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COLLABORATE!

mike — Wed, 01 Apr 2015 12:03:07 +0000

The Art World Comes To Wrexham

A group of major International artists will be making their way to Wrexham as part of the diverse and explosive “Collaborate!” exhibition, and this will be the first time much of the work has been shown outside of major international galleries, like New York’s Museum of Modern Art or The Tate.

“Collaborate” is the brainchild of artists Ivan Liotchev and Nicholas John Jones. They will be working with Glyndwr’s Oriel Sycharth Gallery and Wrexham’s innovative arts organisation THIS Project, who opened the former JJB store at 11 Regent Street, as Undegun Artspace in July 2013. The ground-breaking exhibition has been put together to showcase the talents of major international artists at venues across Wrexham, while demonstrating how groups of artists and institutions can work together to produce incredible results.

The exhibition is being previewed, on Wednesday, 22nd April, as part of the FOCUS Wales Music Festival, which itself brings acts from all over the world, and is just one other example of how Wrexham is increasingly being recognised as a destination for international talent.

The contemporary exhibition will feature artworks and performances that use the full spectrum of the tools available in the world today – from the paints and canvasses traditionally associated with artists, all the way through to Skype. Some of the work will be controversial, but all of it will be the best examples from highly respected art world figures.

Dave Gray of THIS Project, “A lot of institutional local galleries are nervous about showing artwork of this nature, because often it can be challenging and deals with uncomfortable issues. Since opening Undegun in 2013 though, we’ve found Wrexham people have a huge appetite for art, and enjoy the opportunity to see exciting new work in their own town rather than having to visit London or other major cities around the world to enjoy it. “Collaborate!” has been a fantastic opportunity to ensure we can get some of the best contemporary work from across the globe right here in our own town.”

Events to note:
Preview @ FOCUS Wales, Galeri 3B from 6pm, Wednesday 22nd April 2015 featuring London based Biters, and Ann Liv Young (broadcast live from New York City)

Launch Event @ Oriel Sycharth, 6pm to 8pm, Thursday 23rd April 2015

Artists exhibited:
Jeremy Bailey with Kristin Schaffer, Biters, Cornford & Cross, Judy Chicago, Phoebe Davis, Bernard Frize, Jesse Greenberg, Jeremy Hutchison, Helen Knowles, Ivan Liotchev, London Brain Project, Lorna Mills, Dylan Miner, Sarah Pettitt & Robert Rivers, Jonathan Powell & nu-Sangha, Kezia Pritchard & Kristofer Henriksson, Nina Rodin & Rebecca Molloy, Tim Rollins and K.O.S., Nastja Ronnko, Jesse Stead & Raphael Lyon, Ryan Trecartin, Weast, Ann Liv Young.

COLLABORATE! is a survey of recent collaborative art practice. Involving 23 international artists / collaborative teams, whose work spans across media ranging from painting to Skype, the exhibition urges us to consider the wide array of forms, approaches, and results of collaboration.

The central exhibition at Oriel Sycharth Gallery is presented as part of a wider programme of exhibitions, screenings and performances, in partnership with THIS Project and Focus Wales. Additional venues include THIS Project’s Undegun and Galeri 3B, and select screenings will be dispersed throughout Focus Wales events.

In exploring the nature of collaboration, COLLABORATE! presents a broad variety of practices including artists who only work collaboratively, occasional collaborators, and artists who direct temporary participants or orchestrate situations. Exhibitors range in nationality and career-stage and practices presented vary from early feminism and 80s painting revival, to jazz, indigenous and post-internet art.

Why do artists choose to co-create? On first thought, the merits of co-operation seem obvious and often denote harmony. We see artists like Phoebe Davis working with members of a care home as an act of empowerment. Cornford & Cross have an established practice based on mutual trust and co-operation. But are these, and other collaborative acts always symbiotic? Ryan Trecartin confronts us with post-digital discord, Jeremy Hutchison orders foreign factory workers to manufacture deliberately defective products, Ann Liv Young both compliments and insults us, Ivan Liotchev enlists hundreds of random participants in the often chaotic creation of his giant canvases, Tim Rollins and Judy Chicago urge sidelined youths and needle-workers, respectively, to raise their ambitions to High-art prominence.

