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Flourish/Ffynnu Exhibition

Kirsty — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 09:01:52 +0000

Mental Health is a subject that touches the lives of everyone in our community, regardless of wealth, gender, race or religion. Its impact can be far-reaching, and artists and Mental Health organisations from across the region have come together to explore the subject in a three week exhibition taking place in Wrexham town centre’s art space.
For the second consecutive year, Undegun are proud to be hosting a World Mental Health Awareness Day event in conjunction with an ongoing exhibition. The aim of the event is to encourage the wider community to engage with the various groups around the North of Wales who support people who live with mental health conditions. As part of the day the unveiling of ‘Flourish/Ffynnu’, an exhibition created by numerus associations from the area will be launched on Saturday 10th October from 2pm.

Denise Charles from Hafal commented about their involvement in the exhibition and what it has meant to the people that she works with.
“Hafal are delighted to have the opportunity to work with Undegun and other service providers in Wrexham, to once again celebrate World Mental Health day. Service users, carers, staff and the public will all have the opportunity to exhibit their work together, thus reinforcing that there are no boundaries in art, everyone is equal. This is Hafal’s ethos and we are pleased that this will be highlighted as part of the World Mental Health Day celebrations.”

The title for this year’s exhibition Flourish/Ffynnu which means to grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, aims to give people from these communities a chance to openly express themselves by helping them exhibit the work created through the support of associations such as the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB), Hafal, KIM Inspire Advanced Brighter Futures and Mental Health Care (MHC).

The exhibition has been open to all abilities to help encourage creativity and confidence within the groups. Dave Gray from THIS Project says
‘It is important for the people of Wrexham to be able to use a space such as Undegun and see that it is not just available for high profile and international artists but for a wider range of people within the community.’
If you would like to take part in World Mental Health Day at Undegun then please feel free to come down to the launch on the 10th October from 2-4pm. The exhibition will take place until 30th October and open to the public Wednesday – Saturday 12-4pm.
Further Links:
www.mentalhealth.org.uk
www.mentalhealthcare-uk.com
www.hafal.org
www.advancebrighterfutureswrexham.co.uk
www.kim-inspire.org.uk

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Helfa Gelf: Open Doors/Drysau ar Agor

mike — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 12:46:29 +0000

After a string of International Exhibitions Undegun is turning the spotlight on North Wales’ home-grown talent, as part of a unique project with Helfa Gelf. The month long celebration of Welsh Art invites the public not only to come along and see the work of our most creative residents at the gallery but also to take a tour across the region to see where the artists live and work.

This September Undegun will be showcasing work from a large group of artists taking part in Wales’ biggest Open Studios art trail, Helfa Gelf 2015. Now in its 10th year, this free annual event is spread right across North Wales with studios taking part in Gwynedd, Conwy, Flintshire, Denbighshire and Wrexham. It presents a unique chance for visitors to peek behind the scenes, experience this normally hidden world and get to chat to the artists and crafts people about their creative process and their studio spaces. Helfa Gelf mentions:
“We think North Wales is an overlooked gem for the visual arts and crafts in Wales, with loads of artists and makers beavering away up mountain tracks and sea-side cul-de-sacs.”

Like THIS Project who run the gallery, Helfa Gelf aims to encourage engagement & collaboration and break down barriers between artists and the public. This is the third consecutive year the two organisations have collaborated on an exhibition at Undegun.
‘Open Doors’ brings together over 30 artists and begins with a public launch on Saturday the 5th September at 7pm. The Exhibition will be on display until the 26th September. During their time at Undegun the exhibiting artists will be using the art space to create new work live in front of the public, with opportunities for everyone to get involved in workshop activities and learn new skills.

During its time at Undegun the exhibition will feature a number of free workshops and talks, which are open to all abilities.
On the 25th September artist Graham Mitchell and Ros Hornbuckle will be demonstrating their skills of tapestry weaving and jewellery making out of wood at Undegun from 11 to 4pm. All are welcome to come down to the venue and discuss with the artists more about their disciplines and how they find the creative scene within the North of Wales
You will receive a warm welcome from the artists wherever they are, and will join the ever-growing number of art enthusiasts who enjoy this yearly event – and remember, it’s all free.

Helfa Gelf /Art Trail runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in September in Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham. Studios are open from 11am-5pm daily.

For the ‘Open Doors’ exhibition Undegun is open to the public from 12 – 4 on Wednesdays and 11 – 4 on Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays.

