Spike Island Summer 2017
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Exhibitions CafĂŠ Events
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Tessa Lynch
L-Shaped Room
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Exhibitions Tessa Lynch L-Shaped Room 8 July to 17 September 2017 Preview: Friday 7 July, 6–9pm
Tessa Lynch Umbrellas (Remembered) (2016) Photograph by Max Slaven
Tessa Lynch works predominantly with sculpture and performance. Her work develops from the observation of her immediate surroundings and from her quest for the existence of a female flâneur, the woman who wanders aimlessly. The artist embarks on lengthy periods of active research that see her walking through the city streets in the company of chosen collaborators, often writers she interviews while walking. These wanderings around the city are later transformed into sculptural installations that recall her experience of the urban landscape. Memory is central to Lynch’s practice, and previous works have loosely reproduced
Tessa Lynch Town Planning — Proposal for a Public Sculpture, Lock (2016) Photograph by Emma Sandström
from memory the objects, scenarios and histories found on her daily commute from her home to the studio. The uncanny slippage between the real object and its reproduction introduces a multiplicity of meanings that range from the anecdotal to the fictional and the historical. Talking about her work, Lynch has said that she is ‘fascinated by the emotional impact of the environment — especially the built environment, urban settings, how they’re shaped and controlled and, in turn, how they shape us’. The examination of the urban landscapes she encounters on her regular walks has mapped her own identity as a female artist on to the streets of the city she lives in.
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Tessa Lynch Painter’s Table (2016) Installation view, GoMA, Glasgow Photograph by Ruth Clark
The exhibition at Spike Island takes its title from Lynne Reid Banks’ 1960 book The L-Shaped Room, where the unmarried female protagonist finds herself unexpectedly pregnant and has to change her comfortable suburban home for a bug-ridden bedsit in Fulham, London. Her pregnancy and the confines of the room become a forced slowing down: she understands the city from the window and her body through restricted movement. Lynch creates a site-specific sculptural installation that moves at varying paces throughout the space, questioning the emotional qualities of the gallery’s architecture. For the artist, the term ‘pace’ conjures up both the speed
and movement of the body that makes its way through urban space, as well as its impact upon that very same environment. Lynch has invited writers Lucy Biddle, Louise Briggs, Jenny Richards and Rhona Warwick-Paterson to work with her in the exhibition. They will each write a text interpreting the source information (photographs, anecdotes or quotes) that Lynch has been sharing with them, thus introducing a variety of approaches to the exhibition.
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Exhibitions Maeve Brennan The Drift 8 July to 17 September 2017 Preview: Friday 7 July, 6–9pm
In The Drift (2017), London and Beirutbased artist Maeve Brennan traces the shifting economies of objects in contemporary Lebanon. The film moves between three main characters: the gatekeeper of the Roman temples of Niha in the Beqaa Valley; a young mechanic from Britel, a village known for trading automobile parts; and an archaeological conservator working at the American University of Beirut. Combining documentary footage gathered through fieldwork with staged scenes, the work depicts layered histories and communities. The Drift follows Brennan’s encounters with the gatekeeper as he recounts his life’s work restoring and guarding the temple ruins, while the mechanic crosses the Beqaa landscape, searching scrap yards for used automobile parts to transform his BMW car. Inside his workshop, the conservator slowly pieces together fragments of clay artefacts. Forms of maintenance and repair are central to The Drift — focusing on the desire to reassemble and rebuild. Quietly underpinning the film is the urgency of archaeology in the Middle East today, particularly with reference to the destruction and preservation of heritage sites across Syria and Lebanon. Brennan’s film maps converging lines between
the protected relics of ancient temples, smuggled antiquities and exchanged car parts, exploring the care, circulation and shifting value of objects. Informed by long-term investigative research, Brennan’s practice examines the historical and political resonance of materials and places. Creating intimacy through proximity with her subjects, she gathers anecdotal evidence to animate sites and narratives. The Drift builds on Brennan’s previous works, such as Jerusalem Pink (2015), which looks at the role of stone in Palestine in relation to her great-grandfather’s work on the architectural restoration of the Dome of the Rock (1917–37), and Core Sample (2012), which surveys the political and geological strata latent within contested materials. Through observing the intertwined identities, unregulated economies and shared resistance felt across the densely layered archaeological and urban sites of Lebanon, The Drift explores the politics of conflict through its material — and immaterial — residue. The film is produced by Chisenhale Gallery, London and Spike Island, Bristol and commissioned by Chisenhale Gallery; Spike Island; The Whitworth, The University of Manchester; and Lismore Castle Arts, Lismore.