Are collaborative strategies mutually beneficial to artist and collaborator, or are there underlying power structures at play that verge on exploitation? Can exploitation ever be beneficial and is it even collaboration? Where does ownership lie, when often the resulting works are only credited to a single artist? What are the boundaries between collaboration, participation, orchestration and instigation? Can collaboration break these boundaries and de-centralise authority? Is it a push towards more equality and empowerment or do familiar power-structures remain?

The points of conflict in this exhibition, both between the collaborators themselves and ideological questions raised, hopefully serve as means to a positive end. The tension built through collaboration may or may not resolve, but it always aims to stretch our spiritual sphere.

The social strive of the exhibition stems from the networked nature of collaboration itself, displaying how snippets of individual ideas, behaviours, relationships, thoughts, patterns and visions can inform a cohesive reality. Reflecting our hyper-connected society, the exhibition, and extended partnership that supports it, can be seen as a sketch for a more united and harmonious future.

Most artists in this exhibition have shown internationally, but never in Wales before. COLLABORATE! brings for the first time to Wales the groundbreaking participatory works of Tim Rollins and K.O.S. as well as Judy Chicago’s seminal Birth Project. Other artists showing in Wales for the first time include performance artist Ann Liv Young, Métis artist Dylan Miner, and Japanese duo WEAST.

A special feature of the exhibition will be the first ever presentation in Wales of Ryan Trecartin’s ambitious 3-channel movie Comma Boat. A unique vision of dictatorship, yet emblematic of Trecartin’s hyper-collaborative style, the large-scale installation will be presented at Undegun in Wrexham city centre.

COLLABORATE! will host a pre-launch event as part of Focus Wales on 22 April, 6-8pm at Galeri 3B, which will include live performances by London-based duo Biters and New York City-based Ann Liv Young.

The main exhibition launch at Oriel Sycharth Gallery will be on 23 April, 6-8pm, and will feature a live, multi-actor performance directed by Helen Knowles. A post-event reception with performances will follow at Undegun from 8pm onwards. As part of Focus Wales’s regular programme, the post-event is ticketed, but visitors to the opening at Oriel Sycharth will receive free passes to a special VIP zone.

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The Tales We Tell

mike — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 12:48:12 +0000

Stories surround us, from the mythic to the minute, the personal to the universal, the secret to the outspoken. The Tales We Tell revolves around the broad concept of tales told and re-told, altered, translated, re-interpreted, critiqued, and celebrated.

Involving art, video installation, workshops, poetry, guest talks, and multi-media, this is an assemblage of creativity based around the premise of storytelling in various artistic mediums; these form the basis of The Tales We Tell.

The month long event, curated by Stephen C. Kenyon Owen, is a mix of ‘in-situ’ art, video installations, workshops, music, and invited talks in collaboration with THIS Project.

The opening event, on the 30th of January at Undegun will feature poetry and music from Sophie McKeand and Andy Hickie respectively. This will be the first chance to see the artwork from a diverse mix of artists; Jacqueline Alkema; Richard Geraghty; Penny Hallas; Hilary Langston; Jonathan Powell; Amy Sterly.

Penny Hallas presents Orpheus, a collection of 40 drawings and Beyond Orpheus, a triptych film and sound installation with accompanying drawings. Together the body of work shown here on level 1 and level 2 gathers together various contributions to an open ended and ongoing project centred on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.

Jacqueline Alkema has displayed in numerous public collections such as the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff County Council and The Arts Council of Strasbourg. At Undegun Alkema presents paintings based upon Dutch proverbs.
Jacqueline Alkema was born in 1948 in Kropswolde, the Netherlands and studied in Cardiff College of Art and Design, with a BA Hons in Fine Art in 1988. Her works have been displayed in numerous public collections such as the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff County Council and The Arts Council of Strasbourg, with private collections being held in Wales, England, France, Germany and Holland

Richard Geraghty presents Stories on the Road, a photo series and short film about walking the ‘Camino de Santiago’, for 900km across northern Spain. Richard will provide a visual sense of what it’s like walking the Camino and also an insight into the people who walk it and why.

Jonathan Powell runs the Beep: Wales International Painting Prize and is co-founder of Portfolio Wales. For Tales We Tell he presents large format paintings that incorporate ideas of shelter and utopia.

Amy Sterly is exhibiting woodcuts which attempt to reposition landscapes and architectures, popular culture and everyday sights – entry points that highlight the mutability of interpretation and meaning.