If you have any interest in become a part of Helfa Gelf please feel free to visit http://www.helfagelf.co.uk/en/contact/ or any questions about Undegun please feel free to send an email to contact@thisproject.co.uk

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David McBride – Rituals of Colour

mike — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 12:43:59 +0000

The old Burtons Building on Hope Street is a grade II (true/false) listed building in a prominent position in Wrexham town centre, overlooked by St Giles Church. THIS Project been using the window space and shop front of this property to display artwork since the end of last year and it currently plays host to the fantastic ‘Rituals of Colour Structure’, a collection of work by David McBride.

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.”

The artwork on display at 1-2 Hope Street was originally exhibited at Galeri 3B on Priory Street. Formerly Laura Ashley this is another property THIS Project have been given the opportunity of using in order to bring back into use empty spaces, and therefore adding something unique, engaging and temporary into our high streets while also furthering the careers of artists by supporting them to try new things, develop new audiences and present new work.

The exhibition, ‘Light Drawing’ was an exhibition of contemporary lens media exploring different techniques and themes offering a wide perspective on photography as an art form and also included collections of photography work by Alan Whitfield and Andrew Sharp.

THIS Project remain active at Undegun on Regent Street which currently exhibits Sivulla/On The Edge, an exhibition of contemporary Finnish artwork as part of a cultural and artistic exchange between artists based in Finland and North Wales.

http://davidmcbride.tumblr.com/

www.thisproject.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/thisproject

twitter: @thishq

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Horror Summer Present: Wrexham Mini Zine Fest

Kirsty — Sat, 16 May 2015 11:50:50 +0000

On Saturday 23rd May, 12pm – 4pm, pop-up space Undegun will be home to Wrexham Mini Zine Fest presented to you by Horror Summer, a collective created by Kirsty Gaughan and Heather Wilson.

Horror Summer are an arts collective and a not-for-profit social enterprise: this means that any money we make goes right back into working with more cool people to make even cooler stuff.

Recently Horror Summer have been awarded the #Loveto in Wales small grants program by Volunteer Arts the Horror Summer collective have been working towards encouraging 16 – 25 year olds to volunteer and get involved with the creative scene that has been developing within Wrexham. This involves hosting a number of workshops, to help inspire people to create their own zines.

The zine fest will involve zine stalls and workshops, and performances provided by Voicebox. The gathering of stall holders varies from poets, illustrators, graphic novels, and musicians.

Workshops that will be held on the day:

Comics & Zines – Miss Heather Comics
Fabric Key Rings – Crwban Design

Special Guests will include:

Salford Zine library – Who will be bring a sample from their collection to display on the day.

Voicebox – They will be promoting their first collecting small press book that involves a collection of poetry, short stories and a variation of artwork. Performing for us will be Stephen James, Pete Rogers, Carl Colak Dunlop, Tasha Borton, and Tim ‘Eddy’ Humphreys-Jones.

To find out more about Horror Summer please feel free to Follow them on Twitter @horrorsummer, Tumblr http://horrorsummer.tumblr.com/ or email horrorsummerarts@gmail.com

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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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Kim Disley – Weave the Word

mike — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 13:32:51 +0000

Having realised that the origin of ‘Text’ comes from the Latin ‘textere’ meaning ‘to weave’, Kim Disley has taken to translating written texts into visual embroideries and patterns and her current work takes inspiration from the Celtic Tales and Myths from ‘The Mabinogi’. Some of these embroideries will be exhibited at Undegun from March 1st until April 4th.

Textile items are subtly embroidered; this hand work belies the length of time taken to produce a finished piece of work. Kim is currently fascinated by cross-stitch which is simple and ordered – exactly what she feels ‘good design’ has to be. “It also needs to be mathematical; this gives an invisible structure and guideline which is immediately noticeable when something is ‘just not quite right’. I began to use textiles as a medium after working with glass at Wrexham School of Art and Design; embroidered and knitted items mingle with the glasswork.”

Repetition is also extremely important, the same image is used constantly; by altering it with different colour combinations or by mirror imaging, many different designs appear. The repeated image in rows and columns has a correctness and precision.