Maeve Brennan The Drift (2017), HD video with sound, 50’ 29� (video still). Produced by Chisenhale Gallery, London and Spike Island, Bristol. Commissioned by Chisenhale Gallery; Spike Island; The Whitworth, The University of Manchester; and Lismore Castle Arts, Lismore. Courtesy of the artist.
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Events
In Conversation: Maeve Brennan and Sheyma Buali
Performance and In Conversation: Tessa Lynch
Thursday 13 July, 6.30pm £5/£3 (free for Associates) Maeve Brennan discusses her film The Drift with Sheyma Buali, Director of BBC Arabic Festival and Commissioning Editor at Ibraaz Channel, with reference to experimental documentary and ethnographic film practice. A screening of The Drift takes place prior to this event at 5.30pm (duration 51 mins.)
Thursday 17 August, 6.30–8pm £5/£3 (free for Associates) Tessa Lynch introduces her work in dialogue with Carmen Juliá, Spike Island curator, followed by a performative reading event made in response to the works on show, involving newly commissioned text works by Lucy Biddle, Louise Briggs, Jenny Richards and Rhona Warwick-Paterson.
The Artists’ Feature Film with Dan Kidner
Film Screening: Margaret Salmon Eglantine
Saturday 16 September, 10am–5pm £40/£35, booking essential A study day with curator and writer Dan Kidner exploring the artists’ feature film and its relation to other histories of experimental narrative film and video. Drawing on his own recent writing and exhibition projects Kidner will lead an introductory seminar session with participants, screen a number of films and chair a roundtable discussion with leading artist filmmakers and theorists, including Ben Rivers, Margaret Salmon, Erika Balsom and current Spike Island exhibiting artist Maeve Brennan. The day ends with a special public screening of Margaret Salmon’s Eglantine (2016).
Saturday 16 September, 6.30pm £5/£3 (free for Associates and included in ticket price for The Artists’ Feature Film) Screening location TBC (see website) Eglantine (2016, 71 mins) is the debut feature from acclaimed Glasgow based artist and filmmaker Margaret Salmon; an intimate and vivid account of a young girl’s real and fantastical adventure in a remote forest one evening. It is a loving homage to classic children’s films such as Ray Ashley’s Little Fugitive, and draws upon nature studies of the past, such as Mary Field’s Secrets of Nature series.
Wednesday 19 July And then … (installation) 12–6.30pm Who’s Eye (screening) 6.30–7.30pm Free, booking advised Artist Oliver Sutherland presents a temporary installation of his recent work And then …, followed by Who’s Eye, a programme of artists’ films exploring the notion of the dislocated camera, including works by Nancy Holt and Robert Smithson, Riley Harmon, Harry Dodge and Stanya Kahn, and Lillian Schwartz.
Bronze Casting Workshop with Ore and Ingot Friday 28 to Sunday 30 July, 10am–5pm Friday 25 to Sunday 27 August, 10am–5pm £330/£280 concessions All materials provided, booking essential Limited to 8 places Join Ore and Ingot for a three day introductory course to learn how to cast bronze using the lost wax ceramic shell process. Gain the basic skills and hands-on experience of bronze casting in a safe and supportive environment, and leave with a cast of your own.
Oliver Sutherland And then ... (2016) Film still
Sutherland was awarded a production bursary by Spike Island and the Centre for Moving Image Research (CMIR) of the University of the West of England (UWE).
