The Wonders of Weston
dal 28/10/2010 al 28/10/2011
Segnalato da
28/10/2010
The Wonders of Weston
Different venues, Weston‐super‐Mare
Phosphorescent constellations that vanish and reappear, fragments of text etched into glass, sculptures that shift in colour and surface, and a mobile kaleidoscopic pavilion are set to transform the seaside town of Weston-super-Mare. The exhibition features new artworks by artists Ruth Claxton, Tim Etchells, Lara Favaretto, Tania Kovats in association with landscape architects Grant Associates, architects raumlaborberlin and artist collective Wrights & Sites.
Situations and Field Art Projects announce today full details of the permanent programme of artworks for Weston-
super-Mare by a series of internationally-renowned artists and architects: Ruth Claxton, Tim Etchells, Lara
Favaretto, Tania Kovats in association with landscape architects Grant Associates, raumlaborberlin and
Wrights & Sites.
Avoiding the kiss-me-quick cliché of the British seaside, the artists were drawn to overlooked aspects of the town:
from Ruth Claxton’s sculpture using the derelict 1930s model boating pond as a frame, to raumlaborberlin’s
souvenir graphic identity inspired by the childhood hangouts of John Cleese.
Tania Kovats’ obsession with islands continues with her miniature of the remote nature reserve Steep Holm island,
visible in the distance from Madeira Cove, while Lara Favaretto casts the Marine Lake Causeway in a shimmering
and at times invisible constellation of phosphorescence.
Tim Etchells’ two neon signs spell out alternative statements on the Winter Gardens Pavilion; fragments of text
etched into a shelter recall his summer walks around the town. Wrights & Sites have also used text, creating 41
signs that will be dispersed around the town each engaging with an aspect of its architecture. Whilst a number of
the works take advantage of the expansive beach and the views out across Weston Bay, building upon the state of
contemplation induced by big skies and wide open spaces, others encourage the visitor to turn back towards the
town to consider its peculiarities, hidden wonders and infectious humour.
The programme is accompanied by public nominations for the Seventh Wonder of Weston which already include a
hill fort, a mystic path, a theatre organ and Weston brass band. Nominations can be viewed at Wonders of Weston
website (http://www.wondersofweston.org) along with video interviews with the artists, an extended guide and full
information on visiting Weston-super-Mare. The Annotated Guide to Wonders of Weston, a richly illustrated guide
to the artists' working processes annotated by Weston residents will be published by Book Works in spring 2011.
http://www.bookworks.org.uk
Wonders of Weston is produced by Situations, a public art commissioning and research programme at the University
of the West of England, Bristol (http://www.situations.org.uk), in association with Field Art Projects, an arts consultancy
operating in the public realm (http://www.fieldartprojects.com). The programme has been developed as part of the national
Sea Change initiative, managed by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) on behalf of
the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), and is managed by North Somerset Council.
Image: Ruth Claxton, And My Eyes Danced
For press enquiries, interviews or high-resolution images, please contact:
Kate Gordon
Communications Manager, Situations T: +44 (0)117 930 4282 E: press@situations.org.uk
or
Anna Vinegrad
Idea Generation T: +44 (0)20 7749 6850 E: Anna.Vinegrad@ideageneration.co.uk
Friday 29th October, 3.30-7.00pm
join us to celebrate the completion of a permanent new programme of public artworks in Weston-super-Mare – the Wonders of Weston
Different Venues
Weston‐super‐Mare, GB