

Reviewing past exhibitions.

48 sheet project- Birmingham (on till the 29th I can still make it yes!!!)

48Sheet is a project aiming at transforming the city of Birmingham into an urban gallery. From the 2 – 29 April 2012 up to 100 10ft x 20ft 48Sheet billboards are being used by artists for creative expression.

Artists across the world have created work to exhibit on a large scale across the city. Responding in different ways they have accepted the challenge of responding to traditional advertisement through their art.  By creating a network of unique and distinctive responses that will raise levels of consciousness and arouse cultural curiosity.

Image: MadeIn Company

“48Sheet aims to create a large scale artistic intervention into the city of Birmingham for people to discover within their everyday journey’s across the city and region. Advertising free clusters of billboards have been created to transform the city of Birmingham into an urban gallery. Routes across the city have been mapped to encourage people to explore the 48Sheet public art trail”.

“The name 48Sheet refers to the size of a traditional billboard. Billboards serve to expose brands and advertising messages across the world- bastions of a globalised consumer culture with their steel feet firmly planted in the midst of infinitely diverse and complex human life. 293 million people in 3,400 of the world’s largest cities see JCDecaux’s advertising structures every day. Such highly visible images are designed to evoke reaction- 48Sheet will redefine the reach of art by utlising such prominent public advertising platforms in this unique way”.

“The above project ‘pop up’ space has evolved into an organic gallery with numerous installations, paintings and will host a programme of events by 48Sheet featured artists from the 19th April”. 

Artists

 No.1 Janet and Louise Wilson

Much of Janet and Louise Wilson’s work focuses on abandoned interiors. Within these spaces the artists draw attention to the presence of those who once occupied them or the acts that were carried out inside. The results are eerie films, almost haunted, that entrap the viewer within the experience.

Stasi City (1997) (running time 5:40) consists of a 4 projection installation (positioned in opposite corners of the gallery)exploring the controversial history of the former quarters of the East German secret police. The film depicts corridors, interrogation rooms, opened and closed doors exploring the psychology of the space that sought to control and survey the population during the Cold War. Entrapping the viewer within the film and the space they take on the role as the all-seeing eyes similar to the Stasi police themselves.

Crawl Space, (1995) (running time, 9:00) conveys a suspense/horror motif. Projected on a single surface, it disjointedly follows the sisters through an abandoned house, replete with slamming doors, hints of telekinesis, and amorphous shapes writhing beneath the wallpaper.

Gamma was filmed at Greenham Common, an American military base in Berkshire, England, that housed cruise missiles during the Cold War. Decommissioned in 1992, the base now lies deserted, its history captured by the Wilsons in disturbing images that seem both documentary and surreal. Moving through area after area of the site, the Wilsons’ camera evokes a sense of oppression, paranoia, and terror imparted by the everyday materials of military reality and the prospect of nuclear war. A film consisting of a combined styles ranging from Hollywood to TV melodrama create an intense film that absorbs the viewer.

No. 2 David Rowan
 

Name of Piece: “Pacha Kuti X”. (2011/2012)

‘The unseen underground’

18 C-Type Photographic Prints 1016mm x 762mm

Information about the piece: (http://www.davidrowan.org/work/pachakutiten/)

An exploration of 17^th-20th century dystopias, myths and concepts of the apocalypse. Pacha Kuti is underground landscape photography depicting hidden, sometimes unknown or forgotten subterranean environments. An investigation of the lesser-known and below ground environment of the Birmingham and Black Country region of England.

The name ‘Pacha Kuti’ or pachacuti refers to an Inca apocalypse legend, a time of duality and change and roughly translates as ‘the time when the world will turn upside down’.

Pachakuti number 10 is the 10th ‘End of The Known Universe’ according to the Inca legend which states there have been many pacha kuti over many generations.

According to Inca Predictions the 10th Pacha Kuti began in the year MCMLXXXVII (1987)

criollo V

C Type Photographic Print 1016mm x 762mm

No. 3 Stuart Whipps
 
Name of Piece: “487 Uncatalogued Boxes”. (2011)
Rotational Slide Projectors. Slides. Custom Brackets
487 cardboard boxes.

Information about the piece: (Sourced: http://www.stuartwhipps.com/exhibitions/ikongallery/)