Courtesy Ore and Ingot
Installation and Film Screening: Oliver Sutherland
Mary Paterson and Genevieve Maxwell A Walk of View (she began to dissolve) Saturday 2 September, 12pm and 3pm Free, booking essential (suitable for ages 14 and over) Join writer Mary Paterson and choreographer and anthropologist Genevieve Maxwell on a guided, performative walk starting at Spike Island and roaming the streets beyond. Drawing on historical and contemporary narratives about walking, movement and visibility in the city, these walks explore different perspectives in and of Bristol.
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Events
Kate Davies The Separate System (2017) Film still
Film Screening: The Separate System Introduced by Katie Davies Thursday 31 August, 6.30pm Free, booking advised The Separate System (2017) is a single channel cinematic film, investigating the distinct, yet interconnected, spaces of the military, custody and ‘civilian’ life. This new collaborative commission is produced by veterans through workshops at HMP Liverpool and HMP Altcourse with artist and Spike Island studio holder Katie Davies and FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology.)
Discussion: Art and Its Materials Led by John Ó Maoilearca Professor of Film and TV at Kingston University Thursday 14 September, 6–7.30pm £5/£3 (free for Associates), booking advised The third of four events exploring the relationship between art, aesthetics and contemporary materialism. Organised in partnership with the Philosophy Programme and Social Sciences in the City, University of the West of England.
Literature Novel Writers £5/£3 concessions Booking advised Each month we invite a debut novelist to read from and talk about their work in an informal setting. Prior knowledge of the text is not essential. Topics of discussion include theme, structure, inspiration and the craft of writing. These sessions are a great way to discover new writing talent and great books. In partnership with Bristol Festival of Ideas.
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Rowan Hisayo Buchanan Harmless Like You Thursday 27 July, 6.30–8pm Harmless Like You is set across New York, Berlin and Connecticut, following the stories of Yuki Oyama, a Japanese girl fighting to make it as an artist, and Yuki’s son Jay who, as an adult in the present day, is forced to confront his mother who abandoned him when he was only two years old.The author herself is of JapaneseBritish- Chinese-American background and this is a keen examination of belonging, of heartlands, of companionship and choice.
Eley Williams Attrib. and other stories Thursday 21 September, 6.30–8pm This debut collection from Eley Williams centres upon the difficulties of communication and the way in which one’s thoughts — absurd, encompassing, oblique — may never be fully communicable and yet can overwhelm. Attrib. and other stories celebrates the tricksiness of language just as it confronts its limits. ‘It’s exciting to come across a writer playing with language so experimentally. There’s no one working in the UK quite like her.’ — Joanna Walsh
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Studios
Behind the Scenes Free, booking advised Chat with artists based at Spike Island, explore their studios and view work in progress during these informal encounters. Each artist gives a brief introduction to their practice followed by an opportunity for questions and discussion. David Alesworth Saturday 15 July, 2pm David Alesworth is a sculptor, photographer and researcher of garden histories, working between Lahore, Pakistan and Bristol. Ben Rowe Saturday 19 August, 2pm Informed by the aesthetics of science fiction, Rowe sculpts mysterious objects from wood, creating mechanical, robotic and part-organic forms from an unknown, perhaps dystopian, future.
Test Space Test Space is programmed by studio holders based at Spike Island and offers artists a chance to exhibit new works and test ideas. Artists from within the Spike Island community and beyond are included. Please ask at reception for access.
David Alesworth Hyde Park Kashan 1862 (2011) (detail)
Anton Goldenstein Tales from the Diaspora — Why Are Rainbows Always Sad 8 to 23 July 2017 Preview: Friday 7 July, 6–9pm An exhibition of work stemming from a diasporic family history. Spike Island Volunteers’ Exhibition Threads 8 to 17 September 2017 Preview: Thursday 7 September, 6–8pm An exhibition by the team of volunteers at Spike Island, exploring the theme of community.
Courtesy Mark Samsworth
Stollen (All I Want For Christmas) 30 September to 15 October 2017 Preview: Friday 29 September, 6–9pm In the post-appropriation world, this exhibition pieces together an homage to the made, the found, the acquired and the stolen.
Activities I am Making Art Free, booking advised Materials provided, donations welcome These monthly activity sessions are led by artists and take place in the Spike Island Café. Visitors of all ages and abilities can try out new techniques and approaches to making art, from drawing and painting to collage, sculpture and animation.