Hilary Morgan Langston has created work in cloth that depicts the experience of loss, grief and acceptance for the relatives of an Alzheimer’s patient. The practise attempts to embody both the emotion of the actuality of loss, memory loss and the associated difficulties of retrieval through the metaphor of the journey and the map.

All work from these artists will be on display throughout the month and will feature in the opening & closing events.

Throughout February Undegun and Glyndwr will host activity that relates to Tales We Tell.

On Thursday 12th Feb at 1pm and 7.00pm Suzanne Iuppa will be presenting an image and spoken word performance. Suzanne Iuppa is a poet, community worker and filmmaker who lives and writes in North Wales. She has worked previously as a countryside ranger in the Clwydian Mountains.

Workshops

• Thursday 5th February, 7-9pm at Un Deg Un.
Poetry workshop – Hanes: writing the mythical, with Sophie McKeand

• Friday 20th February, 12-4pm at Un Deg Un.
Comic Book Workshop – Drawing Stories with Heather Wilson

Guest Talks

• Thursday 19th February, 6-9pm at Glyndwr University, Catrin Finch Centre.

6.30pm – Dr Sarah Gilligan
From Katniss Everdeen’s chunky hand-knitted sweater vest, to Effie Trinket’s outrageous couture dresses and designer shoes, fashion plays a key role in constructing and performing on-screen identities in the Hunger Games films. In this talk, Sarah Gilligan discusses the ways in which the seductive spectacle of high-end designer fashion is used both on and off-screen to lure audiences into desiring and consuming a range of branded goods.

7.30pm – Mike Corcoran & Jake Campbell
This presentation looks to explore these questions through science, philosophy, poetry, and the visual arts, in an ekphrastic collaboration bringing together poet Jake Campbell, and visual artist Mike Corcoran. The collaboration was born out a shared interest in the stories with which we are raised, the environments which provide the settings, and how these stories and settings form an inextricable part of the people we become. They believe the individual, their surroundings and the stories associated with these surroundings are interconnected: one cannot be fully understood, without reference to the other two

• Thursday 26th February, 6-8pm at Un Deg Un.
Dr Deniz Baker & Andrew Edwards.

Dr Deniz Baker – David Jones, Intertextuality as Redemption in ‘In Parenthesis’ (1937).
Deniz Baker is from Yorkshire and completed her PhD at York University. She has worked at Glyndwr University for over 20 years and although her academic roots are in literary modernism she has developed and taught courses in film, visual culture, gender, and writing from many different times and places.

Andrew Edwards – Intertextuality in the work of Alan Moore

Andrew explores how, and to what effect, Moore engages with pre-existing texts (including comics and other media e.g. novels) by other writers, artists and creators in the creation of his own graphic novel and comic book work.

Friday 27th February, 7pm-8pm at Glyndwr University, Nick Whitehead Theatre.
Beer Mat to Big Screen – Thomas Llywarch
North Wales based film producer and creative industries lecturer Thomas Llywarch will take you on an autobiographical tour of his short film production ‘Split Second’ – a modern day adaptation of the classic Welsh Story ‘Gelert The Dog’.

The 1 hour seminar will include the UK premiere of ‘Split Second’ and a behind the scenes look into the film’s production, from the initial conception on the back of a beer mat to the current screening at an international arts festival.

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Opportunity for Poets with National Theatre Wales and POLARBEAR

mike — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 17:00:13 +0000

National Theatre Wales are excited to announce that there is an amazing opportunity coming up soon!The amazing opportunity is a chance for 8 spoken word artists/poets between the ages of 16-25 to take part in Talking Doorsteps. Talking Doorsteps is a project set up by The Roundhouse Theatre, and thanks to both the Roundhouse and NTW TEAM it will be taking place in Cardiff.It’s a 3 day program where 8 lucky people will be given the chance to take part in some workshops with a Roundhouse Poet. These will be used to create and develop a piece of work. Participants will be filmed in a variety of locations around Cardiff performing their pieces, which will be put online by The Roundhouse on their website & YouTube Channel. Two people from this project will then be chosen to represent Wales in ‘Last Word’ Festival. . . All travel and accommodation will be covered for the duration of project.

