Good to see showings from Dancexchange, International Dance Festival Birmingham and Birmingham Royal Ballet in Dance! The Most Incredible Thing about Contemporary Dance which was on BBC4 recently.
It’s on the iPlayer for… well, the next couple of hours. Hmm.
Chris Keenan had some of his footage used and has written about that.
Incidentally, if you’re into dance then you should most definitely follow the West Midlands Dance website.
Art of Ideas is a group exhibition curated by Matthew Collings and Matt Price, entitled ‘The Witching Hour’, which will be taking place in the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery’s Waterhall Gallery from 11 – 14 November.
The four day exhibition will explore darkness and the uncanny, featuring photography, painting, sculpture, printmaking, film and animation, from over 20 artists based in or hailing from the West Midlands.
The Art of Ideas publication is designed to encourage more people to start collecting contemporary art in the city and region. With its supernatural theme, The Witching Hour exhibition offers an opportunity for people who are interested in collecting art – whether individuals, businesses or arts institutions – to see and acquire works by leading and emerging artists from the West Midlands.
- Matt Price
Exhibiting artists include both internationally renowned names along with emerging talent, including: Hurvin Anderson, Richard Billingham, Graham Chorlton, Faye Claridge, Ravi Deepres, Tessa Farmer, Brian Griffin, Roger Hiorns, Harminder Singh Judge, Chris Keenan, Idris Khan, Karin Kihlberg / Reuben Henry, David Miller, Sally Payen, Juneau Projects, Ged Quinn, David Rowan, Liz Rowe, George Shaw, Toby de Silva, Gillian Wearing and Stuart Whipps.
There’s a big project (18 months, 17 artists, 138 performers – that kind of thing) that’s coming to a head this weekend, specifically between 6.30-9.30pm on Saturday 7 August at Retort House, 9 Gas Street:
The River project is a collaborative animated film based on a bespoke piece of contemporary dance
The event will be an exhibition featuring live music, dance and film. It’s a one-off, so don’t go thinking you’ll get a second chance to see this.
There’s a proper website that looks all brooding and impressive, but I’ve enjoyed browsing through the blog that talks about the impressive city centre venue (the first time it’s been used as an arts venue), the musicians and the many rehearsals.
Chris Keenan has the above photo showing at Colorado’s Center for Fine Art Photography at the moment, at an exhibition entitled ‘Portraits‘ juried by Mary Ellen Mark.
Tom is the owner of a prefab home in Moseley – once surrounded by many similar ones, his is now one of the few remaining among the redeveloped properties.
Mary Ellen Mark is name that should be recognised by anyone who’s studied photography. To have had work picked out by her (she chose 52 portraits from 2500 submissions) is a great credit to Chris.
Way back when, I said that the London-based Volume Magazine was coming to Birmingham for it’s fourth issue and was looking for submissions.
It’s out now (thanks to Chris Keenan for pointing that out) and is really rather good. It can be read online here.
To help you in your browsing:
There are just two weeks to go for submissions to the 4Talent Awards – the deadline is 29 August 2008.
4Talent acts as a talent spotter for the various arms of Channel 4 and the awards:
tip exciting individuals with the potential to make a difference, as judged both by commissioners and the leading producers who supply them.
It’d be great to have some Birmingham winners again – last year Polar Bear, Chris Keenan and Nathan Hughes-Berry won trophies – so have a look through the categories and if one fits you (and as long as you’re under 30 and meet the other criteria) then get your application in.
Chris Keenan, aka Prime Objective, was one of four artists (along with Jo Naden, Eryka Isaak and Matthew Robinson) to be commissioned by a large, local confectioners to produce artwork for the company’s new ‘Bournville Place’ offices.
Chris posed purple objects – bikes, balloons, bunting, drumkits and so on – around the (reassuringly clean-looking) factory.
With thanks to Surely (who have more pics).