Cyanotype Silhouette Hangings Saturday 5 August, 2–6pm Drop in anytime Capture the silhouette of any object using the antique photographic technique of Cyanotype (a process traditionally used in creating blueprints) with artist and printmaker Charlotte Biszewski. Bring a significant item from a collection, something which gives you luck, or use whatever you have in your pockets, to create a long collaborative artwork and smaller pictures to take home. Courtesy Ibolya Feher
Mardyke Ferry Walk Saturday 22 July, 2–4pm Various locations, meet at Spike Island at 2pm Connecting with Tessa Lynch’s exhibition, walk with artists Carol Laidler and Pat Jamieson to gently explore the area surrounding Spike Island. Use all your senses, writing and drawing to closely observe and uncover new ways of experiencing the environment. This walk is wheelchair accessible.
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Baby Art Hour Friday 14 July, 10–11am Friday 11 August, 10–11am Friday 15 September, 10–11am Booking essential All materials provided Led by artist Éilis Kirby, these monthly sessions in Spike Island Café are for under fives and their carers. Come play with colour, shape, texture and learn easy ways to create, using simple methods and materials. The gallery opens early at 11am so you can view the current exhibitions after the session.
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Opportunities Benjamin Jones and Amy Gough in their studio at Spike Island Photograph by Lisa Whiting
Network for Creative Enterprise Spike Island is working with The Guild (Coworking Bath), Knowle West Media Centre, UWE Bristol and Watershed to support creatives across the West of England to make a sustainable living from their ideas. We are each offering residency opportunities with free space and a package of business development support. By bringing together expertise from fine art to fabrication to creative technology, we are better equipped to share resources and provide business development opportunities to the creative sector. Funded by Arts Council England and the European Regional Development Fund. To apply, or for more details, visit www.spikeisland.org.uk or email elisa.kay@spikeisland.org.uk.
Conway and Young in their studio at Spike Island Photograph by Lisa Whiting
Spike Island Studios Spike Island offers some of the most professional and affordable artists’ studios in the country. It is currently home to over 70 artists at all stages of their careers, working across all media. These studios are subsidised, making them accessible to artists who would otherwise find it difficult to afford working space. We are now open for studio applications. Find out more at www.spikeisland.org.uk/artists-studios
Coming soon
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Kim Yong-Ik Closer … Come Closer … (2016) Installation view, Ilmin Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea Photograph by Nathing Studio Courtesy Ilmin Museum of Art, Seoul and Kukje Gallery, Seoul
Kim Yong-Ik 30 September to 17 December Preview: Friday 29 September, 6–9pm Spike Island is pleased to present the first exhibition in the UK by South Korean artist Kim Yong-Ik. The exhibition traces the progression of his work from his earliest Dansaekhwa paintings — a form of Korean abstraction — through his rejection of this tradition in the early 1980s, as his awareness of conceptual practice developed and life under Korea’s military dictatorship became increasingly repressive. It culminates in recent works characterised by his persistent questioning and deconstruction of contemporary art. The exhibition is presented in collaboration with the Korean Cultural Centre, London, which presents a concurrent exhibition of the artist’s work.