Please click on an image for a larger view

Here are some videos from previous Talking Doorsteps projects:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8sP52VeANpvaksaarNRzzbQzUa-…This is an amazing opportunity and the additional massive whopper is the Roundhouse poet that will be delivering the workshops is the fantastic POLARBEAR! If you don’t know who he is, check the link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbV-lalOOHM

So the big question, “How do I become one of the lucky 8?” Well NTW TEAM will be holding two Word4Word Nights, one in Wrexham on the 3rd of March and one in Cardiff on the 26th February. These are open mic nights where 10 people get a 5-minute slot to showcase their work and from these, the lucky 8 will be picked by members of NTW TEAM.To apply to perform at this event or for more info email us at team@nationaltheatrewales.org stating whether you would like to perform at the Cardiff or Wrexham event. If you do want to apply make sure you are available for the 24th-26th of April when the project will be taking place.Applications are open to existing TEAM members and new ones, so if you aren’t a member of TEAM yet then all you need to do is join the TEAM group online to become a member http://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/group/ntwteam

If you want to find out any more about NTW TEAM
http://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/group/ntwteam

Or any more about the Roundhouse
http://www.roundhouse.org.uk/

Or Word4Word
http://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/group/word4word

Details of the upcoming Word4Word nights . . .

Cardiff
Date: 26th February Time: 7:30pm
Venue: The Abacus, Cardiff18-20, St Davids House, Wood Street, Cardiff

Wrexham
Date: 3rd March Time: 7:30pm
Venue: Galeri 3B, Priory St, Wrexham, Clwyd, LL11 1SU

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Light Drawing coming to Galeri 3B

Kirsty — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 13:33:02 +0000

Galeri 3B is a pop-up gallery in the centre of Wrexham town that has been open up to the public since 1st March last year with the aim of giving artists the chance to experiment and push the boundaries of their practice in a supportive environment.

For six weeks between January 23rd and February 28th 2015, Galeri 3B is to host work from three developing photographers. Artists David McBride, Andrew Sharp and Alan Whitfield have all been brought together by artist and curator Marja Bonada. The exhibition, Light Drawing’, opens on January 23rd and is photography based with each artist showing you different techniques and theme giving this exhibition a wide and diverse perspective on photography as an art form.

Artist David McBride has previously documented landscapes through his photography but has recently shifted his interest on to navigational structures such as road markings and paths. All these things link to the infinite possibilities of the journey we have through our lives. For the exhibition Mcbride has been working on a series that documents the nature of the road markings, manhole covers, traffic cones and so on.

McBride comments “Since my initial explorations I have increasingly become fascinated with many aspects of the colour that I have sought on my travels. I have further expanded upon these musings to experiment with these findings and to treat and investigate colour through photography as a whole.”

Alan Whitfield is a visual artist who works within the context of fine art, he is intrigued by documentary, exploring the inner beauty of everyday life through various lend-based media. Notions of nostalgia and social commentary are present, but from a definite northern working class perspective. “I work instinctively, exploring the townscapes of North Wales and the North West, often producing work that reflects the everyday minutiae of life.”

Andrew Sharp has taken inspiration from the River Alyn, Sharp states “ These images are meant as breadcrumbs to lead the audience of the history of the Alyn Valley, there are also references to present use such a sports and modern industry.”

The launch takes place on Friday January 23rd at Galeri 3B from 6pm, with special guests Stan Dickenson (Heal the Last Stand) and Matt Nicholls (Camera) performing live.

Artist Info:

David McBride: http://davidmcbride.tumblr.com/

Andrew Sharp: http://www.blurb.co.uk/b/4666652-the-song-of-the-river-alyn-7-45rpm

Alan Whitfield: www.alanwhitfield.com

Contact Info

www.thisproject.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/thisproject

twitter: @thishq

email: contact@thisproject.co.uk

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Review: In Conversation with Morgan Griffith and Jo Marsh

Kirsty — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 15:57:24 +0000

Last week we took a little road trip to Galeri in Caernarfon to visit one of our studio holders, Jo Marsh and to talk about her Wanderbox project and its current 5 stop tour around Wales and how its most recent stop with Morgan Griffith at Galeri has gone.

For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of seeing Wanderbox or fully understand its ambition, it is a portable gallery and residencancy that allows artists to set up their practice just about anywhere and carry out a residency and exhibition at the same time.

The project started off with Jo wanting to convert an old wardrobe for the purpose of being able to exhibit herself and other artists work but soon quickly expanded on the idea and had to redesign to accommodate other residencies.

On the road trip to Caernarfon I had the enjoyment of going up with Jo and got to ask her a whole bunch of questions about Wanderbox and what the challenges of creating the gallery have been, as well as what it has meant to Jo as an artist and curator.

