Over the lockdown period, we continued to work closely with the selected artists to get as many works as possible finished and installed. We would like to thank each of the artists for their hard work in helping us make this happen.
The work of several of our artists was impacted or directly influenced by the period of lockdown experienced by all. Victor Lim Seaward, unable to visit his studio instead spent his time learning a new 3D modelling software and has 3D printed and enamelled a series of sculptures inspired by the nests of weaver birds. Simon Allison has used shipping pallets as a motif in his work for some time, but they have taken on new resonance recently. The functional and ultimately ignored wooden pallet is representative of the support structures taken for granted behind the global marketplace. As the world ground to a halt, previously overlooked key workers were elevated to national heroes and structures we rely on were shown to be more precarious than previously imagined. This re-evaluation is echoed in Allison’s decision to cast the pallets which form the base of Spin Cycle IX & X in bronze, at once celebrating them and challenging our assumptions. We hope that those of you who are able to visit the exhibition this year - as well as those of you who are experiencing it online through images, videos and interviews - discover artists that excite you and artwork that transports you.
Featured artists: Simon Allison, James Balmforth, Alexandre da Cunha, Jemma Egan, Leo Fitzmaurice, Lucy Gregory, Nigel Hall, Katrin Hanusch, Marco Miehling, Jesse Pollock, Victor Lim Seaward, Jack West & Julian Wild.
