This Project » Glyndwr

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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Creative Futures 2015

mike — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 10:56:09 +0000

Creative Futures is creative industries conference, which takes place during the first week in March. It is brought to you by the Glyndŵr Careers Centre with support from Programme Lecturers and is dedicated to developing the technical, professional and business skills of new and aspiring creative talent, along with raising the quality of artistic work being developed. Since its inception in 2009, the conference has engaged with over 2000 creative industries students and brought over 200 experts and practitioners from all over the World to North Wales.

The free, four-day, annual conference hosts workshops, talks and panels with creative industry professionals, to inspire and support innovation and new talent, from 2 – 5 March. For 2015, thanks to support from Arts Council of Wales, Creative Futures is not only for University students, but it’s doors are being opened up to the wider arts community and the general public, completely free of charge for the very first time.

Fourteen sessions through the event will be open to all, and offer a unique opportunity for the public and students to engage, make connections and discover the paths taken by some of their favourite artists. The programme boasts an impressive line-up of world renowned artists, including award winning installation artist Bedwyr Williams and Lead Artist on the hugely popular The Walking Dead, Charlie Adlard, both of whom will reveal the secrets of forging a successful creative industries career.

For a timetable and further details on what exactly will take place please visit www.glyndwr.ac.uk/creativefutures/

A Facebook page can be found here for event info and updates.

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Opening soon: The Enterprise Lounge

Kirsty — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 11:47:54 +0000

The Zone are proud to present the Enterprise Lounge, this will provide furnished office space, broadband, use of the University’s business and study facilities, with an in house enterprise support, from only £10 per week (+VAT). The space is available for any students, graduates, and members of the wider community, and ideal for anyone looking for a professional base from which to work, develop and grow their businesses, for an extremely good price!

The Enterprise Lounge is something that Zone officer Mike Corcoran has been working towards for a long time, and is really looking forward to welcoming a whole host of exciting new businesses onto site, and working hard to see them all achieve success.

If you’d like more information, would like to view the space, or would like to apply to join us, just send an email to zone@glyndwr.ac.uk, or reply to me directly.

You can read the full story we have released to the press below . . .

http://www.glyndwr.ac.uk/en/AboutGlyndwrUniversity/Newsandmediacentre/Newsarchive/PressReleases2015/glyndwrbusinessinnovationcentre/

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John Cooper Clarke and many more announced for FOCUS Wales 2014 festival

mike — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 17:30:34 +0000

FOCUS Wales, now in its fourth year, presents an expanded music, comedy, and interactive programme for 2014.
The national showcase for music from Wales will also offer a two day programme of keynotes and discussions, and two days of stand-up comedy in Wrexham from the 23rd – 26th April.

New acts announced include Britain’s best loved and most important punk performance poet, JOHN COOPER CLARKE.

Alongside comedians GARY DELANEY (Mock The Week / Radio 4) and Red Dwarf’s NORMAN LOVETT.

Also announced:
ALL WE ARE – an exciting 3 piece from Liverpool providing psychedelic soul & RnB. They recently signed to Domino affiliate Double 6 and are supporting Warpaint on tour in 2014.
KEYS: They’ve had a string of critically acclaimed releases, garnering praise and support from Radio 1, 2 and 6Music.
KIZZY CRAWFORD: You may recognise her as the singer of Calon Lan from BBC 6 Nations adverts, Kizzy has developed an increasing sophistication to her song writing and performance, this is complimented by her soaring voice that boasts both range and charisma.
YR ODS: Pop/Alternative band originally from the Bangor/Llanberis/Llanfairpwll/Star areas of North Wales who will make you cry (of happiness). Plus HOUDINI DAX, CAMERA, HMS Morris + MORE.

FOCUS Wales 2014 takes place on the 23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th April across various venues in Wrexham, North Wales.
Weekend Tickets are £30.00 available at www.focuswales.com/tickets

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Going back & Moving forward.

mike — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 15:17:09 +0000

We’ve been a little quiet on the internet recently as we’ve been changing exhibitions over at Un Deg Un but we’re here to bring you good news.

Cast your mind back to our first show which was a collection of Masters and Graduate work from Glyndwr’s North Wales School of Art and Design. It was fantastic to share a wealth of versatile work from a diverse group of artists, some of whom have gone on to exhibit in high profile galleries.

Rebekah McEvoy graduated after studying Design and Applied Art having previously studied fashion and Fine Art.

Rebekah McEvoy’s latest design collection, Brutalite is being exhibited during London Design Festival which will allow the public to view how contemporary designer art can create an intriguing antithesis between light, form and concept. The show runs from Saturday 14 September 2013 until Sunday 22 September 2013.

Brutalite is Rebekah’s latest design collection and is inspired by Brutalist Architecture and elemental forms, focusing on the positive and negative spaces and how light can alter this perception. Working with new technology combined with traditional materials and techniques Rebekah creates sculptural designs and contemporary art works that are both edgy and elegant.

In our nations capital, at the Wales Millennium Centre, Katie Cyfenw is exhibiting work from her series of ‘Masks’. The show is curated by Cardiff-born artist Pete Fowler who’s instantly recognisable artwork has graced many a Super Furry Animals record sleeve. Talking about Katie’s work in this BBC article, Pete said: “Katie’s work had something of the horror of Francis Bacon about it and really grabbed me as it is quite unsettling”.

And, closer to home, illustrator Rhi Moxon has won the Student Prize at this years Wrexham Open currently exhibiting at Oriel Wrexham.

Good to see some well deserved reward for all the hard work!

If you know of something we’ve missed, tell us on facebook or twitter.

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Un Deg Un – Opening Day

mike — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 12:57:24 +0000

Luke Gallagherperforms at Un Deg Un opening day

Video by Paul Lowndes of Flat Badger Photography

What a great day! We opened the doors to the public for the first time on Saturday. It was tremendous to see so many people take themselves up the stairs to see work from the North Wales School of Art and Design and to check out some great live music. Photography that follows by Sue McGrane

Artwork by Ai Jian

Artwork by Olga Redondo

Artwork by Helen Smith

Luke Gallagher

The Uninvited

Street piano performed by Stan Dickenson of Heal the Last Stand

Orient Machine

The Fag Machine

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