Whilst on our trip, Jo explains that from the start Wanderbox is all about portability, so has been specifically designed to fit through a standard doorway and so that it can fit into a small van. As well as it being aesthetically pleasing she has understood that good design is key to ensure the success of the traveling aspect of her work. Next is about the artists and how the folding desk at the side is at standard height for an adult to ensure comfort whilst on residency. For the construction of Wanderbox Jo contracted a joiner and engineer to ensure the durability for the long term, which is vital considering that it will be making a 5 stop tour around Wales which include; Ruthin, Caernarfon, Swansea, Cardiff and Llandudno.

After Jo explained the design aspect of her work, I wanted to know who Wanderbox was aimed for and what type of artists is she working with currently and in the future. She expands that Wanderbox is for artists in the early stages of their carrier to help further their practice.

Within Jo’s previous work there have been themes of playfulness and interaction that makes her work accessible towards the public and encourages participation within the arts. Some of Jo’s previous work has included; Today is the Deed, I Know You, You Can Come With Me, Woolgathers Art Vendors and With Love, From the Artist.

Wanderbox is a great addition to this list and while I was in Caernarfon at Galeri, it was interesting to hear Morgans take on his residency as well as his process to creating his artwork.

Morgan’s process starts off by exploring and searching for materials in places such as charity shops and markets in Caernarfon, making the artwork created personal to the area that it has been created in. Morgan was asked when he started his project, what was his end goal and what was he was hoping to achieve? He replies, “to finish it” and that he see’s his work as a “story without an ending” and that the way he works is to gather his materials and explore his options until his work feels finished, Morgan also says how colour is a vital part of his work, he achieves this by adding layers to his collages. Questions were then asked about the weight hanging from the bottom right frame and then threaded through each frame. Morgan explains that it is a way of creating tension within the narrative of his work.

It has been spotted within Morgans work, that a fascination and fondness towards mushrooms and fungi keep cropping up, such as Homēros, 512 and Impolicy. This is due to what Morgan sees as the aesthetically pleasing nature of mushrooms and fungi. With Morgans work there is a tendency to pick an object and experiment and indulge with its use, eg. Shells that have been used in such work as Trochus Niloticus and Tritons Trumpet.

During my conversation with Jo and Morgan they describe the experience of the Wanderbox residency as a performance piece and that every artist that is involved will contribute to a completely different experience for the audience. By the time the 5 stop tour is finished they will have been 5 different performances. Just like on stage, the artists bring their own props, in this case Jo has asked each artist to bring their own chair to help bring a sense of identity and comfort for the artist. The idea that every day the artist comes into the space and sets up their work for the day and creators, is not so different from an actor warming up and putting on a performance. Interacting and engaging with the audience can often be a challenging aspect for an artist that normally works in solitude, but there lies the test, coming out of their comfort zone and experiencing a new environment to work in.

For the rest of the tour it will be interesting to keep up with the artists involved in Wanderbox and see how each performance evolves and differs from one to the other The conversation with Morgan and Jo was a great opportunity to see the insight of this contemporary portable gallery and how it is helping develop artists within their practice and how important it is to push not just the artist but the way we, the audience view the art.

Sources:

http://sonomano.tumblr.com/

http://withlovefromtheartist.blogspot.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/wanderboxbox

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Voicebox Christmas special featuring Adam Kammerling

mike — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 15:47:06 +0000

Voicebox is an open mic literature event, held in Undegun that offers a warm welcome to local writers, lyricists, beatboxers, singers etc. and provides a comfortable space for local artists to perform and network.

On December 8th Voicebox are welcoming the brilliant, award winning spoken word artist Adam Kammerling who is known for mixing poetry, rap, comedy and theatre to provide an engaging experience. Adam is the Brighton Hammer and Tongue Slam Champion 2010, the Hackney Slam Champion 2011 and the Hammer and Tongue National Slam Champion 2012 and has performed at festivals like Glastonbury and Latitude. Voicebox are very lucky to have him and would love it if you could come along and enjoy a brilliant night of entertainment at the very reasonable price of £4; this covers your entry and food for the evening.

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Today is the Deed

Kirsty — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 13:25:09 +0000

“Today we proclaim our words to you people. In the squares and on the streets we are placing our work, convinced that art must not be a sanctuary for the idle, a consolation for the weary, and a justification for the lazy.
Art should attend us everywhere that life flows and acts….at the bench, at the table, at work, at rest, at play, on working days and holidays…..at home and on the road….in order that the flame to live should not extinguish in mankind.