Kim Disley is ultimately influenced by the clean, straight lines and classic timelessness of the Bauhaus; this simplicity is a template on which most designs are based. Lino cuts by Cyril E. Powers and Sybil Andrews from the early 20th Century, which have the simple repetition and orderliness, are also an influence.

you can find Kim Disley on twitter, @kimally or on instagram, @kimdisley

Weave The Word will be exhibited alongside Wales In Colour and Twisted Showcase Live

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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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An exhibition of Helfa Gelf artists

mike — Mon, 01 Sep 2014 15:49:47 +0000

The biggest open studios event in Wales begins on Friday the 5th September with the launch of the Helfa Gelf Art Trail 2014, where 184 studios and pop-up galleries throw open their door to welcome visitors across the counties of Gwynedd, Conwy, Flintshire, Denbighshire and Wrexham.

Friday the 5th September also sees the launch of Undegun’s newest exhibition featuring a diverse mix of painting, photography, print, sculpture and applied artwork from some of the 300 artists involved in this years event. We will also play host to performances from some of the areas finest acoustic performers. This diverse show conveys a sense of the range of work participating artists offer visitors to the event. The exhibitions runs from the 5th September to the 27 September, with a preview on the evening of the 5th from 7-9pm, that all are welcome to attend. The Glyndwr Collective are taking part again this year, based at the North Wales School of Art & Design further up Regent Street and will be launching thier show on the same night from 5 – 7 pm too. The Regional Print Centre is taking part too, opening its doors on Saturday 6th and 20th September 2014 between 11am and 5pm

There is a link to the facebook event page HERE

Sarah-Jane Harper

There are 12 Helfa Gelf Art Trail days on every Friday, Saturday and Sunday during September. Studios and galleries are open from 11am–5pm and it’s FREE to visit. Studio spaces take every conceivable form: from disused shops to garden sheds and barns, from spaces in cafes to artists’ front rooms. This event offers an insight into this normally hidden world and allows the public to meet the artists and talk about how they create their work.

With more and more galleries and craft shop springing up across North Wales, this event offers the public the chance to meet the artists creating work in studios and workshops across the region. It is a way for the artists to step out of the shadows and take centre stage.

Sabine Cockrill, project co-ordinator for the Helfa Gelf Art Trail, says: “This is our ninth year and it is the biggest event we have ever held. There are over 300 artists in 184 locations taking part, representing a diverse range of artforms, from the traditional to the very contemporary. Helfa Gelf Art Trail is a fantastic opportunity for people to gain a real understanding of what goes into creating something. We hope this year will be our biggest and best yet and that lots of visitors support our local artists and makers. We think it is fantastic that the public are becoming more discerning and buying unique things that are produced in North Wales. It is such a boost to the local economy. ”

Tara Dean

“All our artists, with examples of their work, are listed online at www.helfagelf.co.uk/en/artists/. You can find artists on your door step or plan a trip to a different county. Just use the ‘Art Trail Map’ online at www.helfagelf.co.uk/en/map/,” says Sabine.” There is an artist working within a few miles of most people visiting or living in North Wales. There is such a thriving arts scene here.”

Helfa Gelf also promotes artists through exhibitions. We’re hosting this one at Undegun throughout September but there are also the following:

Oriel Pendeitsh

5 Sep – 3 Nov 2014
Castle Ditch
Caernarfon
Gwynedd LL55 2AY
Private view: 5 September
6.30 – 8.30pm

Denbigh Library Gallery

15 Nov 2014 –10 Jan 2015
Hall Square
Denbigh LL16 3NU
Private view: 14 November
6 – 8pm

Oriel Clwyd Theatr Cymru

6 Dec 2014 – 17 Jan 2015
Mold
Flintshire CH7 1YA
Private view: 6 December
5.30 – 7pm
And taking place all year:
MOSTYN Caffi Celf

Helfa Gelf in partnership with MOSTYN present a series of three month showcase exhibitions of artists’ work. All works are for sale and available through Collectorplan.
12 Vaughan Street
Llandudno LL30 1AB

Art in Hospitals

in partnership with
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
This is a great opportunity for artists to enhance the hospital setting for staff, visitors and patients. Look out for our exhibitions this year at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Ysbyty Gwynedd and Ysbyty Maelor.

Funding has made the residencies, exhibition programme, publication of the Helfa Gelf Art Trail guide, the website www.helfagelf.co.uk and the wider promotion of the event possible. The Helfa Gelf Art Trail project has received funding through the Arts Council Wales and through the local Authorities across North Wales.

Sara-Jane Harper, an artist who also helps organise Helfa Gelf and worked with us on this exhibition says : “It is a fantastic event. Helfa Gelf has done a huge amount to support and promote artists in North Wales. We’ve got some really interesting artists taking part here in Wrexham and the open studios are a great way to showcase them.”

