galleries – criticismism ii

August 29, 2012August 29, 2012

Farewell Grey Area

It is oft said things have to get worse before they can get better. And with news of this Fridayâ€™s vacation of Grea Area, the Brighton gallery scene couldnâ€™t get much worse. In the past, usually after one or two libations, I have opined that quality of life is already…

March 17, 2012March 17, 2012

Opposition to the Jerwood Gallery in Hastings

Pictured above is a view from upstairs at the brand new Jerwood Gallery in Hastings. If those fishing boats werenâ€™t already picturesque enough, now they are framed. At the foot of the shot is a yellow poster. And as you might know, there are several of these nearby, all voicing…

November 24, 2011November 24, 2011

Adolf Krischanitz, Barhocker (1986)

With its dark, stained and somewhat splayed feet this stool looks solid enough. But it was still not clear that sitting there was permitted. It was, after all, part of an exhibition. It had its own plaque on the wall and, indeed, I was reading the very details relating to…

June 11, 2010

A guide to art venues in South East England

With more than 300 museums in the South East, it is little surprise to find nearly a dozen major destinations for modern and contemporary art. This guide, written for Culture24, takes you around the region from Bucks to Kent, where three exciting projects are due to come on line in…

June 2, 2010

Review: Mark Leckey and Martin McGeown – The Life and Times of Milton Keynes Gallery

Exhibition: Mark Leckey and Martin McGeown: Life and Times of Milton Keynes Gallery, Milton Keynes Gallery, Milton Keynes, until June 27 2010 900 Midsummer Boulevard does not sound like an address for a provincial English gallery. But then again, Milton Keynes is not just any other provincial English town. Conceived…

May 15, 2010

Report: No Soul For Sale at Tate Modern

No animals. No nudity. No feeding the customers. Apart from that almost anything goes at No Soul For Sale. 50 non-profit art organisations from around the world have been invited to set up a stall in the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern. By the time dusk falls, the scene is…

May 12, 2010

News: Louis Vuitton Young Arts Project Launch

A new three-year arts education programme was launched at the Royal Academy of Arts this morning by a panel which included London mayor Boris Johnson. The Louis Vuitton Young Arts Project brings together five leading London galleries and will offer young people aged 13-25 a glimpse behind the scenes. Tate…

May 10, 2010

Feature: Artists' Open Houses in Brighton

Most people would find the prospect of entertaining several thousand people in their own home somewhat daunting. But throughout May in Brighton, such are the visitor numbers for a typical address in the Artists’ Open House festival. Citywide that adds up to around 230,000 guests. It is no wonder that…

April 30, 2010

House Festival 2010 offers city-wide gallery in Brighton and Hove

Cities without an established home for contemporary art might well look with interest at a solution found by artists in Brighton and Hove this May. House Festival 2010 is a temporary gallery with nine rooms spread around the twin coastal resorts, in venues as diverse as a Regency townhouse, a…

April 15, 2010

News: Towner Gallery aims to bring Â£100,000 Art Fund Prize to Eastbourne

The steel and concrete fixtures of a contemporary art gallery ring with the ancient call of a town crier. He cuts an incongruous figure, in tailcoat, top hat and gold brocade. “Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Please support Towner’s entry in the Art Fund Prize by putting an entry…