We do not look for justification, neither in the past nor in the future.
Nobody can tell us what the future is and what utensils does one eat it with.
Not to lie about the future is impossible and one can lie about it at will.
We assert that the shouts about the future are for us the same as the tears about the past: a renovated daydream of the romantics…..

He who is busy today with the morrow is busy doing nothing.
And he who tomorrow will bring us nothing of what he has done today is of no use for the future.
Today is the deed.
We will account for it tomorrow.
The past we are leaving behind as carrion.
The future we leave to the fortune tellers.
We take the present day.”

Taken from The Realistic Manifesto, written by Naum Gabo and Antoine Pevsner in 1920. These two Russian artists were pioneers of early 20th century sculpture and prominent members of the Constructivist movement.

Today Is The Deed, the new exhibition opening at Galeri 3B is supportedd by the Arts Council of Wales and features four artists; Omar Batoctoy, Marja Bonada, Ciaran Gogarty and Jo Marsh.

All four artists are very interested in this period of Russian art history, and this exhibition is an attempt to understand the thought processes of the Constructivist artists. The manifesto is written at a time of extreme optimism, after the Great October Socialist Revolution of 1917, when artists were being employed to help build the new society.
From their writings and sculpture, you can sense the strength of their belief that, through art, film, music, dance, theatre and literature, they could make a society to be proud of; one that everyone could live happily in. It is sad that ultimately they failed, and Communism led to a lot of poverty and chaos, and eventually the Cold War.
But there were many good ideas in the air at that time, and there remains a lot of creative work that we can learn from. We can take their ideas and bring them up to date, and use them to regenerate our towns, and make an atmosphere that is inspiring and life affirming for the people that live in them, through culture in all its forms.

Omar Batoctoy is a recent graduate from Glyndwr University, Wrexham. Here he speaks about his experience of studying at the Art School, and his final degree show sculpture:
“I had been studying the works of Constructivist artists Naum Gabo and Vladimir Tatlin at the time. Both of which have been major influences in my recent works. So much so that my final piece of my 3rd year and degree show is almost a conceptual appropriation of Tatlins famous Monument to the Third International of 1920. Tatlins tower was a symbol of growth and revolution in Russia during his time, whereas my 10ft tower, Man and Nature is a symbol of growing use and ignorance towards detritus material in our throw-away society.”

Marja Bonada is a Wrexham based artist, who also works with THIS Project, to deliver various art based projects to the gallery spaces in the town centre:
“My work has always been influenced primarily by observations of the natural world. It is there where we can find everything we need to know; how to construct strong, efficient objects, whether it is for architecture, clothing or anything else we might need, but also how to live in balance with our environment, whether it is rural or urban. Nature is all about balance, and if we can take this principle and use it in our own lives, we will be successful and the world will not be harmed by our success.
The constructions I have been making recently are attempts to understand some of nature’s construction techniques, sometimes by mimicking effects, sometimes by seeking sound methods of construction.”

Ciaran Gogarty is a painter from Ireland. He paints from nature, but through deconstructing and reconstructing the colours he observes, makes an abstract arrangement of hues:
“Where my practice up to now, has been colour specific within nature, I will pursue the Constructivist position of Art for social purpose, to highlight the ongoing ecological crisis in our natural environment, global and local.
Before my interaction with Galeri 3B, I had merely a rudimentary knowledge of the Russian Constructivist movement. These last weeks have been revelatory and highly informative….This endeavour can be understood as a dialogue between artists of like mind to explore and elaborate on the theory of the Socialist object-as-comrade, in the practice of art, in contemporary society.”

Jo Marsh is a Wrexham based artist, also working with THIS Project, she has curated exhibitions and projects involving art and artists in various locations in the U.K.

“Within my practice as an artist and curator I am predominantly concerned with the overlap between sculpture and performance i.e. objects and forms which, rather than being passive, are central catalysts to performative situations.
This area of interest is evidenced in a number of my existing works; including my ongoing project With Love From The Artist, and my travelling gallery-sculpture WanderBox.
With this in mind, I respond strongly to certain assertions from the Realistic Manifesto which place particular emphasis on art existing within and as part of quotidian lived experience.”

The launch of the exhibition is Friday 14th November, and will coincide with the album launch and a concert by Golden Fable.