Calendar
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July
Friday 7 6–9pm Thursday 13 6.30pm Friday 14 10–11am Saturday 15 2pm Wednesday 19 12–7.30pm Saturday 22 2–4pm Thursday 27 6.30pm Friday 28 to 10am–5pm Sunday 30
Exhibition Previews: Tessa Lynch L-Shaped Room Maeve Brennan The Drift Test Space: Anton Goldenstein In Conversation: Maeve Brennan and Sheyma Buali Baby Art Hour Behind the Scenes Studio Visits Installation and Screening: Oliver Sutherland I am Making Art Novel Writers: Rowan Hisayo Buchanan Bronze Casting Workshop
p. 2 p. 4 p. 10 p. 6 p. 11 p. 10 p. 7 p. 11 p. 9 p. 7
August Saturday 5 Friday 11 Thursday 17 Saturday 19 Friday 25 to Sunday 27 Thursday 31
2–6pm 10–11am 6.30pm 2pm 10am–5pm
I am Making Art Baby Art Hour Performance and In Conversation: Tessa Lynch Behind the Scenes Studio Visits Bronze Casting Workshop
p. 11 p. 11 p. 6 p. 10 p. 7
6.30pm
Film Screening: The Separate System
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A Walk of View (she began to dissolve) Exhibition Preview: Test Space: Spike Island Volunteer’s Exhibition Bristol Doors Open Day Bristol Doors Open Day Discussion: Art and Its Materials Baby Art Hour The Artists’ Feature Film Film Screening: Margaret Salmon Eglantine Novel Writers: Eley Williams Exhibition Previews: Kim Yong-Ik Test Space: Stollen (All I Want For Christmas)
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September Saturday 2 12pm & 3pm Thursday 7 6–8pm Saturday 9 10am–4pm Sunday 10 10am–4pm Thursday 14 6–7.30pm Friday 15 10–11am Saturday 16 10am–5pm 6.30pm Thursday 21 6.30pm Friday 29 6–9pm
p. 10 * * p. 8 p. 11 p. 6 p. 6 p. 9 p. 13 p. 10
Book for events online at www.spikeisland.org.uk, call 0117 929 2266 or visit reception. * See website for details of Bristol Doors Open Day.
Equipment Hire We have a comprehensive range of production and presentation equipment available to hire including HD projectors, video cameras and lenses, and exhibition audio. Our edit suite is also available for dry hire or with an experienced editor to suit your project. Find out more at www.spikeisland.org.uk/equipment-hire Edit suite at Spike Island
Workspace Available Spike Design, our affordable co-working space, provides incubation and collaborative opportunities for creative businesses with a focus on design and related disciplines, including film and TV production, new media, architecture and marketing. Apply at www.spikeisland.org.uk/spike-design
Support us Spike Island is a registered charity (no.1003505) working to nurture artistic talent and bring artists and audiences together. You can support us by making a donation or volunteering with us. Find out more at www.spikeisland.org.uk
Thank you Spike Island is a registered charity (no. 1003505). Spike Island gratefully acknowledges support from Arts Council England and Bristol City Council. Maeve Brennan’s exhibition is supported by The Arab Fund For Arts and Culture — AFAC and Arts Council England Grants for the Arts. The film is presented at Chisenhale Gallery from 31 March to 4 June 2017, The Whitworth, The University of Manchester from 29 September 2017 to 18 February 2018, and Lismore Castle Arts in 2018. The film is produced by Chisenhale Gallery, London and Spike Island, Bristol and commissioned by Chisenhale Gallery; Spike Island; The Whitworth, The University of Manchester; and Lismore Castle Arts, Lismore. Tessa Lynch’s exhibition is supported by Creative Scotland and The Elephant Trust. Cover images: Tessa Lynch Town Planning — Proposal for a Public Sculpture, Fence (2016) Photograph by Emma Sandström Maeve Brennan The Drift (2017) Film still. Produced by Chisenhale Gallery, London and Spike Island, Bristol. Commissioned by Chisenhale Gallery; Spike Island; The Whitworth, The University of Manchester; and Lismore Castle Arts, Lismore. Courtesy of the artist.
Also available in large print. Ask at reception, email admin@spikeisland.org.uk or call 0117 929 2266.
Spike Island
Visitor Information
Spike Island is an international centre for the development of contemporary art and design. A vibrant hub for production, presentation and debate, it invites audiences to engage directly with creative practices through participation and discussion.
Gallery open Tuesday to Sunday, 12–5pm (during exhibitions only). Admission to the gallery is free. Prices for events vary, please see individual listings for details. Café open Monday to Friday, 8.30am–5pm, Saturday and Sunday, 10am–5pm. @spike_cafe
133 Cumberland Road, Bristol BS1 6UX Tel. 0117 929 2266 www.spikeisland.org.uk admin@spikeisland.org.uk
Spike Island aims to be a fully accessible building. There are three Blue Badge parking spaces outside the main entrance. Booking Information Book for events online at www.spikeisland.org.uk, call 0117 929 2266 or visit Reception.
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