All studios are free to visit and if you want to start a collection of interesting art or craft, you can buy direct from the makers on the trail and chat to the artists and craftspeople about their creative process and materials.

For more information please contact :.
English: Sabine Cockrill 07715755567 /sabine@helfagelf.co.uk
Cymraeg: Gwenno Jones 01352 702 471 / Gwenno_E_Jones@flintshire.gov.uk

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THIS Friday

Kirsty — Wed, 14 May 2014 13:22:44 +0000

This Friday at Undegun is a big one. Stefan Gant will be delivering a talk about his work and THIS Project and Spectrum Promotions collaborate and host an evening of guest speakers and live music celebrating Wrexham’s musical heritage.

Stefan Gant will discuss his works & ideas surrounding drawing practice through 2D, 3D and 4D processes. The Tug of War Drawing Project is an Oriel Wrecsam Off-site presentation supported by the Arts Council of Wales showing on the top floor of Undegun and Stefan is the first artist to exhibit work in this space. This event is the perfect opportunity to see this exciting work and meet the artist. The event is free and all are welcome, wine and soft drinks will be provided.

Tir Tynnu Rhaff (Tug of War Land) is a 28ft x 3ft cast in graphite and resin of the ground in Llanybidder following a National Welsh Tug of War contest. The ground, containing the remnants of heel marks, ridges and hummocks narrates the Tug of War events generated through a one day culmination of competitive activity from teams across Wales. Derived from a plaster mould taken from the location, the resulting cast realised over an eight month period is both monumental and pays homage to the event, elevated on steel pins. The foot marks embedded in the cast act as a story telling device, revealing the struggles and episodes of the days events made by teams across Wales. The cast depicts strong geological connotation whilst equally a remnant of the raw human event. The traces left by the actions when reviewed closely expand enquiry through the topography of the welsh landscape made by its communities in new visual formats.

Lloegr y.e. Cymru (England vs. Wales) Video Documentary (Slow Motion) is a multi-camera video production portraying England (Oxney Vines Cross TOW Club) against Wales (Clwb Tynnu Rhaff Llanboidy, Sir Gâr) in a National Tug of War Competition. The slow motion portrayal depicts temporal ideas concerning the past, fragmentation, tension and deep cultural rivalry. Importantly, the piece plays with the link and connectivity between these two ancient cultural adversaries and essentially the psychology of human nature. The identity of the winner is cut short, alluding to a continued questioning. The piece formed part of a year-long project travelling with Welsh teams and communities, recording and exploring the relationship between expanded notions of drawing and the activity of the tug of war contest. This video was a highlight of the project, creating new visual manifestations. The video is considered a drawing, portraying notions of line, tension, boundaries, territories, gesture, physicality and performance, re-suggesting what drawing can be. The low pitch sounds carry deep-rooted notions of masculinity in its rawest form generated through the slowing process. The sound accentuates ideas of weight and force, though also embraces agricultural sounds, inherent to many of the rural participants.

Pwyso (Weigh-In) Duration 6mins (Silent) The video installation depicts the initial ritual stage of weighing-in prior to a Tug of War contest. Teams are collectively weighed into associated weight classes and finally ‘stamped’ or ‘branded’ through an approval stamp. The video documents the context of this act whilst the process of undressing and shedding clothing presents strong, evocative and almost sacrificial elements to this ritual sport. The video is monochromatic, silent and is soley engaged in visual observation, analysis and re-presentation. Notions of drawing are expanded though the mark given by the official and leg of the receiver.

Strike A Chord is a retrospective exhibition exploring 25 years of Wrexham music in pictures. To coincide with the stunning Focus Wales festival this year THIS Project, together with Spectrum Promotions and aided with the help of many people involved with the music scene over the years, devised this exhibition and we are currently displaying a number of posters documenting 25 years of music in Wrexham Music. We would like to extend and expand the exhibition and are currently accepting submissions – if you have any posters, tshirts, records, ticket stubs or film and photography or anything else relevant to the history of Wrexham music we’ll add it to the exhibit – contact mike@thisproject.co.uk (we’ll return it to you after, of course).

Introductions begin at 8 with This Wooden Ideal taking the stage shortly with more presentations and discussion taking place between no doubt blistering sets from Lovers Open Fire and local post-punk heroes Terminal

As ever, if we have missed something or there is something coming up you think we should know about, get in touch! Please email contact@thisproject.co.uk or find us on facebook or twitter

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