Golden Fable are Rebecca Palin, Tim McIver and Jack McCarthy, and together they create music described by The Line Of Best Fit as “nothing short of inspirational”.

Hailing from the foothills of mountainous north Wales, Golden Fable compose their music within its abundant, richly varied landscape. Pairing these organic influences with modern instrumentation, debut album ‘Star Map’, released in 2012, was constructed from electronic beats, synths and processed effects alongside guitars, pianos and strings, resulting in “an incredibly gorgeous dream pop collection” (In Your Speakers).

Twelve months of writing and evolving followed, and the band resurfaced from their creative retreat with second album, ‘Ancient Blue’. Recorded with David Wrench (Bat For Lashes, Caribou) and Jimmy Robertson (Anna Calvi) in Snowdonia, ‘Ancient Blue’ is impassioned, intense and bolder than its predecessor. It is both strident and intimate, reflecting the intrinsic connection between human forces and natural forces.

Ancient Blue is released on November 10th through Full of Joy Records

Support comes from nostalgic-futurists & experimental pop-makers Half Avain plus alternative/folk singer-songwriter Pamela Wyn Shannon with cellist Sian Meirion

goldenfable.com
halfavian.co.uk

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Christmas Lights and Lanterns

mike — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 15:28:34 +0000

DATE: 27TH NOVEMBER 2014

TIME: 6PM

PLACE: QUEEN’S SQUARE, WREXHAM

Join Santa and his reindeer for a parade through Wrexham Town Centre to herald the turning on of the Wrexham Christmas Lights.

The parade will begin at Queens Square and go through the town to celebrate the start of the festive season.
Children and Families are invited to join the parade, and there’s lots of opportunities to join in, starting with free Lantern Making Workshops to make your own unique lantern to carry on the parade.
The night itself will feature a family fairground; characters from pantomimes across Wrexham will be joining in with the fun and the night will also see a return to the Christmas tradition of Carol Singing, with local school bands leading the music.

Every Saturday in November leading up to the parade will feature FREE lantern workshops in locations across Wrexham so that everyone can make a lantern to join in on the night!

The lantern workshops are from 10pm at the following locations:

• 8th November People’s Market

• 15th November Oriel Wrecsam

• 22nd November Undegun

Wrexham County Borough Council, with their partners in the event THIS Project and Arts Connections hope you will come along, get involved and be part of a great night to kick off the Christmas season!

Extra, Extra
The event was thought to be under threat due to the extreme funding cuts that have been forced on Councils across Wales, but Wrexham town centre management and event teams have taken an innovative approach to working with local partners, ensuring the future of the night.

Isobel Garner, Town Centre Manager, Wrexham County Borough Council said:
“The turning on of the lights are a vital event for Wrexham attracting up to 5000 people in the last couple of years. We were not prepared to allow budget constraints to put the event in jeopardy. By working with local partners THIS Project, who have successfully set up two nationally recognised arts projects – Undegun (in the former JJB Sports) and Galeri 3B (on the site of the former Laura Ashley shop) – on a very limited budget; and community organisation Arts Connection, we are able to tap into their expertise and enthusiasm. We will be using the parade as a real opportunity to focus on the local businesses that are so important to the ongoing success of the town centre”.

Dave Gray of THIS Project said:
“With money being tight, it makes sense to scale down the event, but to do it in a positive, community focused way. Most families in Wrexham will be only too aware that times are financially challenging, and the Council has also been under a lot of pressure to make savings. But, like many of those families, we see it as an opportunity to return to more traditional values and focus on what’s most important at this time of year, and that’s bringing people together and celebrating our community. We can do that even if times are tough.”

THIS Project is a social enterprise set up by creative entrepreneur David Gray, and emerging artist Michael Jones. It is funded by the Arts Council of Wales, East Street Arts, New River Retail and a range of other sector sponsorship. Undegun and Galeri 3B have attracted over 17,000 visitors since July 2013 hosting over 100 unique exhibitions and events.

Information on Arts Connection can be found at: www.artsconnection.org.uk
Arts Connection is an inspirational community arts organisation working in North Powys, Wrexham and the border communities. We are revenue funded by the Arts Council of Wales and have provided high quality participatory arts projects in a wide range of artistic mediums since 1994

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THIS Gig – Ben Barlow, Highlives & Doppelganger

Kirsty — Wed, 24 Sep 2014 14:11:12 +0000

THIS GIG is a volunteer-led event supported by THIS Project. As volunteers Kieran Brough, Hari McDermott and Luciano Morris help with day to day duties around the Undegun and Galeri 3B, which include helping with music events, setting up exhibitions and invigilating. The relationship has developed over the year and the volunteers are now embracing the opportunity to run their own music event.

The idea behind THIS GIG is to bring people musical entertainment and incorporate everyone in the community to get involved! Our aims are to get bands from all around the country to travel to Wrexham and create a fun and vibrant atmosphere. The bands we have playing are very well known and are great guys. Doppelganger and Neck Deep’s own Ben Barlow are both from the Wrexham area. We also have special guests from Bristol, Highlives.
Doppelganger are an alternative rock band, Ben Barlow is going to be playing an acoustic set for the night, and Highlives are popular for their Pop Punk sound. The night is going to be a mixture of amazing bands, we hope the people who are coming will enjoy themselves and leave with some new favourites in there music.

The event will be taking place on the 27th September 2014, at Undegun in the centre of Wrexham. Doors will be opening from 7:30pm and bands will be starting at 8:00pm. We currently have 50 tickets for advance which are available on our Facebook page to reserve: www.facebook.com/THISGig but you will be able to pay on the door. Due to the venues capacity please arrive early for better chance of entry. This event is a 14+ entry unless accompanied by an adult. We look forward to the event and seeing lots of new faces to Undegun.

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Simon Proffitt : Something Happened

mike — Wed, 24 Sep 2014 12:57:51 +0000

Simon Proffitt : Something Happened
11/09/2014 – 04/10/2014

The third and final Oriel Wrecsam offsite exhibition in the current season is about to open at Undegun. The series of exhibitions, presented in a vast dark space previously used as a store room in the former sports store, has included Stefan Gant’s exploration of Tug of War, and Ronan Devlin’s interactive projection. The latest exhibition, which opens this week, is Simon Proffitt: Something Happened. Steffan Jones-Hughes, Arts Manager Wrexham County Borough Council, has curated the programme, which explores notions of Wrexham and the previous use of the space.

“The exhibitions have looked at ideas relating to Wrexham’s position as a border town, but also each artist has responded to the space in their own way. Simon’s exhibition looks at references to sport, music, playfulness as well as referring to the previous exhibitions in the series. He has transformed the space into a galaxy of playfulness and contemplation. There are ping pong balls, mirror balls and a zither!”

Something Happened is the latest manifestation of Simon’s long-term interests in using familiar objects to both create and attempt to control chaotic systems, and taking things out of their usual habitat and putting them where they don’t belong.

Despite using very simple starting conditions with few components, and despite operating within a predictable framework, it is fundamentally impossible to predict exactly what will happen next in each of the pieces within the work at any given time. References are made to sporting rivalries, ancient Japanese court music, planetary systems and discotheques.

The main feature of the exhibition recalls the space’s former use as a sports shop retail warehouse, re-imagining it as the ultimate party venue.

Simon Proffitt [b. 1975, Nottinghamshire] is a multi-disciplinary artist pursuing a range of seemingly unrelated threads in a range of media, some of which arise from observation and response, others of which don’t. He has been based in north Wales since 2007.

After a short career in research science / technology based R&D, during which he investigated the chemical physics of artificial diamond surfaces and worked towards developing what was to become the Blu-ray disc format, he became a self-taught graphic designer. Working more creatively and freely allowed him to more fully develop his ongoing interest in audio and visual art. Although different in application, the three areas of science, design and art are ultimately three different approaches to problem-solving, and have much in common.

Themes that often emerge in Proffitt’s work include personal identity, belonging, landscape / environment / geography, symmetry, context, play, leftovers / by-products / incidentals, absence, abandonment, repetition and attempted repetition, chaos, constraint, celebration of the mundane, redundancy, reuse / recycling / remixing, inefficiency, visual incongruence, factual inaccuracies, nomenclature and pointlessness. Other themes will likely emerge in future in response to new situations.

www.simonproffitt.com

Undegun
11 Regent Street
Wrexham
LL1 1SG
Thu/Fri/Sat 12-4pm

Oriel Wrecsam will present a conversation with the artist on Thursday 2nd October @ 11 am. For more details please contact Oriel Wrecsam – Oriel.Wrecsam@wrexham.gov.uk / 01978292093

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